“Property Brothers” star Jonathan Scott is hard at work on his next passion project — and it’s one that hits very close to home.
He’s doing a ground-up rebuild of his fiancéeZooey Deschanel‘s childhood home, which burned to the ground in 2025 duringthe devastating Palisades Firein Los Angeles.
The 1920s Spanish Revival-style residence, where she grew up in with her sister, former “Bones” actress Emily Deschanel, was one of the oldest properties in the Palisades. It was where their parents — multiple Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel, of “Twin Peaks” fame — still lived when they fled the flames.
She shared her family’s story in a heartbreaking, yet hopeful, post onInstagram. Like many families, Deschanel’s parents lost everything in the blaze, from cherished photographs to furniture made by her great-great grandfather.
“It was not a mansion but it was cozy and lovely and unique and perfect to me,” Deschanel wrote. “One of my friends growing up called it ‘The Church’ because the 14-foot ceilings with stained glass windows in the living room cast colorful shadows at the end of the day. And to me it was holy, a sanctuary where we felt most safe.”
Now, safety especially is at top of mind.
Scott said his goal is to build back the home and to make it better able to withstand natural disasters. He shared details on the project on an affordable housing panel at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills earlier this month. He also aims a minimal alteration for some of the original home’s design to make it easier for Deschanel’s parents to navigate as they age.
“Just because you’re building something fire-resilient, it doesn’t have to look like a modern box,” Scott said. “The house we’re building will look like the original 100-year-old home.”
Scott is using a disaster-proof technology to build it back better and stronger — without wood.
In an interview with Gimme Shelter following the panel, Scott shared some new details on the rebuild, which he is chronicling for a documentary. Not only will the residence be able to withstand fires, but it will also weather floods and earthquakes.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
