Fixer To Fabulous - General Discussion

[CrazyInAlabama]

So on the new episode, their friends wanted a beachy looking lake house, so they demolished the entire brick front of the house?    Everything is now cedar or wood shake siding.     

I really think that the homeowners get a whole lot more input on the houses, than what is advertised.   There is no way they would take off the entire brick front of the house for the wood shakes without consent.   The boat house was really nice.  

Edited October 28, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[CruiseDiva]

With their $300K-plus budget, I didn't understand why they were renovating when they could have demo-ed the entire house and built all new.

The house turned out okay, especially for the teenage daughter, but I hated the words etched into the wood floor entryway. The baby blue kitchen cabinets looked odd with those over-the-top expensive white appliances. And... no upper cabinets. Where do people store stuff?

With the front entry moved to what had been a bedroom, did that make a 3-bedroom house into a 2-bedroom house?

I like the Marrs couple, but I question the practicality of this renovation. Despite what HGTV wants us to believe, I think the homeowners are in on more of the decisions/choices than what is shown. 

[ChicksDigScars]

8 minutes ago, CruiseDiva said:

With their $300K-plus budget, I didn't understand why they were renovating when they could have demo-ed the entire house and built all new.

The house turned out okay, especially for the teenage daughter, but I hated the words etched into the wood floor entryway. The baby blue kitchen cabinets looked odd with those over-the-top expensive white appliances. And... no upper cabinets. Where do people store stuff?

With the front entry moved to what had been a bedroom, did that make a 3-bedroom house into a 2-bedroom house?

I like the Marrs couple, but I question the practicality of this renovation. Despite what HGTV wants us to believe, I think the homeowners are in on more of the decisions/choices than what is shown. 

Yeah, the matte white appliances and light blue cabinets didn't turn me on at all. I'm sick of white on white on white with a splash of...gray, but the light blue didn't do much for me. And she seems to be a fan of shelves where upper cabinets should be. Her kitchens make me wonder about storage issues. 

Other than that, I liked the house. I'd prefer a wall hanging with Carpe Diem, rather than engraving it permanently in the hardwood, though. The boathouse for dad was cool, as was Chase presenting him with the t-shirt that featured his son's artwork. "Welcome to the club."

Edited October 28, 2020 by ChicksDigScars

[CruiseDiva]

12 minutes ago, ChicksDigScars said:

The boathouse for dad was cool, as was Chase presenting him with the t-shirt that featured his son's artwork. "Welcome to the club."

The boathouse was my favorite part of the renovation and I teared up a bit when Chase presented him with the tee-shirt.

[RoxiP]

It seems to me that on most reno shows they meet with the homeowner to get their approval on the plans. I wasn't a fan of the engraving in the floor either. The homeowners said they didn't need the front bedroom when they did the walk through. 

[MartyQui]

I didn't see anything in that house that was "Nantucket"...the cedar shakes, maybe, but they need a few years to turn gray.  The t-shirt made me tear up too.

[irisheyes]

18 hours ago, RoxiP said:

It seems to me that on most reno shows they meet with the homeowner to get their approval on the plans. I wasn't a fan of the engraving in the floor either. The homeowners said they didn't need the front bedroom when they did the walk through. 

I think they really just wanted a master and a kid space. Easy way to ensure you don’t have guests who invite themselves. 😀

[RoxiP]

I just assumed there was an actual bedroom for the daughter, since it was never shown.  At first I thought the downstairs room was going to be a combination hangout/bedroom area for her but there was no indication of a bedroom.  There also might be other rooms upstairs that we didn't see.

[Spunkygal]

Reno for couple about to be married. I hated the pull out dog bed. I hope whoever sleeps on that side of the bed remembers if it is pulled out in the middle of the night. Dogs don’t just sleep during our bedtime hours. They sleep off and on all day, so either the pull out bed stays open or yet another bed in the living room is needed. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I really liked the outdoor space on the young couple's house, and glad they fixed the backyard now.    

They're showing the enhanced version Life on Marrs, with the people who own the brewery.     The extra scene was Chase getting crammed into the dumb waiter, for a $20 bet with Dave.    That was ridiculous.  Chase is lucky it didn't fall down the shaft, or get stuck coming back up.     

Edited November 11, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[ChicksDigScars]

Maybe they explained it and I just missed the scene, but HOW did they get the washer and dryer out (or IN for that matter) of the basement of that cute historical house with the wrap around porch? The one that had a trap door in the hallway floor to get into the basement? Was there an outside access?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wondered about that too, and I bet there was an outside set of bunker doors (the solid ones, usually double, that cover a set of stairs).    

[sheetmoss]

Finally got to see Dave w/o his cap!

Did the downsized couple's house have another bathroom besides the one in master,

Also,  the garage in the front,  did  it open into one of the girl's bedrooms?

[MartyQui]

Maybe Dave could have put on a button down and dress pants to officiate at a wedding?  Just a thought.  I loved the house this week, I would live there in a second (after I painted over the mural).

[RoxiP]

I think there was only one bathroom. With two daughters entering their teens that might be an issue fir sure!  Putting a new bathroom in a house with what appeared to be a concrete foundation was probably pretty expensive, since they probably already had to do concrete work to install a kitchen. House turned out nice though. 

[MartyQui]

I grew up in a house with 6 women and my dad, and one bathroom.  We just had a rule that the bathroom was never used for makeup or drying your hair, you did that in your bedroom.  We survived.  🙂

[sheetmoss]

41 minutes ago, MartyQui said:

I grew up in a house with 6 women and my dad, and one bathroom.  We just had a rule that the bathroom was never used for makeup or drying your hair, you did that in your bedroom.  We survived.  🙂

But did you have to walk through your parent's bdrm every time to use it?

   I couldn't figure out if there was another door off the dining area/kitchen to the bathroom - if so, they could survive with only one household bathroom....plenty of us did.

Edited December 3, 2020 by sheetmoss

[CrazyInAlabama]

Am I the only one that didn't realize Dave has so little hair?     

I think the answer for the one bathroom issue is a vanity in each girl's bedroom, or each side (I wasn't watching very closely when this played), so they can do make up, and hair drying outside of the bathroom.  

I saw the rerun of this one, and if I watched it correctly (not guaranteed), since it was a split bedroom plan, the master ensuite was accessed through the master bedroom.  However, I think there was another bathroom between the two girl's bedrooms, and that would open into the hallway, so the girls would use it, and guests.    Of course, that might be totally wrong.    I really don't think they spent over $200k, and only put one bathroom, especially one that you have to walk through the parents bedroom to access.    

On their behind the scenes, they often don't show all of the rooms they redo, because they simply don't have enough time.   

Edited December 9, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Refresh]

On 12/3/2020 at 4:36 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Am I the only one that didn't realize Dave has so little hair?     

 

Hmm. Not him specifically, but when I see a man over 35 who wears a baseball hat all the time I assume it's pretty thin under the cap. 

I was confused about the bathroom configuration in the converted Dojo as well. I liked the mural idea and it was pretty but don't think that specific design really went with the industrial vibe. I understood adding color and some more whimsy to soften the space but eh. 

[RoxiP]

I really liked the home they designed for Jenny's parents on the latest show and I sobbed like a baby when all the kids and grandkids showed up at the finale...when Jenny handed her the picture of the grandchildren and her mom realized it was taken on the steps of their new home - I watched it twice because obviously I didn't cry enough the first time...and Jenny said her mom would scream and her dad would cry and she knows them well!

I thought the exterior of the house was fine originally but they did a great job with changing it, and the inside was really nice - I really like that they changed the fireplace to not dominate the room so completely.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved the remodel for Jenny's parents!     They stuck to the budget, and still changed a lot in that house.    The after on the front steps and porch was spectacular.   

However, I would have put the desk far enough away from the Murphy bed, to pull it down without moving the desk every time, or put it on casters.     If it's really going to be used as a desk, then I bet it ends up against the wall, opposite the bed.   That way you can plug in the desk lamp, computer, etc.   

[RoxiP]

Yes, I can see that - of course I've always thought desks like that were pretty much useless.  No storage, no places to put a printer or multiple screens - that kind of desk looks good but once you start stacking papers on it they will be everywhere (of course I'm kind of messy so that might be a me problem!).

[nb360]

Is this the same woman who was on the "designer for a day" show -- where amateur designers could design a space for someone on a budget? She looks like a woman who was on that show.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I don't know about a previous appearance for Jenny, but Fixer to Fabulous was originally titled "Almost Home".    

Her IMDB only lists Almost, Fixer, and the Today show.   However, I just saw a Lively bra company commercial, and one lady in there looks a lot like Jenny.     I'm sure it's just someone who looks similar.   

Edited January 1, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[nb360]

I was really impressed with the renovation of the house for the engaged couple. I would love to have that remote-controlled TV cabinet and the outside of the house was beautiful.

My only concern is that, at some point, the couple will have kids and they will need a bathtub which is now gone in the remodel.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, nb360 said:

My only concern is that, at some point, the couple will have kids and they will need a bathtub which is now gone in the remodel.

Just like how a fridge that isn't stainless steel will keep your food just as fresh as a ss 1, children will get just as clean in a shower as a bathtub. 😉🚿

[nb360]

2 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

children will get just as clean in a shower as a bathtub.

Yes, but washing a toddler is much easier -- and less messier -- in a tub than a shower.😘

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved the remodel on the rental for the two women moving back home that they showed last night.     I loved the kitchen, it wasn't  a copy of every other gray/white kitchen on the other remodeling shows, and though a lot was taste specific, the house was spectacular.     I wonder if eventually the women will either buy another house from the Marrs' or buy this one?  

I love that Chase's dad and mom adopted that stray cat.    

Edited January 1, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[alexa]

I like this couple far more than Chip and Joanna, and I like many of their designs.  That said, like many other shows like this after seeing many episodes, many of the designs start to look very similar.  And I also am not a fan of a lot of white rooms, which many of theirs are.  They do throw in a colored wall here and there, but the larger living space is typically very similar in many of the homes they do.  I do think they make some good choices unique to each house, but I am losing interest in the show over time.

[NYGirl]

The thing I hate the most is the open shelves in the kitchen.  Jenny seems to do that a lot.  I see Erin on Home Town doing it too.  I imagine the dishes and glasses getting greasy near the cooking area.

I loved the episode with her parents.  I cried at the end too.  Her mother and father were so happy.  They did such a nice job on that house.

I got Discovery Plus and they only had a couple of episodes of this show.  I was wishing they had more.

[Spunkygal]

I usually like every house that this couple does but I wasn’t digging Bowman Cooper’s house. Maybe it’s because I’m old, but I hated the “wine cellar.” I would never sit down there to enjoy a glass of wine. Never. I’d use it for storage. And I guess she could use it if there’s a tornado. I dunno. I also was not a fan of the loft. It was cute but I’d have to wear a backpack if I needed to take something up there with me because I would have a death grip on that ladder. I’d need a hand rail and better footing than what the ladder provided, although it was a cute ladder. I’m not the most graceful person and heaving myself off the ladder to the loft would not be pretty. The pink seemed perfect for Bowman. 

Forgot to add...I hated the saying “lookin’ good” in penny tile in the bathroom floor. I guess I am really losing touch with decor trends.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Spunkygal

[alexa]

23 hours ago, NYGirl said:

The thing I hate the most is the open shelves in the kitchen.  Jenny seems to do that a lot.  I see Erin on Home Town doing it too.  I imagine the dishes and glasses getting greasy near the cooking area.

I loved the episode with her parents.  I cried at the end too.  Her mother and father were so happy.  They did such a nice job on that house.

I got Discovery Plus and they only had a couple of episodes of this show.  I was wishing they had more.

I agree about the open shelves, and I never understand in some of these kitchens where they have space to store their actual items they use in a kitchen.  There never seem to be enough cabinets, and I can't imagine having to go to lower cabinets for almost everything you need.  I also get so tired of their clients being so similar-- "maybe we could have an island in the kitchen?"  They say that almost every time.  There surely has to be some that don't want an island, lol

[CruiseDiva]

2 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

I usually like every house that this couple does but I wasn’t digging Bowman Cooper’s house. Maybe it’s because I’m old, but I hated the “wine cellar.” I would never sit down there to enjoy a glass of wine. Never. I’d use it for storage. And I guess she could use it if there’s a tornado. I dunno. I also was not a fan of the loft. It was cute but I’d have to wear a backpack if I needed to take something up there with me because I would have a death grip on that ladder. I’d need a hand rail and better footing than what the ladder provided, although it was a cute ladder. I’m not the most graceful person and heaving myself off the ladder to the loft would not be pretty. The pink seemed perfect for Bowman. 

Forgot to add...I hated the saying “looking’ good” in penny tile in the bathroom floor. I guess I am really losing touch with decor trends.

Perhaps it's my advanced age as well, but I agree with all you expressed. The wine cellar reminded me of a good spot to wait out a tornado, but too creepy to sit down there drinking wine. When they revealed the kitchen someone said something about friends gathering around the island and I noticed there was no overhang or stools to sit on. Was there a dining table? I don't remember seeing one. I thought they were going to finish the attic as an actual room with a real stairway in place of the fold down attic stairs. It looked like there was enough room for a stairway in that bedroom/study. That ladder didn't seem very substantial and looked kinda shaky whenever anyone was on it. Without actual stairs, the loft was a fail to me.

I'm so tired of the sayings in tile floors and painted or stenciled onto walls.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I really like the farm scenes.   The donkey guarding the sheep from the Llama and Alpaca until he could figure out if they were predators or not was so cute.

I found the wine cellar to be way too big.   It couldn't even work as a tornado shelter, because it didn't have a solid door.   I also didn't think the silo ladder to the loft was useful, or safe at all.   

Edited January 28, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Refresh]

The Bowman Cooper house was interesting. Loved how old it was. I really liked the cellar. Not sure I'd spend a ton of time there but I might open a nice bottle and have a little tasting down there with a few friends. It was cool. I understand that due to the door in the floor they couldn't do much on the sides of the island but yes, there weren't spaces to sit around the island. I guess you're supposed to go downstairs? Hmmm. For a party yes, for breakfast? No. Maybe with the open concept she can add a cafe table or something. 

I liked the penny tile. There's a bakery in SF that has words in penny tile and I think it's fun. 

I can't with the loft access though. I would need real stairs. I don't really dig on ladders.. Once you get to the top you have to kind of hurl yourself over? Coming down you have to swing over. Shudder. No.

Overall though I liked it and thought it was cute but very particular the owner.

[RoxiP]

I rewatched the end of the episode yesterday where did Jenny's parent's new home and I just have to say that I love the end of that show where Jenny shows her mom the picture of all the grandchildren on the stairs of the newly renovated home and her mom just loses it, the family streams in and both mom and dad burst into tears.  And then grandma came in...yep...I ran it back several times and cried right alongside of them.  Having lost almost all of my family (I have a lovely daughter and niece and so I am blessed but both parents and sister are gone) I enjoyed the love shown there.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm watching the reruns on HGTV this morning.    " Victorian Hodgepodge Gets Modern Makeover", where the people have moved many times over the years.   Then, the wife says how much she loves the built in with the glass fronts to display her huge teacup collection, I was appalled to see modernizing it was to take the glass fronts out, and put chicken wire in there.   They also painted the entire cabinet dark blue.   I would have hated that cabinet. and immediately painted it white or off white, and ripped out the wire fronts, and replaced the glass.  

Edited July 25, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[sheetmoss]

Good to see the show back

[MartyQui]

Except did that room for the grandkids have enough beds?  Other than that I loved the design…those handmade tiles were gorgeous in the kitchen and the bathroom.

[CruiseDiva]

3 hours ago, MartyQui said:

Except did that room for the grandkids have enough beds?  Other than that I loved the design…those handmade tiles were gorgeous in the kitchen and the bathroom.

If they have any more grandchildren that's a NO. And I kept wondering, what about their children? Are they only going to host the grandchildren without their parents? It just struck me as very odd unless there are more bedrooms we weren't shown. However, at the beginning the owners said 2-bedroom, 2-bath.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I was thinking the kids and grandkids are local, and don't all come to the grandparents house at once.   

The Season 1, Episode 3 "Outdated to Modern" where they redid the house for the family with the brewery had a dumb waiter, and the first couple of showings, Chase got in the dumb waiter, and rode it.    On the reruns, that dangerous, ridiculous, and dumb, (yes, it's a pun), dumb waiter ride was edited out.     I'm wondering how many people tried that stunt?    

I really like the couple on tonight's show "Modern Lodge Chalet at Long Last".     I love the proposed design.    

Edited November 24, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[RoxiP]

On 11/18/2021 at 10:15 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I was thinking the kids and grandkids are local, and don't all come to the grandparents house at once.   

I thought the same thing - the parents will probably enjoy having time away from their kids!

That kid's room is really cool...now...but kids grow so a treehouse inside a bedroom will get old fast!

[rainsmom]

Snort. All I could see was one of the kids falling out of that tree house in the middle of the night when they're half asleep and getting up to pee.

[buttersister]

There’s a single dad who’ll be staying single for some time. So the boys will be happy—except where was their bedroom? Did his custody not include sleepovers? I missed the “before” condition of that place, but based on everyone’s reaction, it must have been pretty bad.

The neighborhood looked like an industrial park. Odd.

[RoxiP]

I actually liked the makeover of this house (which wasn't bad before...just bland and generic.  I didn't like the color they painted the man's bedroom but perhaps that was his choice, and moving the back door out of the bedroom was a good choice.  I did wonder about the boy's bedrooms but I suspect he probably had already done something for their rooms (as a parent you usually make sure your kid's needs are met before your own, plus the boys live nearby so they might not frequently spend the night).  I especially like the four seasons room but I would have liked to have heard whether it was appropriately heated and air conditioned...sure it was because otherwise even with open windows it would be unbearable in winter and summer.

[sheetmoss]

This Christmas episode brought a smile to my face -  from the animals to knowing  there's a Lucy Looney in this world

[RoxiP]

I was at a doctor's office this morning and they were showing the episode where the cat came to live with him...that cat landed in a comfy life!

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved the episode with the animal shelter.     I love that Joe adopted the dog, and Charlotte adopted her dog.    I loved seeing the cat that Joe rescued, and loved seeing Joe's wife again.   

The look back at Jenny's parents house was so cute.  I thought it was hysterical that Jenny wanted that huge wine storage area for her parents, and then realized that it would hold hundreds of bottles, and still look sparse.   Borrowing empty wine bottles from friends, and buying out carts full from their local wine shop was so funny.     I would have liked cabinets three feet high or so, a counter top, and the wine rack a few feet above that.     That way they would have had more storage, counter space for serving, and a wine storage that was better for the parents.    They didn't need only wine storage that took an entire wall space.   

The remodel on the house last night on the new episode was nice.   That floor plan before was awful.        

Edited December 22, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[mojito]

The Marrses couldn't miss with the animal shelter. If ever there was an episode to improve the ratings, this would've been it. Got a chuckle out of the ombre kennels. Who'd've thought to do that? 

Rough Rancher Made Modern Farmhouse

The Marrs fix up a place for their friend Twyla. It's episodes like this that I find myself warming up more and more to painting brick. They did a great job with that house. Now it could be that Twyla, who Dave had said knew what she wanted and knew how to get it, gave them strict instructions on what to do with her place, but she did seem to leave so much to their discretion and after watching so many HH/HHIs where people are so specific, it's nice to see people who have preferences (as in the color blue) but not a whole lot of picky little details that must be addressed. Nice that coming from CA (was it LA, more specifically?) she found a home in Bentonville. It seems like a really nice city.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, Twyla moved to Bentonville from L.A..    She just retired as a VP at Walmart.   A lovely woman who is so active promoting small business, and Black owned businesses.   

The remodel this week was so adorable.  

Edited January 7, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama