Rock The Block - General Discussion

[tessabq]

I enjoyed the swan faucet. A powder room is a great place to do something whacky and whimsical. It showed a sense of humor, which I appreciate. 

The hidden door was ridiculous. When opened it consumed floor space in 2 areas. And its shelves appeared too narrow to hold anything except flame-free votives. 

Add me to the club of "I don't know why I'm watching this." LOL

[mlp]

2 hours ago, tessabq said:

The hidden door was ridiculous. When opened it consumed floor space in 2 areas. And its shelves appeared too narrow to hold anything except flame-free votives. 

Totally agree and for the same reasons.  It was a gimmick.  I also liked the swan faucet in the powder room for the same reasons.

I will never understand why the judges give any weight to highly personalized elements like the hat wall.  No one is going to sink 900K into a new house because it has hats on a wall or elk wallpaper.  If I liked the house itself, I'd be thinking about having to spackle all the nail holes or remove a wallpaper not to my taste.  I know staging is important but I'd respond better to no "art" than to something I disliked.

I keep watching this because I always watch it.  :)

[CrazyInAlabama]

5 hours ago, RowdyCam said:

Allison and Michel's was by far my least favorite. I wouldn't want to clean that ugly metal sink and the arches didn't seem to fit the style of the home. Are odd-shaped bathroom mirrors a thing?

 

Odd shaped bathroom mirrors must be a surplus at Wayfair, they seem to push anything they can't sell. 

[kirklandia]

I  like the idea of a Murphy bed, but it looked like you wouldn't be able to pull it all the way down without moving furniture (the desk) out of the way.

I agree that it would have fit better into that niche they created with their borrowed space.

A couple of other features seemed unfriendly to larger folks. A mudroom got points for having a place to sit - but the bench  had dividers that broke it into small sections. The pivot door had a "cool factor" going for it, but made the room feel claustrophobic to me, as though people might have to squeeze through. Not welcoming. Maybe just a visual effect?

(I know that the show is supposed to be about adding value, but they pay a lot of attention to visual effect.)

And, as someone mentioned above, the door took up an awful lot of space, jutting into the middle of the room.  I wondered about moving furniture in or out.

Edited April 23 by kirklandia

[LoveIsJoy]

I usually record programs so I can fast forward through the commercials. This show feels like one overly-long, scripted Wayfair commercial.  The Hawaiian couple act like they’re not really enjoying the experience (the wife—Tristan?—seems kind of dour).  The Deboers feel like they’re just reciting what someone told them to say. Alison and Jonathan seem the most engaged actually.  Even Ty isn’t doing his normal shouting routine too much.  And Mina seemed like she didn’t even care about judging.  Like she was there to be cute for the camera, collect a paycheck, and couldn’t be bothered to drum up any enthusiasm for judging.  Which surprises me because I used to really like her years ago.

There were pros and cons to each space.  I don’t get murphy beds if you have to move a bunch of furniture to use them.  I don’t get how wallpaper adds value because it seems so specific.  I personally didn’t like any of the choices.  They spent more time cooing over the hats on the wall, than they did talking about the expanded bathroom being the real value-add (even though I personally thought the shower was ugly).  And really, how is someone supposed to access any of the storage on the top shelves of any of those built-in bookcases?

I guess I didn’t have an overall favorite.  But who am I kidding?  I’ll watch until the bitter end.

[buttersister]

LOL, I started out watching this show. Then graduated to recording and ff. Based on this season’s competitors, I live in an Alison-free zone, I’ll enjoy it through your commentary. 

LoveIsJoy, your descriptions really nailed it. 

[mlp]

2 hours ago, kirklandia said:

And, as someone mentioned above, the door took up an awful lot of space, jutting into the middle of the room.  I wondered about moving furniture in or out.

I also wondered how long that door would last in a household with kids of any age charging through it frequently, sometimes just for fun.  Or the 5 y/o deciding to ride it back and forth.  I can see it being hazardous to pets too.

[joanne3482]

On 4/22/2025 at 11:14 PM, LoveIsJoy said:

I guess I didn’t have an overall favorite.  But who am I kidding?  I’ll watch until the bitter end.

I'm rooting for Jonathan and Jordan because they are the only ones I like so far. Lady DeBoer Lady Hawai'i said something during episode one that rubbed me the wrong way about the judging. I can't remember what it was, but it felt entitled and whiney. The DeBoers were right to create that 3/4ths bath, though. That most definitely adds value and unfortunately they were the right ones for the win this episode. 

I had to update. It was Lady Hawai'i that said something super entitled about Bobby not liking her 12 different finishes and he should go back and judge her again. I'm still rooting for J&J. 

Edited April 28 by joanne3482

[CrazyInAlabama]

Week 3-I can't believe I'm watching them do the main suite, bathroom, and balcony. 

 Alison and Michel, same color bright green tile everywhere in the bathroom, and a double french door from the bath onto the balcony.  The tub is right across from the glass doors to the balcony.  They're way over budget on tile, not a surprise. They're using the rustic looking white oak paneling in the bedroom again. Since they're overbudget, they added a dry bar to the bedroom. The closet has lights on all of the shelves.  They also have steps from the bed platform to the sofa area.  

Hawaii couple have the double slider leading to the balcony, and there will be a mountain view from the bed,  bath is much nicer with a sauna, and huge main closet with a stacked washer dryer.   Using the large format porcelain marble look tile in the shower is lovely, and saves a bundle. They installed a double sided fireplace too.  Bathroom and closets are fantastic. Bedroom is beautiful.  Judge says door from sauna should be directly into the wet room, and I hate that idea. 

ND couple same 'glam' stuff they always do, not impressive. The dark red tile isn't attractive, and the checkerboard floor tile in gray and white, looks bad next to the dark red tile. I don't like the wall wood decor. Bedroom is small. Balcony pergola is OK. Closets look small compared to the other three houses.  They put the washer dryer in the bathroom, next to the sauna. The vanities are facing the picture window, so the mirrors are big and in the window. 

J & J move the bed and bath, bedroom fireplace, slider to balcony, much bigger closets. bathroom big shower, separate double vanities, big copper tub.  I love the dark rust color herringbone tiles in the huge shower.  The dark wood 'canopy' over the bed is interesting.  Copper tub looks fantastic with the shower tile. CLosets are huge and beautiful. The bed canopy looks strange. 

Judges are the couple from Divided by Design.

Winners are: Jonathan and Jordan.  

[mlp]

I liked both Michel and Alison's suite and Jonathan and Jordan's and would have been happy with either winning.  

I don't understand the focus on all the glam and luxe in a bedroom suite.  Does the average homeowner really spend that much time there?  I would care about adequate space for a bed and furniture, a nice bathroom and the closets.  Also, I would never put a washer and dryer in a closet where my clothes would be subjected to all that moisture in the air.  In fact, I wouldn't put a washer on the second floor despite the convenience.  If it malfunctioned and overflowed - disaster.

[RowdyCam]

I especially liked J&J's copper tub that wasn't inside a wet room. I did not like that wood treatment on the wall/ceiling behind the bed.

I also really liked the Hawaii couple's two-sided fireplace that could be enjoyed from the balcony. I agreed with the judges that their LED lighting needed to be hidden behind some moulding.

Nothing really stood out to me from the Glam couple's bedroom. Everyone had giant, decked-out closets.

Alison and Michel's green tiles were pretty and I liked the light wood trim. But not the platform for the bed area. I can see tripping in the dark.

Do saunas add value? Do they leak humidity into the room? I think I'd prefer an outdoor sauna, or none at all. That way, other family members and guests could use it without coming into the main suite. Also agree about fearing an upstairs closet washer'dryer leaking or venting incorrectly and doing a ton of damage.

Edited April 29 by RowdyCam

[carrps]

We've had second floor laundry facilites for over forty years. No disasters. But a ton of saved steps and less aggravation. I will always (well, I'm likely to die where I live now) have laundry near the bedrooms. Not in the closet though!!!

 

[LennieBriscoe]

 I'm 75**. The thought of getting into and out of  a "stand-alone tub" makes my knees hurt. 🥴 Not to mention: Where are the necessities---shampoo, conditioner, soap, razor, etc.---supposed to be placed? 🤷‍♀️

Point 2: I have a 1st-Floor laundry area (actually, two machines near the back door 😄). Once had a flooded floor. It can happen. ("The Rest of the Story": I disrobed 👀 and got behind the washer and stuck my hand in "to see what was wrong." And promptly got shocked! 🤯 Of course my first thought was how embarrassed the dead me would have been! 🤪) 

Point 3: Hanging clothes and moisture in the air, inside or out, do not a fine couple make.

Point 4: The televisions would go where? Because, let's be real. Ain't nobody gonna be starin' at that scrubland and those gray-brown hills. 

**So were I to build a house (again), "the future" would be foremost. Walk-in tub and shower. Wheelchair-wide hallways. No silly "hidden rooms." No storage areas requiring a ladder. No dangerous step up to the bed. Nothing stupid and useless like dust-and-dirt-catching slats on walls or ceilings (I might expect that from Hildy on "Trading Spaces"!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Maya]

I really like the Hawaiian couple’s design aesthetic on their show. I normally like almost everything they do. Here, it seems like they are caught up in changing things for the sake of changing things. Doing things because “no one else is going to do it.” Maybe there’s a reason for that… I hope they can get out of their heads and get back to designing beautiful spaces. 

[carrps]

I also love Tristyn and Kamohai. I love their family vibe, and I want to be their friend! I wanna eat katsu with Tristyn's mom. But this show doesn't really highlight their skills.

I don't care for any of the other design pairs.

As for this week's challenge, I hated both the DeBoers (?) and the Boys who put their bathtubs in awkward spaces in their bathrooms. Who wants to luxuriate in a tub while sitting next to their vanity cabinets. Just weird. Also, the DeBoers's shower was too damn narrow! Why do you need a shower the width of the room when you can't raise your arms under the shower head without bruising your elbows? Did you see that judge guy? He could barely raise his arms. Plus it was too close to the color of the blood I used to see every month. Ick.

I loved the green fishscale tiles in V/M's bathroom, but didn't like the tub on full display in front of the balcony doors. There's gonna be neighbors really close by if this development is successful, so you won't be staring at the views. You'll be pulling the curtains to preserve your privacy.

[Flip Flops]

I like Jonathan and Jordan. My daughter was a HUGE fan of New Kids on the Block in the 90s and I still remember some of their song lyrics! I also like Jonathan on his own show. In the front room/mudroom/powder room challenge, one of the front rooms had a lot of built-in bookshelves, even above the window. A judge said something about great storage. I think of storage places as being shelves or cabinets that have doors on them to hide what you're storing. IMO open shelves like that would be shelves that would hold decor. I think the pivot door would've been better without the shelves. Appears they could only hold tea lights! 

[CrazyInAlabama]

This is the 48 hour challenge for the bonus room.  The twist is they are judging each other.  

Jon is on his own, because Jordan had something he had to do, so Kristina comes to help.  Lounge and spa room.   (Criticism is of the wood panel finish, and not enough closed storage.  ) 

The Hawaiian couple are doing a huge moss type living wall, but they're making it too high to be practical. Cute playroom with a bunk, climbing wall, lots of storage.  (Criticisms are moss wall may be too taste specific.  )

Alison and Michel are putting in a huge built-in that's cheap looking, and he's painting the entire built-in and the drywall back the same awful brown color.   (Criticisms are not enough closed storage, only one work station)

The Deboers are doing a mountain themed game room, complete with crude mountains painted on the wall. (Criticisms are almost nothing.  Dislike the curtains, and not much built-in).

Winners are: the Kalamas.  

Edited May 6 by CrazyInAlabama

[buttersister]

Hmmm, crappy moss wall for the win? Did they vote for the Hawaiian team because they thought no one else would? 👀

Or the score needed to be tied?

Edited May 6 by buttersister

[Soapy Goddess]

1 hour ago, buttersister said:

Or the score needed to be tied?

Bingo!

[LoveIsJoy]

If I hear another designer wax poetic about how a slatted wall looks “intentional,” or the knick knack on the side table is “a moment,” I think I will throw my remote at the television!  Can someone please get these designers a thesaurus?

As soon as the Hawaii couple began complaining about never winning, I knew that they were slated to win regardless of how their room turned out.  So no surprise there.  

The moss wall was horrendous and impractical (IMO) and how on earth do you water it?  Especially near the top of the ceiling.  Does moss require water?  I thought the wooden mountain cut outs looked amateurish and bulky, even when they shaved them to curve the pointed peaks.  I only saw a single drawer, so I didn’t get why they were applauded for creating storage.  And of course, everyone was giddy over the led (lcd?) lights.  They were such a moment!  

I would have given the win to Jonathan and Christina.  I laughed because Jonathan, Michel, and Allison were calling out the peachy-caramel color choice in each other’s rooms.  But on my TV set, the colors of both rooms looked similar.

[Fellaway]

Call me crazy, but I have to think putting up a climbing wall between two windows is a really bad idea. Likewise, stringing "monkey bars" in front of another. And, okay, call be stupid, but how is that living wall going to stay living?

Did not like the winning room at all, but I generally hate the kids' bonus room on this show. Thank goodness we only had one this season instead of four. I don't get how in the world of real estate it adds value. Anybody considering buying the house without kids is going to have to spend money to fix it. Anybody considering buying the house with kids, I mean, how long are the kids going to need a room like that before they grow out of it. Also, I think the homeowners should be the ones to decide what to do with their bonus room.

I would've given the win to either of the veterans' teams. I think John did the best adding value and fulfilling the assignment of creating a wellness room. But I really think, in the end, Alison and Michel did the best job adding value without locking in the room to a specific purpose. They played that smart for final evaluations.

I'm sure the Rookies do a fine job on their shows, but I haven't been impressed with anything they've done on the Block. The Veterans are blowing them out of the water.

 

 

[mlp]

1 hour ago, LoveIsJoy said:

The moss wall was horrendous and impractical (IMO) and how on earth do you water it?

I agree with the whole post above but especially this part.  That moss wall was both impractical and ugly.  I can't imagine any prospective buyer would consider it added value.  I'd be wondering how much it would cost to get rid of it.  

1 hour ago, Fellaway said:

But I really think, in the end, Alison and Michel did the best job adding value without locking in the room to a specific purpose. They played that smart for final evaluations.

I'm sure the Rookies do a fine job on their shows, but I haven't been impressed with anything they've done on the Block. The Veterans are blowing them out of the water.

 

Yep.  I liked Michel and Alison's room best except for the color.  That muddy brown wasn't attractive at all but painting is an easy enough fix.

I hate seeing books backwards on a shelf and wish that design trend would go away.  It just screams that the books are for decoration only and no one is going to read them.  Why did that ever get started?

[RowdyCam]

In my judging, MULTIpurpose means the rooms could easily be switched to any number of purposes, depending on the needs of the homeowners. So while some built-in shelving or storage may be multipurpose, kid-centric climbing walls and that moss stairway wall certainly are not. Also not sure about Jon's built-in lounge seats and all those textured wall coverings.  Paint and artwork can be easily changed. For that reason, though it hurts me, I agree that Alison and Michel (who I don't mind) did the best job.

[LennieBriscoe]

AN UNREACHABLE WALL OF MOSS!

Now Genevieve is haunting RTB! 

Edited May 9 by LennieBriscoe

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 5/7/2025 at 7:06 PM, mlp said:

I agree with the whole post above but especially this part.  That moss wall was both impractical and ugly.  I can't imagine any prospective buyer would consider it added value.  I'd be wondering how much it would cost to get rid of it.  

Yep.  I liked Michel and Alison's room best except for the color.  That muddy brown wasn't attractive at all but painting is an easy enough fix.

I hate seeing books backwards on a shelf and wish that design trend would go away.  It just screams that the books are for decoration only and no one is going to read them.  Why did that ever get started?

The do the backwards books because they're not really books, just decoration.   They buy them by the box, and turn them around so no one gets ticked about copyright, and because the actual book jackets or covers wouldn't be neutral and bland.       Bet the books all get trashed the second the house goes on the market.  They neutralize everything.   

I hated the color in A & M's room.   It was hideous.  

[mlp]

18 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

AN UNREACHABLE WALL OF MOSS!

Now Genevieve is haunting RTB! 

That looked more like something Hildy would have come up with to me.

[LennieBriscoe]

5 hours ago, mlp said:

That looked more like something Hildy would have come up with to me.

I thought so, too, but it was actually done on "Trading Spaces" by Genevieve!

https://toofab.com/2016/05/04/genevieve-gorder-trading-spaces-mexico-city/

 

Edited May 10 by LennieBriscoe

[mlp]

19 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

I thought so, too, but it was actually done on "Trading Spaces" by Genevieve!

https://toofab.com/2016/05/04/genevieve-gorder-trading-spaces-mexico-city/

 

I remember that now.  I had happily forgotten all about it.

[paramitch]

I already disliked the "Renovation Aloha" couple from their show -- she spends the entire show walking around with a pouty expression while both of them overact how this latest renovation could destroy! their! business! I cannot stand the smarmy way they frequently bring the previous owner in to tour the new multimilliondollar home they've created like it's this huge gesture of kindness, when I would be livid at seeing my onetime family home turned into a McMansion none of us could ever afford.

With that said, I do like Tristyn's design style on RA and she consistently does lovely rooms. But here she just seems miserable, she's snotty and openly hostile about the judging, and not only does she still wear her standard pouty expression, she's talking  -- and UPTALKING -- through her nose. Her voice is even whinier and worse here than on their own show. And I agreed with the judges on the overkill in the kitchen -- there was just too much. Too many different tiles, textures, colors, surfaces, in one space. Cutting out two or three of those would have resulted in a gorgeous harmonized kitchen instead of an earthy disco ball.  Meanwhile, I would have liked the moss wall if done on an external not internal wall. And the kids' room was kitschy and overdesigned.

Speaking of uptalkers, the Deboer wife is just as pouty-looking, and her voice is horrendous -- it's hard for me to even listen to her. She's also visibly out of her depth and seems to be one of those people who has confused "decorator" with "interior designer." For me, a wall of cowboy hats on pegs is not a world-transforming design choice, it's a tacky and embarrassing fashion statement, as was the garish range hood. But I was surprised to like the elk wallpaper in the bathroom -- it was a statement for a small space, although she immediately killed my liking for that with the hideous striped tile in the other bathroom. But the antlers everywhere are working my last nerve -- it's like she's decorating for Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast," except with a total lack of irony.

I'm kind of enjoying Alison for the first time, because she's really digging down into being a Disney villain, so at least she's amusing. With that said, I thought her kitchen in episode 1 was hideous -- green is my favorite color, but not that radioactive mismatched rotten avocado she had going there. The last thing I want to think of in a kitchen is baby poop! Not to mention that her pantry was a huge waste of space, and filling the walls with shelves that were literally too shallow to store anything completely enraged me. That's just shockingly and needlessly wasteful, especially when she spent such a huge chunk of her budget for something the new owner is likely going to have to rip out and redo. Anytime a designer chooses style over utility to that degree, I'm rooting against them.

I love Jonathan's work on his own show, and here he is dependably laid-back, kind, and enjoyable to watch. He and his brother are a breath of fresh air (although I miss Kristina, so it was great to see her back briefly). Their spaces tend to be more neutral and more about texture and space design -- rooms families would actually want to live in. On the latest, I floved the bedroom except for the really horrendous canopy bed with the weird staggered wood tile pattern above, which was not only ugly, it means you can never reposition the bed! Ugh.

And I'm iffy on things like dog-washing stations. It's so specific to one demographic, so I guess if you aren't a dog person (or a very specific kind of large-dog dog person), the house isn't for you? Although the swan faucet cracked me up and kind of grew on me.

On 4/15/2025 at 9:31 AM, Chippings said:

I missed the first 20 minutes and wonder if they described the setting of these houses -- the most godforsaken spot that they've used yet.  I hope somebody is going to put in a  tree, eventually?

This is the ugliest location they have ever chosen for the show -- even more so after the breathtakingly beautiful waterfront homes last season (it was, right??). And the "view" of the underwhelming brown mountains vaguely in the distance is going to be covered up the moment anyone else moves there.

On 4/22/2025 at 1:46 PM, mlp said:

I will never understand why the judges give any weight to highly personalized elements like the hat wall.  No one is going to sink 900K into a new house because it has hats on a wall or elk wallpaper.  If I liked the house itself, I'd be thinking about having to spackle all the nail holes or remove a wallpaper not to my taste.  I know staging is important but I'd respond better to no "art" than to something I disliked.

PERFECTLY said. 

On 4/22/2025 at 8:25 PM, kirklandia said:

A couple of other features seemed unfriendly to larger folks. A mudroom got points for having a place to sit - but the bench  had dividers that broke it into small sections. The pivot door had a "cool factor" going for it, but made the room feel claustrophobic to me, as though people might have to squeeze through. Not welcoming. Maybe just a visual effect?

(I know that the show is supposed to be about adding value, but they pay a lot of attention to visual effect.)

And, as someone mentioned above, the door took up an awful lot of space, jutting into the middle of the room.  I wondered about moving furniture in or out.

Thank you for pointing this out -- so many of the designs are literally not usable for people who aren't a size 2. I'm just talking medium-sized folks, much less people who are larger sized -- and it means the home is unusable for them, or for elderly or disabled buyers as well! Most of the tubs in these rooms are laughably impractical and unreachable, and sometimes so are the BEDS. I still remember that awful master suite bed with the elevated riser from a previous season -- people would have been falling on their tuckuses getting out of bed -- then tripping in the dark when they tried to get back in.

On 4/22/2025 at 9:14 PM, LoveIsJoy said:

The Hawaiian couple act like they’re not really enjoying the experience (the wife—Tristan?—seems kind of dour).  The Deboers feel like they’re just reciting what someone told them to say. Alison and Jonathan seem the most engaged actually. Even Ty isn’t doing his normal shouting routine too much.  And Mina seemed like she didn’t even care about judging.  Like she was there to be cute for the camera, collect a paycheck, and couldn’t be bothered to drum up any enthusiasm for judging.  Which surprises me because I used to really like her years ago.

There were pros and cons to each space.  I don’t get murphy beds if you have to move a bunch of furniture to use them.  I don’t get how wallpaper adds value because it seems so specific.  I personally didn’t like any of the choices.  They spent more time cooing over the hats on the wall, than they did talking about the expanded bathroom being the real value-add (even though I personally thought the shower was ugly).  And really, how is someone supposed to access any of the storage on the top shelves of any of those built-in bookcases?

Great points, although I would argue that Ty IS still shouting (sigh). I wish he would stop that -- the guy has literally had surgery on his vocal cords and still keeps doing this. It's so bad for his throat. He needs to take speech lessons and learn how to project.

I was disappointed in Mina's judging as well -- she was just visibly so flippant and surprised me by not even bothering to get technical about what worked for her. All the judgments were "I love this" or "I don't love this."

Alison's "storage" solutions are only for the camera and never actually work for real people. It drives me bonkers.

On 4/23/2025 at 6:34 AM, joanne3482 said:

I had to update. It was Lady Hawai'i that said something super entitled about Bobby not liking her 12 different finishes and he should go back and judge her again. I'm still rooting for J&J. 

Tristyn really came off badly there -- like a whiny, bad sport. And the judge was absolutely right.

On 4/30/2025 at 3:39 PM, LennieBriscoe said:

 I'm 75**. The thought of getting into and out of  a "stand-alone tub" makes my knees hurt. 🥴 Not to mention: Where are the necessities---shampoo, conditioner, soap, razor, etc.---supposed to be placed? 🤷‍♀️

Point 3: Hanging clothes and moisture in the air, inside or out, do not a fine couple make.

Point 4: The televisions would go where? Because, let's be real. Ain't nobody gonna be starin' at that scrubland and those gray-brown hills. 

**So were I to build a house (again), "the future" would be foremost. Walk-in tub and shower. Wheelchair-wide hallways. No silly "hidden rooms." No storage areas requiring a ladder. No dangerous step up to the bed. Nothing stupid and useless like dust-and-dirt-catching slats on walls or ceilings (I might expect that from Hildy on "Trading Spaces"!).

Incredible points, and I agree with so many of them! Especially the darned stand-alone tubs! Where are all your accessories supposed to go? Do you just lay the towel on the floor next to it while you bathe? etc.  The tubs used to be under the windows, so you could set shampoo etc on the ledge, but now they're just putting them in the middle of the floor. Seems silly to me and like a much bigger mess.

The way they ignore the local environmental hazards of washers/dryers, saunas, etc. on things like closets or clothes is so frustrating.

And it's painfully frustrating for me that nobody ever thinks of making these designs more universally accessible for the disabled or elderly, even though it would be a massive buying point. Just neutral stuff like wider doorways and hallways, shower benches, bedrooms with clear pathways (and no silly touches like beds on elevated ledges or steps), etc.

On 4/30/2025 at 5:25 PM, carrps said:

Also, the DeBoers's shower was too damn narrow! Why do you need a shower the width of the room when you can't raise your arms under the shower head without bruising your elbows? Did you see that judge guy? He could barely raise his arms. Plus it was too close to the color of the blood I used to see every month. Ick.

This kind of thing always bothers me so much -- concentrating so much on the design that they forget people are supposed to live in these spaces.

On 5/7/2025 at 3:27 PM, Fellaway said:

Call me crazy, but I have to think putting up a climbing wall between two windows is a really bad idea. Likewise, stringing "monkey bars" in front of another. And, okay, call be stupid, but how is that living wall going to stay living?

Did not like the winning room at all, but I generally hate the kids' bonus room on this show. Thank goodness we only had one this season instead of four. I don't get how in the world of real estate it adds value. Anybody considering buying the house without kids is going to have to spend money to fix it. Anybody considering buying the house with kids, I mean, how long are the kids going to need a room like that before they grow out of it. Also, I think the homeowners should be the ones to decide what to do with their bonus room.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! First off, the gimmicks are stupid anyway -- the climbing walls are either laughably unusable and allow the child to climb maybe two steps up, or they're way too high with no safety features and just asking for broken limbs. Don't even get me started on things like the "whimsical" monkey bars or similar items that will result in near-death experiences for half the neighborhood kids.

And they're all so badly, specifically designed! We don't know the kids who will live there, so why not design neutral practical spaces that will effortlessly grow with the child, and that focus on storage, functionality, privacy, etc.? Instead we get these hideous hastily kitschy cowboy or pirate rooms etc. that are always more focused on boys, and that most kids will find way too childish anyway.

On 5/8/2025 at 8:22 PM, LennieBriscoe said:

AN UNREACHABLE WALL OF MOSS!

Now Genevieve is haunting RTB! 

The irony is, I loved most of Genevieve's work on that show (and of course Vern's), so I just assumed she had been momentarily possessed by Hildy.

[carrps]

7 hours ago, paramitch said:

And I'm iffy on things like dog-washing stations. It's so specific to one demographic, so I guess if you aren't a dog person (or a very specific kind of large-dog dog person), the house isn't for you?

LOL. I've always had dachshunds, so our "dog washing station" was usually the kitchen sink. Our dogs would have been lost in those giant washing areas -- besides they could really easily weasel their way to escape!

 

7 hours ago, paramitch said:

The irony is, I loved most of Genevieve's work on that show (and of course Vern's), so I just assumed she had been momentarily possessed by Hildy.

I remember that house well. It was a Craftsman in Berkeley, and I think she was going for a play on grasscloth wallpaper which is common in a Craftsman. But with their ridiculously tiny budget, she went with a stupid alternative.

The worse sin on Trading Spaces was Hildy's bathroom with all the artifical flowers covering all the walls.

 

[LennieBriscoe]

Jordan should have gone with his first idea: movable spa lounge chairs. I think their advantage to built-ins is obvious. 

 

 

[tessabq]

A living wall would be something I would worry about. I do not want my house giving more than things to worry about than necessary. 

[Mindthinkr]

I’d be concerned about mold growing behind the living wall. 

[chessiegal]

I'd also be concerned about bugs with the living wall.

[debbie311]

This has so far been the most boring season ever.  I don't like many of the rooms they've designed.  The location is ugly. Ty seems to have taken a much lower role on the program.  Maybe he's bored like I am. They are all quite limited with their furniture and accessory choices, seeing as everything has to come from Wayfair.

[Madding crowd]

They all kind of went too over the top with the basement spaces. I liked the idea of a screening room but they made it too small so you couldn’t have your kids friends or use it for a birthday party. Also the shuffleboard counter was beyond dumb.

I liked Alison’s green kitchen but hated the giant pickleball mural and the sauna and cold plunge looked out of place. Do you climb out of the plunge with nowhere to hang a towel or change clothes? Also the one with a recording studio was too specific- what if you aren’t a social media broadcaster? To me the ideal space would be a nice apartment for an adult child or in-law and a movie space which would have enough room to have friends over. 

[RowdyCam]

Has anyone found the floorplans for these homes? I'm thinking it is the larger one listed here.

Community: https://hamlethomes.com/community/worthington-ranch/

 

Edited May 13 by RowdyCam

[mlp]

The team I like least did the rooms I liked least and won.  They had bulky furniture crammed into a small space and even overlapping the doorway a bit.  I hated it.

I liked the rooms the brothers put together and I sort of liked Michel and Alison's until I saw that hideous mural.  How could a designer actually think something that niche and in your face would add value?  IMO It's appeal would be very limited.  Also, as said above, the sauna and cold plunge didn't seem to belong there and, if I remember correctly, they were on opposite sides of the pickleball court so someone would have to cross the room to go from one to the other.  That whole area made no sense.

[Book Junkie]

I think the Dakota couple should've won, but Team Aloha was a close second for me. What I didn't like about Aloha's space was I would've done a much smaller wine cellar and made the media room bigger. Were they only ones that did a media room? That seemed a no brainer. Their living space was also nice. The Dakota couple really hit it out of the park, though. That arcade room was amazing! You could sound proof it too, so the kids have a space to run around and the adults had their space in the living area with barcade. It had the widest appeal to potential buyers.

I'm surprised no one did an in-law suite. I did NOT like Alison and Michel's dark green tiles with pistachio green cabinetry. It did not match. Then, the living side was completely disconnected from the kitchen side and their unfinished space was just a mess. Team NKOTB's space was waaaaay too specific. Not everyone is a musician or podcasting influencer, guys. There was team last season that set up a social media space. Why do these designers think everyone needs a social media space?

Did anyone put a bathroom downstairs? Not even a powder room? I can't believe no one did and the judge didn't point that out. 

[Maya]

I thought the Hawaiian couple had the best idea - an in-law or multi-generational living space… and then they didn’t add a bedroom or bathroom 🤷‍♀️

[RowdyCam]

I think we just saw a portion of the basement level and there is a bathroom and a bedroom down there as well.

[RowdyCam]

No grills or outdoor kitchens in the backyards?

[MaryHedwig]

7 minutes ago, RowdyCam said:

No grills or outdoor kitchens in the backyards?

No swimming pools.

Also, legally, can you have a hot tub/cold plunge outside with a fence around it?

[Madding crowd]

Yea, I’m used to backyards on this show having grills and swimming pools. I guess they only do pools in areas that are warm most of the time. I thought the backyards seemed so spread out it would be hard to walk from one area to another easily. I didn’t have a problem with the kid friendly yard-people in Utah tend to have a lot of kids and it seems more of a family area than single people or young couples starting out.

I don’t get the obsession with cold plunges. I doubt if many people use them and it surprised me that the twins talked about a hot tub not being used all year, do they think outdoor showers and cold plunges are used during Utah winters? All of the homes seemed overly niche to me so I didn’t care who won.

Edited Tuesday at 01:53 PM by Madding crowd

[mlp]

I was amazed that all the teams didn't fence their yards and also add some grass/sod.  The yard with the kids' stuff was the only one that wasn't an eyesore IMO.  Having said that, I'm glad the brothers won because I like them.  I didn't really get the goat barn though.  You can't keep goats confined in a small space all the time and you can't turn them loose with no fence.  I'm not sure what they were going for.

[Shelbie]

In different ways I thought all of the back yards were ridiculous. The goat pen would not appeal to many people. The greenhouse would be way too hot for anything other than growing plants.

The only thing I thought was great was the fence. It looked good and seemed to be sturdy making it an excellent place for kids and pets and privacy.

[Maya]

I felt that most of what they added actually DECREASED the value of the homes. With the exception of the fence. I also liked the garden boxes that Jonathan added. 

[LennieBriscoe]

Random thoughts:

A fence would have been #1 for me. Pets, kids, privacy, what have you. 

Goats, not so much. Goats smell! Get chickens for at least the eggs! 🐣 🐐

Why does any designer think that normal humans like to walk on any type or size of loose stones? 👠 🤷‍♀️

Firepits and Adirondack chairs? Can we break out some 'Smores to complete the cliche'? 🔥

A trampoline?! NOPE. If you don't  remember why trampolines were banned, may I introduce the great pole-vaulter Brian Sternberg: 😔 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Sternberg

I liked the (too few) raised garden beds, but the shape and material were so very minimal. The Veggie Herb Wall? Total meh. 🥬 

But the piece de resistance, which I would find extremely easy to "resistance," was the GD CARGO CAR!  👎🤯

In short, I think all the backyards and decks---boring, barren, basic, or bizarre---were completely out of synch with the modern and expensive interiors. 

 

Edited Wednesday at 12:47 PM by LennieBriscoe

[TeapotWakeen]

On 5/12/2025 at 12:28 PM, carrps said:

The worse sin on Trading Spaces was Hildy's bathroom with all the artifical flowers covering all the walls.

 

Wine label stickers over every inch of 2 teetotalers' walls, or hay all over living room walls have entered the chat....

I don't get the fascination with cold-plunge tubs, either. Isn't that just a bathtub without a hot water line? About as useful as an outdoor shower in frcking Utah! Or 3-D concrete benches that barely seat 2 adults.

[GeorgiaRai]

I lol'd every time someone referred to Allison's ADU-wannabe as a "container".  Nothing was uglier than that.