Deep Streams: 'Building Outside The Lines'

Sometimes I just don't feel like an argument.

One of the downsides of writing about television is that watching it can seem like work - even if it's a series I enjoy. So when I have downtime, or just want to watch something with my wife, I'm looking for a nice lean-back show. Something I can turn on, and enjoy but also not get too emotionally engaged in while I'm watching it.

I'm not especially interested in conflict and pointless arguments. I have a teenager, so my frustration level has already topped off. I'm looking for a mental palate cleanser, a show that just washes all of the day's stresses away and leaves a smile on my face.

One of my go-to unscripted TV formats is shows that loosely fall into the "home" category. But I don't want to watch anyone frantically flipping a house while screaming that another wall "has" to come down to give the designer the open-concept look. And I am especially not interested in the shows that have a premise with a built-in compressed timeline. I don't care if your mortgage rate is only valid for two more weeks or if the open house is only four days away. I don't need the stress.

And I certainly am not interested in a show like Netflix's Instant Dream Home, which promises to completely makeover a home in one day. Aside from the frantic rabbits-on-crack pace, I can't imagine that a lot of quality work gets down with a 24-hour timeline.

One relatively new show that I absolutely fell in love with was Magnolia's Building Outside The Lines. It premiered in late 2023 and while I was aware of the show, I didn't bother watching it until my wife began raving about the series as she binged her way through the eight episodes of season one. She kept recommending that I watch it, and I'm glad I did. The series is funny, and gentle and includes some really unexpected builds.



The series stars South Dakota designer and builder Jared "Cappie" Capp, whose specialty is what he describes as "weird stuff." He turns a truck's concrete mixer into a beehive bungalow for a family of beekeepers, a shipping container into a huge pool with underwater windows, and a 70-year-old grain bin into a backyard retreat with a custom-built BBQ.

While other shows travel some of the same unusual design grounds as Building Outside The Lines, what makes this program special is the relationship between Cappie and his teenage step-daughter Alex. They have a warm, adorable relationship and the interplay between the two of them is just wonderful to watch.

It also helps that while Alex might be young, she is also crazy talented. She has a unique eye for design and seems to be an accomplished builder. Even though I don't have a daughter, their relationship is the type I'd love to have if I did have one. It seems healthy and normal. And while some of the projects they do are quite complex, there isn't a lot of screaming or tension. It's just a father and daughter doing what they do.

There's nothing complicated about Building Outside The Lines and I'm not sure you'll even grab any design ideas while watching it. But it is a sweet, fun show to watch and just the perfect antidote to a frustrating, hectic day in the real world.

Building Outside The Lines is available on Discovery+, Max and on-demand with any live TV package that includes the Magnolia Network.