HGTV’s Brian & Mika Kleinschmidt Reflect on Their High School Days Before Romance

Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt have enjoyed working with — and against — each other for several years.

The pair reflected on the early days of their friendship before becoming a couple in a Tuesday, October 14, HGTV Instagram video. “​​We both are very competitive. Looking all the way back to high school, we used to race each other to the lunchroom,” Brian recalled. “We had history class right before lunch, and we would stand by the door. As soon as the bell rang, we took off.”

While Mika claimed that Brian would push people “out of the way” to win, Brian said they were both guilty of doing so. “We were pushing everybody,” he shared. “We were jumping, like, benches.”

Despite their love for competition, Mika noted that she and Brian were “complete opposites” back in the day. “For me, especially, because I had moved to four different high schools, I was just ready to be done,” she explained.

Brian, meanwhile, described his high school self as a “class clown” and “entrepreneur,” adding, “I was on the morning show, I was on the football team, I played basketball, I did musical theater. I kind of did everything.”

 

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The duo went their separate ways after high school, and Brian went on to marry his ex-wife, Ericka Dunlap, in 2004. Mika welcomed her daughter, Jade, in 2009, and reconnected with Brian after his divorce in 2011. Brian and Mika said “I do” in 2015 and went on to premiere their HGTV series, 100 Day Dream Home, in 2020.

The on and off-screen partners have appeared on several other HGTV shows, including Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge, Home Town Kickstart, Rock the Block, and their 100 Day Dream Home spinoffs, 100 Day Dream Home: Beachfront Hotel and 100 Day Hotel Challenge.

In the HGTV Instagram video, Brian went on to ask Mika, “If we weren’t doing HGTV, what would we be doing?” She replied, “Either an attorney, or, yeah, I think, a musician. But, I don’t know. It seems like a lot of work, going on tour.”

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Brian, however, said that they “love” what they do so much that they couldn’t imagine having other dream jobs. “We already have it,” he gushed, while Mika added, “That’s right.”

100 Day Dream Home returned with new episodes last month. Reflecting on their TV journey ahead of the show’s return, Brian exclusively told TV Insider that he and Mika “haven’t really changed a lot” over the years.

“We’re the same people that we were when we shot our initial audition video in our old backyard, but our projects have definitely gotten bigger and bolder and more extravagant over the years. You’re gonna see that in Season 6,” he shared. “We are attempting some things that we’ve never done before and maybe, maybe, we might never do it again. But yeah, we always want to elevate every single season. I feel like we’ve done it.”

100 Day Dream Home, New Episodes, Tuesdays, 8/7c, HGTV