Fixer To Fabulous - General Discussion

[27bored]

The wife on this show is a little too serious and intense for me. She’s got the easier job but she always has this arch, bug-eyes, close-to-losing it thing about her. The guy seems way more laid back and is way easier to watch.

[Grrarrggh]

41 minutes ago, 27bored said:

The wife on this show is a little too serious and intense for me. She’s got the easier job but she always has this arch, bug-eyes, close-to-losing it thing about her. The guy seems way more laid back and is way easier to watch.

Isn't that the typical trope though?

[Gam2]

2 hours ago, 27bored said:

The wife on this show is a little too serious and intense for me. She’s got the easier job but she always has this arch, bug-eyes, close-to-losing it thing about her. The guy seems way more laid back and is way easier to watch.

It’s funny but I don’t see it this way at all. I think they each have their roles and compliment each other’s talents. I believe most successful marriages work this way especially if they work together. I like this couple and their show.

[27bored]

7 hours ago, Grrarrggh said:

Isn't that the typical trope though?

Yes it is.

5 hours ago, Gam2 said:

It’s funny but I don’t see it this way at all. I think they each have their roles and compliment each other’s talents. I believe most successful marriages work this way especially if they work together. I like this couple and their show.

Their marriage is one thing; a TV show is another. She kinda takes the joy out of the show for me. Even the moments when they’re just standing there she still seems a little tense. 

[RoxiP]

I like them both.  They seem to be a very well-adjusted, happy couple (and behind the scene reports I've read say they are truly a very affectionate and loving husband and wife who flirt and tease one another all the time).  They also seem to have a real relationship with the people who work with them.  I'm also not too terribly concerned with nitpicking them - they make pretty houses (although I still raise an eyebrow about the stupid children's rooms they do because...well...kids grow up).

[NYGirl]

I like them too.  I love when they call each other by their first and last name.  I also like the guys on their crew, Joe and his son.

I've seen Jenny act silly.  Just recently she was trying to jump into a house with no steps so she's not serious all the time.

The way they do the kids rooms remind me of that old ABC show with Ty Pennington on steroids where they renovate a house for a needy family.  The kids rooms were OTT

[CrazyInAlabama]

Just like with other remodeling for a specific client show, I suspect the homeowners get a lot more input on the project than the show says.   I bet the over-the-top children's rooms are because the homeowner said they want a princess theme room, or whatever theme they want, and a specific budget.    I'm guessing some of the homeowners already have the furniture, and bedding and other items they put in the theme rooms.  

I think in a lot of cases, the homeowners who apply to get on the show, want exactly the aesthetic the hosts use.    Personally, I can't imagine buying and living in a Property Brothers house, or a flip done by the Flip or Flop people.    Or anything Alison Victoria touched.

Edited January 10, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Just like with other remodeling for a specific client show, I suspect the homeowners get a lot more input on the project than the show says.   I bet the over-the-top children's rooms are because the homeowner said they want a princess theme room, or whatever theme they want, and a specific budget.    

That's what I don't get about most of these programmes. After you've seen 3-5 episodes you've seen every "design" the leads have. I'd think they'd want to choose to homeowners who want different designs, so to advertise that they can do more than open concept grey/white with occasional blue. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

"New Tudor Home in Time for a Newborn" They turned the two car garage into the primary suite, big ensuite, the laundry room, and a huge 'family closet'.     Just because the laundry is down there, putting everyone's closet down there seems bizarre to me.  This guarantees everyone will have to go up and down stairs to and from the former garage level.   

It makes no sense to me.   The other bedrooms were upstairs.    So, when the kids get older, they're supposed to run up and down stairs for their clothes, and things?    

The outside looked better painted, but I didn't get Tudor from the wood trim, just refreshed ranch.     I guess the garage level entrance will replace the front door use?    

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[MartyQui]

And I’ve never seen a Tudor house that was gray and white…it looked nice, but not Tudor.  I thought the bedroom was beautiful.  One thing that confounded me was the stovetop in the middle of the butcher block island…you lose the ability to put pots down without a trivet, and where was the hood?  It didn’t look like they had one of those pop-up ones they do sometimes.

[chessiegal]

I see no upside to butcher block. I won't even use one as a cutting board. How do you get them clean? I run my synthetic cutting boards through the dishwasher, especially after using them to cut poultry.

[Refresh]

Even before the remodel, that “Tudor” house was mid century with Tudor decoration on the exterior. Really, if the inside doesn’t make you think of a Renn Faire, goblets and Queen Elizabeth’s forehead,  is it really a Tudor? 

I think the Marrs’s used that same white/gold floor tile (in the family closet) in another design last year. As a back splash? Maybe was on a different show but I recognize it.

The new design was fine. Not a favorite but fine. 

10 hours ago, chessiegal said:

 

I see no upside to butcher block. I won't even use one as a cutting board. How do you get them clean?

 

Not to get too OT but to clean fixed wood or cutting boards, you scape it / scrub it / clean it with soap THEN you sanitize with a kitchen sanitizer (chemical or homemade solution using vinegar or bleach etc). Generally letting the sanitzer air dry completely or dry for at least 10-15 min. I worked in a few professional kitchens that had butcher blocks and that was the cleaning protocol. It’s also on the food safety certificate test FWIW. But to your point, if I’m working with meat at home, I would use a smaller cutting board on top so I could sanitize with heat in a dishwasher. Life’s too short! 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Refresh

[buttersister]

It’s hard to imagine me cutting meat on wood, but it is called butcher block.😂

[chessiegal]

8 hours ago, Refresh said:

to clean fixed wood or cutting boards, you scape it / scrub it / clean it with soap THEN you sanitize with a kitchen sanitizer (chemical or homemade solution using vinegar or bleach etc). Generally letting the sanitzer air dry completely or dry for at least 10-15 min.

I figured there must be a way, since I see professional chefs on tv using them, including for cutting meats. I wasn't even curious enough to Google it. I stand by my original statement - I see no upside to butcher block.

[deirdra]

5 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I see no upside to butcher block.

It is cheaper than the solid surfaces the homeowners will probably replace it with.

[chessiegal]

13 minutes ago, deirdra said:

It is cheaper than the solid surfaces the homeowners will probably replace it with.

Fair enough. I should have clarified. I see no upside for me. We replaced our laminate counter tops last year with quartz. (I obviously don't like butcher block! 😉)

[deirdra]

8 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Fair enough. I should have clarified. I see no upside for me. We replaced our laminate counter tops last year with quartz. (I obviously don't like butcher block! 😉)

There is no upside for me either.  My old house had a piece of it as part of the counter next to the stove (you could put hot stuff on it) and the rest was laminate (which would have melted). I hated it!  and never put food on it or cut anything on it and the crevice between it and the rest of the countertop collected crumbs. Now I have quartz!

I suspect the HGTV folks install it when they've used up the money on everything else.  But I don't like it when they talk it up about how rustic & indestructible it is. I'd live with it in a 200-yr old farmhouse where it was worn-in along with everything else. But a banged up top in a 5-yr old renovation would look ugly or stupid.

Edited January 13, 2022 by deirdra

[CrazyInAlabama]

On this week's remodel for a single man, with at least one adult child, I was underwhelmed with the exterior.    Painting everything super dark gray, or black may be a fad, but it made the house look awful.    It would have looked so much better with off-white, or white exterior with dark trim.     The two tone exterior looked disjointed.      The inside was OK, but still not thrilling.      

I think Bentonville, and Rogers, AR are so expensive that moving to a large place isn't an option for the people who are applying to be on this show.  

I'm still underwhelmed at the Dojo conversion to a modern house for the couple with two girls.   I find it strange that the man would lose his job, they had to sell the McMansion, and still have hundreds of thousands to buy and remodel the old Dojo.     

Edited January 21, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[pep4]

We watched part of the 'Tudor' episode last night, and laughed when they first showed the house after all the talk of 'Tudor!'

Perhaps it was actually a 'Two door' (to the outside) house.  ("You've won a toy Yoda!")

[pasdetrois]

On 1/10/2022 at 3:51 PM, Grrarrggh said:

After you've seen 3-5 episodes you've seen every "design" the leads have.

I watched two episodes and felt I was watching a clumsy mishmash of Magnolia/Home Town/Good Bones. There is a limit to how many of these duplicate shows I can watch without getting bored.

I thought the decision to re-cast a traditional, charming red-brick bungalow into a hacienda/southwestern/Spanish design was terribly misguided (white painted brick, red tile roof). Generally, home buyers don't like a design that is a significant departure from what all of the other neighborhood houses look like - it feels too specific and sticks out. But perhaps the homeowners dictated this style.

[Grrarrggh]

On 1/21/2022 at 12:06 PM, pasdetrois said:

Generally, home buyers don't like a design that is a significant departure from what all of the other neighborhood houses look like - it feels too specific and sticks out. But perhaps the homeowners dictated this style.

Really? I personally want my house to not look like the rest of the street. No cookie-cutter subdivisions for me please. 

[Gam2]

On 1/27/2022 at 7:32 PM, Grrarrggh said:

Really? I personally want my house to not look like the rest of the street. No cookie-cutter subdivisions for me please. 

We live in a rather upscale neighborhood. There’s one house that stands out like a sore thumb. All of the houses are brick but this house is farm style, white, barn side. It’s a really attractive house that was not inexpensive to build. However, it really draws attention by everyone who drives into our neighborhood. It just doesn’t fit. It’s been on the market for over 2 years. No one wants to buy it because it’s so different. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tonight's new episode "Storm Chaser Tracks Down Forever Home" is interesting.   The husband is a former firefighter, storm chaser, and cancer survivor.   He was storm chasing, and drove through Bentonville, realized he wanted to retire in a warmer climate, and is retiring there.     They're moving from Michigan, and wanted to get moved before winter set in.       

The big issue I have with the house is the driveway slopes towards the house, and even though it has a big runoff area, I'm wondering if that's enough for a big rain storm?    There is a runoff area right before the driveway goes up to the parking area, with a wide lowered area in that side of the driveway (I hope that makes sense), but I wonder if a huge deluge would still over power the drain?    

 

I'm tired of some shades of green cabinets, like this kitchen.  It was a very odd shade, and I just didn't like it.   The shutters didn't do anything for me either.    The pink bathroom tile was nice, but I didn't like the brass hardware next to it.  The pink front door didn't bother me, because I'm guessing that after weather and sun exposure, it will be much lighter.   

Edited February 2, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[RoxiP]

Not a fan of pink but I will say the tiles in the bathroom were better than the normal shade of pink (but not a fan of the pink front door).  I actually didn't hate the green cabinets but not sure if I would like them forever, but I think they offset the blinding predominantly white living and dining area...but I think that was the homeowners' preference, along with the shutters, because I couldn't imagine why you would voluntarily put up shutters if it didn't go with the style of the house (and by the way the outside of the house was considerably better after the renovation - I liked the dormer that shone light down on the porch and brightened it up).

In the past drainage issues have been addressed on the show so I'm assuming that there was a system already in place (perhaps a french drain runs somewhere that we weren't shown).  

[Infiltr8]

So I’ve only seen a handful of episodes but do they put microwaves in the kitchen? I know they are probably added back on the counter after filming but they don’t seem to account for them, I could be missing if they are built in —not a huge deal.. I like the show in general just seemed to have fixated on lack of microwave for some reason 🤣

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think a lot of the microwaves are installed in a bottom cabinet, or in the side of the island.   I don't understand that personally, but it seems to be a trend.  

 

[deirdra]

1 hour ago, Infiltr8 said:

So I’ve only seen a handful of episodes but do they put microwaves in the kitchen?

Many of them are built into lower cabinets these days - drawer microwaves at knee level are apparently the cool thing. Perhaps for toddlers who like to melt their siblings' toys, but not for adults with difficulties bending and lifting. I prefer a portable one on the counter, easily replaceable when it dies and if something is very hot, you just slide it onto the counter, rather than dropping it onto the stovetop or floor. And most children old enough to safely use a microwave can reach it on the counter.

Edited February 6, 2022 by deirdra

[CruiseDiva]

7 hours ago, deirdra said:

Many of them are built into lower cabinets these days - drawer microwaves at knee level are apparently the cool thing. Perhaps for toddlers who like to melt their siblings' toys, but not for adults with difficulties bending and lifting. I prefer a portable one on the counter, easily replaceable when it dies and if something is very hot, you just slide it onto the counter, rather than dropping it onto the stovetop or floor. And most children old enough to safely use a microwave can reach it on the counter.

My home was built in 1987 and the microwave is built in above the oven and I would love to have it in a lower cabinet. I'm a Geezer Gal with arthritis and sometimes it isn't easy getting things into and out of a microwave that is shoulder height. Plus, the one I now have has a door with hinges on the bottom that drops down (the last one had hinges that opened to the left) and it's hard to clean. I have to stand on a stool to reach the back of it.

[RoxiP]

I think that the counter microwave has a lot to do with accessibility also...wheelchair bound people can use it.  I know most offices I work in these days have counter microwaves.

I understand what you are saying but I'm not giving up valuable counter space for a microwave.  Of course I live in an RV so I am lucky to have enough counter space for my toaster and coffee pot...LOL!

[Lady Lucy]

We have a 2-year old house that has a microwave drawer in the island. I love it. It's out the way (I hate to take up counter space with microwaves and other appliances) and easy to use (no stretching like for our old one that was over the built-in oven).  For me this is a trend that should continue. 

[RoxiP]

18 hours ago, Lady Lucy said:

We have a 2-year old house that has a microwave drawer in the island. I love it. It's out the way (I hate to take up counter space with microwaves and other appliances) and easy to use (no stretching like for our old one that was over the built-in oven).  For me this is a trend that should continue. 

LOL...my daughter dropped something out of the microwave and broke my solid surface stove top...although she never fessed up to it!  Not to mention the potential for burns as you have to lean over stuff cooking on the stove...

But that's the nice thing about home design...we all get to do what works best for us!

Edited February 8, 2022 by RoxiP

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tonight's behind the scenes with some exceptional custom items was so fun.   It was partly about Jenny's parents house, and some other really nice builds.

The new episode in Springdale, and a mid-century modern.   Amy and Andy are the homeowners, and they bought halfway between where they lived, to move in together. "Midcentury Party House".  They have a pool house, with an indoor pool in it.   The pool house is literally caving in.  The pool's humidity made the insulation too heavy, so the ceiling is coming down, the doors are immobile.    The pool house is awful.     

I can't believe how Dave and his brother are pushing that tree over with the excavator.   However, the llama and alpaca watching with the dog was funny.     

I hated the pool house wall painting, it did look like toothpaste stripes.     

Edited February 16, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[pep4]

Re:  That 70's House, featuring special guest star Dazed and Confused Poolhaus

When they were pulling down the tree, I thought that was some quality use of the neighbor's drama llamas.

Liked the house, but hated the brown/yellow toothpaste striping and the swan floaties.  Opening up the pool house seemed like it would be really neat, but ended up with just that small garage door and the feel of an old YMCA.  Theme overkill.  I dunno, maybe could have added some skylights or dormer type windows that could open wide for a lot more airflow and light.  I would have converted a long wall into some type of window doors that could be opened up in summer, but could see that being too expensive to heat in winter.

I also agree that they need to give us answers to where's Waldo the microwave.  Am totally looking for that now.

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by pep4

[CrazyInAlabama]

This week's new episode is a woman who grew up near Bentonville, and is moving back with her husband, and high school son.    They have a house out in the country, with over 50 acres.      For me the shower room was a big fail, I think the painted metal panel for the shower room will be a nightmare to keep from rusting.   I hope they used tempered glass in the shower panel too.    

Painting the exterior brick that color does nothing for me. I don't see any issue with the stone removed on the garage brick by the garage door having brick under it.  Just paint it like the other brick, and it will look fine.     

 I don't like the wall of cutting boards either.   I don't like the whitewashed interior arch, just plain white paint would have been better.   Before the kitchen was dark, but had a ton of storage.   The after of only lower cabinets cut the storage way down.   I do like the pantry/laundry room though.  However, storing dishes and glassware in there will be a pain to access.   The living room/game room is now tiny.   The main bedroom is now tiny (apparently it always was small).     I like the blue bathroom shower room tile, but not combined with the white bathroom tiles in the sink and toilet area, and then different tile in the shower room floor.      When you have over 50 acres, why do you need the living wall on the back patio for privacy?    

Edited February 23, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[buttersister]

Based on this place, I’m not looking for them to rock any block.

Most times, I think that HGTV tried cloning Chip and Joanna and got weaker versions.

[RoxiP]

I don't think the size of the bedroom changed at all.  The homeowners commented that it was small during the walk through.  The bathroom was expanded by taking the former laundry/bathroom and the former master bathroom and dividing the space up more equitably between them.  I actually loved the blue tile accent in the shower but perhaps that's just to my taste.

I prefer whitewashed brick to painted brick personally.  Painted brick always looks gummy to me.  Again, just personal preference.  I do agree that the living area looked smaller (although technically it wasn't - just with the closed wall it lost the illusion of space - and I am not a fan of the molding on the walls but I can't help but think that was specific to the homeowners' taste and not necessarily something the designer would have chosen.  

I think the growth wall was specifically for herbs which truly would be nice, although I think on a south-facing wall keeping them hydrated may be problematic (at least it would be here in Texas).  In my opinion it was probably more about providing some blockage from the heat of the sun than privacy, but then again it looked like the house was fairly close to the road so all the acreage may be behind it and there may be neighbors somewhat adjacent.

[KeithJ]

I just started watching this show this season but has there ever been a house on the show where they haven't painted the outside brick?  Jenny must really hate brick because she seems to suggest it on every single house.

[CrazyInAlabama]

They love to paint brick.     I hate painted brick, unless you keep it painted, it never comes off entirely.    I also am getting tired of the green painted cabinets.   Some green shades are OK, but others are just too dark, and dominate the room.    I also don't like the water and feeding station in a cabinet for the dog.     Even when you have the bowls set in quartz, the water still splashes, and that will eventually trash the cabinet.   Also, what if you add another dog?    

The rest of the house was nice, but I really thought the cabinets were way too dark, and dominated the room, and a very light green, or gray would have been better.   

[RoxiP]

I thought the dog bowl water filler was stupid.  I didn't mind the cabinets because the homeowners had said green or blue.  I did like the ceiling of the shower mimicking the arches on the outside of the house.

I think the issue is that brick dates a house unless it is a specific type (like colonial houses with red brick).  Plus throw in foundation repairs, damage from trees, etc., and if you renovate trying to match the existing brick if you change out windows or doors - painting just makes more sense.

I thought I would dislike the windows in the living room but I ended up thinking they were very well done and looked good.

That wood he used on the island was beautiful.

Edited March 2, 2022 by RoxiP
afterthought

[deirdra]

1 hour ago, RoxiP said:

I did like the ceiling of the shower mimicking the arches on the outside of the house.

I thought they tore down the arches outside the front door.  If they didn't like those arches, why would they want arches in the bathroom?  

[RoxiP]

The homeowners stated that they liked the arches and I am pretty certain that they were not torn down.  The arch in the shower was to emulate the arches at the front of the house.

However I don't mind if I am wrong...it has happened more often than not.  At least now I can blame it on chemo brain.

[buttersister]

Quote

Some green shades are OK, but others are just too dark, and dominate the room

Like that one! My eyes! What's the over/under on those getting repainted. I'm thinking 2 weeks!

[CrazyInAlabama]

2 hours ago, buttersister said:

Like that one! My eyes! What's the over/under on those getting repainted. I'm thinking 2 weeks!

I agree, I bet those cabinets were either refaced, or painted as soon as the homeowners could get the money together.    They may have to live with them for a while too, unless they had a bunch of extra funds left over.    In my opinion, refacing or painting cabinets works better when you have a pro do it.    And I bet the dog food/water station was out of the cabinet immediately.   

[deirdra]

Jenny tore out the arches around the front door with the truck! I was worried part of the house or roof would come with them.

Edited March 3, 2022 by deirdra

[CruiseDiva]

6 hours ago, deirdra said:

Jenny tore out the arches around the front door with the truck! I was worried part of the house or roof would come with them.

I believe you're thinking of a different episode. The homeowners liked the arches in this one and they kept them as well as the patio/porch in front that they covered with a pergola. Planting vines with that thought that they will eventually create a canopy over the pergola was a terrible idea. Vines will creep onto the painted brick and ruin it. 

No one mentioned that they painted the brick fireplace the same fugly blue as they painted the outside brick and painted the kitchen cabinets green. That might have been okay except that you could see the cabinets from the living room through the expansive opening to the dining/kitchen area and the colors didn't play well together. While I initially thought he "inside windows" were a terrible idea, they really turned out a lot better than I expected.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 3/2/2022 at 6:08 PM, deirdra said:

Jenny tore out the arches around the front door with the truck! I was worried part of the house or roof would come with them.

That was the previous episode, where the people lived on 50 or more acres.     I get them mixed up too, because they keep rerunning episodes, and they're all starting to blend together.   

On the newlywed house, do people really have dinner on the front porch patios?  I like the exterior blue a lot better on the porch, on the long shot in bright sunlight it looks so much more gaudy.    I really hope the door that they cut down, and turned into a window between the living and kitchen / dining was tempered glass.   The green kitchen cabinets in this episode were a good color on the reveal.   

Edited March 9, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

I caught the very end of this episode when I watched the following HH, and yes, the brick arch in front was there. I kind of liked the green of the kitchen cabinets. I do wonder about colors and different tvs. I was watching a Sarah Richardson show where she said she had reupholstered a chair seat with very light blue, and it absolutely looked like white on my tv.

[Grrarrggh]

I specifically went and watched this episode to see the infamous green cabinets, and must say I quite liked them. Not exactly the shade I would want but a thousand times better than white or grey. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

So, after Jenny's parents moved to Bentonville, now her sister and the husband Angie & Rob Nelson move to town, and buy a wreck of a house for them, and their two sons.    That little tract house is close to the Bentonville downtown, and it's awful.   

Unfortunately, the inventory in Bentonville, and Rogers, and surrounding communities is very low, and the prices have really gone up.    I think the idea of building the house up and out is the only solution.   That is a massive house they're building.    Buying the lot behind them was a great idea.     My guess is the finished house will be way above the prices in the nearby houses, so the sister and husband better stay there forever. 

If I have the right person, Rob is the chef/owner of Tusk and Trotter (a fancy restaurant in Bentonville).   I knew he looked familiar, he's been on Guy's Grocery Games. 

Edited March 9, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[RoxiP]

Yes, they definitely overbuilt for their neighborhood (but the neighborhood might be transitioning in that direction) but for what they wanted they got a lovely house and the back yard was certainly improved by their purchase of the lot.  The pool was better than I expected.