Renovation Island - General Discussion

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is that without adding Canadian HGTV shows to the lineup in the U.S., that we wouldn't have anything that's new.  The producers of all of the shows must have run out of new content, except for the remote ones with everyone dialing in from home. 

[chessiegal]

If they're bringing in Canadian HGTV content, how about bringing back Sarah Richardson.

[absolutelyido]

5 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

If they're bringing in Canadian HGTV content, how about bringing back Sarah Richardson.

Yes! She was one of the best HGTV designers IMO. (She does have a Youtube channel. She just revealed a vacation rental home that she and her husband purchased and remodeled. It is lovely.)

[CrazyInAlabama]

I would love to see anything from Sarah Richardson.    Also, Scott McGillivray's other shows were great.  

[ByaNose]

I wonder where they hired the bride and groom from? Central Casting? If they didn’t have that rinky dinky wedding to show there wouldn’t  have been any drama. I sure hope everything is solved by next week. I’m on pins and needles. Not!

[LittleIggy]

9 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

My guess is that without adding Canadian HGTV shows to the lineup in the U.S., that we wouldn't have anything that's new.  The producers of all of the shows must have run out of new content, except for the remote ones with everyone dialing in from home. 

Isn’t Vacation House Rules Canadian? I like that show.

I was surprised at how small the wedding party was.

[chessiegal]

7 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Isn’t Vacation House Rules Canadian? I like that show.

Yes, it is, with Scott McGillivray. I like him. We'll be sitting on our back porch, and I'll tell my husband I have to go visit my boyfriend when I know it's coming on. I can tell if someone is Canadian by the way they pronounce out and house.

I wonder how the resort fared in the hurricane.

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Yes, it is, with Scott McGillivray. I like him. We'll be sitting on our back porch, and I'll tell my husband I have to go visit my boyfriend when I know it's coming on. I can tell if someone is Canadian by the way they pronounce out and house.

Me too! 😁

[MaKaM]

I remembered to watch this week (forgot the last two weeks) and doesn't look like I've missed much. The "reveal" of the different rooms...they all look the same. They are such snoozers, the camera focuses on the accessories (though I did like the rock (?) walls that the sconces were in). How do you wait until a month before opening to worry about lighting? How bad are the working conditions that the sous chef quits the week before the soft opening? You'd think working on a tropical island in a kitchen that isn't going to be serving many people for a long time would be the dream job.

I'll probably give their new-to-the-US show a few watches, but if they are as disorganized in their regular business as they have been here...it isn't a good look. I'm on Team Bring-back-Scott-McGillvray-and-Sarah-Richardson Old Shows. Or run old Holmes shows. I'd rather watch Sarah and Tommy do 10 year old designs than see yet another attempt to make Kortney and Dave from Tennessee into TV stars (they are on what, their third boring show?); stop trying to make fetch happen, HGTV.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I suspect the original series made a whole lot more sense on timelines, and events.   The poster that said Bryan said the U.S. version is choppy, and pieced together, and omitted some things sounds exactly right.   I've noticed that on some episodes when Bryan or Sarah say how long they've been working on the resort, that one time they say a year, then the next week it's less time, then later it's more time, so the producers are really changing things around, and think the viewers won't notice.    

[chessiegal]

34 minutes ago, MaKaM said:

Or run old Holmes shows.

They run marathons of Holmes shows on DIY network many times a week. and maybe a few of the other Discovery owned channels.

[MaKaM]

4 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

They run marathons of Holmes shows on DIY network many times a week. and maybe a few of the other Discovery owned channels.

It has all been Holmes Makes it Right and Holmes and Holmes (sometimes Next Gen) which they only have a few episodes of each to show and they've definitely shown them all. Frequently. I was thinking about the 10 year old ones from the original show. Sure, seen 'em but at least I didn't see them last week on the previous marathon. If I needed a break from the constant Chip and Joanna reruns, I need a break from Mike and Jr. fixing up the work/play property and the country house. And the cops who got taken by the contractor and the family who for some reason couldn't tighten their own dishwasher drain line (or replace the dishwasher) and instead called their insurance which led to a 2 year dramafest of hotel stays, mis-installed fridges, holes in the floor, etc. Over a leaky dishwasher that probably just needed a valve tightened and some floor sanding that any reasonably competent person could have tackled in a weekend. Sorry, that veered off topic, apparently I needed to vent. 😛

I would say I would be interested in seeing how the show looked in its original state, but I am not ready to watch it all again any time soon. Though if they are chopping the episodes and condensing stuff, that seems pretty short sighted with the dearth of new programming they have on tap. If anything, they should be re-editing to make more episodes, not less. Bet HGTV wishes they had dragged the Brady show out for a few more episodes.

[RoxiP]

I started out being meh about this show but it has grown on me over the weeks (combined with a lack of other original programming and DIY being taken off my cable lineup so I can't watch reruns of Maine Cabin Masters...LOL!).  Yes they bicker but they seem to have mostly a good working relationship (I do find him condescending but she just steamrolls over him so apparently that is how they work together as a couple).  The location is absolutely stunning and it interests me to see the transformation as it happens.

[absolutelyido]

3 hours ago, RoxiP said:

I started out being meh about this show but it has grown on me over the weeks (combined with a lack of other original programming and DIY being taken off my cable lineup so I can't watch reruns of Maine Cabin Masters...LOL!).  Yes they bicker but they seem to have mostly a good working relationship (I do find him condescending but she just steamrolls over him so apparently that is how they work together as a couple).  The location is absolutely stunning and it interests me to see the transformation as it happens.

I really like it too. It's something a little different from the usual remodeling shows. 

[ExplainItAgain]

I've just caught pieces of the shows here and there. But in one, Sarah said they have 4 kids, but I've only seen 3 on the show? Is there a much older one off at school or something?

[chessiegal]

They have 4 kids, all young. IIRC, I think they might have said they were sending one of the kids off island, but he's not off to college age. Maybe someone who was paying closer attention can comment.

[izabella]

I've noticed the episode numbers are all over the place and not shown in order, and then things just didn't make sense half the time.  I thought maybe it was me confusing things, but this show is a jumble and hard to follow.

I love the setting, though!   The views are gorgeous, and I can't get enough of the water vistas.   It's an interesting premise, and it's too bad the editing is so weird. 

The cottages and rooms were lovely, but I had hoped for more color and maybe a more cozy feel.   Maybe they will add more local art and custom into their resort over time.  When I've stayed in scuba/snorkeling places, the things that were local made the places feel unique and special.

Edited August 16, 2020 by izabella

[chessiegal]

This show was originally aired in Canada. Bryan has said it was edited for the US market, obviously not done very well.

[Shelbie]

57 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

They have 4 kids, all young. IIRC, I think they might have said they were sending one of the kids off island, but he's not off to college age. Maybe someone who was paying closer attention can comment.

When the show aired in Canada Bryan and Sarah said that because the project was taking longer than expected they were worried their oldest was missing too much school so sent him off island to go to high school. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The oldest son is going to school in Florida.   I think they have a house there, or he's at boarding school.  

I bet the Sous Chef quitting two days before the soft opening/wedding was horrible.   

The in-room air conditioner freezing up shows they should have had a spare or two stored.   It's going to freeze up again. 

Edited August 16, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[MartyQui]

I’m watching it now, and it seems like they need an actual project manager.  So many late decisions, design changes at the last minute, wrong measurements...what they’re producing looks gorgeous, but it’s so stressful watching it happen.

[MaKaM]

Yeah, they definitely bit off more than they could personally chew. With the show and kids and other stuff back in Canada, they definitely needed more "behind the scenes" managers actually running things.

Sorry, I can't get over the lighting snafu. Okay, power is 120v and she bought 12v fixtures so they have to run new wire. I am not an electrician (and I don't play on one TV) but couldn't they just get a transformer (or several) and step the power down to 12v? Wouldn't that be easier than running all new lines in the practically completed resort? I also liked the tension cable/wine storage discussion. She clearly had no idea what kind of structure would be required for something like that and was only caring about the appearances while Bryan and Adam (and me, cuz I am an engineer) are looking at her like she has lobsters coming out of her ears. I was having funny visions of tension cables holding lots of wine bottles attached to all going crashing to the white stone floor.

(my brother and sister had their AC freeze into a block of ice for the first and only time when they were trying to have a big party. It is almost like they can sense big moments and are like, ice, ice baby!)

ETA: I agree about the blandness of the hotel rooms. Sure they are zen and lovely but they also look like hotel rooms you can find anywhere.

Edited August 16, 2020 by MaKaM

[CrazyInAlabama]

The hotel rooms look like typical spa type, expensive decoration.    They could be anywhere on earth, and look nothing like the Caribbean.  

It took 18 months to get ready for one wedding, and still aren't open?   If things like propane are such a big issue, then get a 500 gallon tank, and put it far behind the hotel, where the maintenance area is.   

The lack of planning through this entire process is not good.    

If they really want to have a successful resort with a spa, they needed to make that spa building much bigger, with more treatment rooms.   The way it's set up, they can only have one client in there at a time, and bridal parties aren't going to be able to live with that. 

They really think they'll have all 18 or 22 motel rooms, and all of the villas booked most of the winter season.   I think they'll probably close in the summer.  I'm betting they have minimum number of days you have to stay for too.   

The only villas that have clear beach and ocean views are the signature villas.   The hotel blocks don't have views, and the other villas may have a few with partial views, but not the majority.     I love the idea of the older resort pictures on the restaurant walls.      My guess is the smoothie bar person will have other things they do at the same time as making smoothies, with sign ups for trips, directions, maybe make spa appointments, or something else.  

Edited August 17, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[MaKaM]

56 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The hotel rooms look like typical spa type, expensive decoration.    They could be anywhere on earth, and look nothing like the Caribbean.  

It took 18 months to get ready for one wedding, and still aren't open?   If things like propane are such a big issue, then get a 500 gallon tank, and put it far behind the hotel, where the maintenance area is.   

The lack of planning through this entire process is not good.    

If they really want to have a successful resort with a spa, they needed to make that spa building much bigger, with more treatment rooms.   The way it's set up, they can only have one client in there at a time, and bridal parties aren't going to be able to live with that. 

I am also unclear how many guests at one time they are thinking they'll have. Is there really the demand to have someone manning the smoothie bar at all times? I haven't looked the place up online but catering to the celebrity/boutique/wedding crowd (as the rooms indicate) is usually a completely different price point than the scuba crowd. Isn't it? Unless you drop your prices for the off season for the scuba-ers?

OMG, the applied moldings. At least she finally gave up on it because you could see that he simply wasn't gonna no matter how she tried. That said, the dining room either needed applied moldings or artwork on the walls. How boring did that look?

(regarding the sewer gas issue, i was having my basement bathroom redone so my renters down there had to use my main floor bathroom and the builder took the toilet off and "plugged" the toilet flange with a few walmart bags. Not exactly air tight. We tried taping a plastic bowl over it but still the sewer gasses came through. I gave them a box of matches which does actually help for a little bit (it is not enough methane to explode like in a movie) but I have no idea how they slept through the night with that stink. It really is unbelievable. /cool story)

[absolutelyido]

1 hour ago, MaKaM said:

I am also unclear how many guests at one time they are thinking they'll have. Is there really the demand to have someone manning the smoothie bar at all times? I haven't looked the place up online but catering to the celebrity/boutique/wedding crowd (as the rooms indicate) is usually a completely different price point than the scuba crowd. Isn't it? Unless you drop your prices for the off season for the scuba-ers?

OMG, the applied moldings. At least she finally gave up on it because you could see that he simply wasn't gonna no matter how she tried. That said, the dining room either needed applied moldings or artwork on the walls. How boring did that look?

(regarding the sewer gas issue, i was having my basement bathroom redone so my renters down there had to use my main floor bathroom and the builder took the toilet off and "plugged" the toilet flange with a few walmart bags. Not exactly air tight. We tried taping a plastic bowl over it but still the sewer gasses came through. I gave them a box of matches which does actually help for a little bit (it is not enough methane to explode like in a movie) but I have no idea how they slept through the night with that stink. It really is unbelievable. /cool story)

Unless I missed it, I don't think there was any artwork in the clubhouse building at all, and I agree it needed some. Hopefully it is to come. I didn't care for the mirrors, and I don't think her beloved applied molding is going to help. Artwork would have looked better on those walls. 

Sarah put two large black & white photos of people from the island in one of the villas. They were blown up versions of photos they found at the resort. I wasn't a fan of them in the villa, because I wouldn't want the image of people I don't know staring at me all the time, but they would have been perfect in place of the mirrors in the clubhouse. A good way to welcome people to the island vibe. 

Edited August 17, 2020 by absolutelyido

[LittleIggy]

I didn’t like the black walls and ceiling in the dining room at all. So not tropical. 
Sarah’s drama queen turn over those moldings! 🙄🖕🏻

[MartyQui]

14 hours ago, MaKaM said:

Sorry, I can't get over the lighting snafu. Okay, power is 120v and she bought 12v fixtures so they have to run new wire. I am not an electrician (and I don't play on one TV) but couldn't they just get a transformer (or several) and step the power down to 12v? Wouldn't that be easier than running all new lines in the practically completed resort?

Another instance of poor planning...but why not just have solar powered lights?  They have improved a lot, and if one goes out, you just replace it with another.  I was at a fancy resort in Arizona and that's what they had (you could see the solar panel on the fixture).  As far as "Caribbean" feel, I think Sarah's counting on the views of the ocean to be the star of the show, which actually makes sense to me.  The water in the Bahamas is gorgeously blue green.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I've been wondering if they showed the resort on one of the Island Hunters, or Caribbean house hunters, or HHI?    I really think they might have.   Maybe some of the people that want to build a resort?    

I'm glad they finally got up and running.   I'm also glad they only filmed far away shots of the wedding, and didn't show too much.    

They've been advertising that this Sunday's episode is the behind the scenes with Bryan, and Sarah.    That should be fun. 

I hope the resort is a great success, not just for the Baeumlers, but for everyone who lives and works on the island.    

Edited August 20, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[topanga]

On 8/16/2020 at 8:36 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

The hotel rooms look like typical spa type, expensive decoration.    They could be anywhere on earth, and look nothing like the Caribbean.  

Didn’t Sarah purchase some local Bahamian art? I would love to see that in a hotel room. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Sarah bought the Bahama Mama book for all of the rooms.    The art was from some small photos that they found in the old hotel rooms, had them blown up, and framed.   I think that art would have looked lovely in the dining room too. 

 

Sunday's behind the scenes is 7:00 to 8:30 pm Central.    I really think most of the issues were for drama, there is no way experienced builders like this would have so little planning or communication. 

Edited August 22, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[toodywoody]

She is just annoying with this and that and the applie molding and getting pissed off when Brian kept asking how far up from the floor do you want the fucking mirrors. I know she also has a lot to do but didn't she also have her own design team to help her, weren't there like a couple girls in one of the other episodes and shouldn't they know the basics of how to hang shit and not be depending on the guys for that shit when they are building the laundry, doing other shit besides her design shit?

[rhofmovalley]

She also keeps ordering stuff without checking to see if it will fit or if it's the correct voltage, etc.

Although...I have to wonder if most of that is manufactured drama made up by the producers.  Because who would actually do that?

[chessiegal]

Maybe Sunday's behind the scenes episode will answer some questions.

[cameron]

Just watched my one and done episode of Renovation Island show series.  Am immediately deleting any future episodes.  The female owner is a real bitch.

[chessiegal]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

Just watched my one and done episode of Renovation Island show series.  Am immediately deleting any future episodes.  The female owner is a real bitch.

There are no future episodes of Renovation Island - last night was the end. However, there is going to be a new series, Renovation Inc., starting next week.

[Lamima]

I watched it. She is a humdinger, that is for sure. She alone added so much to their budget and so much time to their timeline. With all her changes and crappy measurements and arguing. Jeez, they could have gotten so much done in all that time they spent arguing. But she ALWAYS had to get her way. The entire venture was outlandish and unrealistic. And, by the way, what they charge per night for a non inclusive resort on a remote Bahama island that you have to puddle jump to from Nassau....ridiculous and will be a failure. Why not do a nice all inclusive in Aruba for less money?

Edited August 24, 2020 by Lamima

[Lamima]

And the tell all episode..what was the purpose? Isn't that what the entire series was...a tell all? So it was just an abbreviated recap. Dumb.

[Lamima]

One last thing...Bryan was so right about wanting to finish the hotel block before getting to the little details of the clubhouse (like her precious molding). If i am paying that much I expect to not hear or see any construction while in my room. Wouldn't mind seeing guys putting up molding in the main lobby but no sawing or hammering or construction equipment or men around my room. No way. We do Disney a lot and have had that. Really bad form when you are paying so much.

[absolutelyido]

2 minutes ago, Lamima said:

One last thing...Bryan was so right about wanting to finish the hotel block before getting to the little details of the clubhouse (like her precious molding). If i am paying that much I expect to not hear or see any construction while in my room. Wouldn't mind seeing guys putting up molding in the main lobby but no sawing or hammering or construction equipment or men around my room. No way. We do Disney a lot and have had that. Really bad form when you are paying so much.

Also, Sarah kept saying that they only needed to finish the hotel rooms which were booked. But someone could have been online booking a room as they were standing there having the conversation. Bryan tried to make that point but she wouldn't listen.

[CruiseDiva]

59 minutes ago, Lamima said:

And the tell all episode..what was the purpose? Isn't that what the entire series was...a tell all? So it was just an abbreviated recap. Dumb.

It was a real nothing and they weren't telling anything we hadn't already heard until Sarah showed her ignorance once again by insisting they should spend $100K on amenities, such as a huge tent. for outdoor weddings and events. Poor Bryan.

[CrazyInAlabama]

They had to close early for Covid, (I think they close for the summer every year), and are reopening the resort in October.   They're taking reservations again, so I'm wondering how many people will be wanting to stay there after seeing the show?     Or how many saw this, and don't want to stay there?  

I suspect everything was much more organized than was shown, and the endless arguments were ramped up for drama.    It doesn't make me want to watch by showing all kinds of drama.    I want to watch what they did, the planning, and the result.   

Edited August 25, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

15 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

'm wondering how many people will be wanting to stay there after seeing the show? 

I know a lot of people who travel and never watch HGTV. I don't think there's much correlation between the two.

[MaKaM]

So the "tell all" was basically a waste (or a recap) right? I missed an episode or two so aside from some fishing scene I hadn't seen before, everything was basically same sh*t, different name.

[Grrarrggh]

17 hours ago, cameron said:

Just watched my one and done episode of Renovation Island show series.  Am immediately deleting any future episodes.  The female owner is a real bitch.

Is anyone else not at all surprised that the producers set it up so that the woman is the one viewers can hate?

[LittleIggy]

Started a Renovation Inc. thread.

[hilaryvm]

On 8/24/2020 at 8:14 PM, Grrarrggh said:

Is anyone else not at all surprised that the producers set it up so that the woman is the one viewers can hate?

I actually disliked Brian more than Sarah.  He often seemed to completely dismiss whatever it was she was asking about and just wanted to throw up something subpar to open and then in a couple of years redo everything again.  I also have to think that a lot of it was for TV Drama - you know it will take weeks/months to get anything to the island when you order it, and I doubt so many things were left with no planning.  He also seemed, to me, rather dismissive of her and seemed to enjoy making her angry and laughing at her.  He also seemed to never talk to her about anything.  He would be moving on to something else and be mad at her when whatever room/area was next wasn't ready to be done because he simply hadn't told her where they were with construction.  

[Bunnyette]

On 8/16/2020 at 5:53 PM, chessiegal said:

They have 4 kids, all young. IIRC, I think they might have said they were sending one of the kids off island, but he's not off to college age. Maybe someone who was paying closer attention can comment.

The oldest is pursuing his equestrian career in Canada.  So he’s living with his grandparents 

[CrazyInAlabama]

While they were filming, the oldest also went to high school in Florida.   I think it was either a boarding school, or he stayed with friends.    

[CrazyInAlabama]

I just saw an HGTV ad, the second season starts on Sunday June 20th.    This is showing surviving after the long shut down for Covid.   They opened for the 2019-2020  season, then closed early during Spring 2020  because of Covid, and then were supposed to reopen last October for the season.     The article I saw said they sold their house in Canada.  

https://www.fr24news.com/a/2020/08/baeumler-familys-luxury-resort-in-the-bahamas-is-finally-open-for-bookings.html

Edited June 9, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[CrazyInAlabama]

So now they talk about selling the Canada forever house?     

They'll move to Florida, and stay on the resort, and they better get used to hurricanes.    

Can Bryan and Sarah ever just have a discussion without being mean to each other?   Apparently not. 

I am not a fan of a 15 year old living on his own.   Even if he's with family friends, or who ever he lives with.      I wonder if the parents are financing the ultra expensive horses for him too?     

Edited June 21, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama