Destined to DIY
She remembers her first “cameo” on her father’s TV show with great fondness. “They let me push a shopping cart in the background of a scene inside our local Home Depot store,” Chelsea Lipford Wolf recalled. “Best. Day. Ever. At least for an 11 year old.” Dad, of course, is Danny Lipford, host of Today’s Homeowner TV and radio shows and “America’s Home Improvement Expert.”
The oldest of Danny and wife Sharon’s three girls, Chelsea grew up watching her dad remodel homes and become the go-to home improvement guy with his own call-in television show that later became the nationally syndicated show Today’s Homeowner. When she was but weeks old, her dad started taking her to work with him to Lipford Construction, the company he started at age 21. “I think it was just a thrifty way to save money on daycare,” she laughed.
She later spent summers working with her father and the crew as they taped the television show. “I always loved when summertime came around,” she said. “Not only did I get a break from school like every kid loves, but I also got to go to work with my dad.” Early on they went around to the different jobsites for the construction company but as he made the transition to doing television full-time, Chelsea was right there. Going into their 20th season, she now co-hosts that show with him.
At just weeks old, Chelsea was on site with her dad Danny
Natural Path
It would seem only natural that Chelsea would follow in her dad’s footsteps as an adult, after being his little blond shadow growing up. She was welcomed full-time to the business as an associate producer after graduating from St. John’s University in Queens, New York, in 2010 with a degree in TV and Film Studies. Less than a year later, she was ready for a little more independence from living AND working with her parents (Mom Sharon does the company’s bookkeeping), so she set out to buy her first house. That purchase became the catalyst for a new First Time Homeowners series on Today’s Homeowner with Chelsea and Danny.
The six-part series followed Chelsea from the buying process, to making extensive remodels, to moving in to her newly updated 1940s cottage, with dad’s guidance along the way. The show was such a hit that viewers wanted to see the father/daughter team working together more often.
Building Her Own Brand
With her own ideas on simple household repairs and innovative projects around the home, Chelsea has gained her own following. “As much fun as it is working with dear old Dad, I was itching to do projects that are more ‘me’ and that’s how Checking in with Chelsea was born!” she shared. “It’s a fun way to show how to complete creative projects that interest me and my current state in life.”
That monthly lifestyle and home décor web series was launched in 2014, allowing viewers a peek into the updates and enhancements she creates for her home as a young millennial. Both new homeowners and seasoned do-it-yourselfers find inspiration in the projects that Chelsea and her guests complete, such as a kid-sized picnic table, updating a desk, board and batten walls, a built-in window seat and porch rail planter boxes.
She’s been known to rescue roadside relics and upcycle them, like the “ratty old table” she turned into a bar cart. “That’s why I keep a drop cloth in my car at all times, so I can throw it down and get trash off the street,” she said. And by trash, of course, she means those neglected pieces of furniture that just need a little TLC.
It also helps to find the right products for the job. "I’ve found great inspiration from online resources like Woodcraft where I can purchase elements for my projects while also finding some great ideas to execute on Today’s Homeowner as well as in my own home," she said. If there is a Woodcraft store in your area, you can get in-person assistance with whatever is on your to-do list. Inspiring viewers to take on their own home improvement products is Chelsea’s goal. "I love that I’m helping to break down barriers and showing homeowners it’s not that intimidating to work with wood. All it takes are good instructions, the right tools and maybe a quality how-to video or two! ;)"
She shows viewers how to do household repairs and innovative projects
Growing & Expanding
After wrapping up the First Time Homeowners series, Chelsea met Brandon Wolf and they married in March 2014. They still live in the home Chelsea bought, but they have added two more members to the “Wolf Pack” – daughter Mary Helen in October 2015 and little guy Gus in January 2017. “Our house, hands and hearts have gotten even fuller,” she said.
As if being a wife and mother and having her own web series doesn’t keep her busy enough, when the opportunity arose to become her dad’s co-host on Today’s Homeowner, Chelsea jumped in with both work boots. Working with him all these years inspired her passion for all things home improvement and her genuine and easygoing personality aligns with Danny’s handyman-next-door demeanor. And working hard comes natural. “He’s got a lot going on but I think he likes it that way,” she said about her father in a recent interview in Alabama Living. “I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing if I didn’t admire what he does and has done with his career.”
As Danny reflected on his journey, he said, “One of the highlights along the way has been the introduction, evolution and prospering of my daughter Chelsea’s involvement with the brand. Starting as a behind-the-scenes associate producer to a full-fledged co-host of the national show and her own web series is something she did without the need of a lot of help from me. She’s a remarkable girl.”
Yet to Chelsea, her famous father is “just Dad.” “Whenever people would find out what my dad did for a living, they’re always like ‘that’s so cool, your dad’s on TV! What’s that like?’” she shared. “But for me, it was just my dad and that was just his job.”
Empowering Others
Being raised by America’s home improvement expert, Chelsea obviously isn’t afraid to jump in and do projects and updates in her own home. But her goal is that her can-do attitude will empower and inspire others to tackle their own projects with the proper advice and safety precautions. And of course, to keep “checking in” with Chelsea.
Episodes from Checking in with Chelsea can be viewed on her website, along with projects and photos from some of her latest home improvements.
To learn a little more about Danny, check out his Woodcraft profile story here - “The Little Jigsaw That Could.” You can also visit the Today's Homeowner website to check out expert advice, show schedules, and clips from both the radio and TV shows.
