- A TikToker said she began documenting the renovation of an old police station into her 'dream home' in 2020.
- Viewers applauded the unconventional dwelling, as others said the idea spooks them.
An Ohio woman on TikTok said she's in the process of transforming an old police station into her "dream home."
TikTok user @forsythe_em, who goes by Emily, first posted about the renovation in December 2020, showing a walkthrough of the building, whose front door signified it was the Liverpool Township Police Department of Liverpool, Ohio.
In one video in the series, Emily told a commenter she'd stumbled upon the new dwelling as it was located "right down the block from where we live." The renovations, she said in another video caption, were being conducted by her "#fixerupperhusband."
@forsythe_em #fyp #foryou #fixerupper #remodeling #weirdhomestour #foryoupage #dreamhouse #policestation #renovatingourhome #diy #diyhome ♬ Up Beat (Married Life) - Kenyi
In a December 2020 video, Emily took viewers upstairs, where desks were still strewn with papers, and she pointed out what would eventually become the master bedroom. From a hallway upstairs, there was a "sweet view of the living room" below, she said.
Emily also shared the demolition progress, which included converting two small men's and women's public restrooms downstairs into one giant bathroom, she said. She told one commenter that she and her family did not have any experience remodeling but was relying on "lots of YouTube videos" and leaning on "good friends/family willing to help us."
Commenters cheered the undertaking — even as some observed strange remnants from the building's previous tenants.
@forsythe_em Part 2 #fyp #foryou #fixerupper #remodeling #weirdhomestour #foryoupage #dreamhouse #policestation #renovatingourhome #diy #diyhome ♬ Spongebob Tomfoolery - Dante9k Remix - David Snell
"I want a weird unique home anyways," one wrote. "I would love to do something like this."
Another said sarcastically, "Glad I'm not the only one with a gun rack above my toilet" – to which Emily replied, "You can never be too safe."
Some said living in the energy of a former police station would be too mystifying. "I'd be scared," one person wrote.
Roughly a year after announcing the venture, Emily shared some progress: a seemingly finished bedroom she said was for her daughter, Evie, decked out with new wood floors, a rocking chair, and a purple record player.
@forsythe_em We still need to finish the trim and paint the doors, but I’m in love with her room so far #AerieREAL #fyp #foryoupage #fixerupper #SmoothLikeNitroPepsi #diyhome #diy #foryou #babyroomdecor #nursery ♬ くまのプーさん (オルゴール カバー) [ディズニー映画「くまのプーさん」より] - Baby Sleep Music
Then, in September 2022, Emily shared some living room updates, where its dated brown walls had been painted a friendly green color, wooden floors were laid down, and a new brick fireplace area was installed.
While there haven't been any updates since then, Emily did acknowledge the enormity of the venture in her final video of the series thus far. "Thanks!" she wrote to one commenter applauding the progress. "It's been a big project!"
@forsythe_em #foryoupage #fyp #diy #foryou #livingroom #livingroommakeover #remodel #ReTokforNature ♬ Apple bitten jeans beach boys 1964 - done4dayz
Unlikely dwellings are a hot topic on TikTok. Some, like a Milwaukee mall that was converted into swanky apartments, have been widely applauded, while others, including a sloppily-converted live/work space in Northern California, have earned the app's ire.
Emily did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.