CruiseDiva

I'm kind of glad to see brass making something of a comeback. While we've replaced some of it in our house with brushed nickel, we need new master bathroom sink faucets and would like to keep them brass because we don't want to change out light fixtures, etc. However, brass has been nearly impossible to find, which is why it's been put it off. While I prefer brushed nickel, I like brass well enough and my husband loves it. I really wanted to like the Fixer Upper show last night, but it was disappointing that the actual house reveal was so abbreviated. All the extra birthday stuff took away from the reason I watch the program. I did notice the empty window frame on the wall during the short reveal, although it wasn't glaringly out of place. On the other hand, the barn door seemed really out of place.

Interesting Tweet: BTW, you cannot plagiarize an idea. An idea can't be copyrighted. His piece may have been a copycat, but it was different enough that plagiarism isn't really in play here.

Reality TV is far from real, but this entire thing seemed contrived. Like a fairy tale thought up by Ellen with herself as the Knight in Shining Armor who rescues the Fair Maiden (Katie--gag!) from the Villain (Tim). Since Tim was the only contestant 'recruited' for the show, maybe he was contracted and paid to provide the "shocking" ending? The two permanent judges may have been in on the whole thing. My theory is silly, but so was the entire situation.

Gaspar is the one who got screwed over in this crappy show. The whole finale seemed like a set up to me.

Despite the finale, I'd still like to give Tim benefit of the doubt. We don't know that he copied that other furniture design. Think back...he was very creative in terms of some of his other pieces, especially the desk at the beginning of the show. Katie should have been eliminated after the cow table.

They showed a furniture piece that was very similar to Tim's and said he copied the design. Yes, it was similar, but who knows if Tim ever saw it. His piece wasn't identical. Katie's voice, ridiculous clothing, and that weird hair coloring were just too over the top fugly. And her furniture wasn't much better. All plastic and fake.

Seriously? What a load of bullshit. Poor Tim. Dude was robbed.

I really wanted to bitch slap that daughter right into the ocean. But the mother deserved the commute--she raised that entitled brat.

The promos for the final challenge (and reveal of the winner) are touting some sort of "shocking" surprise. Maybe the surprise is that Ellen is actually there?

I totally understand the concept of staging a house for sale. Houses with furniture show better. What I don't get is why Fixer Upper stages the houses that are already purchased with JoAnna's store/warehouse furnishings and accessories instead of the homeowners' own belongings. Okay, I do get it that she is trying to sell those things, but seriously... those homeowners would be better served if their own furniture and accessories were artfully used to decorate the homes they are moving into. I remember a few episodes of Property Brothers where homeowners asked them to incorporate their own pieces and they did so. The results were personal spaces that had meaning and the homeowners were very pleased. Instead of all the letters and writing on walls, cheesy clocks, and miscellaneous bric-a-brac, I'd love to see JoAnna go through the homeowners' belongings and use them in the final design.

Upthread someone from Waco said that trucks arrive after the reveal and haul it all away. However, I believe they can buy whatever they want to keep. I'd like to see how the houses look with the homeowners' own furniture in them :)

On last night's show JoAnna said something about not doing the same thing in each remodel. When she said that, you could see a giant clock over her shoulder. Then the camera panned over to puddled drapes. There was also a "magnolia" wreath on the wall hung over an empty window frame. I enjoyed the first season of the show, but her "designs" are getting very repetitive. Let's see... tear down walls that enclose a foyer, tear down a wall on a staircase, tear down the wall between a kitchen and dining room. My husband mentioned that "kids" are baby goats and "kiddos" should be referred to as children. Personally, when people enter my home I don't want them to see everything. Especially the pizza delivery guy.

I saw Tim's fan/shelving unit as being an ideal conversation piece in a loft, as well as being useful. Agree about the Wayfair chick. BTW, has anyone successfully ordered anything from Wayfair? A friend bought a lamp and it was delivered in a million pieces, plus the shade was smashed. The shipper said they received the box damaged--it was noted on a sticker they placed on it. Plus, the packaging material was flimsy. So much for the "shipping is free" as advertised. My friend had a terrible time getting them to stand by their product and finally had her credit card company intervene on her behalf.

aguabella, my husband suggested that perhaps there were no "local" chimney sweeps in Texas and they had to import one. Perhaps from Europe where they are plentiful. /sarc We've paid less than half that to get our chimney cleaned, but it's been a while so I wasn't sure if rates had doubled or tripled, which is why I asked.

There was a re-run on before the new episode aired tonight and Chip said it would cost $600 to $800 to get a chimney sweep to clean the chimney. My husband nearly gagged... WHAT?!? It's been a while since we had our chimney cleaned (I'm not fond of using the fireplace), but the cost wasn't even half the amount he mentioned. Anyone have any recent experience to share?

I want a couch like that in my bedroom. Someone needs to tell Katie that just because something is round it's not necessarily "art deco." Not only did her couch not coordinate with the other lounge furniture, it was fugly and (JMHO) not really a couch in the strictest sense.

I was stunned by the "shabby chic" judge saying that Gaspar's table would be better suited for use in the kitchen with the removal of the curved metal trays on the sides. I thought those metal trays were genius--they were meant to hold cords & chargers. I also thought the "floating" aspect of the table top was visually appealing. I'd buy a table like that before a shabby chic piece of crap.

So, wow--what "luck" that Katie just happened to find those big, thick pieces of her favorite acrylic material in the junk yard. C'mon, show, give us a break. Her thrift store clothing and awful voice are like fingernails on a chalk board. Gaspar got robbed. (I hope I got the spelling of his name correct.)

I realize reality TV isn't "real" but the way the promo is presented Joanna certainly implies that she and/or Chip are the real estate agents, as well as contractor & designer. So, I wonder if they are instrumental in assisting with the actual house hunt, off camera and before the fake filming of the three "choices." Interesting. Thanks for sharing that information about the fixed fee. I wonder if any of the home buyers get inspections before the purchase. I'm sure that's something we'll never know.

Not sure if it was an intro to their show or one of the show promos that appear on HGTV, but I noticed the other day that Chip & JoAnna remark that their clients get a real estate agent, contractor, and designer all in one package. So, one of them must have a RE license if they are actually handling that part of the transaction. One thing that has bugged me is when JoAnna tells the homeowner that there is X amount of money "left in the budget" and then offers them three suggestions on how to spend it. While it seems like a good idea to do the additional improvement since the house is already being remodeled, in one instance she made the suggestion, they picked one, and THEN found out about an expensive repair that wasn't anticipated. I wonder if those add-ons are to use up any funds in their contingency budget. Not wise, IMHO.

My husband watched an episode with me that I had on DVR. He made a couple observations. First, if JoJo & Chip are "showing" properties to buyers, why aren't they driving them to the prospective houses? When we've house hunted, the real estate agent always did the driving and we rode along. Second, he wondered why JoJo didn't use the homeowners' own furniture in the finished house. Well, that second one's easy to answer--she's showing off her shabby chic design expertise & trying to sell stuff from her store. I told my hubby about the Waco resident who posted here that all the staging was removed after the "reveal" and he just shook his head before asking me why I watch this drivel. Answer: house porn ;)

Katie's habit of flipping her hair around is also annoying. Also, very childish and silly.

One thing that bothers me is that Joanna covers the walls with things from her shop that the homeowners may not like or want to pay for. When the reveal is over, there are holes in the walls that will need to be repaired or covered up. Anyone who's touched up paint after filling in a nail hole knows how "good" the results are. I have a decorator friend who pointed out to me that she looks at her clients' personal belongings/furnishings and discusses with them what would look good in a finished room. She wouldn't have dreamed of hanging anything on my walls without my approval.

I was a pretty polite kid as well (my Navy father insisted upon being referred to as "Yes, sir, Master Chief, sir"), but school teachers and the school environment in California were a lot more casual than in Texas during the 1950s. In Louisiana (and throughout the South) children often call adults by their first name, preceded by "Miss" or "Mister"--for instance I'm Miss Lee and my husband is Mister Dennis.

That would be said with a back of the yards accent ;)