Bob Vila facts for kids

Robert Joseph Vila (born June 20, 1946) is an American television host. He is famous for his shows about home improvement, like This Old House, Bob Vila's Home Again, and Bob Vila. He has helped many people learn how to fix up their homes.

Early Life and Education

Bob Vila grew up in Miami, Florida. His family is Cuban-American. When Bob was a child, his father actually built their family home with his own hands! This might have inspired Bob's love for building.

Bob went to Miami Jackson High School. He later studied journalism at the University of Florida. After college in 1969, he joined the Peace Corps. He worked as a volunteer in Panama for a while. Then, he traveled and studied in Europe for two years. When he came back to the U.S., he studied at the Boston Architectural Center.

Bob Vila's TV Career

Bob Vila became a TV star in 1979. He was chosen to host a new show called This Old House. Before this, he won an award for restoring an old Victorian house in Newton, Massachusetts.

This Old House Adventures

On This Old House, Bob Vila worked with a skilled carpenter named Norm Abram. Together, they showed viewers how to fix up old houses. They taught people about different building projects. Bob left the show in 1989 because of disagreements about his other business activities. Another host, Steve Thomas, took his place.

Bob Vila's Home Again

After leaving This Old House, Bob started his own show. It was first called Bob Vila's Home Again. Later, in 2005, it was simply named Bob Vila. This show was on TV for 16 seasons! It taught people even more about home improvement. The show is still available to watch in reruns and on streaming services.

Other TV Appearances

Bob Vila also appeared on the popular comedy show Home Improvement. He played himself in three episodes in 1992 and 1993. On the show, the main character, Tim Taylor (played by Tim Allen), saw Bob Vila as a friendly rival. It was a fun way to bring real-life home improvement into a comedy show. Tim Allen even appeared on Bob Vila's show later!

Bob Vila also made a quick appearance in the 1993 comedy movie Hot Shots! Part Deux.

Books and Other Projects

Bob Vila is not just a TV host; he is also an author. He has written 10 books about homes and building. One of his famous series is called Bob Vila's Guide to Historic Homes of America. These books help people learn about beautiful old houses across the country.

Since 2016, Bob Vila has also sold his own brand of tools. You can find them on the Home Shopping Network.

Exploring Historic Homes

Bob Vila has created other TV shows that explore history and architecture. These include Guide to Historic Homes of America (1996), In Search of Palladio (1996) for A&E, and Restore America for HGTV.

Guide to Historic Homes of America

This series from 1996 looked at historic homes in different parts of the United States. It showed viewers amazing old houses and taught them about their history.

• The Northeast: This part included homes in New England and the Mid-Atlantic States. For example, it featured the Morris–Jumel Mansion in Washington Heights, Manhattan and the Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts.
• The South: This section explored homes in the southern U.S. It highlighted houses connected to Thomas Jefferson, like Monticello. It also showed grand mansions in Natchez, Mississippi, such as Stanton Hall.
• The Midwest and West: This part of the series looked at homes in the middle and western parts of the country. It featured houses designed by famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, including the beautiful Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. It also showed homes like Filoli in California.

In Search of Palladio

This 1996 series was about a very important 16th-century architect named Andrea Palladio. Bob Vila explored Palladio's designs and how they influenced buildings even today. The series focused on the homes Palladio designed.

• Villas of the Veneto: This part showed some of Palladio's amazing villas in Italy, like Villa Pisani and Villa Emo.
• The Palladians in England and Ireland: This section explored how Palladio's style influenced buildings in England and Ireland, such as Chiswick House in London.
• The Palladian Legacy in America: This part showed how Palladio's ideas came to America. It featured homes like Mount Pleasant in Philadelphia and the Boscobel House Museum in Hudson Valley, New York.

Restore America

Restore America was a special series that aired between 1999 and 2000. It had 50 one-hour episodes, with each one focusing on historic preservation and building restoration in a different U.S. state. It showed how important it is to save and fix up old buildings.

See also

• List of Cuban Americans