Rock The Block - General Discussion

[chessiegal]

I think the solar panels put the twins over the top. Good investment. I was taken aback at the over 2 million appraisals, not sure why. Large homes on the water are pricey. I wonder how much they rent for. 

[Madding crowd]

I was just thinking if you rented this with a bunch of friends or kids and extended family where would they sleep? I have rented houses for girl’s trips and they all had four or five bedrooms. These houses have two bedrooms. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I agree with the overcrowded seating spaces.   They don't have bedrooms for enough people to justify the huge amount of seating space, especially the back patio and dock areas. I suspect these will all end up vacation rentals, and there isn't enough space for a big family or singles group.   I'm guessing after the contest the furnishings were striped away, and whoever buys the homes will put a ton of sleeping areas in everywhere they can.   

I decided several seasons ago that the producers pick a winner that needs the most publicity for their show, and after the last season of the twins show, I figured they would win.    The real test is what house sells the quickest and for the most money.  

Also, the house is three stories, and apparently currently only two bedrooms, so why did Leslie and Lyndsay's house need a laundry room on each level?   (Correction, houses are 4 bed, 4 bath, I guess they didn't have the other bedrooms as a challenge.  Still only sleeps 8 people, unless you turn the other two bedrooms into bunk rooms, which could total 12 sleeping spaces for the house.)  

Edited April 19 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

I've been poking around Treasure Island to see if I could find any of these for rent. So far, no luck but I did find a similar unit with the same deck/dock configuration. 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, rents for $5,500 a month with a minimum of 3 months rental.

[carrps]

I was pleasantly surprised that the twins won. They've grown on me, and by this last episode, I think I "got" them. I don't think I could ever be their bosom pal, but I can see that the personalities are organic to who they are. Especially after the call to their mom. OMG, the three of them all sounded exactly alike. LOL. You can see where they got it!

Property Bro was sure trying to hype his long time friends the Bauemlers. I don't see how anyone could praise that dumb attached "dining" table. Oh, well, at least they didn't win.

 

[salvame]

I don't think they were ever clear on whether these were to be rentals or privately owned, year round homes. i agree that the outdoor spaces seemed very cluttered, but then again, when I looked at model homes in Florida (just to be nosey - would not live there) I determined I would be very happy with a large outdoor space complete with kitchen, dining and pool, and an indoor bedroom and bath!!

[MsJamieDornan]

Some interesting things going on.

[Shermie]

On 4/15/2024 at 3:46 PM, carrps said:

I didn't want to say it, but if you have one couple using a "stricter" coding system than the others, all they have to do is rate everyone else enough lower so that it would swing enough points (even fractional points) in their own directon.

I would have liked to see the scores for all the rooms; I’m assuming they were very close.

I’m happy that the twins won because, in spite of their success in having their own show, they seem down home and humble, like they know they’re not in the same design league as the other 3 teams. So winning for them was genuine excitement, not just another publicity notch on their headboard, so to speak. They “needed” it more.

Their house seemed the most comfortable, the one I’d most like to stay in with family and friends. The Baumler’s house was beautiful, but it seemed more like a fancy hotel. All that white fabric furniture makes me nervous.

It’s still not clear if these are to be rental homes, or to be purchased for year round living. Either way, not enough bedrooms. A house with seating inside or out for 20 people needs way more sleeping space. I guess if you lived there you could throw parties, but how many parties do people throw a year? 

Even living there, you’d want extra bedrooms for when people visit, since that’s the lifestyle it’s promoting.

 

[chessiegal]

So far, this is what I've found on the Season 5 homes. It's from Country Living magazine.

Quote

HGTV fans might be surprised to find out that the houses are sold empty. A representative from the network confirmed, "The houses are unfurnished when sold." Also, the cost of the furniture does not come out of the teams' $250,000 budget. This season, the furnishings are provided by Wayfair, and we expect they take it back after the show ends.

If you thought this was your chance to buy a home decorated by your favorite HGTV star, we're afraid you're out of luck!

 

[Pine]

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TWINS!  TWIN WIN!

I know this show is not realistic, but living near the Twin's work base, I have always liked their work.

Hoping to hire them for my kitchen family room remodel someday.

[RowdyCam]

Watched the finale last night. I certainly would have chosen Evan & Keith, based on the extra bedroom and their gorgeous ceilings and their staging. But I do see the value of solar and/or a whole house generator like Mike Holmes? installed in an earlier season, especially in Florida. I am shocked the Baumlers, who have homes in Florida and the Bahamas, didn't add a generator. I might lean towards Evan and Keith because I found the twins and Baumlers semi-annoying and was shocked at how obnoxious Page seemed, because I liked her in the past.

But too much excess! Who needs 3 laundry rooms, multiple outdoor grilling stations, a fireplace in the closet, wine racks to hold massive amounts of wine? 

[chessiegal]

Since these houses are sold empty, I wonder what they do with some of the built-ins like the wine wall and hammock on the side of the deck? Rip them out? I haven't been able to find these houses for rent, sale, or sold.

I did find that one of the houses from last season sat on the market for a while with several price reductions before it sold.

[debbie311]

Did anyone see the "behind the Rock the Block scenes" which was on HGTV yesterday, during the day.  Just some extra glimpses of what went on during the filming. 

You know, I have tried to like the twins. They're too goofy and over the top for me,  although I think they have calmed down a little on their own show.  But one of the behind the scenes showed them wresting in the mud outside the condos at night. Supposed to be a way they break the stress or something?  I mean this was two grown women rolling around and wrestling each other on the ground in the mud.  I'm surprised one of them didn't get hurt.  It was pretty disgusting to watch, I only wonder what the others think of them.

[Fellaway]

2 hours ago, debbie311 said:

Did anyone see the "behind the Rock the Block scenes" which was on HGTV yesterday, during the day.

Yep, I saw it and completely agree about the twins. So glad they left most of their antics out of the regular episodes. They would get on my last nerve if I had to be around that behavior much.

[MsJamieDornan]

 From Reddit:

Of course take it with a grain of salt but L&L did an interview with HGTV and mentioned they were allowed to get materials at cost or have things donated. Lyndsay said their goal was to double or triple their budget by getting things contributed or sold at cost. And she also claimed the wine cellar was worth $70,000 but they got it wholesale for $15,000

[Fellaway]

6 hours ago, MsJamieDornan said:

 From Reddit:

Of course take it with a grain of salt but L&L did an interview with HGTV and mentioned they were allowed to get materials at cost or have things donated. Lyndsay said their goal was to double or triple their budget by getting things contributed or sold at cost. And she also claimed the wine cellar was worth $70,000 but they got it wholesale for $15,000

That's interesting. I had commented before that it didn't seem like the twins were spending as much money as the other teams, up to the week when they put in the solar panels and batteries. I attributed it to their wanting to save their pennies for that power move. This method of supply procurement certainly would've helped.

[chessiegal]

Speaking of Reddit, I found a link to an article in The U.S. Sun (never heard of it before) that said this.

Quote

Evan wrote in his post, 'We didn’t trust production at all (the lead producers are professional liars and manipulators but that’s a story for another day lol)'

Yikes!

[paramitch]

As a poverty-stricken freelancer, I'm a sucker for dream homes. And as a former Floridian, those homes and water views this season were so amazing it was definitely fun to just enjoy the home decor silliness, no matter how bad some of it was.

But this season was SO frustrating.

First and foremost, I'm sure that Leslie and Lyndsay are perfectly nice, decent people in their everyday real lives.

But oh my GOD, for me they are the most irksome, annoying, fake, over the top people I've ever seen. Their worst sin is that they are just the worst actresses ever when it comes to participating in anything "reality."

Both twins speak in these exaggerated pushes so that every! single! word! sounds! like! it's! being! screamed! by! a! cheerleader! who! smokes! a! pack! a! day! And they both do it. It's incredibly fake and mannered, and I find it unwatchable.

It doesn't help that they have incredibly cheap taste. Like, they do have some good ideas -- like the really lovely loft home office -- and then they destroy it with kitschy stuff like that horrible faux-animal-print wallpaper. And they're in love with cheap knickknacks and wicker/rattan stuff. It's like they succeed at the macro but then fail on the micro. And soooo much clutter. I'm still salty they won the outdoor challenge when theirs was by far the worst in terms of thought and design. The ugly, cluttery furniture placements! The terrible pool setup! Nothing faced the actual water! Aagghhgh.

And they keep making these mistakes in logic -- the dog cleaning station upstairs was the perfect example. I did love the solar panels, but the installation on the roof looked incredibly temporary, unprotected, and -- as depicted -- would not have survived one major thunderstorm. 

I loved a lot of the guys' house -- their living room was absolutely gorgeous, and those ceilings were to die for! -- but I frequently disliked some of the art. The Zen room was lovely, but the "Buddha" painting I thought was just terrible, and cheapened the whole room. It looked like a talented high schooler's art project. And that closet was embarrassing. In Florida, what the heck is a fireplace in a closet beyond a waste of space and a fire hazard?! 

I liked several of the Baumlers' rooms, and loved the elevator (absolutely money well-spent in a THREE-STORY home where you'd have to climb stairs with those groceries. But I disliked their kitchen and (badly) connected dining table. Just not my cup of tea. The curved walls and organic shapes were soft and pleasant even if they aren't my thing (and there was too much white on white for me).  But their pool area, patio, and balcony were all really lovely.

I really dislike Paige and Mitch's taste and their utterly bonkers space planning.  I did love the grocery/dumbwaiter but I hated so much of the rest about their home -- the outdoor shower on the balcony (why not put one by the pool instead?) -- the spice rack cupboard behind the stove (so that you would have to reach over hot burners and boiling items to reach spices!), I hated the twice-elevated master bed (stairs and then the extra step up into the bed -- talk about a tripping hazard), hated the cheap-looking "couch swing" in the patio, and just thought the home office with the elevated motorized bed looked oppressive and claustrophobic. 

On 4/18/2024 at 5:38 AM, RowdyCam said:

But too much excess! Who needs 3 laundry rooms, multiple outdoor grilling stations, a fireplace in the closet, wine racks to hold massive amounts of wine? 

This was the weirdest part this year (and always seems to be year after year) -- all this emphasis on overstuffing crap into non-living spaces! Nobody needs three washers and dryers, fireplaces in closets, or wine walls (which is just not a great way to store wine).

On 4/18/2024 at 12:08 PM, debbie311 said:

You know, I have tried to like the twins. They're too goofy and over the top for me,  although I think they have calmed down a little on their own show.  But one of the behind the scenes showed them wresting in the mud outside the condos at night. Supposed to be a way they break the stress or something?  I mean this was two grown women rolling around and wrestling each other on the ground in the mud.  I'm surprised one of them didn't get hurt.  It was pretty disgusting to watch, I only wonder what the others think of them.

They seem nice enough, but oh, man, they are just awful for me in terms of watchability. It's like watching bad actors overacting real life every step of the way. They just come across as fake to me -- in the way of people who have forgotten how to be genuine.

On 4/19/2024 at 7:27 AM, chessiegal said:

Speaking of Reddit, I found a link to an article in The U.S. Sun (never heard of it before) that said this.

Yikes!

I've always figured the show was fake (or mostly fake), but wow, looks like they won't be coming back for the next one. 

Edited April 23 by paramitch
fixed a word

[Book Junkie]

On 4/23/2024 at 10:19 AM, paramitch said:

As a poverty-stricken freelancer, I'm a sucker for dream homes. And as a former Floridian, those homes and water views this season were so amazing it was definitely fun to just enjoy the home decor silliness, no matter how bad some of it was.

But this season was SO frustrating.

First and foremost, I'm sure that Leslie and Lyndsay are perfectly nice, decent people in their everyday real lives.

But oh my GOD, for me they are the most irksome, annoying, fake, over the top people I've ever seen. Their worst sin is that they are just the worst actresses ever when it comes to participating in anything "reality."

Both twins speak in these exaggerated pushes so that every! single! word! sounds! like! it's! being! screamed! by! a! cheerleader! who! smokes! a! pack! a! day! And they both do it. It's incredibly fake and mannered, and I find it unwatchable.

It doesn't help that they have incredibly cheap taste. Like, they do have some good ideas -- like the really lovely loft home office -- and then they destroy it with kitschy stuff like that horrible faux-animal-print wallpaper. And they're in love with cheap knickknacks and wicker/rattan stuff. It's like they succeed at the macro but then fail on the micro. And soooo much clutter. I'm still salty they won the outdoor challenge when theirs was by far the worst in terms of thought and design. The ugly, cluttery furniture placements! The terrible pool setup! Nothing faced the actual water! Aagghhgh.

And they keep making these mistakes in logic -- the dog cleaning station upstairs was the perfect example. I did love the solar panels, but the installation on the roof looked incredibly temporary, unprotected, and -- as depicted -- would not have survived one major thunderstorm. 

I loved a lot of the guys' house -- their living room was absolutely gorgeous, and those ceilings were to die for! -- but I frequently disliked some of the art. The Zen room was lovely, but the "Buddha" painting I thought was just terrible, and cheapened the whole room. It looked like a talented high schooler's art project. And that closet was embarrassing. In Florida, what the heck is a fireplace in a closet beyond a waste of space and a fire hazard?! 

I liked several of the Baumlers' rooms, and loved the elevator (absolutely money well-spent in a THREE-STORY home where you'd have to climb stairs with those groceries. But I disliked their kitchen and (badly) connected dining table. Just not my cup of tea. The curved walls and organic shapes were soft and pleasant even if they aren't my thing (and there was too much white on white for me).  But their pool area, patio, and balcony were all really lovely.

I really dislike Paige and Mitch's taste and their utterly bonkers space planning.  I did love the grocery/dumbwaiter but I hated so much of the rest about their home -- the outdoor shower on the balcony (why not put one by the pool instead?) -- the spice rack cupboard behind the stove (so that you would have to reach over hot burners and boiling items to reach spices!), I hated the twice-elevated master bed (stairs and then the extra step up into the bed -- talk about a tripping hazard), hated the cheap-looking "couch swing" in the patio, and just thought the home office with the elevated motorized bed looked oppressive and claustrophobic. 

This was the weirdest part this year (and always seems to be year after year) -- all this emphasis on overstuffing crap into non-living spaces! Nobody needs three washers and dryers, fireplaces in closets, or wine walls (which is just not a great way to store wine).

They seem nice enough, but oh, man, they are just awful for me in terms of watchability. It's like watching bad actors overacting real life every step of the way. They just come across as fake to me -- in the way of people who have forgotten how to be genuine.

I've always figured the show was fake (or mostly fake), but wow, looks like they won't be coming back for the next one. 

Get out of my head! I'm in complete agreement with you on everything you said. I do not understand how Mitch and Paige won the two weeks they did because their designs were the most head scratching those weeks. And double yes on overstuffing rooms with all these luxurious items. I did not understand why everyone, except for Evan and Keith, put in a laundry room the final week when everyone put a laundry room in the primary closets! And, champagne fridges in the closet??? It's like either season 2 or season 4, at least half of the houses had FOUR kitchens. They put in a "show" kitchen, a secondary or "catering" kitchen that could get messy behind the show kitchen, another kitchen in the full basements downstairs, AND an outdoor kitchen! Nobody entertains that much. Now, the trend seems to have these enormous butler pantries where they have all of their appliances, putting every appliance far away from the stove. We've gotten ridiculous with our houses.

[carrps]

3 hours ago, Book Junkie said:

We've gotten ridiculous with our houses.

"They" want us to be ridiculous with our houses.

[paramitch]

On 4/24/2024 at 10:03 AM, Book Junkie said:

Get out of my head! I'm in complete agreement with you on everything you said. I do not understand how Mitch and Paige won the two weeks they did because their designs were the most head scratching those weeks. And double yes on overstuffing rooms with all these luxurious items. I did not understand why everyone, except for Evan and Keith, put in a laundry room the final week when everyone put a laundry room in the primary closets! And, champagne fridges in the closet??? It's like either season 2 or season 4, at least half of the houses had FOUR kitchens. They put in a "show" kitchen, a secondary or "catering" kitchen that could get messy behind the show kitchen, another kitchen in the full basements downstairs, AND an outdoor kitchen! Nobody entertains that much. Now, the trend seems to have these enormous butler pantries where they have all of their appliances, putting every appliance far away from the stove. We've gotten ridiculous with our houses.

Thank you!

Everyone was trying to one-up everyone else this year with those ridiculous closets, and it just got embarrassingly bad for me.

Even rich people -- I am convinced -- do not need fireplaces and wine fridges in their fricking CLOSETS! They want the storage space!

People want simple things from their closets:

• To organize their clothes, shoes, and accessories so they are easy to access
• To be able to see and arrange outfits, seasons, textures, clothing/shoe types, etc.
• And, ideally, to be able to try on those outfits and see yourself, experiment with looks, etc.

And I will still never, ever understand the stupid closet fireplace. In FLORIDA. In a closet. Right near all those delicate temperature-affected and FLAMMABLE items!

It's just so, so dumb.

[Ohmo]

On 4/19/2024 at 10:27 AM, chessiegal said:

Speaking of Reddit, I found a link to an article in The U.S. Sun (never heard of it before) that said this.

Yikes!

In my head, I can hear Evan saying this in the way that he does with a sort of wry smile on his face.  I also don't think HGTV necessarily will have a problem with it.  It's known that HGTV is TV.  I think Evan was simply saying, "We didn't trust the producers because they know and we know that they're going to do things to mess with everyone."

I don't love the twins, but i prefer them winning to Sarah and Bryan or Page and Mitch.

[ML89]

On 4/27/2024 at 4:55 PM, paramitch said:

Everyone was trying to one-up everyone else this year with those ridiculous closets, and it just got embarrassingly bad for me.

Even rich people -- I am convinced -- do not need fireplaces and wine fridges in their fricking CLOSETS! They want the storage space!

If you're going to have a fridge, why not a skin care refrigerator, which, I am given to understand, is all the rage AND goes with a bathroom and closet!

The fireplace, I absolutely did not get (although I do love Keith and Evan). I also did not get the multiple laundry areas. Also, why did none of the teams put a powder bath down there by their elaborate first floor party areas? At least I think the twins put in an outdoor shower.

[topanga]

On 4/16/2024 at 10:13 AM, Madding crowd said:

I would also like a library and writing space and a media room with a big screen TV. As far as outdoor space, all the houses looked cluttered to me and I would want a more peaceful place to look at the water. I thought they all had too much stuff outside; if it is a vacation rental people aren’t having parties with 100 guests.

Agreed. They all overfilled the outdoor spaces with too many seating areas. In their defense, teams get criticized whenever a space isn't crowded with furniture. The judges say it looks "unfinished." What's wrong with having a little walking room? AND, furniture choices do nothing to add value since the homes are sold empty (unless it's something built in). 

Oh, and I hate it that so many designers pretend that people don't watch TV and therefore don't need a place to install a TV. Maybe they (the designers) don't, but most Americans watch a lot of TV. Perhaps too much, but that's another story. 

 

23 hours ago, Ohmo said:

In my head, I can hear Evan saying this in the way that he does with a sort of wry smile on his face.  I also don't think HGTV necessarily will have a problem with it.  It's known that HGTV is TV.  I think Evan was simply saying, "We didn't trust the producers because they know and we know that they're going to do things to mess with everyone."

I don't love the twins, but i prefer them winning to Sarah and Bryan or Page and Mitch.

Yikes indeed. I forget which one is Evan, but normally they both seem so positive. Whatever happened behind the scenes really pi$$ed them off. 

And I don't mind the twins winning, even though I was rooting for the boys. Everyone's houses looked better as a whole than when I was seeing the spaces week by week. 

I might be the only person on here who likes the Baeumlers. Yeah, they're annoying sometimes, but they don't bother me. I like most of their design choices. 

 

 

 

 

[carrps]

I like Brian, because he has a mellow personality, and I know he is competent. He had a number of Canadian shows where he worked with amateurs helping them with projects. He also has a good sense of humor.

I don't care for Sara. I think she's piggybacking on his career to build her design business. Her "designs" are just so blah with no interest or charm. If you want to live in a space with no personality -- a bland hotel space -- fine. Also, she did a bedroom for her apprx. 10 year old daughter that looked like something for an especially boring 40 year old. She seems a little too fakily "on."

She makes me tired.

 

[chessiegal]

I like Bryan.

I remember when Sara hired a designer to work on their house. Then all of a sudden, she became a designer. 🙄

 

[Ohmo]

2 hours ago, topanga said:

Yikes indeed. I forget which one is Evan, but normally they both seem so positive. Whatever happened behind the scenes really pi$$ed them off. 

Evan has dark hair and a beard.  If HGTV is ticked off at what Evan said, deal with it.  I love their show, and I hope Keith and Evan are similar to the way they are on-screen.

[carrps]

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I like Bryan.

I remember when Sara hired a designer to work on their house. Then all of a sudden, she became a designer. 🙄

 

Oh, and, man, was she a beeyotch to that designer. Treated her like crap. Didn't show up for scheduled meetings. Lied to her. That was the beginning of my dislike of her. You don't treat people like that!

[Kip1]

Here's the listing for the Baumler's townhouse. I couldn't find the others, but this one has only been listed for 6 days. Note that the listing is by Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/364-Capri-Blvd-Treasure-Island-FL-33706/349374564_zpid/

Listing Provided by:

Yamika McGee-Kleinschmidt 

SIGNATURE REALTY ASSOCIATES 

Brian Kleinschmidt 

SIGNATURE REALTY ASSOCIATES

[chessiegal]

Good job @Kip1! I looked for listings when the show aired and was only able to find a pre-construction listing. I'm not surprised it comes fully furnished. No pictures of the dock.

[Fellaway]

13 hours ago, Kip1 said:

Here's the listing for the Baumler's townhouse. I couldn't find the others, but this one has only been listed for 6 days. Note that the listing is by Mika and Brian Kleinschmidt.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/364-Capri-Blvd-Treasure-Island-FL-33706/349374564_zpid/

Listing Provided by:

Yamika McGee-Kleinschmidt 

SIGNATURE REALTY ASSOCIATES 

Brian Kleinschmidt 

SIGNATURE REALTY ASSOCIATES

I don't remember what the appraised values of the final designs were for the houses, but I wonder how that asking price lines up with them.

Looking at the pictures of the Bs' house on Zillow, it is very nice, but oh so bland. I guess that'll work for a lot of buyers. They can give the house character.

[ML89]

I don't remember that fence between the units in the show but well, better than nothing. You'll definitely have to be friends with your neighbors!

[GeorgiaRai]

Getting up to, into and out of this seems... awkward, if not hazardous!  If you removed the table and plants, I guess there'd be enough room to stand on the platform and dry off, but barely.  And then what? You jump off?  

Edited May 11 by GeorgiaRai

[CrazyInAlabama]

The living room area looks like the waiting room at an upscale doctor's office.    It looks a lot like a plastic surgeon's waiting room I saw on another show.   

Edited May 12 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

On 5/10/2024 at 2:37 PM, Fellaway said:

I don't remember what the appraised values of the final designs were for the houses, but I wonder how that asking price lines up with them.

I don't remember the exact values, but they were over 2 million. $2,950,000 sale price - wow. If a buyer uses the house as a short-term rental, good luck keeping all that white furniture clean. You'd need a hefty deposit to cover cleaning costs or build cleaning costs into the rental price.

Edited May 12 by chessiegal

[kirklandia]

i'm not a particular fan of the twins, but I am a fan of Snohomish WA, where I just spent a lovely Mother's Day.

There was a tour group gathered in front of Lamb & Co!  After they dispersed, my son kindly accompanied me into the retail store to take advantage of this photo op.

Edited May 13 by kirklandia

[LizDC]

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

So, some favorites of mine, and two I can't stand?  I'm out.   Not watching Alison or Down Home Fab, so I'll skip this one.