Farmhouse Facelift Hosts: How Billy and Carolyn Turn Old Homes Into Modern Family Spaces

If you love a good before-and-after reveal, Farmhouse Facelift has become one of HGTV’s most comforting renovation shows. It’s powered not just by old farmhouses begging for love, but by its hosts: A sibling duo who know how to balance history, family, and design in a way that feels genuine, not scripted.

So who exactly are the Farmhouse Facelift hosts?

They are siblings who grew up on a farm in Ontario and now use that real-world experience to rescue century-old houses. Their story isn’t just about hammer and nails; it’s about heart, history, and the craft of listening to what a home and its owners really need.

The Farmhouse Facelift hosts are Carolyn Wilbrink and Billy Pearson, a sister-brother team who bring together big-picture design and hands-on building expertise. Carolyn studied broadcast journalism before turning to interior design once she started renovating her own farmhouse and realized how much she loved transforming spaces.

Billy, on the other hand, found his calling in construction early. He’s been building and renovating since he was about 21, and his craftsmanship is the backbone of every project they tackle together.

Growing up on their family’s farm in Waterdown, Ontario, gave them plenty of practical experience and a deep appreciation for rural spaces, which now feeds directly into the work they do on the show.

Part of what makes Farmhouse Facelift work is that the dynamic between Billy and Carolyn is not manufactured for TV. It comes from years of real collaboration and the occasional sibling friction that comes with it. In an interview with Realtor.com, Carolyn shared that she originally pulled Billy into her own renovation project because she trusted his work more than anyone else’s.

She admitted she had to convince him.

“Pretty much begging,” she said, explaining that no one else she knew would do the job the way Billy would. That trust eventually turned into a professional partnership that viewers now see play out on screen.

Billy has echoed that the process works because they stay in their lanes. Carolyn focuses on how a space should live and feel, while he handles the structural realities that make those ideas possible. The result is a collaboration that feels practical rather than performative.

One of the reasons the show resonates is that neither host approaches farmhouse renovations as blank slates. Both have lived in and worked on old rural homes, which shapes how they make decisions. Instead of chasing trends, they prioritize layouts that support family life and materials that respect the home’s age.

Carolyn's design background grew out of necessity, not aesthetics alone. After renovating her own farmhouse while raising children, she learned quickly what works and what does not.

That experience now informs how she designs for clients who want beauty without sacrificing function.

Billy’s construction background keeps those ideas grounded. He regularly points out that old homes come with surprises, and part of the job is adapting without erasing history. That balance between preservation and practicality is a consistent throughline in every episode.

Viewers often respond to the ease between the two hosts, and that chemistry is largely unfiltered.

They challenge each other, joke openly, and do not sugarcoat the realities of renovation. That honesty makes the show feel less staged and more like watching two people genuinely solve problems together.

Because they grew up on a farm in Ontario, both hosts share an instinctive understanding of rural properties and the emotional attachment owners have to them. That shared background eliminates the need for over-explanation and keeps the focus on the work itself.

What makes Farmhouse Facelift stand out is not just the finished homes, but the relationship behind them. Billy and Carolyn bring different strengths to the table, and neither tries to outshine the other. That balance, paired with a deep respect for old homes and the people who live in them, is what gives the show its steady, watchable charm.