Today, three hours of the first ever episodes of the DIY network's The Vanilla Ice Project are re-airing starting with Season 1 Episode 1, "Nice Nice Landscaping," at 1 PM on HGTV. More re-airings of shows from Season 2 will air on Monday, November 19 on the DIY network. Season 3 is set to launch in January of 2013.
The TV show begins by renovating and restoring a 7,000 sq ft house in Palm Beach, FL that rapper star and rock vocalist Vanilla Ice bought as a short sale after it had been abandoned and stripped by it's former owner.
Vanilla Ice, also known by his real name of Robert Van Winkle, or "Rob," to his work crew, said he had been doing home repair for 10 years before launching the show. Hands-on home renovation is a hobby he enjoys.
Ice's first venture into real estate investment began in the early 1990s by accident, when he purchased three homes with the 20 million dollars he earned from the 1990 hit song, "Ice Ice Baby," the first hip hop song to hit the Billboard top 40. He toured the world for three years, returned to his homes in LA, Greenwich Village, NYC, and Snowbird, Utah, only to decide he didn't really want to live in any of them. "Sell 'em," he said.
After making a tidy profit of hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said, "It can't be this easy," in an interview with DIY network ( article dated October 7, 2010 DIY network ). It was. The real estate market was experiencing a boom.
In the early 1990s, Ice eventually settled on Star Island in Miami Beach, purchasing a 14-room home where he discovered that life after fame can be quite lonely. At first, he paid others to redecorate, but the party-themed atmosphere soon grew old. He got married to girlfriend Laura Giaritta in 1997, settled down, and started a family. He had two daughters, Dusti and Keelee. Customizing and redecorating his own home to suit his growing family's needs grew into a passion that led to purchasing other homes in need of some TLC. The hobby grew into a business, and Ice found himself doing something he truly loves: home renovation.
Rather than build new homes that just sit vacant, and resell only after they appreciate, Ice decided instead, to turn someone else's discarded houses into dream homes. In today's buyers' market, he can buy distressed houses at a lower price as well as afford quality workers to assist him. After working his magic to create beautiful homes from tear-downs, he can then re-sell the house at a decent profit.
In the real estate market, that's known as "flipping." However, there are good flippers who truly renovate a home, and bad flippers who only do cosmetic repairs while hiding the true problems. Rob "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle is a good flipper.
The Vanilla Ice Project TV schedule
Listings courtesy TV Guide. Synopsis courtesy DIY network.
HGTV 61, HGTVD 1250 Orlando
1 PM Nice, Nice Landscaping S1 E1
Rapper Vanilla Ice renovates a home in Palm Beach, Fla., in this series. First up: improving the landscape with palm trees and LED lighting suitable for a concert venue.
Original Air Date: Oct 14, 2010
Original Air Date: Oct 14, 2010
1:30 Party Pool S1 E2
Vanilla Ice replaces an old pool and lays a new patio, enhancing the space with tiki torches and a fire bowl. Original Air Date: Oct 14, 2010
2 PM The Master Sweet S1 E3
Vanilla Ice installs a spa in the master bathroom. Original Air Date: Oct 21, 2010
2:30 A Tasty New Kitchen S1 E4
Customized cabinets are made for Vanilla Ice's kitchen while he searches for countertops. Original Air Date: Oct 28, 2010
3 PM Living Room Rescue S1 E6
A faux coral fireplace and a new bar are added to the living room in the mansion. Original Air Date: Nov 11, 2010
3:30 Rapping It Up S1 E11
Vanilla Ice and his crew put the finishing touches on the mansion and hire a staging expert to prepare it for sale. Original Air Date: Jan 1, 2011
Monday, November 19, 2012
DIY Network
1:00 pm Upstairs Reality Check S2 E6
Rob's daughters, Dusti and Keelee, help make over the upstairs bedrooms (under his supervision). Original Air Date: Feb 18, 2012
1:30 pm The Master Hideaway S2 E7
Vanilla Ice and his team design and build a master suite that features ceiling frescoes and a spa-like bathroom. Original Air Date: Feb 25, 2012
2:00 pm The Ice House Retreat Suite S2 E8
Vanilla Ice and his crew build a guest suite that features sleek white marble, a Murphy bed and a spa bathroom. Original Air Date: Mar 3, 2012
2:30 pm Baby Got Back Yard S2 E9
A backyard makeover, complete with a zip line and a fire pole, as well as high-end landscaping and a state-of-the-art sprinkler system. Original Air Date: Mar 10, 2012
3:00 pm The Ultimate Garage Getaway S2 E10
Vanilla Ice and his crew transform an old garage into a refuge for auto aficionados. They install a car lift and hurricane-proof doors, and add some rock-star bling to complete the look. Original Air Date: Mar 17, 2012
3:30 pm Elevator up to the Mega Den S2 E11
The project: renovate an unused second-floor loft and turn it into a gaming room. Included: a glass elevator that opens directly into the gaming room. Original Air Date: Mar 24, 2012
4:00 pm Boom-Boom Screening Room S2 E12
Vanilla Ice and his team turn a dated, oversized room into a high-tech theater room with an elaborate sound system. Original Air Date: Mar 31, 2012
4:30 pm Punch List Olympics S2 E13
In the Season 2 finale, Vanilla Ice and his crew hurry to finish their work on the mansion as the open house approaches. Original Air Date: Apr 7, 2012
