“Home in a Heartbeat” only ran for one season on HGTV, but viewers fell in love with Galey Alix and her mission to flip homes in a three-day window.
While Alix chose to step away from the series, she never let go of her love for home design. In fact, she poured her heart and soul into renovating her own living space. In a new interview, the HGTV alum opened up about the emotional journey she underwent while giving her own home a makeover.
Former HGTV Star Galey Alix Worked on Her Home Renovations For Two Years
Fans loved seeing Galey Alix transform homes on “Home in a Heartbeat.” But this time, she’s more focused on her own space.
“I have shed some happy tears, I’m not gonna lie,” the HGTV alum told PEOPLE in a new interview as she showed off her design work. “I think that I’m very emotionally connected to homes, and it’s been easier to throw myself into other people’s homes than my own, just because it’s kind of connected to some darker things in my past.”
While her HGTV show had a significant fanbase, Galey Alix ultimately admitted it caused an enormous amount of stress. This time, she just wants to design for her own sake. However, designing her own place has brought up many painful memories.
“The last time I had been working on my own home, which was really the first time I ever worked on my own home, I had a relationship that fell apart and was really traumatic,” the designer shared. “And then, when I started the renovation on my home two years ago, finally thinking I was ready to tackle it, my first dog and the love of my life, who I had for 14 years, passed away right when I started.”
Back in 2018, Galey Alix was working on her dream home when her engagement ended. She was also struggling with tremendous stress and mental health issues, including an eating disorder and losing her job. Diving back into the renovation project has forced her outside her comfort zone.
“When I say there’s happy tears and sad tears and, like, a little bit of triumph over some PTSD, I guess. It’s a really emotional thing, so I think all of that is wrapped into the feeling that I have now, having completed it,” the HGTV alum told PEOPLE.
Filming ‘Home in a Heartbeat’ Proved to be Too Much
While Galey Alix loved sharing her projects with viewers, filming “Home in a Heartbeat” was simply more than she could handle.
“My nervous system was completely shutting down,” the designer told PEOPLE in 2024. “By the end of the show I realized, I don’t have a nervous system; I am a nervous system.”
HGTV ultimately ended the show after one season. However, Alix firmly stated the network wasn’t to blame for her mental health.
“I feel like I set myself up for failure, because I wanted to renovate whole homes in 72 hours with my team,” she explained. But I’m also a perfectionist with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which means I’m not going to let us cut any corners. We’re not going to throw things up, do it quickly and not make it perfect because I don’t have enough time. It had to be right.”
Fans wish Galey Alix well on her journey and hope to see her return to HGTV sometime in the future.
