Caldwell Residence

Co-Star of HGTV’s Boise Boys, Luke Caldwell, Designs Modern Riverfront Home for his Family of Nine

The morning activity in the Caldwell home is a reminder that this striking modern dwelling is first and foremost a family residence — home to Luke Caldwell, co-host of HGTV’s Boise Boys, his wife Miranda and their seven children. Caldwell gathers up books and toys that populate the main family space while simultaneously brewing a cup of coffee. Thin and energetic with modern hipster glasses, Caldwell, serves as the designer on the popular renovation series, while his friend and series co-host, Clint Robertson, a stocky contractor with a wide grin, manages the budget and the logistics.

Caldwell’s design business started quite by accident. After marrying and having two children — son, Elias and daughter, Brighten — the Boise native and his wife Miranda made the decision to adopt. Both had been impacted as young people during separate trips to international orphanages. “I think that’s what kind of spurred us on to want to adopt down the road,” explains Caldwell. “Our goal in adopting was more about wanting to give a kid a family that might have a hard time being adopted.” But adoptions are expensive, and Caldwell’s profession as a full-time musician didn’t cover the steep costs. To help raise the funds, Caldwell bought a home at auction and flipped it. He found he had a knack for it and made a decent profit on his first venture. “The place was a wreck, but the money I made on that flip helped pay for our son’s adoption,” he says. The couple adopted 5-year-old Morris from an orphanage in China. Four more children followed, three from the same orphanage as Morris, and all with special needs.

Caldwell initially treated the house-flipping business as a side hustle while he continued touring with the band. Then he met Clint Robertson, a Texas transplant, through mutual friends in 2015. Robertson, a licensed contractor who has a background as an attorney and CPA, offered to oversee Caldwell’s projects while he was on the road. Six months later, a production company for HGTV reached out, the same outfit that produced HGTV’s Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines. They were looking for odd couples that were renovating in the northwest. Luke and Clint fit the bill. Caldwell often pushes the budget with his progressive design ideas; Robertson responds with his bottom-line practicality and affable humor. “I really had no expectations when they contacted us,” says Caldwell. But after a year and a half of clearing hurdles and pulling off a successful pilot, Boise Boys was signed for six episodes in 2017. The success of the first season led to a second season with 13 episodes. A new show, premiering in 2021, will focus on the pair renovating for specific clients. Caldwell also owns a design and build business called Timber + Love and a real estate company, both in Boise.

During the final episode of season one, the co-hosts built what is now Caldwell’s family home. The riverfront property was purchased at auction, sight unseen, which turned out to be a bigger challenge than either expected. The previous owner had piecemealed three former army barracks together and slapped a roof on it; nothing was built to code. Instead of renovating the existing home and renting it out as planned, the home had to be razed. Caldwell — who’s been influenced by his many travels and describes his design style as vintage modern — opted to build a home for his growing family on the property. The property’s proximity to the river and its many trees provided an ideal location He envisioned a rustic modern residence, with lots of natural elements and different textures.

Instead of removing the trees on the lot, Caldwell went to great lengths to design and build around them, creating a circular drive that rings one of the evergreens. The home’s natural palette incorporates complimentary materials like metal, wood and tile, and angled rooflines help delineate the living spaces. The custom tongue and groove garage door features smooth cedar, which is duplicated on the bespoke entry. The highly sustainable wood is also liberally employed in the interior with the kitchen backsplash, bath vanities and fireplace surround. The understated foyer opens to a grand living space with 20-foot ceilings and large two-story windows. A soapstone and cedar fireplace acts as the focal point of the room and can be used as either a gas or wood burner. The overhead ceiling lights were picked up from a church and repurposed with new paint. With a nod to the river, Caldwell added exposed, multicolored aggregate to the smooth concrete floors. Vintage furnishings dot the space and were purchased from local retailer Boise Vintage. Two commissioned pieces from local artist Kate Crowley-Gilbert — a paint on canvas and a fiber art piece — are mounted in the dining room and hang in the entryway. “Adding these natural elements and the vintage pieces and art really help make the house warmer and add a story to it,” Caldwell says.

The most challenging part of the renovation was the floating concrete staircase. To support the load, the project had to be re-engineered and two 10-foot walls of concrete poured. The perpendicular exposed concrete walls make up half of Caldwell’s front-facing office which abuts the stairs. “I absolutely love the way they turned out,” he says. “And the added advantage is now I have a cool concrete office.” A large military desk was picked up at a thrift store and the swivel chair at a garage sale. Caldwell had the chair reupholstered to match the desk.

The kitchen and dining area were designed for durability, as well as functionality. An oversized black soapstone counter offers ample prep and homework space. Overhead vintage green pendant lights were picked up at a local flea market. The black matte cabinets and island are from IKEA. The vertical tongue and groove cedar backsplash carry the natural wood element into the kitchen and soften the space. A classic Eames chair is tucked into the corner of the master bedroom, and a custom-designed headboard, complete with dimmer switch, is hard to ignore, with its neon green missive, “Love always.” Dual clerestory windows bring light into the space. The master bathroom serves as an oasis after a busy day and is outfitted with an oversized tub and floating smooth cedar vanity topped with black soapstone. Rectangular windows brighten the room.

The upstairs space is designed completely around the family. Miranda homeschools the couple’s seven children. A large living area boasts floor to ceiling cabinets where books and toys can be neatly tucked away. Durable white oak floors are meant to withstand lots of foot traffic. Small student desks outline the perimeter when school is in session, while a large reupholstered sectional fills the center. Three children’s bedrooms and a bathroom, with natural materials that match the rest of the house, finish off the upper level.

“I love things that have clean lines, but are warm and cozy,” says Caldwell. “This home was very much about my wife and I coming together and finding the balance between her style and mine, and really meshing them together to create the perfect space for our family.”