Rock The Block - General Discussion

[absnow54]

I thought the stop work prank was funny, especially the Ford's violation being too much white paint. Although, given what I've just read about Alison Victoria on this board, she may have had a ton of these stop work sheets leftover from her own projects.

Leanne's design was ridiculous. She basically removed the entire kitchen and shoved it in the pantry. How is that a functional work space? And Alison's brass island was so fugly. I liked her kitchen best, but was not feeling the island or the the weird pantry accents. Jasmine seems to be in way over her head. At least she has plenty of budget left, so that she can leave a bucket of money in her living room to help raise her appraised value. Mina's was fine, but I hated the towel bar handles. They were all sticking out obnoxiously far.

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Why didn’t Holmes ding Alison for no electrical outlets in that backsplash? That is so unpractical.

We were waiting for that to come back to bite her. Not only is it not practical, but I'm pretty sure it's a code violation, at least it would be on our county (I live on the East Coast though.) I'm wondering if she maybe put the outlets under the cabinets, since she was running under cabinet lights there anyway.

[juliet73]

I didn't really care for any of the kitchens.  As much as I hate to admit it, I would probably pick Alison's though because it was nice and practical and the gold hood and hardware will be easy for the buyer to replace.  However, it looked like every other kitchen she has done on WCR.  Jasmine's kitchen was way too busy - she just had too much going on.  Just like her bathroom, there were too many different materials.  I hate open shelving and the glass cabinetry was a good idea, but the outcome was too cluttered and clunky.  On the other end of the spectrum, Leanne's was just awful!  I understand that she's a "minimalist" designer, but come on! The stone wall was horrid!  She should have left the walls alone and at least installed open shelving in place of the uppers. As much as I hate open shelving, I would rather have it than no storage at all.   The only positive about her design was installing the hallway to the dining room.  Mina's kitchen looked like a tract home kitchen that an average buyer had already "put their stamp on."  I'm really surprised no one did anything worthwhile in the eating area.  They could have extended the cabinets, installed a banquette or a work station or did something different with those small windows.  

If anyone is interested, here is the link for the pics to the actual model home:  https://www.pardeehomes.com/los-angeles/arista/plan-1-19668/#

[MrPissyPuppy]

31 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

On the other end of the spectrum, Leanne's was just awful!  I understand that she's a "minimalist" designer, but come on! The stone wall was horrid!

How the hell do you clean that?   I did like the butler's pantry/pass through with the exception of having the fridge there which is pretty impractical. 

Hmmm ....looking at the builder's floorplan, the butler's pantry/pass through AND the MBR closet/laundry room pass through are already options. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by MrPissyPuppy

[Swiss]

4 hours ago, suebee12 said:

I just remembered what I meant to ask earlier! Was that Tad that I spied a couple of times helping with the kitchen cabinets in Mina's house and again in the garage when she and Cory were taking a break from kitchen problems? It sure looked like his cute little man bun!

 Yes..that was Tad...I saw him too.  I wish they had shown  him a bit more during Mina's remodel.  Cory is quite the cutie too!

Edited October 29, 2019 by Swiss

[CrazyInAlabama]

I agree with others that think it's already decided who wins the separate project weeks, so each contestant's show can be highlighted.    I'm sure the actual evaluation at the end is legit, but each week's winner is definitely chosen in advance.      I hated Leanne's kitchen, and don't think that one storage wall makes up for the lack of uppers, and the stone wall.    I can't imagine how you clean the stone wall off if something splashes, or clean dust and dirt off.     

Running to the pantry wall for everything sounds ridiculous.  

As usual, I think Alison's kitchen was way over the top, and hated the gold island, and range hood.        Jasmine's kitchen was fine, and I liked Mina's kitchen.       I wonder who is slated to 'win' next week?       

If I was buying, I would have bought Mina's house for the kitchen and bath.     

Edited October 29, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[SimoneS]

Glad to have found this thread. I watched the last two episodes. I have watched all four designers/rehabbers shows and honestly, I don't like any of their styles. I didn't think that any of the master suites stood out, but like others, I thought Mina's use of slabs in the shower was perfect and something that I have looked at in the event I can ever renovate a bathroom. Porcelain slabs are expensive. I can't imagine how expensive quartz slabs must be.

I hate the doors on the fridge in Mina's kitchen so I would have given Alison the win.  Jasmine's use of wood on the island. *shakes head." See my comment about her style below. Leanne's kitchen was ridiculous and a waste of space. That rock wall along with the lack of upper cabinets was the most stupid impractical style on the show so far. I suppose for people who never cook, it would be fine if they could get past the ugly wall, but most people would be "wtf!"

My thoughts on the designers:

Jasmine wants so badly to be original that she does dumb things that few homeowners would like. I will never forget how she once cut a hole in the wall to hide hooks for keys behind a movable small photo. I would have fired her on the spot for doing something so stupid. I can't believe anyone would let her loose on their house.

Leanne's style is boring. She is a Joanne Gaines i.e., replicates the only style she can do with a few tweaks and claims it another style. 

Alison at least tries to keep the renovation consistent with the home's period, but her style is blah. Her arrogance and code violations isn't a shock from watching a couple of her shows.  

Mina (and her mother) has no clue what she is doing most of the time when it comes styling a home. I just saw an episode with unattractive wall paper with huge green palm leaves and ridiculous green tiles in the bathroom. No wonder no one bought that condo.

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, juliet73 said:

If anyone is interested, here is the link for the pics to the actual model home:  https://www.pardeehomes.com/los-angeles/arista/plan-1-19668/#

Thanks for sharing that link! Interestingly, in the photos of the model home the master bedroom has a "headboard" wall exactly like the one Alison was so proud of... and she claimed it was so original. 😎

I liked Jasmine's kitchen the best with the 'entertaining' wall of cabinets and wine fridge. Her choice of countertop for the island was unfortunate, but she's done that with the wood before and it turned out fine. As for Mike's comment about putting hot pots on the acrylic-sealed stone...do y'all put hot pots on any type countertop without a potholder under them? My kitchen has granite countertops and I always use potholders under hot skillets and casseroles. IMHO, Jasmine knows what appeals to Californians.

[absnow54]

1 hour ago, CruiseDiva said:

Thanks for sharing that link! Interestingly, in the photos of the model home the master bedroom has a "headboard" wall exactly like the one Alison was so proud of... and she claimed it was so original. 😎

It also looks like the door between laundry and the master closet was standard... I'm wondering if the builders modified their plans based on what the designers came up with.

[carrps]

O.k. I understand Leanne is all minimal, but why was there only one barstool?

And not only is that stone wall ugly, but grout as the surfacing material? Does she know how porous grout is? Did she seal it? 

Confession: I only watch the reveal and judging. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I believe they said the shower quartz slabs are thin enough to be flexible, so I bet they're pretty affordable. 

Edited October 30, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[MedicatedbyBravo]

I love this show!  Love the four different design perspectives and personalities of the women.  Leanne's an artist first/practical designer second, Allison's got a nice touch for glamour, Jasmine is so young and is second-guessing herself, and Mina's the one who designs spaces that I could actually see myself living in.  I don't mind a little exaggerated trash talk and the red-tag prank had potential but fell flat.  Did Allison not even bother trying to fool Mina?  Jasmine mentioned putting in a pool during the first episode, which is brilliant.  That's how you sell a house in California.  I also wish we had more of Jack, Mina's baby.  That kid is diabolically cute.

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, MedicatedbyBravo said:

I love this show!  Love the four different design perspectives and personalities of the women.  Jasmine is so young and is second-guessing herself, 

Jasmine is older than Mina (Jasmine born in 1984, Mina in Nov 1987). I don't like it much as the rooms look too alike. 

[SusanwatchingTV]

Well, I called it. I was right about the kitchen going to Victoria. This show is a complete set-up which is another reason it surprises me that Jasmine keeps crying when they announce the winner.  She has to know she'll get her turn, right?  I mean, that must have been a selling point for getting them to take the time and trouble to travel across the country for this. Although I guess she's the only one who doesn't have to travel far.

Anyway, on to my thoughts:  My favorite kitchen if I had to pick was Jasmine's, mostly because I love that color and the contrast between the white and the color. I'm getting pretty tired of all white kitchens.  However, the practical person in me didn't like the fancy countertop that probably has to be resealed often.

My second place would be Mina. I absolutely LOVE that floor!  It looks great, and putting it throughout the house makes it all seem so cohesive.  I wasn't crazy about the towel bars on the fridge, though. That was weird.  And this is the second time something of hers wasn't the right color or what she ordered. Is someone sabotaging her or is she not being careful with her ordering?  Oh, and I loved the pot-filler. So practical. I'm really surprised Jasmine didn't think of that.

I totally agree with whoever pointed out that Leanne's backsplash rock is going to be horrible to keep clean. It looks terrible to me anyway, but add some kitchen grease and dirt and it'll really be lovely. But perhaps anyone who actually bought that house wouldn't care. They can't actually cook much without having cabinets to, you know, store stuff. LOL  Yes, I know she shoved them all in the pantry, but it's just so weird.  Not a cook's kitchen at all.

I liked overall look of Victoria's okay, so she would be third place for me, but I don't really love all that gold. To me it doesn't look "luxurious" it just looks a little tacky.  But really, the less I say about Victoria the better. My mama told me "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  I should probably listen to mama in this case. haha

[Andyourlittledog2]

Leanne's designs aren't meant for real people to live in IMO. She seems to design for the maximum effect for the cover shoot of a design magazine. She gives no thought to how anyone would actually use the space. That grout wall would be a nightmare to clean and would probably look terrible after the first attempt at doing so. Nothing in that kitchen was meant to be used by actual people. She is like a chef whose food is meant to be commercially photographed to look beautiful in a magazine but tastes like wallpaper. The taste is unimportant, just the superficial look of the thing. It is the ultimate form over function. I wouldn't ask her to design anything for me.

Leanne taking away from the garage was a huge mistake to me. In Southern California we have no attics or basements to speak of so the garage is it for storage. Reducing that in order to create that monstrous bath is something I would not forgive.

Now Mina I love but she has her own problems. On her show she renovates dilapidated houses in transitional neighborhoods but doesn't seem to understand how space works. I have seen her shove four bedrooms and an upstairs loft into a house but leave seating for dining limited to two barstools in the kitchen, no dining area whatsoever and an extremely tiny living room. It's ridiculous. She is determined to get those downstairs masters and upstairs lofts in even if there is no downstairs public living space leftover to speak of. In this competition the floor plan is set so she can't do that. What I hope is that she doesn't section off part of the living room to create an office space room and leave a tiny living room left over since she seems to have no concept of living space. I love the floors she is creating though and I think she did a great bath and kitchen. I also wonder about sabotage or some carelessness since this is the second wrong shipment she has received. She has the most money left now so I expect a pool and a great backyard. Better be.

I have watched a few episodes of Hidden Potential and to me Jasmine does some really weird and janky things to people's houses in the name of 'improvement'. I would never want her touching my home, I don't trust her judgment.

Alison is just nasty and although I could like some of her touches I dislike her enough to want her to fail this competition in as brutal a fashion as possible.  Please don't let her win anything else HGTV.

[suebee12]

It is a good thing that this is not a popularity contest. Hands down Alison would lose!!😉

[topanga]

12 hours ago, suebee12 said:

It is a good thing that this is not a popularity contest. Hands down Alison would lose!!😉

My thoughts exactly. Her personality and arrogant attitude are quite off-putting. All of the kitchens had things I liked and hated, but hers was the best of the bunch, I suppose. 

Hated the green cabinets though, in her and Jasmine's kitchen. Is green the new white?

I watched the ep of Windy City Rehab that followed. She had some great design ideas and some over the top ideas (I liked the glass divider but hated that ugly wooden door). This woman must have liquid assets up the butt--that renovation was not cheap. And it got more and more expensive as the episode went on.

Also this about Rock The Block:

23 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

As usual, I think Alison's kitchen was way over the top, and hated the gold island, and range hood.   

And the gold fixtures. They all looked tacky. 

On 10/29/2019 at 9:38 AM, absnow54 said:

And Alison's brass island was so fugly. I liked her kitchen best, but was not feeling the island or the the weird pantry accents.

Someone up-thread mentioned getting the possibility of splinters from that unsanded wood (I can't find the OP). That would be my fear. 

I don't know why she and Leanne felt the need to change their pantries in the first place. The original pantry was huge and beautiful, IMO. Nothing fancy, but it's a pantry. A hidden place to store food. 

Leanne, Leanne. I would never let her touch my house. My museum or art gallery, maybe. But not a space where I actually cared about functionality.

Jasmine: I actually liked the wood addition on her island. But what was up with that Tetris-shaped irregularity on the surface? It didn't look like a natural variation in the wood. 

I liked some of Mina's design: the floors, especially. And the overall coziness and simplicity of her kitchen. But her work also seems amateurish. I can see those towel bar handles coming off that refrigerator in like a week. They were not designed to withstand repeated pulling.

Edited October 30, 2019 by topanga

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Quote

Jasmin spends too much time worrying about the others are doing instead concentrating on doing her best,

Yes! Focus on yourself and what you are doing. Be confident!

I liked both Jasmine's and Mina's kitchens, but would give the win to Jasmine. I love green cabinets, and I liked the entertaining wall, although the bar should have been bigger.

When Mina was concerned about the color of the counters, my husband and I said to each other, "Paint the cabinets" so we had a good life when she did just that. I am also sick of white, on white on white kitchens.

Enough has been said about Leanne's "kitchen".  Ridiculous. 🙄

I knew we would have to see at least one of the Property Brothers at some point. 😉

[Kroliosis]

On 10/28/2019 at 1:15 PM, MoreCoffeePlease said:

If I had a show on HGTV it would be called something like "The Practical Designer", so Leanne's bathroom was not for me. Notice how the vanity itself was smaller with less storage? No, no, no. Her master bedroom was beyond boring for me.

Agree!!!!!!!!  Are you supposed to get ready in that room?  There was no counter room for makeup & my general "crap" on that vanity.  There didn't seem to be storage. I would also be hesitant to blow dry my hair next to an open shower with water flying all around.  Rugs wouldn't seem to be in this aesthetic. So not practical.

[LittleIggy]

If I were rich and had a big house, I would hire Leanne just to tell her, “No, too much white,” “I need upper cabinets so I can have easy access to stuff while I, you know, cook;” “How on earth am I supposed to keep that clean?”, etc. 😏

[mojito]

Quote

I agree with others that think it's already decided who wins the separate project weeks, so each contestant's show can be highlighted.    I'm sure the actual evaluation at the end is legit, but each week's winner is definitely chosen in advance.     

At the very first Alison TH, I had this thought. "This competition is like pro wrestling."

Having Alison do the most trash-talking early on was a clear indication to me that she was going to win this competition. 

Having Nicole Curtis roll in with a shack did nothing for this show as far as I'm concerned. 

I was surprised that Mike had anything good to say about Alison's gaudy kitchen. I thought he would like Mina's the most because it looked a lot warmer than Alison and Leanne's kitchens (I've already forgotten Jasmine's). I'm really not buying that Mike liked Alison's kitchen the most. 

This game is rigged.

[topanga]

8 minutes ago, mojito said:

I was surprised that Mike had anything good to say about Alison's gaudy kitchen. I thought he would like Mina's the most because it looked a lot warmer than Alison and Leanne's kitchens (I've already forgotten Jasmine's). I'm really not buying that Mike liked Alison's kitchen the most. 

I wish it were more clear why he (or the producers) chose Alison's kitchen. I liked it best as well, but it wasn't head and shoulders above the others' kitchens. I'm not a designer or a real estate agent, so it would've been nice to hear an expert in one or both of those fields explain why they liked her design the best. 

10 minutes ago, mojito said:

Having Alison do the most trash-talking early on was a clear indication to me that she was going to win this competition. 

Do you think they know the outcome? If they did, I would think everyone would be much calmer. Jasmine wouldn't cry, and Mina wouldn't stress out when her materials came in the wrong colors. And Alison wouldn't keep trying to explain to anyone who'll listen that she has the best creative eye, the most experience, makes the best choices in materials, blah-blah-blah...

Leanne is the only one who seems unfazed by it all. Maybe that's why she's going balls to the wall and designing any crazy vision that comes to mind. 

[mojito]

1 hour ago, topanga said:

Do you think they know the outcome? If they did, I would think everyone would be much calmer. Jasmine wouldn't cry, and Mina wouldn't stress out when her materials came in the wrong colors. And Alison wouldn't keep trying to explain to anyone who'll listen that she has the best creative eye, the most experience, makes the best choices in materials, blah-blah-blah...

I don't think the contestants know the outcome at filming, but I believe they create TH pieces--before or after -- that will be interspersed in episodes throughout. Alison can talk trash at will. Jasmine might've gotten emotional after the judgment but she also might've been the one who could produce tears at will. 

It's just entertainment, much of it scripted.

[absolutelyido]

I believe they said that, at the end, they would have a group of local realtors assess each house and the designer that added the most market value would be the overall winner. I have to believe that Leanne's kitchen actually decreased the market value. I think most buyers would factor into their offer that fact that they would have to remodel the kitchen.

As others have said, the winner may already have been decided by the producers and they will rig the results. Whether or not that is true, I can see Mina being the overall winner. She hasn't won an individual challenge, but all of her choices have been pretty solid and, I think, appealing to most buyers. Things that some buyers might not like, like the wallpaper in the bathroom, would be inexpensive to change. 

[SimoneS]

So far, I think that Mina wins because of those quartz slabs in the bathroom. I could change almost everything easily unlike the other designers.

[IvyCeltress]

I've always assumed a minimalist design would mean practical and functional. Silly me.  I would love to see how how things look in a year, and whether the owners had remodeled or if they kept the existing design and everything is falling apart.   I think it was a happy mistake with Mina since the cream warmed up the kitchen.  

I wish Egypt Sherrod or Anita Rossini were on instead of AV.

[suebee12]

31 minutes ago, IvyCeltress said:

I wish Egypt Sherrod or Anita Rossini were on instead of AV.

I wish anyone was on in place of Alison! Can you tell how much I dislike her? (See, I can be nice.... I didn't say HATE!

[SHERMDOG]

On 10/29/2019 at 10:11 AM, Swiss said:

 Yes..that was Tad...I saw him too.  I wish they had shown  him a bit more during Mina's remodel.  Cory is quite the cutie too!

LOVED seeing Tad and Cory...I really enjoy Good Bones!!!!

[SHERMDOG]

Ugh...Leannes (sp) kitchen was ridiculous!! that HUGE kitchen andyou take cainets OUT??? WTH????? and no BASEBOARDS??? 

[suebee12]

Just saw on Instagram that Jasmine is expecting!!

[SusanwatchingTV]

9 hours ago, suebee12 said:

Just saw on Instagram that Jasmine is expecting!!

That's great! How wonderful for her!

I'm calling it now - I think Jasmine wins this week with the family room/outdoor living challenge (that's what it was, right?).

I guess that leaves the secondary bedrooms for Mina?

I think the only truly fair way for there to be a real winner is to put the four houses up for sale and see which one gets the best price.  That's the way they do it on the Property Brother's competition shows, right?

[juliet73]

Leanne's house that she purchased last year is for sale.  White and minimal are definitely her style:   https://www.thepreferredrealty.com/real-estate/1422668/227-merriman-road-sewickley-heights-pa-15143/

For reference, this is what it looked like BEFORE she renovated it:  https://www.estately.com/listings/info/227-merriman-rd

Edited November 1, 2019 by juliet73

[Andyourlittledog2]

3 hours ago, juliet73 said:

Leanne's house that she purchased last year is for sale.  White and minimal are definitely her style:   https://www.thepreferredrealty.com/real-estate/1422668/227-merriman-road-sewickley-heights-pa-15143/

For reference, this is what it looked like BEFORE she renovated it:  https://www.estately.com/listings/info/227-merriman-rd

Holy crap. She did that on purpose?

As I said, her homes are not for people to actually live in. That whole house looked so damn uncomfortable and nonfunctional.

[Booney]

I like to imagine that Leanne has a secret room somewhere in her houses with a big ol' over-stuffed, comfortable reclining couch, gigantic flat screen TV hung on a wall, and a velvet painting of dogs playing poker - it's where she actually spends her time rather than those sterile white rooms she creates (Steve would certainly be hanging out in the secret room!).

One of the worst things in that bathroom she designed was the concrete seat that was shaped like a toilet.

Although I'm generally not a fan of her designs, I do admire Leanne's attitude in this show. I don't think she really cares if she wins any of the competitions or not. She's doing her thing, staying calm and, as she said, she's designing for the one buyer who's going to love what she's created. I prefer that to Jasmine's insecurity (and crying!), Mina's anxiety, and Alison's over-confidence and all-around bitchiness. 

[absnow54]

5 minutes ago, Booney said:

I like to imagine that Leanne has a secret room somewhere in her houses with a big ol' over-stuffed, comfortable reclining couch, gigantic flat screen TV hung on a wall, and a velvet painting of dogs playing poker - it's where she actually spends her time rather than those sterile white rooms she creates (Steve would certainly be hanging out in the secret room!).

The walls are also lined with shelves and cabinets so she can actually store and access her things.

[jennifer6973]

I was just checking my guide for what they are showing after the new episode of Rock the Block Monday and

Spoiler

It's an Allison Victoria episode.

[mojito]

If it weren't for the furnishings, you wouldn't be able to distinguish any details of that house. White just doesn't show well without contrast. What's with that wicker-ish-looking sofa in front of the fireplace? Can anyone see themselves lounging on that thing? And doesn't Leanne have kids?

[Booney]

58 minutes ago, jennifer6973 said:

I was just checking my guide for what they are showing after the new episode of Rock the Block Monday and

  Hide contents

It's an Allison Victoria episode.

Oh no, does that mean she wins again?

[suebee12]

Here are a couple things I found.

HGTV's plans for the house. Hope someone lives in the area who can report back!!

https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a29109303/what-happens-to-rock-the-block-houses-hgtv/

And what I found out about the next episode:

Spoiler

Here is the description of the episode:

Round 3 Winner's Choice: Indoor-Outdoor Oasis

Enjoy a favorite project by this week's Rock the Block winner. A tract home is modernized by opening up spaces and turning a courtyard into a cozy outdoor family area.

Definitely a Jasmine show.....it is a tract home.

Edited November 1, 2019 by suebee12

[CrazyInAlabama]

I really hated AV's kitchen, and Leanne's also, so I hope the overall winner will be Mina.    Jasmine's my second choice.     I can't imagine living in one of AV's over the top shiny remodels, or Leanne's stark kleenex boxes of a house.      

Edited November 1, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[suebee12]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

And doesn't Leanne have kids?

She had a baby girl sometime last year! I bet Uncle Steve is the best!

[SusanwatchingTV]

4 hours ago, suebee12 said:

Here are a couple things I found.

HGTV's plans for the house. Hope someone lives in the area who can report back!!

https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a29109303/what-happens-to-rock-the-block-houses-hgtv/

And what I found out about the next episode:

  Reveal spoiler

Here is the description of the episode:

Round 3 Winner's Choice: Indoor-Outdoor Oasis

Enjoy a favorite project by this week's Rock the Block winner. A tract home is modernized by opening up spaces and turning a courtyard into a cozy outdoor family area.

Definitely a Jasmine show.....it is a tract home.

Score! I knew it! This show is too predictable.  I'm enjoying it, but it isn't a real competition. That much is obvious.  

[LittleIggy]

23 hours ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

Holy crap. She did that on purpose?

As I said, her homes are not for people to actually live in. That whole house looked so damn uncomfortable and nonfunctional.

OMG, she ruined that place. 😬It was gorgeous before.

Edited November 2, 2019 by LittleIggy

[car54]

I am just watching this---usually with design shows I am left wishing shows were longer and showed more details, but for some reason both of the episodes I've watched so far seem sooooo long.   Maybe they should have done 3 designers or something.  I've never watched Hidden Potential, but Jasmine seems nice and I like some of her stuff so I will give her a try.

Leanne's house looks like she's designing for Kim and Kanye.

https://www.google.com/search?q=kim+and+kanye+white+home&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOqsj2gMzlAhXMtlkKHQ-8AugQ7Al6BAgEECQ&biw=1536&bih=758

I like to look at homes like that but I would never feel comfortable in one--I need more "stuff".

[ByaNose]

The towel rack for the refrigerator handles was beyond dumb. It made an expensive refrigerator look cheap. Sometimes thinking too much isn’t a good idea. 

[annakate]

On 10/29/2019 at 9:38 AM, absnow54 said:

I thought the stop work prank was funny, especially the Ford's violation being too much white paint. Although, given what I've just read about Alison Victoria on this board, she may have had a ton of these stop work sheets leftover from her own projects.

Leanne's design was ridiculous. She basically removed the entire kitchen and shoved it in the pantry. How is that a functional work space? And Alison's brass island was so fugly. I liked her kitchen best, but was not feeling the island or the the weird pantry accents. Jasmine seems to be in way over her head. At least she has plenty of budget left, so that she can leave a bucket of money in her living room to help raise her appraised value. Mina's was fine, but I hated the towel bar handles. They were all sticking out obnoxiously far.

We were waiting for that to come back to bite her. Not only is it not practical, but I'm pretty sure it's a code violation, at least it would be on our county (I live on the East Coast though.) I'm wondering if she maybe put the outlets under the cabinets, since she was running under cabinet lights there anyway.

I am shocked after some talk of codes that there weren't outlets.I forget the code here (east coast) but I know my pre civil war era home now has an outlet every so many feet in each room, except one hall because in doing any minor updating you had to bring that to code. My Dining Room used to be a sleeping porch and we have not yet changed the curved ceiling and raised the floors to level because of major changes to fit current code (not unsafe, just different now) It moved it to the end of the list. 

I didn't like the stop work "prank" either. I am partial to Jasmine and Mina, I guess because I watch their shows. 

[annakate]

I don't have the Jasmine hate about the front yard gathering spaces. I feel like it is a California thing. 

We use our front porch all the time...but I also live on what was a farm and our neighbors that drive by are few.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I bet by the time the houses go on the market, and have showings, that Mina's towel bar handles on the fridge will have real ones that hold up better.     I imagine in that finish, the handles would be a special order item.  

[Jsage]

Quote

My second place would be Mina. I absolutely LOVE that floor!  It looks great, and putting it throughout the house makes it all seem so cohesive.  I wasn't crazy about the towel bars on the fridge, though. That was weird.  And this is the second time something of hers wasn't the right color or what she ordered. Is someone sabotaging her or is she not being careful with her ordering? 

I adore Mina and love Good Bones but the two things you mention happen on almost every episode of her show. Mina designs a great space for buyers except she adds one or two custom touches that take away from an otherwise perfect room. On this show, she did it with the wallpaper in the bathroom and the towel rods on the refrigerator. 

She also often has materials come in the wrong color or the measurements are off. I always thought it was scripted into her show but since it's happening here too, I'm not sure anymore who's at fault.

I'm still rooting for her though. She's good with a budget and (usually) makes smart choices on the things that matter most to homeowners. I agree with others upthread that even though she isn't winning individual challenges, she can definitely win the whole thing with the value she adds to the house.

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, Jsage said:

Mina designs a great space for buyers 

But does she really? I suppose if you live in your kitchen and bedroom, but otherwise she skimps a lot on public space. 

[Booney]

9 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

But does she really? I suppose if you live in your kitchen and bedroom, but otherwise she skimps a lot on public space. 

I agree with this. She's always cramming a huge master suite on the first floor at the expense of a family room. And a huge kitchen island, but then there's no place to put a proper kitchen/dining table. The small space at the top of the stairs that she tries to pass off as a den or family room doesn't cut it for me. I like Mina and Good Bones but IMO, most of her house designs are just not practical for the way most families live.

Btw, I just read an article in WaPo about kitchen islands which said that many designers are moving away from them and replacing them with a kitchen table instead. The table still provides a work surface, but is more conducive to sitting down for a meal with the family.