When Ashley and Michael Cordray first noticed historic homes in Galveston were being torn down left and right, they knew they had to take action.

That's why in 2015 the couple created their own home restoration company, Save 1900 Realty, and started buying and flipping some the island's oldest properties. Out of love for the island's history, the pair is focused on transforming dilapidated houses into stunning new homes while still preserving their historic charm.

"The 1900 storm was the world's largest natural disaster and most of these homes survived through that, but yet they can't survive their own neglect, [neglect from] people and their owners," Ashley said. "So it just made us want to try and buy as many houses as we can and fix them up."

Soon after the pair launched their company, Michael quit his corporate job and stopped commuting from the island to downtown (the pair has lived in Galveston since 2011) to focus full-time on flipping properties. The couple said about a week after Michael quit his job, they received a call from a production company for a TV show.

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"I could not have imagined how it transpired so quickly after entering the unknown of not being employed," Michael said. "We never had any intentions of being on TV; we just wanted to fix houses. It just literally came out of the blue."

After months of back and forth interviews, calls and filming pilot episodes, the couple was granted an eight-episode show on the DIY Network. Producers finally settled on the name "Big Texas Fix" after previous names like "Saving Galveston" and "Restoration Island" did not make the cut.

"We did six months [of filming] basically and brought back eight houses from really an awful state to really exceptional," Michael said of the show. "It's just kind of making history comfortable. Just capitalizing on what each house has to offer and making it as livable and functional as possible."

Ashley said while they are focused on preserving each home's history, many of the properties require major upgrades after years of neglect.

"Everything is brand new...new electrical, new plumbing, new HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.)" Ashley said. "[But] we never take anything out of a home. Not the windows, not the doors, none of the woodwork, none of the fireplaces - they all stay if they've got them already."

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The couple also designs and furnishes every home they restore. When asked how they describe their style, the pair said they like to keep things simple to make a home timeless.

"When we design the house with furnishings, we like to take key antique pieces and mix in dark woods maybe with a white sofa to kind of modernize it," Ashley said. "I like a lot of dark wood furniture that is antique, which just kind of makes it feel warm and inviting. When you walk in we want to you to feel like you're home."

Though filming for the show is over, the couple said their day-to-day grind hasn't changed.

"We are doing exactly what we were doing when they [the production crew] were here," Ashley said. "We definitely have our hands full."

After the grueling six months of filming, the couple said they are excited for the premiere of the show and hope it does the island justice.

"Filming was not a fun process. It was really tough, the hours were long and it was a lot of work and everybody had to really pull it together to pull it all off," Ashley said. "But in the end, if Galveston wins and if people can see how cool it is then it is all worth it."

"Big Texas Fix" premieres 9 p.m. ET. April 6 on DIY Network. The show will premiere on HGTV again in the fall. For more on the Cordray's, click here.

Get a sneak peek at some of the homes featured in the show as well as the Cordrays' personal design style in the photos above...

Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message

