Season 5

Alison jumps in to save a family that's about to give up on their dream of owning an 1890 home in Little Italy. She stretches the budget to include a fireplace in the living room, a modern chef's kitchen and a stained glass door to the main bathroom.

Alison steps in and takes over when she sees a couple's choppy and terrible floor plan. She aims to deliver on their dream of a rustic, Italian home in the city, creating one of her favorite kitchens, arched doorways and a stained glass masterpiece.

A couple looks to Alison to take on their perfect property, a downtown Chicago penthouse. Alison discovers this is no easy project, however, as these clients come in with high-end taste, a tight budget and struggle to give up control over the design.

Alison returns to a 140-year-old home she loves but had to walk away from after endless delays. This time she demands complete design control over the project, but as time passes, she questions if she's right back into the same mess as before.

Alison plays both designer and therapist to a bickering couple who want to double the size of their home. She looks to deliver a massive kitchen, a main suite with an enviable closet and to get their daughter off the dog's bed and into her own room.

Alison is on the clock to renovate a single-family home while her clients live in the basement. Now, the pressure's on to deliver high-end design with a focus on lighting and custom fireplaces, and to get them upstairs as fast as she can.

Clients are $150,000 in the hole before they turn to Alison for a rescue. The project has been sitting for a year, so Alison looks to turn their mess into magic with the bathroom of their dreams, a high-end adult room and a spacious family kitchen.

Alison has designed many homes like this couple's quintessential Chicago two-flat, but she hasn't always had to deal with such opinionated clients. The end result is a brag house that's, "worth every conversation," displaying custom pieces at every turn.

A woman is under pressure having invested her parent's life savings into a full-gut renovation of their multi-generational home. Now, Alison faces the challenge of delivering a design that the entire family can agree on while staying in a tight budget.

Alison feels a sense of urgency as she takes on a first-floor renovation for a client who's losing her vision. Contrast is key, and she looks to make design decisions where function trumps style. Also, Alison's tempted to get back into the flipping game.

A couple's been stuck in a house that barely functions for three years, and their bedroom doesn't even have heat! And for Alison, the renovation is far from easy as continual delays leave the family scrambling and pushes everyone to their limits.

A couple who's been in their first home for 17 years are ready for Alison to give it a fresh look. But when they find out their house is on a landmarked street, the budget takes a $150,000 hit. Meanwhile, Alison still looks for ways to flip.