Profiles of Innovation
Teardowns to treasures: Gilbert Joseph Perez restores Houston's character — onehouse at a time
"An entrepreneur is someone who follows their passion and makes something out of nothing." — Gilbert Joseph Perez, interior design and home restorer
Many people look at a crumbling house and see a teardown. Gilbert Joseph Perez looks at the same house and sees the possibilities.
Perez has transformed some of Houston's most dilapidated homes into treasures. It all began when he remodeled an old bungalow on 14th Street into a sparkling home that he inhabited. Neighbors admired his work and encouraged him to continue in that line of work.
Perez has transformed some of Houston's most dilapidated homes into treasures.
After he found an old house that was about to be torn down, moved it onto a vacant lot across the street, remodeled it and sold it, he thought, "Hey, maybe there is something here."
His company, Bungalow Revival, now has five employees and several renovation projects in the works around the Heights and Montrose. "For us, it's not about the money; it's about doing the right thing," he says.
In the third installment of the Profiles of Innovation series, videographers Douglas Newman and John Carrithers follow Perez as he restores Houston's character — one house at a time.
