It’s not often that you get a chance to pursue a dream project with your best friend, but that’s exactly what Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis do in every single episode of Home Network’s aspirational home improvement series, Honest Renovations.
The series follows the co-hosts as they meet with families whose homes no longer suit their needs. Jessica and Lizzy get to know the parents and kids in each installment before putting together a thoughtful, eco-friendly and functional design that helps them thrive at home.
Want to know more about these mompreneurs and their ground-breaking series? Read on to learn more and catch them every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Home Network, also available on STACKTV. Try it free today!
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Honest Renovations
Who is Jessica Alba?
Many know Jessica Alba for her acting career. She’s starred in big box-office films like Sin City and was the lead character in the TV series Dark Angel. Many also know her as Sue Storm from The Fantastic Four.
Others know Jessica as the face behind The Honest Company, a personal care company that she founded in 2011 with the goal of creating safe, effective and eco-friendly products for families.
Who is Lizzy Mathis?
Elizabeth “Lizzy” Mathis is a former actor who has done films like Enchanted and Blue Crush 2. These days, she leans more into her business side, having launched The Cool Mom Co during the pandemic to help moms navigate beauty, food, style, and more.
How Did They Become Friends?
These women get along so well you’d think they grew up together. But that’s far from the case. They first met because their kids were friends in preschool, and they formed a bond. From there, they realized they have a ton in common, from their parenting style to acting to their life philosophies. They’ve since become besties, and launching this show further proves their strong bond.
“If you have a surface-level relationship with a friend, you probably shouldn’t do [something like this],” Lizzy told theSkimm. “Because you won’t be able to get into the weeds and then come back from it. Jess and I literally have had tears-streaming-down-our-face arguments in parking lots, in bathrooms, and we’ve gotten past it because when we have something that’s with each other, I don’t like carrying it on. I’m like, ‘Let’s attack it. Let’s figure it out.’ If we are best friends, if we are sisters, then we get past everything. There’s nothing that can come between us.”
Related: What to Watch on Home Network in 2025
What Are Some of Their Common Interests?
Aside from their love of home renovations, Jessica and Lizzy each have three kids. They’ve also launched companies with moms in mind, emphasize mental health, and seem to want to leave the world a better place.
These ladies have their differences, too. Lizzy is the outgoing one, while Jessica is more reserved. But they feel that together, they balance each other out and make an even stronger team.
Why Did Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis Team up for Honest Renovations?
During COVID, Jessica and Lizzy realized just how much clutter there was in their homes and how their living spaces hadn’t adapted to their growing families’ needs. They realized that if they felt this way, other parents probably had similar frustrations. So they put their heads together and came up with Honest Renovations.
“A lot of times, we all hang on to things from the past that aren’t necessarily relevant for us today, such as decluttering, organizing and having beautiful solutions so when you look around at your home, you’re so happy to be there,” Jessica explained to Today’s Parent.
“It’s your escape from the world, and you can really hunker down and create amazing memories, and it can really be a sanctuary. So that, for us, was what we wanted to create with every family.”
Related: Expert Tips For a Weekend Home Makeover From Clea and Joanna
How Has Motherhood Changed Their Ideas About Design?
Although Jessica and Lizzy both loved design and home renovations before having kids, becoming moms changed their understanding of the projects and what they could accomplish.
“Before you have kids, you don’t realize how much stuff you’re going to have,” Lizzy told Elle Canada. “Obviously you go through different stages with kids—babies, then toddlers and then teenagers—but every stage needs something different. I just don’t think you really understand how much stuff there will be. So it changes the way you think about design. I think Jess hit the nail on the head with functional storage solutions that are beautiful.”
What Do They Hope to Accomplish on the Show?
At the end of the day, Jessica and Lizzy want mothers to feel seen and heard. They’ve both been through the motherhood journey and realized that their needs were usually the last to be met, so they intuitively wanted to help moms achieve what they needed in their own spaces.
“We came in knowing that even us as mothers, as parents, as wives, as working women, we realized that no one–not even in our lives–will stop and say ‘Hey, what do you need?’” Lizzy told Today’s Parent.
Why Do They Feel Honest Renovations is so Impactful?
It’s clear families and viewers are responding to this unique, feel-good home reno show. And the hosts think they know why: this is a real show made by real women with the goal of helping others.
“The fact that we’re both women of colour, and able to executive produce, host and co-create this show is a big deal,” Lizzy told CBC. “When we can celebrate moments like that, especially together, it amplifies it that much more. Another thing is that we’re just so supportive of each other—there’s no competition between us. This is a real, honest relationship that you’re seeing on screen.”
Check out new episodes of Honest Renovations Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Home Network, also available on STACKTV. Try it free today!
