All Episodes Talk: French Country in Texas?

[DownTheShore]

I liked the painted brick, and I liked the final look of the exterior. I'm one of those people who would paint over a red-brick fireplace, unless it dated to colonial times. I don't like the look of solid red brick.

For all their schtick, Chip and Jo seem like real people who enjoy one another's company, so they don't get on my nerves. And I do like the majority of Jo's decorating style, so I don't really have a problem with any repetitiveness. Can't stanf the dark grout with the white subway tile, though. Reminds me of the dirty grout between the subway tiles in NYC's Penn Station's bathrooms, when I was a kid.

[Mu Shu]

All the talk of German schmear makes me hungry for some black bread with a schmear of room temperature Brie.

Joanna is superwoman. Taking care of all those kids, running a profitable business, and dealing with Chip. God, that man seems high maintenance.

[GaT]

Joanna is superwoman. Taking care of all those kids, running a profitable business, and dealing with Chip. God, that man seems high maintenance.

Yes he does. I think it must be like having a really large two years old around all the time. "No Chip, don't touch that!" "Chip, do not put that in your mouth!" "Chip, sit still & be quiet!" It must be exhausting.

[dahling]

Just caught the German Schmear house and even though I really liked the exterior, I didn't care at all for what they did to the main living area. The dark gray trim color everywhere was very flat and darkened the space. The way they disguised the brick fireplace with paneled wood in the same color gray gave me instant recall to the glory days of Trading Spaces. 

[ByaNose]

Another nice Fixer Upper by Joanna. It was a 4 bedroom/3 bath house. The list price was $187,000 & they had a overall budget of $277,00. They painted the brick outside which I usually don't like but the white paint really brighten up the house. I didn't care for the modern cable wire railing for the stairs. It looks like it belongs in a loft. Although, the couple liked it. The family room was beautiful with the fireplace & mantle. The dinning room table was nice but nothing spectacular. The kitchen was the usual white kitchen with white backsplash. Clint made a little table & bench for the daughter that was cute. The bedroom was nice with the barn door but I thought the headboard was ugly. The master bath was nice but the tub looked so tiny. I can't imagine the both of them even being able to fit into it. All in all, I wouldn't say no if they gave it to me. LOL!!

[DownTheShore]

I actually liked those metal railings; I thought they were a nice change-up. I didn't like the woman's Boobs-R-Us dress at the reveal, but they seemed to be a nice couple. Painting that brick, changing out the windows, getting rid of the balcony and adding shutters made a world of difference to the look of the house.

[chessiegal]

I liked the change to the exterior also, and I'm not a fan of painting brick. I LOVED the stackstone fireplace - it was gorgeous. When the show started, my husband quipped that before they are done, they'll have renovated every house in Waco. Maybe that's why they moved to the next town, lol.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

When the show started, my husband quipped that before they are done, they'll have renovated every house in Waco.

 

 

My daughter said to me the other day "With all of these shows, aren't they going to run out of houses to renovate?"  No, since so many people live like pigs.  What the heck happens to some of these houses?  It is one thing for a house to be dated, and for everything to be old.  It is another when things are torn apart.  I know that some people who have gone into foreclosure damage the houses to get back at the evil banks.

[MissT]

I didn't like the woman's Boobs-R-Us dress at the reveal, but they seemed to be a nice couple.

 

OMG -- I thought that dress the buyer had on was hideous.  I get that she is expecting - but the boobs!!!!  It was all I could look at..   But your right, they seemed like a nice couple and the house was nice.

[mmecorday]

I thought the kitchen in last night's episode already looked nice. But people don't seem to like individual rooms anymore. It's like we're getting back to pioneer living in which everyone lives in one big room.

[txvoodoo]

I loved the house, I thought it was gorgeous.

 

Anytime we see a "house for sale" with nothing but a piano in it, it's a dead giveaway that's the house the clients already own.

 

I used to think that. Now I realize that it's often that it's an estate sale, and no one felt like paying to have the piano moved.  Maybe that's just a thing in Texas, but I've seen it a lot! 

[MoreCoffeePlease]

 

Painting that brick, changing out the windows, getting rid of the balcony and adding shutters made a world of difference to the look of the house.

 

This.  I've said before how I love what they do with the exteriors.  Those tall windows are amazing.  It is such a gorgeous, classic house now.

[MsTree]

My daughter said to me the other day "With all of these shows, aren't they going to run out of houses to renovate?"  No, since so many people live like pigs.  What the heck happens to some of these houses?  It is one thing for a house to be dated, and for everything to be old.  It is another when things are torn apart.  I know that some people who have gone into foreclosure damage the houses to get back at the evil banks.

Besides some folks living like pigs, there are those who believe the house will take care of itself. For instance, there's a couple who found that an outlet in their home didn't work. Instead of calling in an electrician to find out the problem, their solution was just to cover it up with a blank wall plate. They didn't even try a breaker! Their solution to moldy-looking grout in the shower/tub area, cover it with caulk. And as we've seen before, got a broken tile? Get out the duct tape. UGH!

[tom87]

Some people do not have the money to have professionals fix everything for them.

[Dejana]

Normally, I think of Chip as a good-natured goober, but watching the clip job show loaded with a full our of his antics nearly gave me an anxiety attack. Joanna has the patience of a saint to put up with him.

 

Did anyone see the Fixer Upper rip-off that had a test run a couple of weeks ago? It was called Home Town and had a married couple fixing up houses in Mississippi. It copied the formula pretty closely, from the home search to the picturesque slice of small town life to the proposed home designs (the wife carried around a sketch pad rather than a laptop) to the pit stop with a Clint-esque figure, to the wife's having her own design quirk (mirrors) to the reveal. The reveal itself was kind of sad, actually, because they couldn't copy how Fixer Upper has a giant picture of the old house on wheels, with Chip and Joanna pulling apart the pieces to showcase the "after". Home Town just brought the homeowners to the renovated house, covered their eyes and stood them on the street with their backs turned, until it was time for the reveal. If it becomes a regular series, they'll have to think of something more telegenic.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Dejana

[chessiegal]

Normally, I think of Chip as a good-natured goober, but watching the clip job show loaded with a full our of his antics nearly gave me an anxiety attack. Joanna has the patience of a saint to put up with him.

 

Did anyone see the Fixer Upper rip-off that had a test run a couple of weeks ago? It was called Home Town and had a married couple fixing up houses in Mississippi. It copied the formula pretty closely, from the home search to the picturesque slice of small town life to the proposed home designs (the wife carried around a sketch pad rather than a laptop) to the pit stop with a Clint-esque figure, to the wife's having her own design quirk (mirrors) to the reveal. The reveal itself was kind of sad, actually, because they couldn't copy how Fixer Upper has a giant picture of the old house on wheels, with Chip and Joanna pulling apart the pieces to showcase the "after". Home Town just brought the homeowners to the renovated house, covered their eyes and stood them on the street with their backs turned, until it was time for the reveal. If it becomes a regular series, they'll have to think of something more telegenic.

There is a reason it seemed like a Fixer Upper rip-off - it was! The production company that does Fixer Upper saw the couple's pictures on Instagram of their renovations and contacted them about doing a show. They even had them meet with Chip and Joanna for guidance. What they aired was the pilot.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

 

Some people do not have the money to have professionals fix everything for them.

 

And some people don't use the brains that God gave them to look up how to clean, maintain, and fix things, OR, to ask for help.

[Mu Shu]

I actually liked the German smear house. Well, would have liked it without the gray painted detail. Those vintage lights were awesome.

[ByaNose]

37 year old bachelor gets a new fixer upper and it looked awesome. It was an old ranch that was updated (the brick was painted gray) to be a literal more modern. There was lots of reclaimed wood and dark charcoal paint. The kitchen had two islands that I wasn't too crazy about but it did look nice. Clint made another table that was nice. Jo had the legs & benches painted white but when Clint arrived with it she decided to paint it charcoal gray, too. The guys father chipped in a volley ball & basketball court. Pretty awesome & I wished I had an awesome house like that when I was his age.

Edited February 10, 2016 by ByaNose

[GaT]

The guy on tonight's show must be pretty well off financially, his budget was $272,000.00 which is pretty hefty for a young, single guy his age. It was interesting that he wanted a big house with lots of upkeep instead of a townhouse or condo. It came out nice though.

[Mu Shu]

I'm over the charcoal grey paint. I think it makes everything it's painted with smaller and flat looking. No dimension.

I guess Waco's most eligible bachelor had 272k to spend because he's 37, been saving for years, and worked in an area that had higher wages and job opportunities prior to coming home.

I wish Chip would dial his bullshit back. He can be funny without being an idiot. How many times did this grown ass man mention he hoped he didn't poop his pants? God.

[ByaNose]

The guy on tonight's show must be pretty well off financially, his budget was $272,000.00 which is pretty hefty for a young, single guy his age. It was interesting that he wanted a big house with lots of upkeep instead of a townhouse or condo. It came out nice though.

It's funny because I didn't think of him well off financially since he was 37. Now, had he been 27 or in his early 20's I would have been really impressed. I would think in your late 30's, not married & with no kids that a $272,000 house wouldn't be that much of a stretch. IMO!

[Spunkygal]

The Magnolia B&B is already booked for the next month:

http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/2016/02/wacos-hgtv-fixer-upper-couple-taking-reservations-for-magnolia-house-website-crashing.html/

[WildPlum]

The cell phone thing felt entirely staged. "Hmm, I am upgrading to a new phone, how about we do something "fun" with the old one?" I can't see the assumed future bride liking that "bachelor pad" as they kept calling it. Although they did a reno a few weeks ago with a lot of the same charcoal paint.

 

Watched the Home Town show and, while I liked the couple a lot and her magic CGI sketchbook, the premise has a couple problems, namely: they don't do any of the work, just design, a little demo and maybe some furniture work. Not that I believe Chip does a lot of the work on Fixer Upper but I think he at least CAN. I'd be willing to believe that Chip has a contractor's license (assuming Waco requires one). Also, I looked up the city (Laurel, Mississipi) and the median income is $21,200, compared to Waco's $35,000 (presence of Baylor probably has a lot to do with it). My point is that it is a very poor town in a poor area and $100,000 renos can't be too common. Also, that was a very "white" pilot for an area that is 28% white - the mayor was black, but every other face on the show was white.

 

 

Normally, I think of Chip as a good-natured goober, but watching the clip job show loaded with a full our of his antics nearly gave me an anxiety attack. Joanna has the patience of a saint to put up with him.

 

Did anyone see the Fixer Upper rip-off that had a test run a couple of weeks ago? It was called Home Town and had a married couple fixing up houses in Mississippi. It copied the formula pretty closely, from the home search to the picturesque slice of small town life to the proposed home designs (the wife carried around a sketch pad rather than a laptop) to the pit stop with a Clint-esque figure, to the wife's having her own design quirk (mirrors) to the reveal. The reveal itself was kind of sad, actually, because they couldn't copy how Fixer Upper has a giant picture of the old house on wheels, with Chip and Joanna pulling apart the pieces to showcase the "after". Home Town just brought the homeowners to the renovated house, covered their eyes and stood them on the street with their backs turned, until it was time for the reveal. If it becomes a regular series, they'll have to think of something more telegenic.

[ByaNose]

Once again, I was totally shocked that Joanna was working late and the kids paid her a visit. Apparently, it's the visits by the kids that keep her going. <sarcasm> Basically, it's my drinking game when I watch Fixer Upper. I've already drank two bottles of wine. I could have a drinking problem but for now I'm blaming Joanna. LOL!!!

[MissT]

Once again, I was totally shocked that Joanna was working late and the kids paid her a visit. Apparently, it's the visits by the kids that keep her going. <sarcasm> Basically, it's my drinking game when I watch Fixer Upper. I've already drank two bottles of wine. I could have a drinking problem but for now I'm blaming Joanna. LOL!!!

Her exact words every week when the kids come to visit is "I really needed that boost".   Chip even acts like a dork in front of his kids.  I wonder if he is ever serious and the whole cell phone in the cement thing was stupid. 

 

But I did like the house when it was done.

[mojito]

 

The Magnolia B&B is already booked for the next month:

Local TV news says people are really clamoring to spend nearly $700 a night in McGregor, TX. Are people really that star-struck? Are they hoping to meet JoJo and Chip and get a selfie with them? Will there be people who will board a plane to go there? That just seems so, so sad. 

[Mu Shu]

Good god. 700 bucks is more than I have ever paid for a round trip flight, let alone a one night stay in a tiny town in Texas. You may have to pay me to tolerate Chip.

[DownTheShore]

Re "Home Town":

Two big, bearded white guys who were virtually indistinguishable, with two perky small women.

The "hosts" aren't realtors, aren't contractors, they're simply facilitators.

Very simiilar format, incliding banter segments, to Fixer Upper - only less amusing.

[psychoticstate]

Regarding the eligible bachelor, I thought for sure he had already bought the second house.  Otherwise why else chuck a football into a fireplace from above, where you could mark and damage the walls?   (As Chip did.)  Lo and behold, I was wrong.  I do wonder what the owner of that second house must think when they see crap like that.  Of course I also cringe when I see House Hunter type shows with the buyers jumping on the beds and putting their dirty shoes on the comforters. 

 

I did like the house the bachelor had and thought it looked fantastic when they were done.  A bit more reclaimed wood that I would choose but the two islands in the kitchen was interesting, especially for a bachelor.   And did they not do the usual "we have money leftover so choose one extra from the three Joanna presents" thing? 

 

Not a fan of the behind the scenes episode.  Normally I like them and I do like the brief scenes we saw of the actual design and construction work but I had to fast forward through all the Chip antics.  Normally I like him but I just couldn't deal with it.

[DownTheShore]

I was wondering if Chip had already bought that house for Magnolia and was going to renovate it anyway, so the dented wall didn't matter. Why else would he have had a football at hand when showing a house?

[Spunkygal]

I googled Waco's most eligible bachelor. If you remember, at the beginning of the episode he said he moved back to Texas from NYC. He was a model for Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie, so he has big bucks!

Forgot to add...he is BIG into fishing and is now a competitive fisherman...who knew, but he even has sponsors.

I am dangerous when I post as I watch and not after... Don't start a drinking game every time pretty boy bachelor says "oh my goodness." You will have a ship lap of a hangover tomorrow!

Edited February 13, 2016 by Spunkygal

[Peanutbuttercup]

The whole "fireplace wrapped in wood" thing was not what I would choose -- but I have a major fire phobia. I think it's pretty unusual to see a fireplace faced in wood, though, and I have to imagine that at least partly that's due to danger.

[CruiseDiva]

The whole "fireplace wrapped in wood" thing was not what I would choose -- but I have a major fire phobia. I think it's pretty unusual to see a fireplace faced in wood, though, and I have to imagine that at least partly that's due to danger.

My fireplace 'surround' is all wood. The firebox opening and hearth are brick, though, so it's all okay--the wood is nearly a foot away from the actual firebox. I also have a major fire phobia and instead of a screen, the fireplace has glass doors.

[Saylii]

They didn't do the usual presents thing, but I wonder if the backyard sports arena was really part of that package and The Bachelor chose something else. It made for better oomph to have it featured as a gift from the Dad. The Bachelor made a weird comment about the barn doors in the bedroom that made me think they were his "gift" choice.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Saylii

[MoreCoffeePlease]

 

He was a model for Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie, so he has big bucks!

 

My daughter and I watched and she said, "He is just OK looking."

 

I said, "He could be a model with his bone structure and such,"  ... can't believe I was right.

 

Cool project, and I loved that it looked somewhat different from all of their other projects. 

 

The bench to that table seemed too massive to me.  I also share concerns about the wood surround of the fireplace.

 

I loved the 2 islands in the kitchen since the kitchen itself was long enough to support that.  So great for big parties and multiple cooks, and they allow for better traffic flow vs. one huge island.

 

He was so touched at the end.  How nice to "be able to walk into your dream" or however he said it.

[Irritable]

When the Most Eligible Bachelor got choked up at the end, and said it was like walking into his dream, I lost my shit.  He just seemed so nice throughout the whole process, and I loved what they did with his house, so I was already primed to get a little misty at the reveal, but dang.  Sweet and adorable.

 

I hated the basketball court, but I'm sure he and his friends will enjoy it for a few years, until they are old enough that playing jarring sports like volleyball and basketball becomes painful and makes them sore for a solid 2 days afterward.  I think for resale it's a terrible idea, it's an eyesore (it had to be bright blue?), and the back yard just didn't look at all right for a sports blacktop that seemed to be placed arbitrarily.  But the way the house was done, if I were his future bride I would be very happy with it - I thought it was just the right amount of masculine without being a macho punch in the face.  There are lots of ways to add some feminine touches that could exist in harmony.  And I'm sure JoJo could be $convinced$ to come back and help with some decorating ideas, if it came to that.

[IrishImport]

I have to admit I loved what they did to the recent 5 bedroom "bungalow" for the California couple with their girls going to Baylor. A lot of the usual touches but they DID mix it up some.

Cool handmade blue and white tile on kitchen walls. Even Chip had to throw in "look, no white subway tile in kitchen! " Brass sink faucet.

Loved the new cute arched front door!! And loved the new exposed unfinished ceiling in the master bedroom, really added cozy feel to contrast the natural wood with all the white. That room looked SO much better.

Loved the new front of the house fix too, it looked amazing. The only thing is they didn't end up with much dining space besides kitchen bar for a "family get together" home but the new breakfast area, really, was cute. Overall, A+ from me!

[attica]

Joanna is superwoman. Taking care of all those kids, running a profitable business, and dealing with Chip. God, that man seems high maintenance.

And yet, it's Chip that gets invited to fly with the Thunderbirds (or Blue Angels, I forget, no offense!!) and throw out the first pitch at an MLB game. Men get to take all the credit and play, right?

[NYGirl]

I liked the 5 bedroom bungalow the other night.  Joanna did a beautiful job designing it.  I only didn't like the dining room.  It seemed like the couple wanted entertaining space but that separate dining room with the round table was so meh.

 

I did notice the master didn't have an ensuite.  I guess because the house was really old.

[tom87]

And some people don't use the brains that God gave them to look up how to clean, maintain, and fix things, OR, to ask for help.

I was talking about those people who have unforeseen expenses, maybe even  bad repair jobs. 

 

Yes there are many case where people just don't do the right thing but there are also cases where people try their best but circumstances have them having to prioritizes or catch up. 

[CruiseDiva]

I liked the 5 bedroom bungalow the other night.  Joanna did a beautiful job designing it.  I only didn't like the dining room.  It seemed like the couple wanted entertaining space but that separate dining room with the round table was so meh.

 

I did notice the master didn't have an ensuite.  I guess because the house was really old.

That round table looked like it would be uncomfortable to sit at. I could imagine bumping knees on all those boards extending from the pedestal base. Plus, it only seated four and there was no leaf to extend the size. That seemed like a major fail to me. The dining room looked just like what it was--a converted sun room.

 

My first thought was that the two daughters attending Baylor would probably live there full time and the parents would only stay with them during occasional visits. It would make sense from an economic standpoint. Cheaper than renting an apartment for them for several years and it could be a decent investment to sell when they graduate. Plus, with five bedrooms the daughters could have roomies, which would help with the mortgage.

 

I took at look at JoAnna's blog that has before-and-after floorplans of the project and there is a tiny ensuite bathroom adjacent to the master bedroom. Also interesting is that the 'after' floorplan shows a rectangular table in the dining room with ten chairs, so maybe the Clint table was just for show.

 

Edited to add: In the before-and-after photos on the blog all the furniture in the 'before' photos is also in the 'after' photos. It's just been spruced up with pillows and such. I wonder, did they buy the house furnished? I don't remember from watching the show.

Edited February 19, 2016 by CruiseDiva

[ByaNose]

Some inside information. I'm not totally shocked by it:

http://www.popsugar.com/home/What-Really-Like-Cast-Fixer-Upper-40229676

That said, I would want all the furnishings for free. LOL!!!

[chessiegal]

That's old news.

[tom87]

Some inside information. I'm not totally shocked by it:

http://www.popsugar.com/home/What-Really-Like-Cast-Fixer-Upper-40229676

That said, I would want all the furnishings for free. LOL!!!

No furnishings, pretty much makes 80% of what Joanna does moot.

 

Edited February 20, 2016 by tom87

[ByaNose]

That's old news.

Sorry, I didn't know that.

[mmecorday]

ByaNose, thank you for the link. I was watching tonight's show and wondering, "Don't these home owners have their own stuff?"

 

Speaking of tonight's episode, a couple chose a house that Chip kept insisting looked like it could be blown down like the Three Little Pigs' house. (He mentioned this three times.) It was only $35,000 so the buyers had about 200 grand to sink into reno. The house was essentially rebuilt, not just down to the studs, but to the frame. It was a massive undertaking. The results were gorgeous, though. The Shiplapometer was off the charts in this episode. I think Joanna and Chip referred to shiplap about 2 dozen times. "Ooh, when we tear into these walls, just imagine all the shiplap!" One of the rooms that was redone was an office that Joanna thought needed an eye chart. I don't know how many times when I'm working late at night that I ask myself, "Am I getting more near-sighted? If ONLY I had an eye chart." (I don't know what the home owners did for a living. One of them could have been an optometrist.)

[ByaNose]

Another fine job by Chip & Joanna. I really liked the outside of the house with the porch & blue color. I do have one question. I think Clint is awesome but does he make anything other than tables for Joanna? I wouldn't turn down a free one from him but I was just curious if he has built/made anything else for her?

[WildPlum]

Some of these episodes feature houses in what look to be nice neighborhoods that fit in with one of Joanna's statements in the beginning of each episode about finding a house in a good neighborhood that just needs some work. But the little glimpses you got tonight of the other houses and the area (overgrown lots, run-down houses, commercial dumpsters on the other street) make me wonder about the neighborhood. (The big "NOTICE - property under 24 hour surveillance" sign while it was under construction made me a little nervous about the neighborhood.)

 

They took a $35,000 house, took it back to then foundation and a few lone stud walls and then rebuilt it and when they are done they have THE most expensive house in a neighborhood by how much? If houses in the area in better condition are going for, say $100,000, and you now have a $275,000 house in the same neighborhood, you've made a financially unwise decision. Sure, you might get exactly the house that you want, but you've badly overbuilt for the neighborhood. What happens when your job transfers you or you need to sell?

[GaT]

If the furniture doesn't come with the house, what is Joanna doing with all the tables Clint makes? He makes one every episode, & they're always custom for that house & couple, so she must have a giant collection of tables somewhere.