Rock The Block - General Discussion

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm sure A.V. will be judging a segment.   Even though they haven't announced it.   I think we're condemned to seeing her all over the network, and forever.    She must have a picture of someone doing naughty things, that's the only explanation.   (She announced season 4 of her show is coming some time). 

Edited October 6, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[deirdra]

1 minute ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm sure A.V. will be judging a segment.   Even though they haven't announced it. 

Here I was enjoying the absense of her name in the listings and you had to ruin it! 😉

[CrazyInAlabama]

3 hours ago, deirdra said:

Here I was enjoying the absense of her name in the listings and you had to ruin it! 😉

Sorry about that, but she turns up on everything else.  

I call shenanigans on the appraisals.   I'm convinced that they don't do appraisals, but just figure out who they want to promote for their next show season, and that's the winner.   

 With Egypt and Mike, they simply couldn't ignore the high quality of their design, the producers had to pick them as winners, because they obviously were.      I think the attached houses for the Colorado subdivision will add difficulty.  Unless they build four separate houses on the same property.      

Edited October 6, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[deirdra]

1 minute ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Sorry about that, but she turns up on everything else.  

I know ... 😢

[Grrarrggh]

14 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Yes, the houses are all the same. It's what they do with the interior of the "cookie cutter" houses to help them stand out, be different and add value...as well as the exterior landscape.

The interior is what I was referring to. None of them are standing out or are different. And they only add value because of a skewed and screwed up assessment system IMO.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I read a great suggestion from someone on Reddit.   Why do the builders give them houses with cabinets and other things they'll just rip out?   Give them houses without cabinets, make it faster and easier to install kitchens or baths, and even if they donate them, the original cabinets must get torn up sometimes.    

[Cetacean]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Why do the builders give them houses with cabinets and other things they'll just rip out?   Give them houses without cabinets, make it faster and easier to install kitchens or baths, and even if they donate them, the original cabinets must get torn up sometimes. 

They always seem to totally reconfigure the kitchens. It makes me sick to think of all of the brand new cabinets and countertops ending up in a junk heap.  That's disgusting.

[Soapy Goddess]

9 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

The interior is what I was referring to. None of them are standing out or are different. And they only add value because of a skewed and screwed up assessment system IMO.

I believe the reason for that is due to the time constraints. There's not a whole lot one can do to make their interior so different from the rest. However, last year Egypt added a hallway and mudroom by moving walls around...which is time consuming when you consider they also have to paint, decorate, etc.

[Grrarrggh]

12 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

I believe the reason for that is due to the time constraints. There's not a whole lot one can do to make their interior so different from the rest. However, last year Egypt added a hallway and mudroom by moving walls around...which is time consuming when you consider they also have to paint, decorate, etc.

There is tonnes one can do. Walls, paint, wallpaper, architectural elements etc. Pretty much anything other than open concept white/grey with barn doors and an occasional accent wall.

[Cetacean]

22 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

Pretty much anything other than open concept white/grey with barn doors and an occasional accent wall.

They honestly all look alike to me no matter who does them with the except of the Bargain Block guys who are unlikely to be asked back.  While most was not to my taste, at least it was different - even had color, heaven forbid.

[Soapy Goddess]

11 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

There is tonnes one can do. Walls, paint, wallpaper, architectural elements etc. Pretty much anything other than open concept white/grey with barn doors and an occasional accent wall.

But you have to remember that these houses wind up going on the open market, so they have to appeal to the masses. Any realtor will tell you to keep things neutral when you sell your house. And depending on what criteria they use on this show, this also might add or subtract from each home's overall value. Bottom line, Rock the Block is not a decorating show.

[Grrarrggh]

14 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

But you have to remember that these houses wind up going on the open market, so they have to appeal to the masses. Any realtor will tell you to keep things neutral when you sell your house. And depending on what criteria they use on this show, this also might add or subtract from each home's overall value. Bottom line, Rock the Block is not a decorating show.

Two things I seriously disagree with here and they're intertwined with each other. These aren't just any old houses being sold. The people who buy them most likely know they were part of a television programme. Secondly this programme features people who make their livings by claiming they are interior designers and builders. For a competitor to choose to make their house look even more like a newbuild or an assembly line flip would be like Frank Lloyd Wright building a 2020's style newbuild. Pointless. By designing such bland, thoughtless houses the competitors are missing the whole point. A third thing would be to point out that there is a difference between neutral and trendy. All of these houses are trendy. 

[deirdra]

4 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

All of these houses are trendy. 

And their trends are due to expire in under 5 years.

[Soapy Goddess]

8 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

Two things I seriously disagree with here and they're intertwined with each other. These aren't just any old houses being sold. The people who buy them most likely know they were part of a television programme. Secondly this programme features people who make their livings by claiming they are interior designers and builders. For a competitor to choose to make their house look even more like a newbuild or an assembly line flip would be like Frank Lloyd Wright building a 2020's style newbuild. Pointless. By designing such bland, thoughtless houses the competitors are missing the whole point. A third thing would be to point out that there is a difference between neutral and trendy. All of these houses are trendy. 

I see your point, but something I forgot to mention is budget. I'm sure if they had a "Hillary" budget (from Love it or List it), they could do wonders with the interior. However, 10 - 25K simply doesn't cut it. I think we'd have to bring "Design on a Dime" out of retirement 😁

[CrazyInAlabama]

Sean Conlon of The Deed: Chicago built his fortune by flipping houses (along with mega real estate deals and sales, and building) and he told a flipper that for a regular remodel or new build to appeal to the masses, you go with classics.  However, flip houses are purchased by people who want the latest and greatest, and don't care that it will be dated in five years.    

I think Rock the Block houses are very trendy, and avant garde, and some that have sold do look very different after homeowners change cosmetic things like trendy paint, decorations that are not practical, and make it a house to live in, and not just a magazine or TV story.    

I saw the after on Keith and Evan's home, and with some paint the place looked totally different, and without a certain main bedroom wall decoration, and the little shelves gone in the room with the massage table. 

[Grrarrggh]

8 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I think Rock the Block houses are very trendy, and avant garde, and some that have sold do look very different after homeowners change cosmetic things like trendy paint, decorations that are not practical, and make it a house to live in, and not just a magazine or TV story.    

I don't think they're avant garde at all, but I do think they're trendy. Considering I don't think open concept or making the kitchen 75% of your public living space is practical I agree with you there. 

[KeithJ]

Saw Rock The Block showed up on my scheduled DVR recordings.  Season 4 is coming on March 6 at 8c.  I gotta say though, I'm not really all that interested in any of the teams:

https://www.hgtv.com/shows/rock-the-block/articles/who-are-the-season-four-rock-the-block-teams-hgtv

[CrazyInAlabama]

Page Turner is the obvious favorite, the others are too focused on their own design themes, and Page specializes in flips.  

[buttersister]

Don't love any of those teams. Ty gives me a headache. And until I hear differently, there's always a risk that Alison could show up as a judge. Might have to pass.

[Grrarrggh]

Is a single house going to look at all different from a) the other compeition in this years series b) the competition in previous years' series'? If not, why should I watch? The "personalities" definitely aren't enough imo. 

[CruiseDiva]

I like Page, but the rest of them are a big snooze.

Alison and the Property Bros will probably show up as judges. Can't stand any of them and Ty is just a hot mess.

HGTV programming has been a huge disappointment for months now. About all I watch is House Hunters and that's even getting weird with women who want a castle because they are a "queen" and others who want "grand" and the "wow" factor to show the world that they've "made it". 🥱

Edited February 23, 2023 by CruiseDiva
Spelling matters.

[Grrarrggh]

9 minutes ago, CruiseDiva said:

and that's even getting weird with women who want a castle because they are a "queen"

I guess that's just the natural next step. What else does society expect when they force the princess persona on so many little girls? ;)

[meep.meep]

20 hours ago, buttersister said:

Don't love any of those teams. Ty gives me a headache. And until I hear differently, there's always a risk that Alison could show up as a judge. Might have to pass.

They are actually showing Alison in the previews (saying something about bar stools) so she'll be there.

[cinsays]

On 2/24/2023 at 2:31 PM, meep.meep said:

They are actually showing Alison in the previews (saying something about bar stools) so she'll be there.

ugh...Ty and Alison.......guess I will just fast forward to the ending to see the final results and who wins

[kikicat]

Came here to see who was cast. Thanks for sharing the link!

I've lost interest in HGTV for a while now. I want to see more design than reno. Still watch House Hunters, especially International, but that's about it.

So I know only two of these teams and I don't care for the Baeumlers. Farmhouse team, meh. Might be interested in the Luxe guys.

Too bad they didn't get the Boise Boys, if they even have a show anymore. It's been a while.

[kikicat]

On 2/23/2023 at 6:20 PM, CruiseDiva said:

HGTV programming has been a huge disappointment for months now. About all I watch is House Hunters and that's even getting weird with women who want a castle because they are a "queen" and others who want "grand" and the "wow" factor to show the world that they've "made it". 🥱

Yep. The McMansions and million-dollar shoppers are killing House Hunters. Remember when they had average people happy with modest houses? I still remember a young single guy who bought the smallest three-room house ever. In his update one of the rooms was filled with tools because he was actually working on the house. Now we get influencers and trust fund babies.

I take comfort in Sarah Richardson reruns. And she has a new show streaming on Hulu, Sarah's Mountain House.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, kikicat said:

Yep. The McMansions and million-dollar shoppers are killing House Hunters. Remember when they had average people happy with modest houses? I still remember a young single guy who bought the smallest three-room house ever. In his update one of the rooms was filled with tools because he was actually working on the house. Now we get influencers and trust fund babies.

Even worse, we get people with pretty normal budgets looking for the exact same thing over and over and over. And a thousand times worse than that is we get "designers" promoting the same thing. If your design looks like it could be picked out at a big box store as kitchen #1 and bathroom #2, all open concept you are not designing. 

[MartyQui]

OK, watched the first episode.  Loved the Baumler color scheme, but the layout was not the best.  Who needs what was essentially two dining rooms right next to each other? The Luxury guys had cabinets 12 feet up…who can get to anything in those? The honed counters were gorgeous.  NKOTB team had a second kitchen, with no dishwasher, but I loved their stove alcove.  Page’s space looked like NKOTB, but had a dishwasher in their second kitchen.  Didn’t like their stove area, the cabinets looked disconnected.  But their dining room was beautiful. Agree with the NKOTB win (and not because I’m from Boston!).

[buttersister]

"My dad had brick floors in his kitchen. My daddy."  LOL! 

I was listening for all the "that adds value" statements and I'll bet the ranch it won't be that odd-as-hell log ceiling winning in the end. (No dishwasher in the second kitchen? Because we stash the dirty dishes and then carry them back into the big kitchen?) Jon and Kristina went modern farmhouse--Dave and Jenny are all modern farmhouse. Next!

[Infiltr8]

I think I liked the Baumlers one the best, I liked they took advantage of the view— not sure needed breakfast nook but … I did lot like the black color in nkotb dining room… I thought the one with wine racks was gonna win… I’m also wondering those that did laundry down stairs will add wash/dry upstairs…

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The giant cabinets in the Luxe house were awful.      

I know some took advantage of the view, but after the rest of the subdivision is built, will there still be a view?   Or will it be like last season where the view from the kitchen will be the neighbor's window?    

That's one thing I hate about the judging, no real criticisms, just saying "Wow!" a lot.    

On the Million Dollar LIsting LA show, some houses have the working kitchen downstairs, and the smaller family or serving kitchen is one floor higher, next to the dining room.   They often have a dumb waiter between.  So, the caterers are downstairs doing the work, and the servers are just setting food out to look pretty.   

Edited March 8, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[LennieBriscoe]

ANTHONY  from "Project Runway"! 🥰

I MUST root for him! 🎉

https://www.hgtv.com/shows/rock-the-block/articles/who-are-the-season-four-rock-the-block-teams-hgtv

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by LennieBriscoe

[Madding crowd]

Glad to see Project Runway’s Anthony again but their house had a strange layout. What would you do with 12 foot high cabinets? I think having the bigger houses is a drawback for the viewer in some ways. They will have to spend more money on just filling these spaces so less decorative elements which is what I enjoy seeing. I agree with the winning kitchen.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Madding crowd

[LennieBriscoe]

26 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

Glad to see Project Runway’s Anthony again but their house had a strange layout. What would you do with 12 foot high cabinets? I think having the bigger houses is a drawback for the viewer in some ways. They will have to spend more money on just filling these spaces so less decorative elements which is what I enjoy seeing. I agree with the winning kitchen.

I had problems with each house!

Wine bottles reaching to the ceiling?

Laundry/Mud rooms without anywhere to hang, iron, rinse, or handwash? ? Even the one with the "dog rinse" lacked a true "people" sink! 

Either have a "Prep Kitchen," or don't. If yes, then multiple islands in the "Show Kitchen" are unnecessary. Prep is the messy part that needs the surface work area. And keep a microwave out front for convenience. 

Praising the view but then putting the island seating facing the stove wall?! 

A separate Dining Room with no furniture but a table and chairs? Does no one in a $million+ house use fine china anymore?

We saw stoves, sinks, and fancy hardware, but I can't recall a toilet in any Powder Room.

Black Dining Room walls? No. A cheap wood banquette under the window? No. 

But when one first enters, the kitchen areas all had a "Wow" impression. 

 

 

[ML89]

Excited to see Anthony, who must think “heh, y’all don’t know real judging! Try PR”

Are the Baumlers the island restoration people? 

Nothing too horrifying in the kitchen corner, although I’m with the Luxe guy about the brick. Again with the marble in the kitchen (and Nate and Jeremiah aren’t even there). I don’t know how that one team flipped the range to the other wall when the exhaust vent was already there.  I’d be worried about that tile on the hood - does that fall off?

Edited March 8, 2023 by ML89

[chessiegal]

46 minutes ago, ML89 said:

Are the Baumlers the island restoration people? 

Yes, among other things.

[Fellaway]

I don't think the married blonde lady contestant liked being judged.

There were things I liked about each and things I disliked, but, overall, I think the right team won. I liked the aesthetic - Really liked their island. - and they seemed to add the most functionality to the area. The others just seemed to make their spaces pretty, but also a little muddled.

The married blonde lady judge amused me when she criticized the one team for designing for a very specific buyer (someone single), then turned right around and complimented another team for designing for a different specific buyer (families). Your bias is showing, ma'am.

Hated the wine racks. Talk about specificity. Also, they distracted from the view, which is the star of those dining rooms, and are a totally useless feature for those of us who don't drink. Much like the chandelier the guy judge would get rid of right away, I'd have to get rid of those racks.

[Daisychain]

So I thought I had a lot of sophisticated comments to make but I definitely don't.  Here is my comment:  why are the walls and fixtures black (or dark walnut, my perception is probably not great)?  I live in Chicago where it is overcast and not sunny a great deal of the time.  I don't understand why designs in the Rockies would call for black paints, walls, and fixtures as a matter of style.  For the team who won (the team with the front kitchen and the "back of the house kitchen"), I really liked their layout, and they def. should have had 2 dishwashers.  Still a lot of dark tones.  The last pair (oh heavens who were they?) had the islands that looked out to the mountains and to me it made more sense to pick up the blues from the sky and green from the hills.  I thought they did that well.  Ugh, I think I am bland, but I like blue and green and sunshine.  

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

As someone who like wine, my thought when I saw those wine racks "What about all the light and possible warmth from the sun exposure?"  Wine is supposed to be stored somewhere cool - if you leave your wine there, I think you are shortening its life.  Yes, high end restaurants have similar racks but they are all very dark restaurants - no sunlight streaming in.

I do not usually share Sarah's tastes - she is usually to beige and modern for my tastes so I thought she could have gone with more color but I did like changing the direction of the islands.  I wasn't a fan of her chandelier but it probably would have been okay if they just raised it higher.  I did not agree with Dave's suggestion just to take it out and enjoy the view.  Oftentimes it will dark outside when you are eating dinner - are you just supposed to sit in the dark and eat?

Despite the wine racks, I thought Paige would win.  I liked the fact that when you came in from the garage, you could turn left and get to the pantry/kitchen and if you turned right, you headed into the main living space. 

[kikicat]

As others have said, there were good and bad in all the designs. But overall I have to say I hated them. Gigantic double islands, tall cabinets, huge banks of cabinets, that enormous island + dining area. Ugh. They all looked like industrial kitchens. Oversize everything!

At least you'd get a good workout while making dinner. Climb a ladder, jog around two islands, do stretches across 20 feet of marble to set the table...

I once had an apartment kitchen that was a stove, a fridge, a sink and one square foot of countertop. Never thought I'd be nostalgic for it, lol.

[buttersister]

Those kitchens are mutants. Of course, I've made dinner for 14 in a small l-shaped kitchen with minimal counter space open for prep (because I use what space there is for a beverage station (ok, coffee, tea and seltzer;-), a toaster oven, KA and tools and whatever ingredients I use daily). Every time I hear one of these teams and other HGTV teams bemoan and wonder how X could even dream of cooking in their "before" kitchens, I think about putting together some bread dough and bake cookies at the same time. Or I remember a dinner party for 10 out of Manhattan kitchen half the size of mine. Two landing-strip-sized islands? Two kitchens? (There's no Orthodox shul nearby!) WTF?

[MsJamieDornan]

It's interesting what passes for a modern kitchen.

[Chippings]

Although I watch quite a few remodeling shows, I hadn't yet heard of the second kitchen.   Really ??!  I looked it up, and found one designer in Arizona who does them.  They use the word 'scullery' for the second one, which is kind of funny.  It implies  that the 'staff' are back there laboring over the dishes &c while the Quality Folk are socializing over their port. (?)  It seems an incredibly large expense for a thing you'd only employ when you are hosting a dinner party?  

The solution I had was instead of a whole second kitchen, why not just put up again that wall between the dining room and kitchen that you knocked down to obtain that "open concept", several decades ago.   Keeps that unsightly kitchen mess out of sight very nicely. 

[topanga]

On 3/8/2023 at 2:24 AM, Daisychain said:

So I thought I had a lot of sophisticated comments to make but I definitely don't.  Here is my comment:  why are the walls and fixtures black (or dark walnut, my perception is probably not great)?  I live in Chicago where it is overcast and not sunny a great deal of the time.  I don't understand why designs in the Rockies would call for black paints, walls, and fixtures as a matter of style.  For the team who won (the team with the front kitchen and the "back of the house kitchen"), I really liked their layout, and they def. should have had 2 dishwashers.  Still a lot of dark tones.  The last pair (oh heavens who were they?) had the islands that looked out to the mountains and to me it made more sense to pick up the blues from the sky and green from the hills.  I thought they did that well.  Ugh, I think I am bland, but I like blue and green and sunshine.  

I agree. The second kitchen in the winning house was super dark. Who would want to sit in there? They mentioned it would be for kids. What children would want to sit in there?

I liked the bro team's kitchen the best (the Luxe guys) but I thought for sure the island renovation couple would win. Their color scheme and layout seemed most universal. 

 

 

37 minutes ago, Chippings said:

The solution I had was instead of a whole second kitchen, why not just put up again that wall between the dining room and kitchen that you knocked down to obtain that "open concept", several decades ago.   Keeps that unsightly kitchen mess out of sight very nicely. 

Then how would you watch your children every second of every day while you're cooking? How would you make sure they don't fall down the stairs?

[LennieBriscoe]

6 minutes ago, topanga said:

I agree. The second kitchen in the winning house was super dark. Who would want to sit in there? They mentioned it would be for kids. What children would want to sit in there?

I liked the bro team's kitchen the best (the Luxe guys) but I thought for sure the island renovation couple would win. Their color scheme and layout seemed most universal. 

 

 

Then how would you watch your children every second of every day while you're cooking? How would you make sure they don't fall down the stairs?

The cook has to look out the window to "the view"; to the kids for their "safety"; and to any visitors lest the cook not feel "involved." Are these people owls??

[pasdetrois]

I'm not even watching, because most TV designers annoy the heck out of me, but the posts here confirm what I know the trend still is. Wretched excess.

[chessiegal]

One promo I've seen for this show has the seating for a kitchen island of 3 swings hanging from the ceiling. Just no. Not practical, almost like it's done for shock value.

[buttersister]

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

3 swings hanging from the ceiling.

That's a Dave and Jenny Marrs touch. LOL! Hope whoever judges the final deducts the cost of removing them from their appraisal. 

[chessiegal]

48 minutes ago, buttersister said:

That's a Dave and Jenny Marrs touch. LOL! Hope whoever judges the final deducts the cost of removing them from their appraisal. 

Well, that is disappointing. I'd figure them of having better sense. Maybe they thought they needed to be edgy, outré, out-of-the-box to win.

[buttersister]

Dave and Jenny aren't competing this season. I meant it sounded like something they'd do (didn't they put a slide into some home?).