Barbie Dreamhouse Is Star of New TV Series
Oh, the Barbie Dreamhouse! The birthday and holiday wish-list item so many kids desperately wanted (and still do!).
That three-story palace, complete with a yellow elevator (although the color changed in later models), was THE toy to have when I was growing up in the 1970s. My friend Karen had the Barbie Dreamhouse, Kelly had the pool, my sister had the Barbie airplane and I had the Barbie ski village (don’t ask, it must have been on sale). We’d gather every day we could with our assortment of Barbie everything and played for hours. That original Dreamhouse was so cool!
Now, just like the Brady Bunch House renovation, they are turning the Dreamhouse into something real.
Inspired by the popularity of the global icon herself — Barbie! — and by the excitement surrounding the upcoming release of the Warner Bros. Pictures film, Barbie, HGTV and Mattel‘s are joining forces to bring the iconic toy to the forefront even further in the new TV competition series, Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge.
Featuring celebrity guests, pop culture history and plenty of Barbie surprises, Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge will be hosted by supermodel, designer, author and entrepreneur Ashley Graham.
“I cannot wait to see Barbie’s signature style get the life-sized treatment in an actual home,” said Ashley Graham, in a release on the show. “She holds such a special place in my heart, especially since Mattel created a one-of-a-kind doll of me back in 2016. It feels like such a full circle moment now that I have a hand in the creation of her real-life Dreamhouse.”
The series will feature eight teams of HGTV superstars trying to transform a Southern California home into a real-life Barbie Dreamhouse. Teams will overhaul areas of the home with an era-specific style, such as an early 1960s atomic age kitchen (those white cabinets and red counters?), a ‘70s disco vibe for Ken’s Den and a main bedroom decked out in ’80s glam.
In the end, one passionate Barbie fan will get the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime stay in a home created for dreamers. More to come on how to enter the Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge but we’re guessing it’s going to be pretty swanky! You can bet the Guinness Book of World Record holder for most Barbie‘s will be interested, too!
Participating in the challenge are: Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson (Married to Real Estate); Jasmine Roth (Help! I Wrecked My House) and Antonia Lofaso (Beachside Brawl); Ty Pennington (Rock the Block) and Alison Victoria (Windy City Rehab); Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin (Farmhouse Fixer); Christina Hall and James Bender (Christina on the Coast); Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas (Bargain Block); Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt Brian and (100 Day Dream Home); and Michael Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle Williams (Luxe for Less).
Food Network is also getting in on the Barbie fun (despite that perfect figure, Barbie does eat!) with Barbie-inspired elements included in their specials like Summer Baking Championship and Beachside Brawl.
The Collectibles Issue
August 2019
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