When folks come to Dennis Stewart and Bev Larson for an extreme makeover, they don't have to check into a hospital.

Instead, they can roll their coach motor homes in for an overhaul.

The married couple owns Classic Coach Works, a one-stop shop for those seeking a revamped ride. They moved to Lakeland from Orlando when they purchased the business two years ago.

Stewart formerly ran a furniture business and sold the costly coach homes for eight years before buying the business.

Their customers come from all over the nation to have their coach motor homes perked up with new carpeting, mirrored lights for the ceiling, Internet access or new tile.

Just about anything a person might do to a stationary home can be done to a coach home, Stewart said. "We install a lot of surround sound, and bigger screen TVs," he said. "We put on a lot of stainless steel trim. We did about 40 carpet jobs last year."

But the biggest hit by far is the mirrored ceilings. For about $1,899 in the front of a coach -up to $5,000 for the whole coach and the works -- owners can get a whole new look.

"We've put in close to 1,000 mirrored ceilings," said 56-yearold Stewart. The ceilings provide soft, romantic lighting and serve other purposes. The air flow is redirected with the installation, making the coaches easier to cool. They also decrease air-conditioning noise.

When customers wheel their homes in for an overhaul, they don't have to be concerned about what to do while they wait. Classic Coach Works has a cozy lounge set up for its customers. They can watch television, surf the Web or take a nap in an easy chair.

At night, they can stay in their homes, plugged in to 50 amp or 30 amp services in the Classic Coach Works lot. Located at 3020 Reynolds Road, the business employs six people.

Larson, 52, handles the decorating aspect of the business, and works with customers as they select fabrics and colors. She owned her own interior design business for 20 years.

Customers can usually make choices in about a half a day, she said.

If customers are not on site while the work is being done, Stewart said he generally calls daily to update them on how things are going. The coaches are their babies, he said, and customers are usually anxious to stay in touch.

The average job is about $5,000, Stewart said. Customers might have the ceilings put in, carpet installed or furniture re-covered.

While customers are selective and savvy, they are usually well-heeled and able to afford luxury upgrades. "Nobody needs a motor home," Stewart pointed out cheerfully. "This is strictly for fun."

Most of the customers are entrepreneurs, some retired, some semi-retired, he said. Almost all of them own their coaches to use for fun, not for primary homes. The homes themselves are not inexpensive; customers' homes range in price from $100,000 to $350,000, he said.

Customers such as Ozzie and Patsy Oswalt travel around in the homes and enjoy life -- and they want the coolest upgrades available. Oswalt was in this week to have mirrored ceilings put in and to have repair work done from a minor accident.

His coach is about 430 square feet, 40 feet long and features two slide-outs -- portions of the home that open up when parked to provide more space.

When Oswalt pumps gas, he pumps 128 gallons. Like many customers, he increased the number of things he wanted upgraded once he showed up at the business.

"Most people come to us with a booking to do one or two things, and by the time they leave they want two or three more," Stewart said.

He said they are delighted to be operating the business. "Our customers are great people," he said. "They are so friendly, and it's really very pleasant. We really enjoy this."

Mary Toothman can be reached at mary.toothman@theledger.com or 863-802-7533.