Remember Ty Pennington? The ‘Extreme Makeover’ Star Was Just in Rockford

Okay, Rockford, I need to talk about something that has me feeling like I just stepped into a time machine and landed somewhere around 2005.

Ty Pennington was recently in Rockford.

Yes, that Ty Pennington.

Dia Dipasupil, Getty Images

If you watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition back in the day, you know exactly who I'm talking about. The tall, energetic guy with the tool belt, the giant bullhorn and the ability to make an entire crowd lose its mind by yelling, "Move that bus!"

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If I'm being completely honest, I had a little bit of a thing for Ty back then. I think it was his gravelly voice and ability to swing a hammer AND redesign a house that drew me in, and I still remember volunteering for the build the show did for the Stott family in Lena in 2009. (Sadly, I never saw Ty in person while I was on site volunteering).

Since I spent a good chunk of my free time in the early 2000s watching Ty Pennington transform houses in one week, I've often wondered what he's been up to in recent years.

Well, apparently Ty Pennington spends some of his time touring Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieces, including Rockford's famous Laurent House.

Ty Pennington Tours The Laurent House in Rockford

Ty Pennington has long had an interest in design and architecture, so it's no surprise that he is a fan of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It is surprising, though, that his design interests recently brought him to Rockford to visit the Laurent House.

For those that don't know, the Laurent House is a pretty incredible place. Frank Lloyd Wright designed it for Kenneth Laurent, a paraplegic World War II veteran, and it is the only home Wright designed specifically to be wheelchair accessible.

Now, I can't help but wonder if visiting the Laurent House was the only reason Ty Pennington came to Rockford, or does he have something else exciting cooking behind the scenes? I guess we'll just have to wait and see!