All Episodes Talk: French Country in Texas?

[Gam2]

Agreed, Spunkygal. I don't really care about the personal aspects of the hosts. Show me something new, different, historical or something I might be able to adapt to my own home. HGTV is coasting on their laurels and there's only so long that that can prevail. Their shelf life is long overdue. 

[toolazy]

Here's another vote for Restored.  This guy restores homes to the way they were, to whatever extent the homeowners let him.  That means that there are often multiple rooms on the first floor and sometimes you have to go through a door to get to the kitchen. Shocking, right? 

.

Sooner or later this "open concept" thing will be played out and there will be countless shows where we see people building walls between rooms.  I will laugh and laugh.

[kimberussell]

I often wonder how many houses Chip & Joanna "Fixed" before HGTV came calling?

I caved and bought their book The Magnolia Story. Chip has been fixing up houses to flip/rent out since college, and Joanna joined in after they got married. If you are fans, I recommend the book. It's cute (they each tell the story in separate fonts) and you'll find out that Chip was/is actually the brains behind it all.

The story that opens and closes the book is about Chip buying a houseboat for them all to live on while renovating their current house without telling Jo in advance. They never fixed up the houseboat enough to get in the water, and I strongly suspect that's the houseboat that was featured a few episodes ago.  They keep stumbling into genius moves.

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, kimberussell said:

I often wonder how many houses Chip & Joanna "Fixed" before HGTV came calling?

I caved and bought their book The Magnolia Story. Chip has been fixing up houses to flip/rent out since college, and Joanna joined in after they got married. If you are fans, I recommend the book. It's cute (they each tell the story in separate fonts) and you'll find out that Chip was/is actually the brains behind it all.

The story that opens and closes the book is about Chip buying a houseboat for them all to live on while renovating their current house without telling Jo in advance. They never fixed up the houseboat enough to get in the water, and I strongly suspect that's the houseboat that was featured a few episodes ago.  They keep stumbling into genius moves.

Thanks. I had no idea they even wrote a book. What's possibly left for them to do? Fixer Upper: Hawaii

[GaT]

I think they must have listened to what people were saying, because they seem to really be getting away from the 3 house beginning. The brick on the worm house was seriously nasty, I can't imagine why anyone would want it on their house, it almost looked like hieroglyphs. I liked how it came out, this was definitely a Jo house. The one thing that bothered me was that when they showed the before house, it had a nice green lawn, but when they showed the after house,, it had an ugly dead lawn. Why did they kill the lawn?

Interesting that they always plant a magnolia tree, I don't remember that being mentioned before, I wonder why?

[Jellybeans]

I doubt they killed the lawn- Texas is brutal in the summer and it is difficult to keep grass green in the heat of summer.  It goes dormant... it will be green again once it cools off.  

The brick was truly ghastly!

[ByaNose]

There ain't much you can do with brick. Either keep it as is or in paint it. I'm 52 and from the northeast and everyone had brick. I don't think I've seen anyone resorting to painting the brick in my old neighbohood yet. That said, I thought she did a great job inside. The long island table that Clint built was beautiful. It was very Pottery Barn like. I liked the new pendant lights she decided on but they didn't really show them in the reveal. The fireplace already had the nice oval circle but the paint job really showed up the architecture of it much better. The master bedroom turned out nice, too. Of course, the whole place looked great with the staged furniture that Joanna adds. If you want that house with that look you also have to buy all of that, right? I don't think my current furniture would look as nice. I don't own that much in white. LOL!!!

[meowmommy]

I haven't kept stats, of course, but it strikes me that they have migrated far, far away from the original premise where they took a really cheap, crappy property and made it into a little gem.  Houses that cost under $100K to start and Chip/Jo were able to do amazing things with usually the buyer's minimum reno budget of $30K.  Most of the houses they've been doing lately are already on the expensive side and the family has significant resources to pour into the renovation.  Which, for me, makes it no different than any other reno show.  The most recent one that I can remember with a low price and a strict budget got blown up by the couple's millionaire football son throwing money down.  I don't know if what I see is a factor of all the little junky houses in Waco having been snapped up or if maybe the Gaineses' influence has increased overall property values, but I miss those little houses that made me think maybe it's possible to have a lot of house for a little money.

[GaT]

19 hours ago, meowmommy said:

I haven't kept stats, of course, but it strikes me that they have migrated far, far away from the original premise where they took a really cheap, crappy property and made it into a little gem.  Houses that cost under $100K to start and Chip/Jo were able to do amazing things with usually the buyer's minimum reno budget of $30K.  Most of the houses they've been doing lately are already on the expensive side and the family has significant resources to pour into the renovation.  Which, for me, makes it no different than any other reno show.  The most recent one that I can remember with a low price and a strict budget got blown up by the couple's millionaire football son throwing money down.  I don't know if what I see is a factor of all the little junky houses in Waco having been snapped up or if maybe the Gaineses' influence has increased overall property values, but I miss those little houses that made me think maybe it's possible to have a lot of house for a little money.

I think the original idea was "buy the worst house in the best neighborhood & fix it", so yes, that worked well until the show became known & caused the house prices to rise considerably.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

I enjoyed this project and the lovely young family.  I always like seeing the little kids run around.

I could never live in Texas, but gosh, they do make it look beautiful.  The wild flowers, big sky, lots of space ...

I liked the exterior makeover (which I usually do), and everything else was fine as well except for the tile or brick used as the kitchen backsplash.  Antique doors on the office were a nice, and typical, Joanna touch.

What a fireplace!  Such a statement.  I know Joanna doesn't design around TVs, but I love watching TV so I always have to think about where the heck would I put it and the furniture.  I don't normally like the TV above the fireplace.

My only fault with the master bath is that the toilet is not private.  I don't know if I would want to be in the shower with someone sitting or standing right there. 

[ByaNose]

Another nice fixer as usual. $315,000 sale price, renovation budget $119,000 with a total investment of $434,000 & a "new value" at $470,000. If I had $315,000 to spend on a house I wouldn't need a Fixer Upper. The outside was beautiful. I loved the front porch and inside was very rustic with wood & lost of white paint. The dinning room was as was the the kitchen. Although, I wasn't crazy about the kitchen cabinet color. I guess it's different then the usual white with a blue island. I'll give her points for that. LOL!!!. I now fast forward this show to the 45 minute mark. It would help if it was just a half hour like Flip or Flop. 

Edited March 15, 2017 by ByaNose

[GaT]

I liked how the rustic Italian house came out, it was a little different than the usual. Their minds must have been blown when they realized how much more they could get in Texas than California.

[Jellybeans]

Loved the rustic Italian house, especially the kitchen!  And the fireplace.  

[Laurenetti]

I'm sorry if this question has already been answered but does anyone know where they bought this chandelier?? I'm desperate to find it and I've looked everywhere!

Spoiler

 

 

[zoeysmom]

Appeared today on MSNBC :   http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/home-and-garden/10-trends-chip-and-joanna-put-in-every-fixer-upper-home/ss-AAmLpf6?ocid=spartanntp

Nothing like the originality of subway tile.

[meowmommy]

11 minutes ago, zoeysmom said:

Appeared today on MSNBC :   http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/home-and-garden/10-trends-chip-and-joanna-put-in-every-fixer-upper-home/ss-AAmLpf6?ocid=spartanntp

Nothing like the originality of subway tile.

I hated subway tile when Nicole Curtis put it in every house and I hate it now.  Then again, I never heard of shiplap until I discovered Fixer Upper.

I want the $1500 job Joanna quoted for removing that wallpaper border.  An hour with a heat gun...

[MrPissyPuppy]

1 hour ago, meowmommy said:

I want the $1500 job Joanna quoted for removing that wallpaper border.  An hour with a heat gun...

And then they wound up just tearing that part of the walls down!    

[Spunkygal]

I don't watch this show anymore because of Chip, but I read this forum for snark. I have watched HGTV for a million years, that is to say way back when it was good and informative. Everyone knows to remove wallpaper, you score the paper, spray with a mixture of fabric softener and water, and it practically falls off. Maybe you have to lightly scrape. It's not a big deal. Or I guess you could cover it in Shiplap.

[Jellybeans]

I have tried removing wallpaper using "proven methods" and I hope I never have to do it again.  It does not always come off readily...and the stubborn bits that stick make the whole dog and pony show almost not worth it. 

If I ever have to remove wallpaper again I will hire someone to do it.  It can be a tedious job.  

[Westiepeach]

18 minutes ago, Jellybeans said:

I have tried removing wallpaper using "proven methods" and I hope I never have to do it again.  It does not always come off readily...and the stubborn bits that stick make the whole dog and pony show almost not worth it. 

If I ever have to remove wallpaper again I will hire someone to do it.  It can be a tedious job.  

Agreed x 1000. We just removed the wallpaper in the kitchen and it was hell. We tried every DIY method and it was pure hell. Did I mention it was hell?

[Gam2]

We've removed quite a bit of wallpaper. Some was easy, some was hard. A wallpaper hanger told me that it depended on how well the wall was prepared before being papered that made the difference. 

[Jellybeans]

13 minutes ago, Gam2 said:

We've removed quite a bit of wallpaper. Some was easy, some was hard. A wallpaper hanger told me that it depended on how well the wall was prepared before being papered that made the difference. 

Yes- and many people skip this step knowing they will not be around to remove it later.  

[juliet73]

I liked the reno of this house so much better than the previous ones Joanna has designed this season. However, I really didn't think it looked Italian. It looked more Spanish style in my opinion. If I didn't know they were in Waco, I would have assumed they were in Los Angeles. The couple had a pretty large reno budget so I was surprised they didn't work on the other beds and baths. I liked the French doors into the playroom, but it didn't look much like a playroom...it looked like a classroom. 

[ByaNose]

21 hours ago, juliet73 said:

I liked the reno of this house so much better than the previous ones Joanna has designed this season. However, I really didn't think it looked Italian. It looked more Spanish style in my opinion. If I didn't know they were in Waco, I would have assumed they were in Los Angeles. The couple had a pretty large reno budget so I was surprised they didn't work on the other beds and baths. I liked the French doors into the playroom, but it didn't look much like a playroom...it looked like a classroom. 

I had fast forwarded to the end & didn't hear the history of the couple or their needs. I thought that the classroom look was because she homeschooled her kids. I didn't realized Joanna considered it a playroom. I think I saw two desk on each side of the room and that was pretty much it. It didn't look like a fun room to play in for a kid. 

[Lovecat]

I had wallpaper removed from a stairwell, but hired professionals, because there was no way my ass was getting up on a ladder or scaffolding that high to take it down!  They did, however, use the fabric softener/water combo to loosen the glue, and my house smelled snuggly fresh for days!

[MoreCoffeePlease]

The couple said they wanted a playroom, so I too didn't really like how it looked like a classroom.

They were throwing pasta on the wall to see if it was cooked to their liking?  On your freshly painted, beautiful walls?  I simply taste the pasta instead. 

You don't want white cabinets?  Oh, I'll paint them gray.  How original.  I did like the kitchen, but then the family room looked a little too snug to me.

Loved the custom vanity in the powder room.

There was something off about the exterior to me ... it was too monochromatic.  Maybe it would have been better with a different color of shingles?

I liked the house in general, but I really wish they would have done the last one.  Although it almost looked like a tear-down, it would be cool to redo it,

[WildPlum]

Lol, that was an odd little episode: "Fixer Upper Goes Flip or Flop" - there were a couple places they actually looked lost, without the routine to fall back on. Interesting look at their first "fixer" in which they did an extremely .... basic job.

[txvoodoo]

I saw the pics, but didn't see the episode. Yeah, not Italian at all.

@MoreCoffeePlease - they were really throwing pasta? I'm over here rolling my eyes. 

[saylubee]

3 hours ago, WildPlum said:

Lol, that was an odd little episode: "Fixer Upper Goes Flip or Flop" - there were a couple places they actually looked lost, without the routine to fall back on. Interesting look at their first "fixer" in which they did an extremely .... basic job.

I really want to hear the backstory on how this episode came to be.  It almost felt like a homeowner fell through or perhaps the episode was in response to all the church controversy from between seasons.  Like they were trying to see if the show could stand on its own without homeowner contributions.  Jo and Chip also looked a little different and Ella looked a little older which makes me think it was filmed more recently then some of the others.

Poor Ella.  She did not look like she wanted to be on camera AT ALL.  I noticed when Jo was showing her the design choices that Ella had absolutely no input.  Just mumbled yes or okay at every room.  Including her was just awkward and shame on Jo.  I thought she was (slightly) better than that.  Jo pimps her kids but this is the first time I can remember one of them truly looking uncomfortable on camera.

[AnnaRose]

Aw, I thought Joanna and Ella were pretty adorable. 

I haven't seen this show in a long time.  I caught the end of the previous episode, right when they were showing the kitchen, which I thought looked very nice. 

I loved that vaulted family room with the beams, which was surprising because I tend to dislike rooms with visible trusses. (They make me uneasy.)  But I thought the family room looked great. 

I loved those french doors to the "play" room.  Calling it a playroom was kind of strange.  It sure looked like a home-schooling room to me, so I'm not sure why they didn't just call it that.  Maybe the owners didn't want it called that.  Or maybe they intend to use it for play, but Jo wanted to style it more like a classroom?

I hated the clip of the owners teaching their kids to throw spaghetti at the freshly painted wall.  Really, people??

Then I watched the flip episode, which I quite enjoyed.  I didn't find Chip off-putting, so that was a big plus.  I was glad they didn't go overboard in their 'competition', and were supportive of each other.  I really liked how that house turned out.  What a cute, little house!

I liked the herringbone inset in the living room floor.  The curved french doors and shelves in the dining room looked nice, and I loved how the kitchen turned out.  It looked like they replaced and added windows there which made a huge difference.  I noticed that they changed it around compared to their original sketch.  I thought those beams were fantastic and really made a huge difference.

The bedroom looked much better, but they removed the window air conditioner.  In Texas.  I wonder if they added (or could add) some sort of mini-split unit to cool that room. 

Loved the office nook.  Those kinds of spaces with built-ins under the eaves are so appealing.

Oh yeah... and the beginning when they went back to their first "flip".  That  house was kind of awful.  Did they really buy it with the intention of "flipping" it?  And if so, did they actually make any kind of significant profit on it?  Their improvements were pretty poor.  I was thinking that maybe it was just an inexpensive starter home that they tried to improve a bit while they lived there.  Then again, maybe it was their first real 'flip' and they used the profits to fund the start of their empire.  They sure have come a long way.  Good for them!  They seem like a nice family.

I was glad to not see any big wall clocks or writing on the walls.  (Well... except for the painted script in the laundry room in the previous episode... but I actually thought that looked really nice.)

Edited March 23, 2017 by AnnaRose

[Jellybeans]

I enjoyed this episode.  It was interesting to see the first house they did.  It was obvious the owners/renters (?) did not take care of the place.  I mean the place was a mess!  

Loved seeing Ella "work" with Joanna.  It reminds me of my days with my kids.  It does not have to be a serious thing.  

The house they flipped is adorable.  I want the house but I don't to live in Texas again.

On another note, did you guys hear they are getting a spin-off show?  I think it will be called "Fixer Upper: Behind the Design".  

[truther]

14 hours ago, saylubee said:

Poor Ella.  She did not look like she wanted to be on camera AT ALL.  I noticed when Jo was showing her the design choices that Ella had absolutely no input.  Just mumbled yes or okay at every room.  Including her was just awkward and shame on Jo.  I thought she was (slightly) better than that.  Jo pimps her kids but this is the first time I can remember one of them truly looking uncomfortable on camera.

I agree.  The Truther Family all agrees that the family interactions between Jo and the kids are painful to watch.   

[sadtvjunkie]

If you read their book most of their first flips were a row of houses for college kids. They would fix one up then move into the next and fix up while they lived in it. I'm not surprised it looked rough, it IS for college kids.

[GaT]

I think the reason they did this show was as a setup for their new show "Behind the Design" which will supposedly show the whole process behind the scenes. The season finale is on the 28th, & they're going to do some kind of preview on then.

[tobeannounced]

That is so interesting, because when Jo was explaining to Ella some of the reasoning behind her design choices, I was thinking I would absolutely love a show that taught the basics of design and the reasoning behind the choices they make. I'm just clueless when it comes to placing the little doodads and knickknacks that really finish off the look of a room.

Edited March 28, 2017 by tobeannounced

[ByaNose]

36 minutes ago, tobeannounced said:

That is so interesting, because when Jo was explaining to Ella some of the reasoning behind her design choices, I was thinking I would absolutely love a show that taught the basics of design and the reasoning behind the choices they make. I'm just clueless when it comes to placing the little doodads and knickknacks that really finish off the look of a room.

Just take any farm tool such as rake, hoe or shovel and just hang it on the wall. That's what Joanna does and it looks amazing. LOL!! I'm obsessed with the wind mills she is always hanging.

[Evil Queen]

On 3/17/2017 at 5:49 AM, Jellybeans said:

I have tried removing wallpaper using "proven methods" and I hope I never have to do it again.  It does not always come off readily...and the stubborn bits that stick make the whole dog and pony show almost not worth it. 

If I ever have to remove wallpaper again I will hire someone to do it.  It can be a tedious job.  

We have some wallpaper that is in our kitchen cabinets. I have never seen such a thing until we bought this place. We just moved into it in Jan. Its some funky looking 70s flowers too. I'm just glad they are in the cabinets and you only see it when you go in there. I would love to take it out but there is no way to do it right and get it all out without getting the cabinets out of the way. So for now its there. If that was on the walls some place else though, it would have come down already even though it would have been a pain to do. 

On 3/18/2017 at 8:25 PM, ByaNose said:

I had fast forwarded to the end & didn't hear the history of the couple or their needs. I thought that the classroom look was because she homeschooled her kids. I didn't realized Joanna considered it a playroom. I think I saw two desk on each side of the room and that was pretty much it. It didn't look like a fun room to play in for a kid. 

While I get what you are saying, I have 1 child that would be in heaven being able to sit at a desk like that and draw all day long. Which I need to find a way to fit a drawing table somewhere in our house for her at some point soon because its her thing and she does it well. Right now she uses whatever she can find to put under paper to for a sturdy surface or has a drawing pad (which she goes through those like crazy).

14 hours ago, tobeannounced said:

That is so interesting, because when Jo was explaining to Ella some of the reasoning behind her design choices, I was thinking I would absolutely love a show that taught the basics of design and the reasoning behind the choices they make. I'm just clueless when it comes to placing the little doodads and knickknacks that really finish off the look of a room.

I didn't think she looked uncomfortable but more of a typical little girl sitting with her mom and talking about design stuff. I think we also got a super edited version of what happened too so it makes it look like she isn't into it in moments but I'm betting it wasn't the case and she had input we didn't get to see. Which btw, I have to say that if it wasn't for Jo and her using the big letters on walls from old stores/signs I would never have come up with an idea of my own for them. When you can find them with the space open towards the front you can use them for so many different things to decorate the inside. I have to say my decorating is not what most would like and be able to appreciate for what it is. I get it but its things I love and collect that I decorate with. 

[GaT]

What possible reason could they have for fixing up that shack instead of tearing it down & starting from scratch? 

[suebee12]

37 minutes ago, GaT said:

What possible reason could they have for fixing up that shack instead of tearing it down & starting from scratch?

I think they did. They used all of the wood, shiplap, beadboard, tin, etc. that they salvaged in the new build. At one point in the design show that followed, they showed the framing of the new house and it was all new...studs, trusses, etc. Since it was an acre lot, where the original house sat was probably the best place for the house to be and they may have used some of the existing plumbing layout.

I enjoyed the new show also but it sure blew Joanna's thing about fixing everything up over night right out of the water. We saw her design help there setting things up plus we now know why we don't see the other rooms they do.....they are filled with totes of decorating "stuff"! Still I enjoyed the two shows back to back. I wonder if that is how it will be every week?

I loved both kids rooms...the bunkbed was adorable and I even liked the "pass through" for the kids rooms!

[GaT]

3 minutes ago, suebee12 said:

I think they did. They used all of the wood, shiplap, beadboard, tin, etc. that they salvaged in the new build. At one point in the design show that followed, they showed the framing of the new house and it was all new...studs, trusses, etc. Since it was an acre lot, where the original house sat was probably the best place for the house to be and they may have used some of the existing plumbing layout.

 

Supposedly they turned the original house into the living room/kitchen area & added on to it, so I don't know. I also wonder what they did about bathrooms, they showed the master bathroom, but a family that size would need at least 1 1/2 more bathrooms.

[ByaNose]

I really liked the backporch/deck. That said, doesn't it get really and posssibly buggy in Texas? Should you have it screened in? Anyway, the table was beautiful and I liked the "chandelier".

[tobeannounced]

I'm in Houston, TX, and I just could not believe that that family would have their dining room table out on the porch. Between the heat and the mosquitoes, there's probably only a few months a year when that would be anything but miserable, especially without a screen.

Someone upthread mentioned back-to-back shows. I only got the usual one-hour show on my DVR. What did I miss?

[ByaNose]

15 minutes ago, tobeannounced said:

I'm in Houston, TX, and I just could not believe that that family would have their dining room table out on the porch. Between the heat and the mosquitoes, there's probably only a few months a year when that would be anything but miserable, especially without a screen.

Someone upthread mentioned back-to-back shows. I only got the usual one-hour show on my DVR. What did I miss?

Thanks for confirming. It looked beautiful but didn't seem very practical. That said, they insisted (asked) for it like Joanna said.

[AnnaRose]

5 hours ago, suebee12 said:

At one point in the design show that followed, they showed the framing of the new house and it was all new...studs, trusses, etc. Since it was an acre lot, where the original house sat was probably the best place for the house to be and they may have used some of the existing plumbing layout.

I enjoyed the new show also but it sure blew Joanna's thing about fixing everything up over night right out of the water. We saw her design help there setting things up plus we now know why we don't see the other rooms they do.....they are filled with totes of decorating "stuff"! Still I enjoyed the two shows back to back. I wonder if that is how it will be every week?

1 hour ago, tobeannounced said:

Someone upthread mentioned back-to-back shows. I only got the usual one-hour show on my DVR. What did I miss?

I thought they were going to have a new show right after this one, but there was a Home Town episode afterward, so I missed it because I thought it wasn't going to be aired.  I'm so disappointed.  I just looked at yesterday's listing and saw that it was aired after the Home Town episode.  That's so annoying!   I would have loved to have seen the behind the scenes show.  Are they going to be doing this after every episode now?

[suebee12]

I just rewatched  Behind the Design and I did remember correctly. They showed all of the shiplap, roofing material, etc. being removed from the original shack and saved. The next shot was of the framing of the new house...nothing was left of the shack, everything shown was new build.(This happens at the 3 minute mark...aren't DVRs wonderful?) The one interesting thing was that the floor plan they showed did not include the 4th bedroom that the owners wanted to add after the original design was done, but you could see it clearly in the framing of the house right off of the children's wing. That must have been the room where Joanna had all of her decorating totes.

I agree about the porch with no screens...what were they thinking? (As an aside, the same thing happened on Home Town last night...everyone wanted to remove the screening on the front porch???? I live about 2 hours from Laurel, MS and you need screens...the mosquitoes are as big as B52s but the husband said that was just how he pictured it!) I think both families will decide that screens are a good thing after living with the bugs for a while.

All in all, I really enjoyed last nights programs.

[Jellybeans]

When we lived in south Texas we ate outside all year but we figured a way to live with the mosquitoes.  We had ceiling fans outside and MANY citronella plants. The plants grow quite large and smell wonderful.  Forget the candles, they don't work.  For the most part we did not end up as munchies...

[AnnaRose]

They may be waiting on adding screens because it was easier to film and looked better on camera without them.  Also, since the couple is from California, I'm sure that's what they're used to, and perhaps will have to see for themselves if it's tolerable.  I wonder if they can add some retractable screens?

They seem to be a lovely couple/family, and I'm glad they got such a great deal on the land and were able to salvage so much usable material from the shack that was torn down.  (Much better than dumping it in a land fill.)  I thought the house turned out great, especially the porch and the kids' rooms.  Love the bunk bed!  The concrete counters turned out nice too.  I never knew you could use concrete to make a waterfall counter.  The master bath was nice.  I like that they used some atypical materials like the vanity and large contrasting floor tiles.

Oh, and I loved how the glass in the front door turns frosted by the flip of a switch!  If I ever have a glass front door, I will need to have that option. 

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, AnnaRose said:

They may be waiting on adding screens because it was easier to film and looked better on camera without them.  Also, since the couple is from California, I'm sure that's what they're used to, and perhaps will have to see for themselves if it's tolerable.  I wonder if they can add some retractable screens?

They seem to be a lovely couple/family, and I'm glad they got such a great deal on the land and were able to salvage so much usable material from the shack that was torn down.  (Much better than dumping it in a land fill.)  I thought the house turned out great, especially the porch and the kids' rooms.  Love the bunk bed!  The concrete counters turned out nice too.  I never knew you could use concrete to make a waterfall counter.  The master bath was nice.  I like that they used some atypical materials like the vanity and large contrasting floor tiles.

Oh, and I loved how the glass in the front door turns frosted by the flip of a switch!  If I ever have a glass front door, I will need to have that option. 

I forgot about the magic frost door. LOL!! I liked that too. I'd be curious how much that would cost. Also, the bunkbed with the barndoor was super cool. Why didn't they have that when I was little in the 70's?!?!?!

[AnnaRose]

On 3/16/2017 at 8:58 PM, Spunkygal said:

I don't watch this show anymore because of Chip, but I read this forum for snark. I have watched HGTV for a million years, that is to say way back when it was good and informative. Everyone knows to remove wallpaper, you score the paper, spray with a mixture of fabric softener and water, and it practically falls off. Maybe you have to lightly scrape. It's not a big deal. Or I guess you could cover it in Shiplap.

 

On 3/17/2017 at 8:49 AM, Jellybeans said:

I have tried removing wallpaper using "proven methods" and I hope I never have to do it again.  It does not always come off readily...and the stubborn bits that stick make the whole dog and pony show almost not worth it. 

If I ever have to remove wallpaper again I will hire someone to do it.  It can be a tedious job.  

 

On 3/17/2017 at 9:10 AM, Westiepeach said:

Agreed x 1000. We just removed the wallpaper in the kitchen and it was hell. We tried every DIY method and it was pure hell. Did I mention it was hell?

Oh my gosh, I actually love removing wallpaper and find it easy and relaxing.  I would never score it or use any of the methods people usually talk about.  I removed all the wallpaper from my parents home (some of the rooms twice because my mother had them redone and eventually decided she didn't like it several years later.)  Most large rooms took less than 20 or 30 minutes, easy.

I was just watching a HH Renovations episode and the woman was scraping away at the glued part.  I wanted to tell her to just start at the top and carefully ease it off so you get it going in one big whole piece. 

After you remove the top layer like that, you just use a large sponge (like for washing cars) with plain hot water to wet it down (go over it a couple times so it's evenly moist) and just ease the bottom layer off in a single piece starting at the top.  If it starts to tear, stop and try to re-incorporate the stuck piece into the piece you're pulling, or just try to continue down close to the bottom and then turn it and go back up to get the rest of it.  The trick is to try to remove it in a single piece.  Otherwise you have to keep scraping and trying to get little strips removed and it becomes a time-consuming nightmare.  You just have to be careful and use some finesse.

[roughing it]

If I were Jo, I would keep all of my decorating "things" in a trailer of some kind to haul to project sites.  Then work out of there, rather than hauling all of her totes into the house, using whatever, then hauling it all back out.  Seems like a lot of extra work, especially seeing how much of it she had.  There's got to be an easier way.