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All Episodes Talk: French Country in Texas?


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What a lovely couple.  The exterior makeover was wonderful.  The house looked slightly "country French" to me ... very cute and inviting.

Joanna did the island with a bench again, which must be her new thing.  Neat idea, but it takes away a lot of the use of an island, especially if you like to put food out buffet-style. I like having my guests on 'their' side of the island, while I am on the inside/kitchen side of the island.

Master bathroom was very nice.  Beautiful vanity ... I loved the drawers in the middle. 

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Every party ends up in the kitchen around an island...if you have one. It's too bad the kitchen/dinning room table takes that space up. Granted, the house isn't huge but I think she should have worked in a separate table instead of attaching the bench (I'm assuming it's attached) to the island. The room was light and airy but the banquette took up valuable real estate. IMO!!!

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On 12/15/2016 at 10:33 AM, MoreCoffeePlease said:

Joanna did the island with a bench again, which must be her new thing.  Neat idea, but it takes away a lot of the use of an island, especially if you like to put food out buffet-style. I like having my guests on 'their' side of the island, while I am on the inside/kitchen side of the island.

 

On 12/17/2016 at 11:53 AM, ByaNose said:

Every party ends up in the kitchen around an island...if you have one. It's too bad the kitchen/dinning room table takes that space up. Granted, the house isn't huge but I think she should have worked in a separate table instead of attaching the bench (I'm assuming it's attached) to the island. The room was light and airy but the banquette took up valuable real estate. IMO!!!

I agree with both of you! One of my kids said "They're going to end up dropping food off the island into the seats" and it's so true. Islands should be accessible from all sides, for conversation, buffet, cooking together, etc. I thought the island/bench/table idea was one of the worst things I've seen on HGTV. 

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Watched the reno of the B&B last night. I hated it. I was actually yelling at the TV. I loved that house when they had "showed" it to the one couple last season. Joanna stripped it of any character it had. Too much shiplap (I'm beginning to loathe it -- even Mr. PawsODoom wondered why it was everywhere), too many open shelves. The only rooms I did like were the bedrooms that didn't have any shiplap. It is 100+ year old house! The interior was way too modern for the age of the home.

The charm of this show has definitely worn off for me.

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I hated the B&B too.  I liked that parlor with the red wallpaper.  It had enough light to go with red, but no because fucking ship lap.  I liked how the rooms were divided, but no because fucking open concept.  

Sorry Jo jo, but you blew this one.  The only reason to want that home in that pokey little area it's in was for its unique character.  You could have found something more suited to farmhouse shabby chic circa 1995 in a better location.  

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On December 21, 2016 at 11:02 AM, pawsodoom said:

The charm of this show has definitely worn off for me.

+1

I don’t give a rip about their “controversy,” but Joanna’s being a one-trick pony is getting to me, which makes me wonder how much of their ratings drop has to do with Joanna’s monotonous style. (Where are you, Candice?) I saw the B&B reno last night. There were things I liked (the stairwell reconfiguration), but they turned a Victorian into a generic trendy retail display.

Quote

farmhouse shabby chic circa 1995

That.

And I like the 90s.

Edited by Mojeaux
MuShu said it better than I did.
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I know this isn't fair - and, I'm sure Waco, TX is a perfectly nice area - but...  I can't hear or think the words Waco, TX without thinking about the Branch Davidian debacle and giving a little shudder inside. 

I wish Joanna would evolve a little bit and stop doing the same stuff all the time.  While I'm at it I may as well go ahead and wish that Chip would find his misplaced manhood and act less stupid. 

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4 hours ago, LazyToaster said:

I know this isn't fair - and, I'm sure Waco, TX is a perfectly nice area - but...  I can't hear or think the words Waco, TX without thinking about the Branch Davidian debacle and giving a little shudder inside. 

That was quite some time ago, in 1993. Waco is really nice.  I don't live there but I wouldn't mind if I could bear the heat.  My daughter loved it.  She went to school there for awhile.

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 (Where are you, Candice?) 

Funny to see this, I saw a couple of old episodes of Divine Design (2003/2004) the other day.

SO refreshing! No "problems" right in the middle of the reno, no vocal fry, no "I HAVE to have (insert current trend), no arguing, I could go on. Just.....design. Seeing her process, what she chose. She was kinda cheesy, but I'll take that over the crap they give us now. And I miss Chico :D

Now granted, those things don't apply to Chip and JoJo, but rather HGTV as a whole. I generally like Jo's style but do agree she could change it up a bit and I'm really hoping that banquette/island isn't her new thing because I didn't like it either.

I also thought the fridge was placed where the wall cabinets should've gone, looked to me like the refrigerator was more separated from the kitchen and more in the living/dining room space. I thought the wall cabinets would've looked better in it's place - more like furniture if that makes any sense :)

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Wow I loved the second and third home in tonight's new episode.  I thought fore sure they'd take the mid century near the lake rather than the one by the pond... that was the only one I didn't like.

I liked the third house too..with the indoor pool.  Wow..

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On 12/30/2016 at 10:49 AM, LazyToaster said:

I know this isn't fair - and, I'm sure Waco, TX is a perfectly nice area - but...  I can't hear or think the words Waco, TX without thinking about the Branch Davidian debacle and giving a little shudder inside. 

I wish Joanna would evolve a little bit and stop doing the same stuff all the time.  While I'm at it I may as well go ahead and wish that Chip would find his misplaced manhood and act less stupid. 

I actually have thought of it a few times as well. 

It isn't just this show though that seems to stick to doing things a certain way. Most of them seem to do things but I am guessing its more so you remember them for those things they did in a house...with decor, reno or whatever, you know? 

As for Chip, I don't mind him at all myself. In many ways he reminds me of my own husband and his goofiness at times. Which I married a guy that has done work like he does as well (which is nice when things need fixing. LOL). Nothing misplaced about manhood because someone enjoys being goofy at times. I just know I rather watch them any time then someone with the stick up the butt, better then anyone attitude like I have seen from another show or 2. When I think about it though he isn't the only one that gets goofy...Property Brothers have done so plenty of times as well and so have a few others on some of these shows. Even when its done in a manner that I might roll eyes at, I still rather have it than serious and nothing but. JMO though

 

And trying to catch up on the shows right now since I have been out of the loop on many shows the last few weeks. 

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I just watched the retirement house episode. If you have $540,000 for a house in Waco Tx, why would you buy a house that obviously needed so much fixing instead of buying a nicer house? How would they know that they would get on the show? And how long have they owned that house waiting for the show to come fix it up? I do think the house came out nice, but they did the front with wood beams again. Even though it looks good, they've done that on almost every house this season, is this what Joanna is doing instead of putting words on the walls?

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15 hours ago, GaT said:

I just watched the retirement house episode. If you have $540,000 for a house in Waco Tx, why would you buy a house that obviously needed so much fixing instead of buying a nicer house? How would they know that they would get on the show? And how long have they owned that house waiting for the show to come fix it up? I do think the house came out nice, but they did the front with wood beams again. Even though it looks good, they've done that on almost every house this season, is this what Joanna is doing instead of putting words on the walls?

Anything is better than putting words on the walls.  Except the stupid island things and rough wood on kitchen walls. On second thought, maybe she should go back to putting words on the walls. 

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Retiring to the Country house was pretty nice. I especially liked the outside patio & ginormous pergola. It was beautiful. Of course, with a renovation budget of $300,000 I would hope it would be nice. The couple really wanted the land but obviously had money to burn. As usual, Clint didn't an awesome job with the super large (2) console tables. All natural and left that way. Why mess with perfection. The only thing I didn't like was the wood hood in the kitchen. 

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On 12/30/2016 at 1:49 PM, LazyToaster said:

I know this isn't fair - and, I'm sure Waco, TX is a perfectly nice area - but...  I can't hear or think the words Waco, TX without thinking about the Branch Davidian debacle and giving a little shudder inside. 

I wish Joanna would evolve a little bit and stop doing the same stuff all the time.  While I'm at it I may as well go ahead and wish that Chip would find his misplaced manhood and act less stupid. 

Me too.  Waco looks nice, but I think branch Davidians every time I hear Waco.  Not fair, but there it is. 

Jo does need to change it up.  Use some color, some wallpaper, some non distressed stuff.  And for the love of baby Jesus, stop ripping out perfectly good cabinets! Paint them, stain them, get new hardware. And no more of those fucking shelves to put the damn dishes on.  Everyone fucking hates them so much.

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48 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

Me too.  Waco looks nice, but I think branch Davidians every time I hear Waco.  Not fair, but there it is. 

Jo does need to change it up.  Use some color, some wallpaper, some non distressed stuff.  And for the love of baby Jesus, stop ripping out perfectly good cabinets! Paint them, stain them, get new hardware. And no more of those fucking shelves to put the damn dishes on.  Everyone fucking hates them so much.

I don't dust. It's my downfall. Don't judge. Why would anyone want open shelves for dishes? Why do "designers" think they would be sanitary? I guess if they were just displaying them it might not be too bad but if you are using them to eat off of.....Gross!!! Joanna does them a lot. It's her thing. Personally, I wish this show was a half hour long like Flip or Flop! It would save me the time fast forwarding for the reveal. Also, another pet peeve. We know Joanna needs to see the kiddos while staging the house. It gets her through the night. I get it. WE ALL GET IT!! Now, knock it off. Rant over!

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On January 6, 2017 at 9:45 PM, ByaNose said:

 The only thing I didn't like was the wood hood in the kitchen. 

I might have missed it because I only watch now with a side eye until they do the reveal, but was the wood hood built as its own unit or was it simply decorative and covering a metal hood?  Because of course hoods were not originally meant as fashion statements, but as a way to protect the house in case the range shoots up fire.  A wood hood would just feed the fire.

I have also learned to FF past everything involving either family--the Gaineses and the clients.  Because I don't care about them.

Edited by meowmommy
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I just watched the reno of the veteran's house. It turned out nice, but Joanna put an entire song on the wall. Also, another front porch thing with natural wood. Once she gets an idea into her head, she does not let it go.

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The reno of the veteran's house was nice.  I hope they both get to enjoy it for a while.  Was the bathroom truly handicapped accessible?  They never show anything long enough to tell.  I would have definitely done a roll-in shower.

The new recliners were gorgeous.  I hope he likes them and that they are comfortable.  

Joanna said her goal was to have a dining space that could seat all 13 family members ... they certainly didn't show that. I think the table was for either 6 or 8 people max.

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On 1/11/2017 at 11:19 AM, suebee12 said:

At the end of the episode, the show was in "memory of Sherry Graham" so I checked the Waco obits. Sadly she didn't get to enjoy the new home for very long.

http://www.wacotrib.com/obituaries/graham-sherry-jean/article_f9402bb2-8e04-547f-9dee-c6e741f7fc36.html

I wonder when the house was finished?

I hated myself for it, but I kept wondering exactly how long she would be in the house, you could tell she was in bad shape. And I wonder if the husband stayed, before the reno it was the house he had been living in for years where everything was the same, but now he's in a different space all by himself.

Edited by GaT
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42 minutes ago, GaT said:

 

The front porch was really nice. They've done a few like that this season. I like the look of a white house with the white wood pilars. So clean & simple. Of course, it had the usual open concept but it was nicely done. And, you can't beat an old laundry sign either. Granted, it's a rather large laundry sign but it is a statement piece.

Edited by ByaNose
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I was thinking the new design on the house could either be a curse- Mr. Graham has nothing to remember his wife, or a blessing- he won't be constantly bombarded with memories of his wife.

My coworker's MIL and FIL had moved to be near the daughter/him (SIL)/grandbabies so they bought a new house.  Literally on the day of signing the mortgage and waiting at the new house for the moving truck, FIL died from a massive heart attack in the front yard of the new house.  He never got to move in, make the minor changes he wanted.  A year later I asked him (SIL) how MIL was doing with not living in a house that she shared with FIL.  MIL's response- she was happy he died before they moved in so she's not inundated with memories.  Another plus (sad but true), they had paid for mortgage insurance and when he died, the house was paid in full.

Either way, very sad that Mrs. Graham has died.

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In a lot of ways this episode really annoyed me - the Gainses did some thoughtful things but they also did some really kinda jerkish things.

The bathroom was described as "ADA" - didn't see any handrails or other aids. Sure, the door was at least 36", but if you are designing a bathroom for an elderly couple with health problems, there are a LOT more things you can do to help out, like grab bars and roll-in showers, or showers with benches near the hand wand (which is what the vertical thing in the shower was, NOT a grab bar). They don't make a sexy-looking bathroom, though. Once the tiling is done, those things can't be added without ripping out all the tile to install new blocking to support the grab bars and seat. I suppose the blocking could have been put in and tiled over with locations recorded and marked, but I "assume" they'd have said something.

Granted there was a ramp (with NO handrail!) at the back of the house, but nothing at the front - you can keep the "curb appeal" aesthetic by putting in a ramp on the side and allow someone in a wheelchair to come in their own front door.

Also, in the walk through photos, there was a wedding ring quilt on the bed, the least they could have done was repair/clean the quilt and give the owners back their own quilt - maybe repair/rebuild the old bedframe while they were at it.

I was REALLY annoyed at the "reveal," keeping that poor woman sitting/standing in the hot Texas sun was outrageous. At least provide her with some shade and move inside the house quickly. On the one hand Chip was deferential and respectful to her, but on the other hand she was clearly in really bad shape.

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Thanks, WildPlum, for your insightful comments. While overall I liked this particular episode, I was wondering about the accessibility of the entire house. The lack of ramp on the front was a huge mistake, imho. The top of the bed looked too high for either of the couple to get in. The entire kitchen looked too tall for Mrs. Graham to deal with.

So sorry to hear of Mrs. Graham's passing. She looked really ill during the filming.
 

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I though Joanna did a pretty good job with the modern remake of the ranch house, but I hate the idea of all that concrete.  Industrial doesn't scream 'homey' to me.  I guess they're not worrying about it but I also wonder about resale.  When permanent  structures are so personalized and non-standard for an area, I would think resale might be a problem.  Or are concrete walls and counters easy to transform?  It seems to me there would be a heck of a demo day to change the look of this house at some point in the future.   Hopefully the family likes their relocation to Waco enough it won't be an issue.  I would think it's quite a change from Colorado.  I wonder at such a drastic relocation when they have a baby.  Don't people live near their families anymore?

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I wonder why that they could only find one other house to show them. The "modern" house was pretty interesting. The changes they made to the actual house itself were modern (& I liked them), but to me, the decorating wasn't. Joanna really doesn't know anything but country, everything looked like the stuff she always puts in, but without the distressing. When I realized she had put shiplap in, but painted it black, I just laughed. She's just a one-note decorator, she can only do the style she likes. The woman was also bugging me, I don't think I could have listened to another variation of "super cool, fur sure"

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9 hours ago, WildPlum said:

In a lot of ways this episode really annoyed me - the Gainses did some thoughtful things but they also did some really kinda jerkish things.

The bathroom was described as "ADA" - didn't see any handrails or other aids. Sure, the door was at least 36", but if you are designing a bathroom for an elderly couple with health problems, there are a LOT more things you can do to help out, like grab bars and roll-in showers, or showers with benches near the hand wand (which is what the vertical thing in the shower was, NOT a grab bar). They don't make a sexy-looking bathroom, though. Once the tiling is done, those things can't be added without ripping out all the tile to install new blocking to support the grab bars and seat. I suppose the blocking could have been put in and tiled over with locations recorded and marked, but I "assume" they'd have said something.

Granted there was a ramp (with NO handrail!) at the back of the house, but nothing at the front - you can keep the "curb appeal" aesthetic by putting in a ramp on the side and allow someone in a wheelchair to come in their own front door.

You are so right. You have to do bathroom grab rails, etc, when you're at the down-to-the-studs stage. Those have to be anchored! I'm learning about this now because I have progressive issues which mean I'll need it in the future.

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10 hours ago, WildPlum said:

Granted there was a ramp (with NO handrail!) at the back of the house, but nothing at the front - you can keep the "curb appeal" aesthetic by putting in a ramp on the side and allow someone in a wheelchair to come in their own front door.

That annoyed me terribly also. When they open the screen to reveal the new front there is a shot of the homeowner from behind and all I could see was that poor woman in a wheelchair in front of a row of stairs with no ramp! I was wondering if they would hoist the wheelchair over the steps... But then she was in the house walking while she looked in no shape to do so. This is not a way to treat a sick old lady. This was really upsetting.

I'm sorry to hear of her passing and I still hope she was able to get some nice family moments in that house.

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I have mixed thoughts about the front door.  Depending on where the driveway/garage is, the lady of the house probably never entered the house through the front door.  I'm sure she has ramp access from wherever she would exit a vehicle.  Walking (or rolling) around to the front just to go in the main entrance door isn't typical.  If they wanted to make the house ADA for visitors, then yes the front entry should have been designed differently.

Joanna's one trick pony design aesthetic is annoying but I don't think she and Chip would ignore the very real physical limitations of the house owners.  I just wish the show had focused on the ADA aspects of the house.  I'm making as assumption that the HGTV editors didn't think that part was interesting.  Which, to me, would have been the MOST interesting part of the remodel.

I obviously know nothing about Mrs Graham's health at the time of the reveal, but my mother and sister are both mobility impaired and there is a 'use or lose it' imperative.  The more you sit, the more you can do nothing but sit.  Maybe Mrs Graham was tired of being in a wheelchair and wanted to walk around, as difficult as it was for us at home to watch.   I guess I'm giving the Gaines' the benefit of the doubt on this one. 

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21 hours ago, GaT said:

I wonder why that they could only find one other house to show them. The "modern" house was pretty interesting. The changes they made to the actual house itself were modern (& I liked them), but to me, the decorating wasn't. Joanna really doesn't know anything but country, everything looked like the stuff she always puts in, but without the distressing. When I realized she had put shiplap in, but painted it black, I just laughed. She's just a one-note decorator, she can only do the style she likes. The woman was also bugging me, I don't think I could have listened to another variation of "super cool, fur sure"

OMG That lady was terrible. All she said was those things and I kept thinking WTF is wrong with this woman! She was just void of any emotion the whole show. I know why they did the house as they had but boy was that ugly with the concrete. Its just so cold and unwelcoming but then that is how that woman seemed so it fit her well. I didn't catch why they were moving to Waco or if it was even said but that lady seemed so out of place there. Oh heck she seems like she would be out of place in most places.

As for the one-not decorator, its that way with all the shows in some way. 

13 hours ago, Frost said:

I have mixed thoughts about the front door.  Depending on where the driveway/garage is, the lady of the house probably never entered the house through the front door.  I'm sure she has ramp access from wherever she would exit a vehicle.  Walking (or rolling) around to the front just to go in the main entrance door isn't typical.  If they wanted to make the house ADA for visitors, then yes the front entry should have been designed differently.

Joanna's one trick pony design aesthetic is annoying but I don't think she and Chip would ignore the very real physical limitations of the house owners.  I just wish the show had focused on the ADA aspects of the house.  I'm making as assumption that the HGTV editors didn't think that part was interesting.  Which, to me, would have been the MOST interesting part of the remodel.

I obviously know nothing about Mrs Graham's health at the time of the reveal, but my mother and sister are both mobility impaired and there is a 'use or lose it' imperative.  The more you sit, the more you can do nothing but sit.  Maybe Mrs Graham was tired of being in a wheelchair and wanted to walk around, as difficult as it was for us at home to watch.   I guess I'm giving the Gaines' the benefit of the doubt on this one. 

Agree we have no clue what we weren't shown and how she may have asked to walk the house. She could have taken rests during it and its edited out. We just have no idea because of editing on many of the things brought up. 

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I missed the beginning of the Graham episode...and in fact tuned in just for the reveal.  When I saw the lady in the wheelchair and they used the word "accessible" I thought for sure there'd be a ramp going into the house in the front.  I was confused when there was none and in fact doubted what I had heard originally. 

I have a niece in a wheelchair and I'm used to seeing an accessible house and this was not one.

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On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 1:52 AM, GaT said:

The woman was also bugging me, I don't think I could have listened to another variation of "super cool, fur sure"

THIS.  Baby was super-cute though.

What about the plants hanging in macramé hangers?  These are back in style?

Hated the closed off kitchen with the 'coffee bar'.  Are they going to eat in the dining room all of the time?

Sliding doors for the office and dining room were sort of cool, but I hope they can withstand use from kids. Imagine trying to keep them clean?

I would have liked to have seen this house done in Joanna's traditional / regular style.

In the beginning of the show they showed an outtake where Chip was saying something like "we like to go big or go home", and he was expecting Joanna to say, "Yes, we go big!" but she must have been tired because she said she wanted to go home.  It was a cute moment.

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53 minutes ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

What about the plants hanging in macramé hangers?  These are back in style?

I noticed those too! I thought, what the hell are those crappy macrame hangers all over the place? It just looked so odd with the rest of the space, and that is not a thing that needs to be revisited, IMHO.

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10 hours ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

What about the plants hanging in macramé hangers?  These are back in style?

So says Pinterest. I died laughing when I saw it. We had soooo many of them, filled with pothos and spider plants. 

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I can understand that TPTB at HGTV would encourage Joanna to go outside her comfort zone, since most people think she can't do anything but big clocks and shiplap, but as a client, I don't understand why you would consult a designer whose specialty is known to be so far outside your esthetic, unless your primary goal is a) to be on TV, or b) to be able to sell your house as a Joanna Gaines-designed home.

I didn't think Joanna had it in her to step away from the barn doors and white cabinets.  She did a good job, for the most part.

I'm always annoyed by "I have to sacrifice and be away from my kids all night so I can stage this house" with items that get removed as soon as the cameras leave.  It's a tired trope.  JOC, given that the client doesn't necessarily keep the staged items, who pays for the labor involved in staging, or in this case, renting all those items that wouldn't have come from Magnolia?  Is that part of the reno budget or does the network pick that up?

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I thought it was weird when Chip took just the boys to go rock climbing, why didn't he bring the girls too?  I would have loved to do something like that when I was a kid.  As far as the couple goes, I too thought she had beautiful hair.  How do you get your hair to be that glossy?  Maybe she was an introvert?  that could explain the lack of comments.

Edited by Finagler
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22 hours ago, Finagler said:

Maybe she was an introvert?  that could explain the lack of comments.

Just my opinion, but they were from Colorado, the first state to legalize marijuana, so, fur sure :-) 

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Everybody needs a son who throws in an extra $100.000 in for the reno LOL. I thought the house came out very nice. The dad made me laugh, his reactions were so low key.

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