Tracy Hutson of “Extreme Home Makeover” brought this sustainable transformation to life.
When you think about home décor, the soybean might not immediately come to mind. But for Tony Mellenthin and his wife Katie, the crop is a cornerstone of their lives – Tony’s family has been farming soybeans for three generations in western Wisconsin’s Eau Galle.
Through his work with the United Soybean Board, Tony met Tracy Hutson, the host of “Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition” who collaborates with the organization. Last year, he mentioned that he and his wife were expecting a third child, and Tracy offered to give their nursery a makeover.
“A month later, Tracy asked me about it again, and I told her point-blank, ‘To be honest, Tracy, I thought you were doing one of those Midwest Nice things, where you offer and hope I don’t take you up on it,’” Tony says. “And she said, ‘No, I meant it 100%.’”
The couple took her up on the offer.
Hutson was inspired to use soybean-based products to remake the nursery. Soybean-based products provide a more sustainable alternative to those made with petroleum. They promote healthy soil, and their use supports family-owned farms like the Mellenthin’s. Its use as a clean-burning biodiesel also reduces lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 86% compared to petroleum diesel. In Wisconsin, soy generates over 6,000 jobs, with nearly 2,000 family farmers, and over 2 billion in annual revenue.
What started as a one-room project quickly expanded. Tony and Katie spoke to Hutson about their two daughters, ages 5 and 1, and their newborn on the way.
“I thought it was going to just be the one room, but by the time I started really thinking about it, thinking about their other little girls, I thought that I just had to remake rooms for all of them,” Hutson says. “I couldn’t help myself.”
In February, Hutson flew out to make the vision a reality – and she kept the Mellenthins out of the rooms until the big reveal.
“We put it all in Tracy’s hands,” Katie says. “When we walked in, it was such a big change.”
For their oldest daughter, Hutson had a bright rainbow painted on her wall using soy-based paint. The nursery included soy-based changing pads, mattresses, linens and pillow inserts. She even added soy crayons and nail polish, along with toys and stuffed animals.
“The rooms before were all a little dark – now they’re bright and playful and fun,” Katie says. “You want to hang out in them now.”
The makeover is especially meaningful to Tony, as it brings his work – and his family’s work – into his home.
“The soybean has so many diverse uses – it’s really remarkable,” Hutson says. “There are so many products, all the way from building materials to lotions to nail polish.”
Now the two girls – and their newborn brother – have settled into their new rooms and are loving the refreshed space.
“To see the innovation soy has brought into consumer-facing products, and to be able to use those in our house is mind-blowing to me,” Tony says. “As we raise our family, we’re trying to instill a sense of pride and ownership in how we farm, making sure we do right to the environment and in the community. … Now we can show our kids all these amazing things that come from what we grow.”
Learn more about Wisconsin’s soy industry at usssoy.org.
