All Episodes Talk: French Country in Texas?

[seacliffsal]

I just saw this episode last night and was completely dumbfounded by the set-up.  Not only was the dining table downstairs and the kitchen upstairs (what?? and they congratulated themselves for doing a second story kitchen), but the table was right there in the entry-the very first thing that people see when entering the home.  This made absolutely no sense to me at all.  I actually wondered if they were going to run a B and B; guests downstairs with the family upstairs.  That would make sense to me as the dining table would be the main living area for the guests.  But, still, having the table downstairs and the kitchen upstairs makes just no sense.

I usually like their designs (not everything, but a lot of them), but this one did not appeal to me and did not make sense to me.

[Evil Queen]

The first thing I see when I step into my MIL's house is their dinning room straight ahead. When I would go to my Grandma's house it was the same way. Both are to the side of the kitchens and not right there when you walk in but its what you see. I have seen many shows on HGTV where there are times that the kitchen is not the same floor, the living room is up and not on the floor you walk in and so on. Its just whatever you have to work with for many places. This family in the barn house had wanted the big table for family get togethers. I don't think it was an everyday thing really. Yet they had sold it at some point because the husband's job took them to another city out of state. That is the house that set the beginning of the all the rental issues with the Fixer Upper homes. The lady that bought it did so on purpose knowing it was from that show and she was going to rent it out on AirBnB. Which she used the Gaines' names to do so. The neighbors weren't happy over that and found it disruptive to their quiet area. As I have said I don't blame them. I wouldn't want the houses around me rented out to whoever...luckily they can't be. 

[StrictTime]

Our dining table is about 4 feet from our front door.  Just the way a lot of fairly new houses around here (dallas/ft worth) are designed.  And our kitchen is visible from the front door as well, which vexes me greatly.  Open concept--never again!

Edited July 16, 2017 by StrictTime

[Oldernowiser]

It finally dawned on me what's missing from their reno "estimates": plumbing, HVAC, and electrical. Speaking as someone who is currently building a house for the fourth time and has the sleepless nights and the gray hair to prove it, those things are Big Ticket items and while I suppose heating isn't such a big deal in Waco, cooling certainly would be. 

Most of those older homes are not going to have these basics up to anything resembling current code or required efficiency. I suppose it's possible these costs are implied in the room by room estimates, but most of their numbers don't seem like it.

Why I continue to expect reality in reality television is another question!

[GaT]

On 7/29/2017 at 4:25 PM, Oldernowiser said:

Speaking as someone who is currently building a house for the fourth time

So basically, you go ahead and build a house every time you manage to escape from the asylum?

[Automne]

That's the issue with a lot of these renovation shows. They're so focused on the cosmetic that they don't consider things like the electrical, foundation, structure, HVAC, codes, safety, etc. So many people want older homes with "character' but don't consider the fact that the price for age and character is that everything has aged and needs to be updated for safety's sake. Those stainless steel appliances and granite countertops mean nothing if the house burns down due to faulty old electrical wiring or everybody dies of mesothelioma from unremoved asbestos. 

I would much rather just build new to get my dream home and ensure that everything is to code and efficiency right off the bat. I feel like fixer uppers just cost more than they're really worth. Plus, buying a pre-owned home means I have to put a certain degree of trust in the seller that they've maintained and updated their home and a lot of people don't. I live at home with my mother and right now she's playing catch up because she hasn't had regular maintenance done, so there have been some major plumbing issues that had to get resolved, the back deck needs to be completely redone because it's falling apart, and she's had other various repairs done. Then there's the fact that this is a house built in 1988, so the interior needs to be updated. We're in a high-demand area with great elementary, middle, and high schools all within walking distance and the other houses in the neighborhood are being appraised at over $1 million, so if she ever decides to sell and really make off, she has to put in the money to make it sellable. This is an area where people want move-in ready with little fuss, so the yellow walls with green carpeting need to be traded in for beige walls and hardwood.

[Evil Queen]

2 hours ago, Automne said:

I would much rather just build new to get my dream home and ensure that everything is to code and efficiency right off the bat. I feel like fixer uppers just cost more than they're really worth. Plus, buying a pre-owned home means I have to put a certain degree of trust in the seller that they've maintained and updated their home and a lot of people don't. I live at home with my mother and right now she's playing catch up because she hasn't had regular maintenance done, so there have been some major plumbing issues that had to get resolved, the back deck needs to be completely redone because it's falling apart, and she's had other various repairs done. Then there's the fact that this is a house built in 1988, so the interior needs to be updated. We're in a high-demand area with great elementary, middle, and high schools all within walking distance and the other houses in the neighborhood are being appraised at over $1 million, so if she ever decides to sell and really make off, she has to put in the money to make it sellable. This is an area where people want move-in ready with little fuss, so the yellow walls with green carpeting need to be traded in for beige walls and hardwood.

While sure its nice to want all new, there can come issues with that as well right off the bat too. Just as you would be putting your faith in the original owner of a home and what has/hasn't been done, you also do the same with those doing a new build. As well as you have things that will always come up over the years as the home ages. Not all things will show it needs maintenance right away either so one might not know until later down the line they need to do whatever on their home. The fact is that owning a home is a lot of work and money no matter if its old or new.....as well as things can happen in old or new homes at any time. Also depending on how much one's house is that might be a fixer upper and how much they put into it to fix it up can be cheaper than a new home. There is a catch with new builds from what I see as well....Most people are not going to want to go basic with the new build and want loads of upgrades to the home so it adds up in the end. Which can be a lot more costly than the old fixer upper as well. It all just depends on many factors though for each side. I know I lucked out with my husband and the fact that he has worked construction for a long time. So basically we don't need to run off and hire someone else to do things for us since he can do it. So as we fix up our old home he can do it and if its possible for me to do it, I will gladly help out. 

[suebee12]

The one other thing with a renovation of an older place versus a new build is the landscaping. If you get an older home you have the chance of mature trees and plants. It is very expensive to landscape and takes a long time to get something that is beautiful because no matter what, it has to grow! Having mature plants is great. Yes, you have to work to keep them nice but they are already grown...in my opinion, much better than all the new growth you landscape with.

[WildPlum]

The problem with an older house as a fixer upper is not that someone remodeled it - it is that MANY someones remodeled it along the way, often remodeling a remodel. The advantage of, as on many of these shows, gutting rooms and removing walls is that you get back to the bare stud walls - and the basic underlying problems. When I lived with my parents, we had a house built in 1915 and a fairly simple remodel to part of the kitchen meant pretty much taking the entire ground floor apart to fix problems the contractor had no initial clue existed. Of course, that can happen in a newer house as well.

 

Also, when we bought our most recent house, we looked at a lot of fixers and older houses and found that the age of the house had zero relationship to the quality of the build - one of the older houses (1930) was built directly on the dirt. It was charming, but the cost of jacking the entire house up and building a foundation under was not worth it. Some of the lumber in the older houses is what is considered furniture grade lumber now, but that wasn't a guarantee the older house was  well built.

 

This house has a daylight basement and the walls are cinderblock. Someone (probably the first owner) put 1x2 furring strips over the concrete block and put paneling over that (no insulation). Someone else came along and put insulation over the paneling and then a cheap version of shiplap over that. Someone else put wallpaper over the shiplap. Someone else textured over the wallpaper with something that looks a lot like hay particles and painted directly over. Room by room we have been taking the entire thing back to cinderblock and fixing the entire mess.

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

Good points, all. This is where FU and to a degree Hometown fall short of Love It Or List It.  It's interesting – – and instructive – – do you have the hosts pull out the unglamorous repairs and upgrades with the, "there will be $20,000 for the plumbing repairs underneath the foundation… "

 

The other thing that makes me crazy about FU & HT is the  elephant in the room of furnishings. Sure, the houses look great after show JoJoprah and Erin have put their touches on them – – but what do all those pieces of furniture and accessories add to the cost? I don't think it would turn viewers off to know.

[chessiegal]

8 minutes ago, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

Good points, all. This is where FU and to a degree Hometown fall short of Love It Or List It.  It's interesting – – and instructive – – do you have the hosts pull out the unglamorous repairs and upgrades with the, "there will be $20,000 for the plumbing repairs underneath the foundation… "

 

The other thing that makes me crazy about FU & HT is the  elephant in the room of furnishings. Sure, the houses look great after show JoJoprah and Erin have put their touches on them – – but what do all those pieces of furniture and accessories add to the cost? I don't think it would turn viewers off to know.

My understanding on FU is that the staging furniture goes unless the homeowners decide to buy them.

[Evil Queen]

17 hours ago, WildPlum said:

This house has a daylight basement and the walls are cinderblock. Someone (probably the first owner) put 1x2 furring strips over the concrete block and put paneling over that (no insulation). Someone else came along and put insulation over the paneling and then a cheap version of shiplap over that. Someone else put wallpaper over the shiplap. Someone else textured over the wallpaper with something that looks a lot like hay particles and painted directly over. Room by room we have been taking the entire thing back to cinderblock and fixing the entire mess.

Good luck doing all that and you get it to look like you want in the end. I know our home has a lot to do as well and as we go we find new things that we will have to do but its ok since in the end its going to be how we want things. 

13 hours ago, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

The other thing that makes me crazy about FU & HT is the  elephant in the room of furnishings. Sure, the houses look great after show JoJoprah and Erin have put their touches on them – – but what do all those pieces of furniture and accessories add to the cost? I don't think it would turn viewers off to know.

I know I actually could care less on this part. I think most viewers probably feel that way also. The facts are that if you were to take the homeowners pieces and put them in it might not look so nice and it would in fact probably turn viewers off of watching any of the shows. So its staged for tv. Its not the only shows to do it and they won't be the last ones to do so either. Not all are going to of course have home lines that one can buy either. I saw the Property Brothers have a line of stuff as well and can imagine they are using their things in shows but I don't care to hear the costs there either. I'm not watching for that but for seeing how the houses turn out after the construction is done. 

13 hours ago, chessiegal said:

My understanding on FU is that the staging furniture goes unless the homeowners decide to buy them.

Yes and anything custom made for the home furniture wise is the homeowners to keep. I just know I could care less what the cost would be. I am sure that deals are made for those that do want pieces from the items put in the homes. 

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

@Evil Queen, I'd still like to know. Mileages vary, ain't it wonderful?

[Gam2]

Yeah, me too. I'm nosy like that.

[Jellybeans]

I would love to stick my stuff in a Chip and Joanna home.  

As far as how the staging goes, it is fun to see how she sets it up.  She follows a basic formula (as do I) and if you are not good at decorating or just starting out you can learn from her and adapt the basics to suit your personal style.  

When I was in college- I was told I would make a great interior decorator and that is probably true but ... I would fire all my customers lmao!  My friends would come over, like/comment on my decorating style...ask for help and be too scared to implement any of my ideas.  Even simple ones...like paint.  

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

2 hours ago, Jellybeans said:

As far as how the staging goes, it is fun to see how she sets it up.  She follows a basic formula (as do I) and if you are not good at decorating or just starting out you can learn from her and adapt the basics to suit your personal style.  

Any insights into this formula would surely surely be appreciated by me. The ninjas and I tend to push every available stick of furniture against a wall. The resulting empty middle Comes in handy  for fight practice but we'd love to feel more like we're in a home & not a dojo.....

[Jellybeans]

20 minutes ago, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

Any insights into this formula would surely surely be appreciated by me. The ninjas and I tend to push every available stick of furniture against a wall. The resulting empty middle Comes in handy  for fight practice but we'd love to feel more like we're in a home & not a dojo.....

LOL-  well, maybe we can all help each other.  :-)  For example...the living room or den.  I never place the couch where people normally put it (nor does Joanna) and most of the time you can walk around the couch/chairs in a well-staged house.

Couches and chairs in unexpected places are a good starting point.  Try moving couch/ chairs away from the walls and make a conversation pit in the middle of the room.  And don't hang your paintings too high. (a personal pet peeve)

Watch how Joanna stages furniture ..not what it is, and your stuff will suddenly start to make sense if you try some of her staging ideas.  It works no matter what kind of furniture you have.  

I have a very small house/living room but I make these rules work.  ;-)  Of course the TV has to have a place...

Anyone else?

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

1 hour ago, Jellybeans said:

Watch how Joanna stages furniture ..not what it is, and your stuff will suddenly start to make sense if you try some of her staging ideas.  It works no matter what kind of furniture you have.  

Huh... I will! Worth a try. Although like yours, my family room is smallish and one drawback to putting the sofa in the middle is: nowhere to plug in the lamps for reading. Maybe battery-powered lanterns. ? Give the place that rustic, campground feel. Hee!

Edited August 11, 2017 by BckpckFullaNinjas

[Jellybeans]

15 hours ago, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

Huh... I will! Worth a try. Although like yours, my family room is smallish and one drawback to putting the sofa in the middle is: nowhere to plug in the lamps for reading. Maybe battery-powered lanterns. ? Give the place that rustic, campground feel. Hee!

LOL-  I must have lamps.  I am deaf and can't "hear" in the dark!  Lipreading required lamps. ;-)  I put lamps on whatever pieces of furniture -not necessarily end tables- maybe something you particularly like or fits the space and that's for the lamp(s).  No one said they had to be next to the couch or chairs.  

I was looking around my living room... there's a lot of stuff in here but if I arranged it differently it would suddenly feel cramped.  And people do comment on the layout when they walk in because it is unexpected.

What is everyone's favorite style here?

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

2 hours ago, Jellybeans said:

No one said they had to be next to the couch or chairs.  

Good point! I'm currently in a "if you got'em, show'em" phase and will be hanging some artwork I've had squirreled away. As I do, I'll play around with furniture placement! 

My style is not as open as Joprah's but less full than Erin Napier's.....

[Gam2]

We have had electricians put outlets in the floors once we figured out our furniture arrangements. I cannot live without lamps to read by or make our home feel cozy. It's not as expensive to do as you might think and makes all the difference in the world. You might as well love the room you spend most of your time in, right?

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

3 hours ago, Gam2 said:

It's not as expensive to do as you might think and makes all the difference in the world.

If we hadn't *just* had the floors redone At Long Last!, I'd be on that like Chimp on a cockroach!

[AnnieBeez]

I just watched the houseboat episode. Black siding? I get that it's a really cool product and all, but Chip had complained earlier in the ep. about how hot it was. All I could think about was how much heat it would absorb. 

I've only watched a few episodes because I was turned off by what I'd read about them and  resistant.  I've seen enough to be relieved there was no "Oh NO! disaster!" involved. 

I also watched the one with the atrium in the middle of the house. I would've preferred they not enclose it so much. Think of all the "natural light" they could've had in those "spaces."

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

4 hours ago, PuhLeeze said:

I also watched the one with the atrium in the middle of the house. I would've preferred they not enclose it so much. Think of all the "natural light" they could've had in those "spaces."

Don't recall that very well but given their penchant for open floor plans, a person would expect more ambient light!!

[Kemper]

Seems HGTV is cashing in on Chip and Joanna leaving...they seem to be on every single day lately.  Sometimes it is just a show or two...other times it is on for hours and hours.  I am sick to death of almost all of the marathon shows...looking at you, Property Brothers.  Hate hate hate hate the Flip or Flop noncouple.  Hate.  Her nasal monotone...his sorta creepiness since the split.  I do kind of like the Hometown couple; then again, haven't seen that much of them.  Wonder who they will replace the Gaines family with?  Because you just know it has got to be husband/wife, brothers, etc.  Can't just have a decorating or improvement show without drama or famileeee. 

Sorry, bad mood today.  Wish I could turn on HGTV and see a fall decorating show.  Hey!  Why not have Joanna do quarterly decorating shows?  The Fixer Upper fans would luv that. Kids in haystacks! Kids baking apple pie! Chip dressing up as Santa, St. Patrick, a pumpkin, The Easter Bunny, and all this from a family with no tv!  

[chessiegal]

I think Hometown was designed to be a FU replacement. I read in the local paper that a couple in the Annapolis/Baltimore area is getting a show - don't remember the particulars,

[magdalene]

HGTV just runs every successful show into the ground. That seems to be their business model - run it until long after people overdose on it. 

But the Food Network does the same - look at how often CHOPPED is on.

[suebee12]

2 hours ago, magdalene said:

But the Food Network does the same - look at how often CHOPPED is on.

But there are years and years of Chopped so they don't seem as familiar. I can almost say the dialogue along with Chip and Jo! Sorta' like people do with the Rocky Horror Picture show!! I swear one day they repeated the same episode. I like Fixer Upper but they have almost ruined the show for me.

[ByaNose]

I’m kinda shocked that no one has commented on Season 5 Episode 1. Is everyone sick of Chip & Joanna. Anyway, you couple with a “new house”. I thought he house looked nice but the painting the walls & ceiling the same color (blue) made the ceiling seem even lower. Other then that it was the usual stuff from Joanna. Although, they only power washed the outside of the brick and didn’t paint it white. I guess Joanna has been on this thread. LOL!!!!!

[annzeepark914]

I watched it (well, the second half hour).  They improved the house but not to my liking (well, it wasn't done for me so there's that!).  While watching it, I thought that the clients must get together with the Gaines ahead of time to let them know what their tastes are, right?  Some of her decorating is nice but it's too "country" for me.  I need soft and calming colors and fabrics.  That dining room with the dark teal ceiling/half walls was really creepy IMO.  Actually, about the only thing I liked in that house were the doors (front door and that big arched black double door inside).  I would have preferred the brick exterior to be painted as I don't like beige/yellow bricks. I'm not sick of Joanna - wish she'd get her own show without her dorky hubby.

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

I watched it (well, the second half hour).  They improved the house but not to my liking (well, it wasn't done for me so there's that!).  While watching it, I thought that the clients must get together with the Gaines ahead of time to let them know what their tastes are, right?  Some of her decorating is nice but it's too "country" for me.  I need soft and calming colors and fabrics.  That dining room with the dark teal ceiling/half walls was really creepy IMO.  Actually, about the only thing I liked in that house were the doors (front door and that big arched black double door inside).  I would have preferred the brick exterior to be painted as I don't like beige/yellow bricks. I'm not sick of Joanna - wish she'd get her own show without her dorky hubby.

Word about Chip. Can’t stand.

[CruiseDiva]

So JoJo is into the Moroccan tile craze... personally, I think the fireplace would have looked better if they'd left the brick alone, but the wife seemed to really like it and she's going to live there. I wasn't sure about the 'beams' in the living room, but they turned out okay. The shelves they built into openings in the wall between living and dining rooms and the arched pantry doors in the kitchen were great. The 'bar' made of a natural wood plank in front of the windows not so much. It really looked out of place. The homeowner is going to need more shelves in that home office--built-ins on a wall would have been more practical than those dinky wood planks.

Adding that hallway was a really good touch. The bathroom looked fine, except they committed one of my pet peeves. They removed a medicine cabinet and replaced it with a mirror. It looked like they could have put in a longer vanity as well.

It struck me as funny that while the young couple was driving around a neighborhood at the beginning of the show and talking about how homes in Waco had so much character and yet the houses they were passing looked like 60s era ranchers and split-levels. I liked the house they picked, but the reno didn't do much for the character of the home's era.

Edited November 23, 2017 by CruiseDiva

[GaT]

I didn't understand the home office. At the beginning of the show they said both of them worked from home, but he's the only one who got an office. I thought Joanna was going to put two desks in there, but it was only one, so I guess the wife has to stay in the kitchen to work?

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

On 11/22/2017 at 1:52 PM, ByaNose said:

I’m kinda shocked that no one has commented on Season 5 Episode 1. Is everyone sick of Chip & Joanna.

Yes, I really am. I DVR’ed & zipped right to the reveal, which I watched muted and w/o closed captions. Pleasantly surprised that they didn’t resort to the usual huge “open floor plan” room and horrified by the dining room. Other than that, the remodel was okay. Joanne looks different — some very well done cosmetic procedures, I imagine. Chip had greasy hat hair and that’s all I noticed.

Edited November 24, 2017 by BckpckFullaNinjas

[annzeepark914]

I'm a newbie to this show as I never watched it until the past few months (been watching some of the marathons, catching up).  I like it when Joanna goes to those unusual shops and flea markets, buys something very off the wall, and then uses it in the newly renovated houses (I tried to do that over the years and was never really all that successful at it).  Did not like those book shelves with the "raw" edges.  I was watching the young couple closely because I felt they weren't all that thrilled (but were trying to look delighted).  Maybe I was just imagining that.  

[meowmommy]

The "road trip" was so painfully staged.  Kids need to work on their acting skills.  And if the road trip was really necessary, do those expenses get charged to the clients?  Chip was right that the project could have been shipped, and the fake reason Jo gave about having to go in person to explain the details could have been handled via Skype if they were in the real world and not FU land.  It was all for show.  What happened to their carpenter friend (Cliff?  Clint?), as they went elsewhere for all the woodworking projects? 

20 hours ago, BckpckFullaNinjas said:

Chip had greasy hat hair and that’s all I noticed.

And now he's got greasy hat facial hair to go with it.

On the good side, they skipped the mandatory mid-show unexpected repair and phone call.  On the bad side, they're still promoting gender stereotypes.  Boys do woodworking and girls do decorating. 

And now they do the exterior reveal before the commercial. 

On 11/22/2017 at 9:07 PM, CruiseDiva said:

So JoJo is into the Moroccan tile craze... personally, I think the fireplace would have looked better if they'd left the brick alone

I agree.  The tile didn't go with the rustic beams at all.  They could have whitewashed or painted the brick and it would have been fine.

On 11/22/2017 at 3:12 PM, annzeepark914 said:

hat dining room with the dark teal ceiling/half walls was really creepy IMO.

The color didn't bother me so much as the way it was applied to the top half of the walls and then the ceiling.  It felt like the room had been flipped upside down.  I did, however, hate the color of the kitchen cabinets.  The two sides of the galley kitchen looked like they were closing in on each other.

Bathroom was meh.  Was ok before, was ok after.  Maybe they don't want blueprints hanging in their hallway.

The front door and the inside arched door were, however, to die for.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I was at least a little pleased that this episode had some different design touches, not just all white everywhere! shiplap! rusty crap and big stupid words on walls! I'll be interested to see if Chip and Joanna wrap up their last season and maintain their "perfect" record of absolutely zero LGBT clients/families on their show.

[chessiegal]

49 minutes ago, Peanutbuttercup said:

I was at least a little pleased that this episode had some different design touches, not just all white everywhere! shiplap! rusty crap and big stupid words on walls! I'll be interested to see if Chip and Joanna wrap up their last season and maintain their "perfect" record of absolutely zero LGBT clients/families on their show.

Of course they will - wouldn't want to upset the pastor.

[seacliffsal]

I really noticed how much Jo was holding her hair when it was down at the beginning of the episode.  Has she always held her hair so much and I just didn't notice?

I would have so taken the second house (1884?).  It had 'charm' on the exterior and the interior was already stripped down so that it resembled more of a new build on the interior project rather than a typical renovation.  I was really surprised they didn't choose that one-the potential seemed huge to me.  Oh well...

I guess I was expecting some type of format change as this is the last season.  

[little black cloud]

Boy, was this couple...not especially delighted. It seemed to me that the custom end tables by Grandpa fell kind of flat — or at least flatter than Chip and Joanna expected. 

[meowmommy]

10 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I would have so taken the second house (1884?).  It had 'charm' on the exterior and the interior was already stripped down so that it resembled more of a new build on the interior project rather than a typical renovation.  I was really surprised they didn't choose that one-the potential seemed huge to me.  Oh well...

My understanding is that the HOs have to be already in escrow for the house they're buying before they're even considered for FU, so the other two houses are just for show.

[CruiseDiva]

13 hours ago, little black cloud said:

Boy, was this couple...not especially delighted. It seemed to me that the custom end tables by Grandpa fell kind of flat — or at least flatter than Chip and Joanna expected. 

I got that sense about them not being overwhelmed by anything except when the wife swooned over the fireplace tile. Grandpa's end tables (IMHO) didn't seem to be a style that a young couple would be thrilled with. They reminded me of something you'd find at Goodwill. 

[GaT]

18 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I would have so taken the second house (1884?).  It had 'charm' on the exterior and the interior was already stripped down so that it resembled more of a new build on the interior project rather than a typical renovation.  I was really surprised they didn't choose that one-the potential seemed huge to me.  Oh well...

 

7 hours ago, meowmommy said:

My understanding is that the HOs have to be already in escrow for the house they're buying before they're even considered for FU, so the other two houses are just for show.

Yes, they already own the house that gets worked on, the other 2 are just to pretend that they're still looking.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/behind-scenes-secrets-hgtvs-fixer-upper.html/?a=viewall

[eclectcmoi]

This entire episode felt flat to me without much real energy from Jo and Chip or the homeowners.  I'm not sure if they feed off the homeowners enthusiasm and because there wasn't much, they weren't that animated, or if there is strain between them.  Not trying to feed into rumors here... just my observation!  Of course everyone can have an off day or week too. 

[bubbls]

On 2/25/2016 at 10:54 AM, MoreCoffeePlease said:

 

 

Yes, I remember in season 1 how the focus was on finding a run-down house in a good neighborhood. This neighborhood definitely looked sketchy.

 

 

I've noticed this as well. In fact, I've noticed it in a lot of shows; neighborhoods described in glowing terms, and I'm thinking meth-ville. 

Edited November 28, 2017 by bubbls

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

I sure thank Technology for DVR & FF! Recorded it, ff’ed To the reveals, and muted it for good measure. Hee!

Tonight's House was SO white, but at least there were, once again, discrete rooms — not just a huge display floor of Furniture (AKA Open Floor Plan).

What is the mania for distressed area rugs? I just spent several hours fruitlessly searching for a rug that I liked that didn’t look — intentionally -- as though it was half worn-out. Tonight’s family room seemed to have one like that. Fashion & fads are funny.

I’m impatient for the return of Home Town. Impossibly happy Southern couple, yes, but at least the Napiers acknowledge other Wall colors and by accounts, he’s uniformly respectful of her. 

[CruiseDiva]

I missed the first ten minutes of tonight's show, but I got the impression that JoJo and Chimp are just going through the motions to get through this final season.

I had to laugh when Chimp shocked himself by touching live wires with a metal tape measure. What kind of a contractor does that? Also, he didn't know the code requirements for the short walls he built on either side of the fireplace? Those two bloopers might have been done for effect, but it really calls into question whether he and his crew know what they are doing. JMHO.

I thought the house turned out nice even though I'm tired of built-in "reading nooks" and breakfast room booths. I wish they had gone with the faux copper roof over that bay window, especially since it was in the front of the house. They stated the reason for choosing copper was that it would "complement" the rest of the roof on the house, but it won't for long. We had real copper over a bay window and it was beautiful for a while. Then it aged and I hated the "patina"--it looked like rusty tin. Thankfully, it was on the back of our house.

[GaT]

I thought the house came out OK, but when they were showing the laundry room (which was so important to the wife) all I could think was "where do you put the ironing board?" I didn't see any place to hide it & it was so narrow that if you put it out to use, nobody could get by. 

[luvmylabs]

The wife in this episode looked SO familiar to me...like she's an actress or something.  Hubby thought so as well.

[aguabella]

On ‎11‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 11:39 AM, GaT said:

I didn't understand the home office. At the beginning of the show they said both of them worked from home, but he's the only one who got an office. I thought Joanna was going to put two desks in there, but it was only one, so I guess the wife has to stay in the kitchen to work?

Noticed that too, GaT.  I believe the story editor got sidetracked on the drama of the grandfather's endtables and left a dangling participle!  Uh, except, I doubt the work-at-home line was for real.  The wife started a new job about the time they were wrapping up filming as a Brand Mgr at ... you guessed it ... Magnolia Market!

Meant to post about this earlier but almost all the participants last year had connections to Chip and Jo.  Perhaps it's part of their strategy, dealing with the FU air bnb and flip phenom.