Renovation Island - General Discussion

[LittleIggy]

Didn’t anyone notice that they weren’t getting a utility bill? 🤦‍♀️

[ByaNose]

I’m watch the first 5 minutes and the last 10 minutes of the show. The 1/2 hour format is all that is needed for this show. Too much fake drama. They keep showing the same overhead drone shot. Blah! Blah! Blah! I still like Bryan though. 

[absolutelyido]

I question some of the design choices Sara is making. They are beautiful, but I'm not sure how practical for a beach resort. For example:

-Wood floors in the rooms - I can't imagine that the hardwood floors are going to last very long with all the sand that is inevitably going to be brought into the rooms. They put tile in a small area just inside the door, but sand is still going to make it past that spot on feet, towels, bathing suits, etc. Those rooms should have tile throughout IMO.

-In the completed room they showed tonight the furniture cushions were white. I hope they can be removed and put in a washing machine because they are going to look dirty very quickly.

Sara and Bryan joked about wanting to move into the completed room. They really should stay in the room at least a couple of nights. They will discover things that they didn't put in the rooms that are needed.

[LittleIggy]

Yeah, that light colored upholstery will get dirty quick. I still don’t get why they got rid of bathtubs in the villas/rooms. Some people (like me) are bath people.

I was distracted during tonight’s episode because the hot water heater in my apartment decided to meet its maker and leak water all over my bathroom. I live in a studio apartment so now the cats’ litter boxes are in my living area! 🤦‍♀️

[CrazyInAlabama]

I totally agree the wood floors are a mistake.    They should have used the wood look porcelain tile, easy to clean, and so durable.    They should also have used artificial deck materials, and they would never have to replace them, they also make railings with that too. 

I'm calling shenanigans on the electricity bill last week, and this week's running out of propane for the fork lift.     I'm getting tired of the constant screw ups in ordering, and delivery.   Either they're the most incompetent builders ever, or they're trying to enhance the drama.  

 

The villas, and hotel rooms are all with white furniture.     I hope they have someone who can reupholster all of the cushions, and seats when they get dirty.   

[hilaryvm]

I actually like this show.  The couple are fine, and to me not annoying.  I love renovation shows, and this one is nice because you get a more in-depth look at a project.  I have to think some of the "conflict" or "design/construction changes" are to some extent driven by the show.  I imagine some of it really does come from what they are able to get shipped and when.  My mom and I, when seeing the forklift stuff, wondered why he just didn't fill it in town...cut to the town being out of gas.  That is something I don't think you can plan for.

I wonder if they have investors on the project, because it has to be an insane amount of money to fix it up.

[ByaNose]

Could Bryan’s wife STFU? Is she intentionally trying to start a fight with Bryan at every turn? I would like Bryan sans wife for another show next season. 

[LittleIggy]

I like the show too. I wouldn’t watch it if I didn’t.

[topanga]

12 hours ago, ByaNose said:

Could Bryan’s wife STFU? Is she intentionally trying to start a fight with Bryan at every turn? I would like Bryan sans wife for another show next season. 

And I would say the opposite. They certainly get along better than they used to, but I think Bryan undermines his wife too much. He almost always disagrees with her design choices, and he freely admits that he doesn't communicate his plans well, but he expects her design timeline to fall in line with his renovation timeline. Even though she usually has no idea what his timeline is because he doesn't communicate it or write it down for other people, like his renovation partner.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think they are arguing, and staging screw ups (like the propane) to make a story line.    

I know the all white room look is very in at high priced vacation places, but I think tropical prints and colors on the benches would be so much easier to keep clean, and still look tropical.       The wooden floors were a big mistake, and the wood look tile would have been so much better throughout the rooms.  

Edited July 8, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[NYGirl]

HG still doesn't understand that we don't need drama to keep watching these types of shows.  They always think we need some kind of storyline or a big problem at every turn. If one shows up ...fine ..but don't create them.

Edited July 7, 2020 by NYGirl

[LittleIggy]

26 minutes ago, NYGirl said:

HG still doesn't understand that we don't need drama to keep watching these types of shows.  They always think we need some kind of storyline or not a problem at every turn. If one shows up ...fine ..but don't create them.

Absolutely. I watch to see the reno.

[CruiseDiva]

12 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Absolutely. I watch to see the reno.

This! I'm so over Sarah's annoying complaints and her dumb-as-rocks decision to use white cushions on the resort furniture. When she screamed at Bryan and their son not to sit down I wanted to smack her.

[ByaNose]

8 hours ago, topanga said:

And I would say the opposite. They certainly get along better than they used to, but I think Bryan undermines his wife too much. He almost always disagrees with her design choices, and he freely admits that he doesn't communicate his plans well, but he expects her design timeline to fall in line with his renovation timeline. Even though she usually has no idea what his timeline is because he doesn't communicate it or write it down for other people, like his renovation partner.

Yeah, they’re basically both doing it. I stand corrected. 

[Grrarrggh]

On 6/15/2020 at 10:33 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I call shenanigans on last night's story about not having a lot of things on order, there is no way experienced construction people like the Beaumlers did that.  

Do customers really not care that the people doing the work seem like morons? I wouldn't feel safe at their property. Is the bad publicity really worth it?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I just realized I forgot this was on Sunday, and missed it.   I doubt I missed much.   

[ByaNose]

50 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I just realized I forgot this was on Sunday, and missed it.   I doubt I missed much.   

You didn’t. Husband & wife argue. Problems with shipment orders. Calamity ensues. The honeymoon suite is done and looks beautiful. End scene. Yup! You didn’t miss a thing. You could have watched last weeks show & you wouldn’t have known the difference. 

[buttersister]

I glanced in for a sec, saw some machine trying to unload an overloaded truck and whatshername angsting bigly about whether something would break, because omg, we can't afford to lose anything and omg, we can't afford to lose any more money or time and ack and ...*click*

[LittleIggy]

I was so happy that the tile guy agreed with Bryan about not putting wood on those stairs. I’m tired of Sarah’s off the cuff BS. I still think they should have a villa with a free standing soaker tub.

[mandigirl]

On 7/7/2020 at 7:51 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I think they are arguing, and staging screw ups (like the propane) to make a story line.

I think some are staged, but a lot of the arguing feels organic to me. When Bryan was grilling Sarah about her plans for the design of the back of the bar (Seriously, their lack of communication is crazy. HOW does he not have at least some idea of the plans already??), there was a tremor in Sarah's voice. She really was nervous. When she 'angers' Bryan, he can be quite vicious in his tone with her. 

On 7/7/2020 at 7:36 AM, topanga said:

I think Bryan undermines his wife too much.

I have absolutely no previous exposure to Bryan, but I find him thoroughly unlikeable. He's so condescending, dismissive and rude to his wife. She's not perfect either for sure, but he's the worse offender IMO. He's a dictator. He makes changes all the time, but when Sarah makes changes, he either ignores them, or vocally bitches about it. I hate how Sarah will be talking about a design decision, and then he asks one of the workers what they think. Not because the workers don't or shouldn't have an opinion, but the way he does it so undermining. I hope he watches the show and realizes how poorly he acts.

Edited July 21, 2020 by mandigirl

[topanga]

It's painful to watch them install the white and pastel bedding and furniture. 

The bathroom in the honeymoon suite is beautiful. But maybe a little too large? Seriously, a chair and ottoman? If I'm reading in the bathroom, let's hope I'm not sitting on an upholstered chair. Baroom-ching! 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think having upholstered furniture in a bathroom in a tropical climate is a huge mistake.   

I think the all white theme is very upscale, but a tropical theme without white everywhere would be a good theme for a tropical resort too.    

I'm guessing they're saving a ton with using, and featuring certain company's products, (like Cambria countertops) that they showed can be dropped on the road by a bouncing fork lift, and survive.   Then the Cambria installers show up, and another opportunity to feature the sponsor's product.   

Edited July 18, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[absolutelyido]

One thing they did that I really like is the 'beach deck' they created adjacent to the pool deck, but jutting out over the beach. It's a nice way to be 'on' the beach but not have to be in the sand.

[LittleIggy]

8 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I think having upholstered furniture in a bathroom in a tropical climate is a huge mistake.   

I think the all white theme is very upscale, but a tropical theme without white everywhere would be a good theme for a tropical resort too.    

A freestanding tub could have gone where the upholstered furniture was.

[CrazyInAlabama]

They're showing a marathon this Friday, the 24th, in case anyone wants to see endless fights, and bad planning.

So they planned on six months, are now at a year, and plan to open in six more months?    At least they'll have resort managers, and I guess gave up on the spa for now.     

They turned the bar/tiki hut from a place to get drinks, to high maintenance with the plant wall and everything else they added.    

I remember Sarah from the series where they were building their house, and it was nothing but change orders, and arguing.     

The second suite they finished didn't look that nice to me.   The villas could be at any fancy hotel, anywhere.    Except for the wall art of the old pictures, and the coffee table book about the Bahama Mamas, it was generic.   

The bar's rattan lights, and decoration were blowing around like crazy, and that just doesn't look good. 

Edited July 25, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[MaKaM]

I gotta say, if I were doing something like this, I would get the clubhouse/restaurant open first (or at least the smoothie cafe) to get people used to coming to the resort and getting the name out there. Don't know what other resorts are on the island but offering an additional place for people to come for high class dining would be a good way to get some income. As for the open bar thing, are they going to have someone sleep overnight in it or does it close up in some way? You can't leave all the alcohol on display shelves when you have some big wedding party staying there...

 

Guess that initial "we gotta open in 6 months or we're broke!" was a wee bit of an exaggeration. Also, geez, did they consult with anyone before making their budget/schedule? Survey the property? Also, I agree with the others, he sucks. Pissy. And yeah, constant change orders can drive a builder crazy so she's pretty useless in that way, but the way he acts, he's telling her that the job is the important thing, not the family. I see a divorce in their future without him doing a major recalibration.

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, MaKaM said:

I see a divorce in their future without him doing a major recalibration.

No one knows what goes on in a marriage except the people in it, especially based on what we see on a show edited for drama and therefore ratings. Years ago when Bryan and Sarah did a show about renovating/building their own home, they had the exact same dynamic. Whatever is going on seems to be working for them.

[ByaNose]

It was funny when they kept showing the bar area and the rattan overhead lights (Chandler) were blowing all over the place due to the winds and or breeze. I think they might need something more stable that won’t move. Just a suggestion anyway. 

[LittleIggy]

I was so delighted for Marco the groundskeeper when he got that brand spanking new John Deere! 😁

Guess I’m in a minority here because Sarah annoys me more than Bryan. Her constant changes make me 🙄.

[Grrarrggh]

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I was so delighted for Marco the groundskeeper when he got that brand spanking new John Deere! 😁

Guess I’m in a minority here because Sarah annoys me more than Bryan. Her constant changes make me 🙄.

She doesn't annoy me much because I'm assuming that those constant changes are all written into the script. 

[mandigirl]

Gotta agree with LitteIggy, Marco getting the new grounds equipment may have been my favorite moment of the show so far.  I was surprised and pleased that Bryan and Sarah expressed what looked to be genuine warmth and gratitude towards the people on the island, including those working for them. 

I really wish they showed more of Sarah's design process for decorating the hotel. That would have been cool. Also would like to see more of the property managers. Their whole process would be interesting as well. If they get another season (they may!), or HGTV does another show with a similar idea, I would like to see a whole lot less bickering, and a whole lot more of the inner workings of getting a resort up and running. 

Quote

It was funny when they kept showing the bar area and the rattan overhead lights (Chandler) were blowing all over the place due to the winds and or breeze. I think they might need something more stable that won’t move.

ITA. Some things may sound good, but I think that swaying rattan hat that they turned into a light would get super annoying after awhile. I would be interested to know if it is still there. 

[CruiseDiva]

10 hours ago, mandigirl said:

Gotta agree with LitteIggy, Marco getting the new grounds equipment may have been my favorite moment of the show so far. 

Totally agree! That was joyful and Marco's reaction was a treasure. 🥰

I must be the only viewer who thinks Bryan is the practical one and Sarah is impractical with the costly last minute changes she wants to make and with the "decor" that's not going to stand up to heavy use at a beach resort--the white chair cushions, the chaise lounge in a bathroom, etc.

[chessiegal]

30 minutes ago, CruiseDiva said:

I must be the only viewer who thinks Bryan is the practical one and Sarah is impractical

Nope. I first saw Bryan when he was doing his own renovation show and thought he was competent and delightful. Then they did a show on renovating their house and we meet Sarah. She was the exact same way, constantly changing her mind, it had to be her way, costs and practicality be damned. I see she hasn't changed.

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

Totally agree! That was joyful and Marco's reaction was a treasure. 🥰

I must be the only viewer who thinks Bryan is the practical one and Sarah is impractical with the costly last minute changes she wants to make and with the "decor" that's not going to stand up to heavy use at a beach resort--the white chair cushions, the chaise lounge in a bathroom, etc.

Not at all, friend! I’m with you.

[mandigirl]

7 hours ago, chessiegal said:

8 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

I must be the only viewer who thinks Bryan is the practical one and Sarah is impractical

Nope. I first saw Bryan when he was doing his own renovation show and thought he was competent and delightful. Then they did a show on renovating their house and we meet Sarah. She was the exact same way, constantly changing her mind, it had to be her way, costs and practicality be damned. I see she hasn't changed.

Bryan is Definitely more practical than Sarah, lol-- but he's also more unlikable to me. I find his tone with her to be off-putting. And his temper tantrum last episode was not a good look. 

8 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

she wants to make and with the "decor" that's not going to stand up to heavy use at a beach resort--the white chair cushions, the chaise lounge in a bathroom, etc.

I've seen other resorts with the whole modern 'all white' look, and many hotels have all white linens. If they use commercial grade furniture and fabrics they should be ok hopefully.  I'm liking the design generally. ITA that they should have done wood-look tile. I think they are going to figure that out as well...

Is Sarah a professional designer, does this for a living, has her own clients etc.? Or is she one of those (usually rich) people who feels they have an eye for interior design? No disrespect if she is the latter-- I've seen many people pull out great design. She's prob a bit 'spoiled' because Bryan is free labor. If she got charged for each change order? She'd figure it out real quick.  

Edited July 23, 2020 by mandigirl

[absolutelyido]

I think in a lot of ways Sarah has a more difficult job than Bryan. Bryan is the GC and Sarah is the designer (I know she had another designer helping her, but Bryan also has Adam the project manager).

Bryan has to hire and schedule all the subcontractors, but it seems like the decisions he has to make are pretty straightforward. The roofs leak, wood on decks and outdoor soffits is rotten, plumbing is corroded, so they all need to be replaced.

As the designer, Sarah has to decide what will be on every surface inside and out (wall, floor, ceiling), and pick every piece of furniture, accessory, artwork, bedding, towels, etc. from an almost infinite number of choices. That would seem overwhelming to me. 

[tabloidlover]

Is it over?  No new episode tonight

[absolutelyido]

13 minutes ago, tabloidlover said:

Is it over?  No new episode tonight

There was a new episode tonight for me, 7PM central time.

[chessiegal]

30 minutes ago, tabloidlover said:

Is it over?  No new episode tonight

I didn't watch it, but the promos on HGTV said there was a new episode tonight at 8 pm ET.

[tabloidlover]

😡 HGTV shows it as season 2...  Thanks guys!!
 

Edited July 27, 2020 by tabloidlover

[LittleIggy]

They explained the name of the restaurant, but what does “Switcha” signify? 🤔 It was funny when Bryan told Sarah he would get her a tool belt so she could pitch in.  She got all huffy! 😆

[HerkyJerky]

Yep, more drama...empty acetylene tanks, dripping roofs, too small water pipes, etc.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, last night was new (more remodeling in the restaurant areas), and more problems.   Followed by the usual pointless argument.   There's also another new one on next week, sounds like the same old stuff.  

[Cherpumple]

23 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

They explained the name of the restaurant, but what does “Switcha” signify? 🤔

I think it's a popular Bahamian drink made with limes (like limeade), but there are many different local variations that include orange, lemon, grapefruit, mint, ginger, etc. It sounds delicious!

I like this couple, but as they near the final push, Sarah is annoying me more and more. I get that she'd rather do the renovations "right" the first time, but they're severely behind schedule now and that ship has sailed. And I don't think she's really grasped the concept of opening in phases. Namely, do the crucial stuff first, make some money, then worry about the bells and whistles. In this latest episode she's freaking out about them not being able to open on time, and then turns around and asks Bryan to devote some time and money to widening the door on the spa treatment room to make the (perfectly good) view slightly better. Bryan is dealing with leaky AC units and an inadequate water supply to the entire hotel - you know, actual dealbreakers for hosting guests - and she's worried about the view from the massage table? Priorities, woman! Also, that spa has only one treatment room? Unless they also offer in-room treatments, that doesn't seem like enough.

[LittleIggy]

And don’t forget the sign that Bryan and his sidekick repaired and refurbished quite nicely. Sarah wasn’t satisfied with that.

BTW, I wouldn’t call that a “spa.”

[CrazyInAlabama]

Guess where Hurricane Isaias (which I can't pronounce at all) is centered over right now?   Yes, right over their island.  

I suspect from what was said is the spa will be massages, and they talked about pedicure chairs, so I imagine mani/pedis will be offered.    If they want to, they could probably add a small beauty salon on the side of the spa too.   They said they're the only hotel on their island, so I don't think they'll get much business from outside the resort. 

And Bryan finally mentioned something I've wondered about.   They do have on site managers, and once the construction, and the show finished, they will be owners, but don't know how often they'll visit.      I figured that was coming up.  

The sign by the road looks wonderful, so why would they spend many thousands more to fix a sign that looks great?   

Tonight's big issue, glass for the shower enclosures doesn't fit.   Isn't there anyone in the Bahamas that does shower glass?    

How sad about the impact of Hurricane Dorian.

Edited August 4, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[LittleIggy]

I’m glad they decided to keep and refurbish the pond. Making it a mini wildlife spot would be a bonus for the resort, IMO.

[ByaNose]

From reading Bryan’s twitter (what else do I have to do) I didn’t realize this show already aired in Canada and has been heavily edited. He said a lot of the episodes have been basically skipped and sped up.  I don’t know if I really noticed it or not. It’s the usual high drama and then magically everything is solved and looks beautiful. Did anyone watch the Canadian airing and notice any major changes in the US airing?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I just saw an ad and on 30 August, the next Baeumler show premiers.   It's Sarah, and Bryan working together on client houses.    It's called Renovation, Inc (at least I think that's what it's called.). 

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I just saw an ad and on 30 August, the next Baeumler show premiers.   It's Sarah, and Bryan working together on client houses.    It's called Renovation, Inc (at least I think that's what it's called.). 

I saw that too. Guess HGTV is bringing in more Canadian content to its US branch.