Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama Almost Rejected HGTV’s ‘Renovation Aloha’ For THIS Hilarious Reason
The couple were sought after by HGTV's creative team, and received a lot of encouragement from friends and family before they decided to give TV stardom a shot.
Updated June 30 2026, 10:05 a.m. ET
When HGTV first reached out to Tristyn Kalama about developing what would become Renovation Aloha, she assumed the message was fake.
The series, which premiered in February 2024, has since become one of HGTV's renovation shows, but Kalama said appearing on television was never part of the couple's plans. Instead, she and husband Kamohai Kalama were focused on running their renovation business when the opportunity arrived.
Tristyn Thought the HGTV Offer Was a Scam
Speaking with TV Insider, Tristyn said she initially dismissed the offer because she questioned whether it was legitimate.
“I thought it was a scam, dude. I was like I don't know. Is this real? I didn't respond to the message for a while. It was never part of the plan,” she said.
Kamohai shared similar doubts about the opportunity. “Coming into this we had zero expectations. We owned and operated a business, but it was never our goal or our vision board to be on a TV show. This fell into our laps,” he said.
The couple said the producers were searching for a husband-and-wife renovation team in Hawaii. After receiving multiple referrals and encouragement from friends and family, they decided to pursue the opportunity.
Renovation Aloha follows the couple undergoing renovations on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, with Kamohai serving as the real estate expert and Tristyn covering designs.
It Took Two Years Before the Show Was Approved
Although the production company expressed early interest, the process of developing Renovation Aloha took about two years before the series received approval.
During that time, the Kalamas participated in multiple meetings and created sizzle reels, sample footage and a pilot before the network committed to a full season.
Reflecting on the lengthy process, Tristyn said, "One Zoom [call] led to more Zooms, which led to a sizzle reel, which led to an act one, which led to a pilot. I'm probably leaving a step out in there, but it's a two year long process of being greenlit to actually film a season."
“If the end goal was impact and how we can grow our business, then the show was the right move for us," Tristyn said.
Today, the couple's renovation business remains central to the series, though Kamohai said television was never something they had planned for when they first started renovating homes.