A little golden retriever jumped out of its burrow and ran into the kitchen, making a little girl squeal with joy. “I just picked up a puppy,” she says, as her father walks barefoot after the dog. “That was… very exciting.”
It's moments like these that make this father, Alex Mazukin, pause and appreciate the life he's built, both literally and figuratively. Alex's new home, located in a quiet suburb of Boise, Idaho, is the sixth home he has completely renovated. And he invited America to watch him along the way.
move up
If you're new to Alex's special brand of relatable DIY knowledge, know this. He is a true self-made success story. Under the name Mr. Build It, Alex creates his YouTube videos of himself working on projects around the house, to the delight of his nearly 900,000 followers. It's easy to see how he got so big. With a relaxed demeanor and no ego (“I'm dedicated to showing people my mistakes in order to give them realistic expectations,” he says), Alex is about building himself. Learn everything and aren't afraid to admit it.
It's the kind of tenacity you'd expect from this Russian immigrant who came to Idaho in his early 20s to pursue medical school. The path he first forged led him to his career as a respiratory therapist at St. Luke's Hospital in Boise. In 2016, working there also led to meeting his interior designer wife Irina (who is also a Ukrainian immigrant). “When we bought our first house, we were two broke kids and didn't have the money to renovate it,” Alex says.
His first project was to build a simple industrial coffee table made of pipe and wood. He carried out this task with “fair effort”. From there, Alex binge-watched his YouTube how-to videos and realized he could show others that hard work and eliminating the fear of failure are key ingredients to accomplishing any task. , a thirst for bigger projects began.
“I had a false sense of confidence…that made me keep trying,” he says. “My strongest suit is not its construction or design, but the fact that it provides a high degree of comfort even when it fails.”
start anew
Ten years of skill building culminated in their latest accomplishment: the renovation of their current 3,000 square foot home. It's the house he, Irina, and their three children (Jack, 11, Beckham, 10, and Harper, 4) have lived in since last spring. The intention here was to create a calming space that is sophisticated and modern, yet welcoming of lively spontaneity.
Handle childcare.
The Mazukins worked together to create their space with their love of family life and entertainment in mind. Alex did the demolition and construction. Irina oversaw her design aesthetic for the interior, from paint colors to furniture and fixture selection. “She pushes the design further with tone, texture and shape,” says Alex. The results of their collaboration are more than just pleasing to the eye. It's incredibly personal.
“This house is my favorite house I've ever built,” says Alex. He's referring to the wooden structure in Harper's room. It's a mix of playhouse and bed, perfect for a princess. The design allows Harper to climb a small staircase to reach a tower lit from above with LED lights resembling twinkling stars.
Other projects Alex worked on in their new home included tearing down the kitchen and installing a marble island and new counters and cupboards, in addition to wrapping the walls for visual appeal. I did. Add to that a new fireplace, wooden bunk beds for the boys, a dramatic rafter ceiling in the master bedroom, a renovated laundry room, and you'd think there's nothing Alex can't tackle.
These new buildings are set in a sea of neutral tones, understated yet relaxed. The kitchen alone features his three shades of Benjamin Moore White. These colors were chosen by Irina because they can create a subtle impact while going with everything.
There are outliers among the neutral colors, and those are the nests. It is stored behind a giant door salvaged from the family's barn. This deep green hideaway is a “man cave” complete with a pool table and TV.
A big match and a bearskin rug.
unconventional approach
Alex allocates an hour each morning to combing through Pinterest to create the 12 YouTube videos he publishes each month. But by and large, Alex likes to “shoot from the hip” when it comes to getting his hands dirty.
He makes no blueprints, takes few measurements, and chooses to trust his eyes. “Still, there are some things you should know when starting a project,” he warns. “Pay attention to the structure of your home and which walls are load-bearing.”
Alex will soon apply that unique intuition to their latest labor of love: transforming a home in the Boise Mountains into a stylish Airbnb. Although they have purchased land, they have no plans to move from their current home anytime soon. Alex says: “This is the first home we feel truly safe living in.”
Mr. Build It can be found at At home with the family handyman streaming channel. at home is currently streaming on Samsung TV Plus, XUMO, The Roku Channel, LG Channels, Plex, fuboTV, Sling Free, and the Family Handyman app. Also available on iOS, Apple TV, Android, AndroidTV, FireTV, and Roku devices.