INSIDE “MOVING WITH THE MILITARY,” THE HOME MAKEOVER SERIES HONORING MILITARY FAMILIES

Her hand gripped the knob as she slowly opened the front door, holding her breath in ecstatic anticipation. She steps inside and stops to stare, noticing what used to be a cramped closet workspace is now something entirely different. There’s custom cabinetry that stretches to the ceiling, with open shelving filled with personal touches, and a wide, L-shaped desk built for the work she has been trying to manage from a tiny closet corner of the house.

For a moment, she says nothing, speechless. Then it hits her. This new, amazing, beautiful space was built just for her. That moment, when a military family walks back into their home and sees a space redesigned around the realities of their military life, is what sits at the heart of Moving With the Military, a home makeover series created by military spouse, Maria Mendez Reed.

Moving With the Military is a home makeover series that highlights the sacrifices military families make while sharing their stories with a national audience and inviting viewers to nominate deserving veteran and military families for future transformations. The woman moving mountains at the center of this story, Maria Reed, says,

“Each episode gives viewers a glimpse into the unique challenges of military life while honoring the resilience and strength of those families.”

One recent episode, From Closet Office to Dream Space | Military Spouse Home Office Makeover, shows the concept in action. In that transformation, a cramped closet workspace is redesigned into a fully functional home office built around the needs of a military spouse balancing work, family, and the realities of her military life. You get to see the makeover happen before your eyes, but it’s the recognition behind it that Reed hopes families feel most.

Why Maria Reed Created the Show

The idea for the show grew as some of the best ones do.

“The inspiration came from living the military lifestyle myself,” she said.

“After years of moving with my husband’s Army career, I realized how difficult it can be for families to truly feel settled anywhere. I also noticed that military families were often underrepresented or misunderstood on television. I wanted to combine my background in film and design to create something that celebrated military families and gave back to them in a tangible way.”

Reed said she also felt the public narrative around military life often overlooked the families who serve alongside service members.

“What was missing was the everyday reality of military families: the resilience, the reinvention with every move, and the emotional impact of constantly rebuilding a sense of home. Many portrayals focus on the service member, but not enough attention is given to the spouses, children, and families who carry a huge part of the sacrifice as well.”

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Why Home Means Something Different in Military Life

Home is where the heart is, and for families who serve, the heart travels often.

“For military families, home is rarely permanent,” Reed said.

“Every few years, there is a new duty station, a new house, and a new community. Because of that, ‘home’ becomes less about geography and more about creating a place where your family feels grounded and supported.”

Maria hopes that viewers adopt what they see and learn from the makeovers and feel empowered to replicate what works for them. Adopting a design concept that can be replicated again can often transcend duty stations, becoming a constant feeling of familiarity when recreated in their next home.

“Helping families feel comfortable and rooted—no matter where they’re stationed is incredibly meaningful,” Reed said.

How Families Are Selected

The families featured on the show are chosen because of the sacrifices and resilience reflected in their stories.

“We look for families who have given so much in service and sacrifice, often while navigating difficult circumstances, deployments, injuries, career transitions, or frequent relocations,” Reed said.

“What really stands out are families whose stories reflect resilience, generosity, and dedication to their communities.”

Military families are fluent in many shades of resilience, making the selection process a tall task in itself.

“Respect is at the core of everything we do. We spend time getting to know the families before filming and make sure they feel comfortable sharing their story. Our goal is always to celebrate and uplift them, never to sensationalize their challenges.”

Americans unfamiliar with military life often struggle to understand how to relate to the complexities surrounding them.

A lot of the families Reed meets have long histories of facing adversity.

“Many families have endured multiple deployments, long separations, constant relocations, or personal crises. Some have experienced injuries or major life transitions like leaving the military. Others are simply balancing the stress of raising children while constantly rebuilding their lives every few years.”

Those stories stay with her long after filming ends.

“The stories that stay with me are the ones where families have quietly endured hardship while continuing to serve others. We often meet spouses who have held everything together during deployments or children who have moved schools many times but remain incredibly resilient. I am now a military mom as well, and I see things from a different lens now that our son is serving in the Army.”

What the Makeover Process Looks Like

Each transformation requires weeks of planning before the family ever sees the finished space.

“Once a family is selected, I begin designing a space tailored to their lifestyle and needs. I coordinate with families to understand what their needs are, their likes and dislikes, and then begin to design the look and feel of the space. I coordinate with volunteers and sponsors, and then begin the transformation process.”

It’s both hard to imagine something coming together in such a small window and easy to believe because, well, there’s a milspouse in charge.

“The makeover itself is done quickly; we typically only have a day or two to get everything done while the family is away, so the final reveal can truly be a surprise,” she said.

Reed says that without collaboration, the magic couldn’t happen. It’s definitely an all-hands-on-deck experience.

“It’s a collaborative effort. I am the designer and work with contractors, volunteers, community partners, and our production team, who all play a role. Volunteers are especially important, and many come from the local community and the military community itself.”

The timeline and project demand can be intense, to say the least.

While the planning process can take weeks, the actual makeover typically happens in just a few days, Maria says that it’s an intense but rewarding process that requires incredible teamwork. And the pressure is always on!

“Time is always the biggest challenge. We’re working against the clock to complete a transformation while making sure every detail is meaningful and functional for the family.”

The Reveal Moment

The final reveal is Reed’s favorite part of the process.

“Seeing a family walk into their transformed space and realizing that people truly appreciate and support them is incredibly emotional and rewarding.”

Sometimes the reaction is immediate, and sometimes it takes a few to sink in. Many in the military community are used to doing for others, but aren’t as familiar with others doing for them.

“There have been moments where families walk in and simply break down in tears, not just because of the design, but because they feel seen and appreciated for their sacrifices.”

For anyone who understands the intricacies of military life, there couldn’t be a more deserving demographic.

Why These Transformations Matter

The emotional impact of these transformations can be profound.

“For many spouses, it’s the first time someone has recognized the emotional labor they carry. Creating a beautiful, functional space can lift a huge weight and give them a sense of stability.”

Feeling seen, empowered, and uplifted is a powerful and beautiful way to leave a military family.

Children often respond just as strongly. Most parents of military children can understand how incredibly strong they are, but for the rest of the world, they rarely get an up-close look at just how resilient military kids are.

“Kids are often the most excited. When they see a room designed just for them, especially after moving so many times, it gives them a sense of belonging and excitement about their home. We have a makeover for 3 teenage girls coming up for Month of the Military child, and their reactions when we did the reveal were priceless.”

When military families move, their addresses change, but the meaning of home itself can change too. Creating continuity is a gift for some of the most deserving families in the military.

“It means having a space where they can relax, reconnect, and feel grounded despite the constant change that military life brings. Oftentimes, we don’t realize how important ‘home’ really is until we have those spaces that feel safe and bring us comfort.”

A Different Kind of Stability

Military life is defined by constant change. Duty stations shift, deployments interrupt routines, and families rebuild their lives again and again. Reed believes that makes the idea of home even more important.

“Because stability is rare in military life,” she said. “When everything else is uncertain, duty stations, deployments, schedules, a comforting home environment can be the anchor that holds a family together.”

Through Moving With the Military, Reed hopes viewers gain a deeper understanding of the families behind military service.

“I hope viewers see the incredible strength, adaptability, and dedication of military families. These families serve alongside the service member, and their stories deserve to be recognized and celebrated. Military families carry a different weight. I know I did for over 20 years. If they know of a veteran or military family they would like to honor, nominations are always open. Head over to our website at movingwiththemilitary.tv and nominate a family today.”

What keeps Reed doing the work, she said, is simple.

“The families themselves. Every time we meet a new family and hear their story, it reminds me why our work matters. If we can bring joy, comfort, and recognition to even a few families, it’s absolutely worth it.”

And in the end, the moment that defines the show is the same one it began with, a family stepping through the door, seeing a transformed space, and realizing that someone took the time to honor the life they’ve been living inside those walls.

The transference of joy and gratitude is palpable. Viewers finish watching while grinning ear-to-ear, undoubtedly with tears in their eyes as they watch some of America’s most deserving military families rewarded with the joy and gratitude they deserve.

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