At Home With Tony Hawk: Backyard Skateparks, DIY Lessons Learned the Hard Way, and Why He Turns to the Pros
Morgan Olsen•Thumbtack’s Home Design Expert•Last updated Jun 26, 2025
Last updated Jun 26, 2025
Table of Contents
- What do you remember about buying your first home, and were there any surprises along the way?
- Would you consider yourself handy around the house, or do you prefer to leave things to the pros?
- Have you had any memorable DIY missteps or home improvement lessons learned the hard way?
- Has your skateboarding background influenced how you’ve designed your home or your parenting philosophy?
- What’s your favorite spot in your current home, and what makes it special to you?
- What inspired you to buy a home for your kids in Los Angeles, and how did you choose the location?
- How has the renovation process been so far at the new place, especially the work on the downstairs bed and bath you’ve been doing with Thumbtack?
- Are there any types of home projects you tend to avoid or struggle with the most?
- What do you hope your kids will get out of living in this new home, and what parts of the house do you think they’ll enjoy most?
- What’s the most important advice you’ve shared with your kids now that they’re moving into their own place?
- How has becoming a grandparent — and soon an empty nester — shaped the way you think about your living space?
- With your kids settling in LA, do you see yourself and your wife relocating there too?
- From your experience, what’s one underrated piece of advice you’d give to a new homeowner?
Tony Hawk is a skateboarding icon, business mogul, and cultural legend — known as much for redefining skateboarding as he is for his video games, philanthropy, and personal story. But even someone who’s landed the elusive 900 knows that nailing a home renovation project is a whole different kind of trick. Turns out, even the most legendary pros have to call in help when it comes to keeping their homes in top shape — and that’s where Thumbtack comes in.
Our latest For the Joy of Home report found that homeownership brings pride, creativity, and connection, but also a fair share of challenges, especially when it comes to knowing who to trust with repairs, renovations, or simply making a space feel like home. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or furnishing your own backyard skatepark, having the right help can turn “good enough” into something great.
In our conversation with Tony, he shares his journey from making rookie homeowner mistakes at 18 to supporting his adult kids as they settle into a new home of their own. From lessons learned the hard way (spoiler: don’t guess where a washer drains) to his favorite family hangout spaces, here’s how Tony — with a little help from Thumbtack — is continuing to build spaces filled with creativity, comfort, and connection. Plus, hear from Tony himself why asking for help isn’t just smart — it’s essential.
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What do you remember about buying your first home, and were there any surprises along the way?
Tony: I was just turning 18 when I bought my home. It was terrifying and I had no idea of the responsibilities, the upkeep, the cadence of trying to pay bills, even. This was back in the 80s.
My first experience as a homeowner was making a huge mistake that seemed like not a big deal at the time. When they delivered my washer and dryer, I went to hook it up and there were two holes in the back of the wall, and I’ll never forget I called the homeowner’s association and I said, “which one of these is the drain?” and they said, and I still stand by this, “either one.”
So I chose one, and every time the washer would drain, it just drained into the carpet and the wall behind the machines. Eventually of course it ruined all the carpet and all the wall behind the washing machine. And then, of course, when I called them back, they said, “we would never have said that.”
Would you consider yourself handy around the house, or do you prefer to leave things to the pros?
Tony: I would say if I’m talking about my personal handyman experience, I’ve dabbled in all of it — I have repaired and replaced plenty of things throughout the years, but not in a professional way. So if it’s working “good enough,” I tend to actively ignore it.
But for instance, my daughter, I replaced her shower twice and actually made a sort of medicine cabinet for her. But the shower pipe is not water tight and the cabinet isn’t flush. So, the stuff I am somewhat capable of is the stuff I ironically will put off doing.
Have you had any memorable DIY missteps or home improvement lessons learned the hard way?
Tony: Oh man, take your pick. I would say just for the house we live in, I’ve tried my best to take on a few projects over the years. For example, I remember trying to change the aesthetics of our backyard by buying some durable, expensive outdoor furniture to make it look nice.
At some point, my wife was like, “Those are good, but we really need to landscape this whole area.” And it was immediately like — yes, that’s what it is, that’s what’s missing.
In full transparency, the furniture that I bought just ended up near our skatepark as skate obstacles for the kids. The table became a grind ledge, and the chairs are used for ollieing over instead of sitting.
Has your skateboarding background influenced how you’ve designed your home or your parenting philosophy?
Tony: Absolutely. We have a skatepark in the backyard and that same patio furniture I mentioned is now used as features in the skate park. It’s hard to explain — you have to see it in motion.
But I’d say skateboarding has definitely influenced our family life. No one gets in trouble for skating through the house — unless they miss a kickflip and their board hits the wall, then they’re in trouble.
What’s your favorite spot in your current home, and what makes it special to you?
Tony: I spend a lot of time in our family room. That’s where everyone congregates — where we watch stuff together or typically where everyone’s playing games together.
My wife had this really cool, very Gothic fireplace made that looks like it’s straight out of Game of Thrones, and that’s where all of our grandson’s toys are. So that’s our hangout for sure.
What inspired you to buy a home for your kids in Los Angeles, and how did you choose the location?
Tony: We’ve seen how our kids are starting to base themselves in Los Angeles. They still have their rooms at our house, but it’s becoming obvious that their careers are going to be centered in the LA area.
Up until a couple of months ago, they were all scattered in their living arrangements — paying rent, living with roommates, all in different parts of the city — and my wife and I have always thought it would be smart to invest in property there.
We ended up buying a 3-bedroom, 2-bath near Hollywood for Miles, Keegan and Calvin. We chose the location because it’s central to where they’ll all be working — Santa Monica, Eagle Rock, Hollywood. It’s not the stereotype of a Hollywood Hills house. I think we got very lucky that it’s such a prominent location, but it’s also not on one of those narrow Hollywood Hills streets.
How has the renovation process been so far at the new place, especially the work on the downstairs bed and bath you’ve been doing with Thumbtack?
Tony: Over the past two months we’ve had to fix it up quite a bit. We’ve done some bathroom repairs, ripped out a rotting deck in the backyard, painted, refinished the upstairs floors, and installed new floors and cabinetry downstairs. There’s probably more I’m forgetting — my wife has really been amazing in leading the charge on that.
Are there any types of home projects you tend to avoid or struggle with the most?
Tony: Electrical work, for sure. That’s something I always outsource to the professionals. I’m also constantly battling automation. We’ve got systems controlling our house — thermostat, alarm, cameras — but nothing is very intuitive and they’re often glitching or incompatible.
I’m always having to reset and resync everything, and it still doesn’t run smoothly. So I could definitely use help with that.
At the new place for the kids, especially in the downstairs space we’re updating, I’m leaning heavily on the experts we’re working with. I was just there last week and was so thankful to see the electricians getting things done.
What do you hope your kids will get out of living in this new home, and what parts of the house do you think they’ll enjoy most?
Tony: I hope they enjoy the shared spaces the way they’ve always enjoyed them in our house. Our family room has always been the heart of our home — video games, wrestling, watching MMA fights with friends.
In fact, my wife and I are basically banned from that area when the kids have plans with friends at home. I hope they recreate that same vibe in their own place. And the backyard at their new place is a huge bonus — it’s secluded, with three distinct areas you can really “post up” in. That’s rare in LA, and I’m excited for them to have that.
What’s the most important advice you’ve shared with your kids now that they’re moving into their own place?
Tony: Be proactive. If something’s wrong, deal with it early. Problems just grow and get worse — and more costly — if you ignore them. The idea of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” might work as a renter, but not as a homeowner. It’s a whole different mindset.
How has becoming a grandparent — and soon an empty nester — shaped the way you think about your living space?
Tony: If we ever move to Los Angeles ourselves, it’ll be after my daughter, Kady, finishes school and moves out. She’s going to college next year — then we’ll be true empty-nesters.
We’d love to have an assigned room for our grandson at our place but it’s been a tough choice. We can’t remove any of our kids from their own rooms. So, for now it’s hard to know how we’ll make it happen.
With your kids settling in LA, do you see yourself and your wife relocating there too?
Tony: There’s definitely a chance we’ll end up there someday — especially if our oldest son moves to LA when our grandson is of school age.
He’s our only grandchild right now, and since we live nearby, we’re the default babysitters. He’s actually at our house as I’m speaking to you. Losing that privilege would be really devastating, honestly. So yeah, we’d be happy to make ourselves available to be near where our kids — and grandchild — end up, but that’s still a ways off.
From your experience, what’s one underrated piece of advice you’d give to a new homeowner?
Tony: Always opt for more bathrooms if you can. Sharing bathrooms is tough — it doesn’t get easier, especially when your kids are grown. Our 26-year-olds still have to share one when they’re home, and it’s always a challenge.
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