Renovation Inc. - General Discussion

[chessiegal]

23 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I missed the beginning few minutes of tonight’s epi. Did Caitlyn inherit that house? They kept mentioning just her and the two little sons. Was she divorced or widowed? Just curious.

They did not address any of that. Just that she had been in the house 7 years, had 2 young boys, and the house was built in 1986 (?).

I forgot it was on so recorded the 3 am repeat, and now am set up to record all new episodes.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Caitlyn is divorced. When she said her budget was $120,000, I immediately said "There is NO way she can get all of that done for that amount. She will have to double her budget."

House was built in 1996, she thought; ensuite bath looked really bad for being 24 years old. Maybe a previous owner did a bad DIY remodel?

Her sons were cute, and I could see how kids would get really upset at seeing their home all taken apart.

The plan calls for an updated living room and family room. Caitlyn said they really don't use the living room. I'm thinking that there has to be a better use of the space.

Sarah says she will pick simple tile to help the job go more smoothly and keep to a tight timeline. Let's see how that goes.

I don't love Sarah, but I do like her sweaters, scarves, accessories and such. You can tell she has good taste and some $$.

[LittleIggy]

Caitlyn’s house: The furnishings were lovely, but I didn’t like the monotonous grey color scheme. Those dark grey walls in the living room were a downer, IMO. I don’t like white everything, but that was too much in the opposite direction. I was puzzled by the brown staircase runner. Why brown? The kids’ bathroom was great...for grownups. Why not a little whimsy for the little kids?

What’s the story with Paul the electrician? He and Sarah sure do act flirtatious with one another! 😏

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Not thrilled with how Caitlyn's house turned out from a design perspective. Gray was too dark. I know yellow/gray is a decorator-type combination, but I do not like it. TV-viewing area wasn't great seating-wise. If I had 2 young boys, I'd want a nice sectional, and yes, I want to watch the TV comfortably.  Did not like the placement of the faucet for the free-standing tub in the owner's bathroom. 

On 11/8/2020 at 10:32 PM, LittleIggy said:

I was puzzled by the brown staircase runner. Why brown? The kids’ bathroom was great...for grownups. Why not a little whimsy for the little kids?

Me too. Seemed out of place. Boys' bathroom was very nice. I guess Sarah thought that the floor tile was "fun"? 

Regarding the other project, doing the basement for the Olympian, without walking around that house, I'm having a hard time understanding how that door to the exterior is situated, and why there are steps going down into the basement.  That basement also has the really high ceilings, which is unusual.  The little daughter was precious. So cute.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Olympian's basement with interior stairs has a dug out basement (I bet that was original to the builder).   So the stairs are up to the door from the inside.     Bryan said it would cost a bundle to make it a basement where you walk out to the outside without the  stairs either inside or outside.     To lower the door to floor level, they would have to dig the outside a lot, and either have a straight walk out, or have stairs going down on the outside.     So changing the French doors out, for more energy efficient ones, and making a real set of stairs with a landing was the cheaper option.   

The one thing I didn't like at Caitlyn's house was the tan stair runner.    I think the stair runner would be a nice place to add some color and pattern.            The rest of her house was kind of bland to me, but I bet that's exactly the color palette she wanted.   

I think the customer gets a whole lot more input than we see on camera.   Remember Bernadette turning down almost all of the tile and other selections during the meeting about her apartment.      It could be that some customers are much more specific than others, but I'm sure all of them pick basic palettes, and other changes.  

Edited November 10, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[cameron]

1 hour ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

Not thrilled with how Caitlyn's house turned out from a design perspective. Gray was too dark. I know yellow/gray is a decorator-type combination, but I do not like it. TV-viewing area wasn't great seating-wise. If I had 2 young boys, I'd want a nice sectional, and yes, I want to watch the TV comfortably.  Did not like the placement of the faucet for the free-standing tub in the owner's bathroom. 

Me too. Seemed out of place. Boys' bathroom was very nice. I guess Sarah thought that the floor tile was "fun"? 

Regarding the other project, doing the basement for the Olympian, without walking around that house, I'm having a hard time understanding how that door to the exterior is situated, and why there are steps going down into the basement.  That basement also has the really high ceilings, which is unusual.  The little daughter was precious. So cute.

I didn't like that tile around the fireplace.  Thought the pattern was too big and distracting.  Also agree about the color of the stairs runner.  Could have gone with a matching gray.

[CruiseDiva]

51 minutes ago, cameron said:

I didn't like that tile around the fireplace.  Thought the pattern was too big and distracting.  Also agree about the color of the stairs runner.  Could have gone with a matching gray.

A patterned carpet runner on the stairs would have looked better than those ugly patterned tiles around the fireplace.

[cameron]

Could have never surrender control of decorating my home and leave home for two weeks.  Just not that kind of person.  Guess I'm just a control freak at heart.

[LittleIggy]

Caitlyn: All the throw pillows reminded me of the Progressive ad with the Life Coach who works with people who bought a house and were turning into their parents. He took all the pillows off the woman’s couch and was like, see you can sit now! 😆 Also why would you want so many throw pillows on a sofa when you have two little boys? 

Edited November 11, 2020 by LittleIggy

[DonnaMae]

12 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Also why would you want so many throw pillows on a sofa when you have two little boys? 

Probably so they can play with them and throw them at each other.  I think a couple of pretty pillows on a sofa are enough, one at each end.

[chessiegal]

I finally watched the latest episode. I'm glad Katelyn loves her house, because I didn't like it. Well, mostly the family room and staircase. The family room was too gray! It seemed cold and dark. The fireplace was okay. The way y'all were going on about the pillows on the sofa I expected to see a dozen or more. Didn't seem too excessive to me. And I'd love to have a nice big kitchen like that.

The bathrooms were nice.

[LittleIggy]

On 11/12/2020 at 5:18 PM, chessiegal said:

I finally watched the latest episode. I'm glad Katelyn loves her house, because I didn't like it. Well, mostly the family room and staircase. The family room was too gray! It seemed cold and dark. The fireplace was okay. The way y'all were going on about the pillows on the sofa I expected to see a dozen or more. Didn't seem too excessive to me. And I'd love to have a nice big kitchen like that.

The bathrooms were nice.

Did you see the pillows on the master bedroom bed? There must have been at least a dozen! 

[chessiegal]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Did you see the pillows on the master bedroom bed? There must have been at least a dozen! 

No, I didn't notice that. Pillows on beds make no sense to me.

[DonnaMae]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

No, I didn't notice that. Pillows on beds make no sense to me.

I agree.  Why all the throw pillows unless you plan to have a pillow fight.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

I really liked the basement reno on the skiier's house.   

I still not really interested in the people with the giant sunroom, in the protected area.   

Edited November 17, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[CruiseDiva]

9 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I really liked the basement reno on the skiier's house.    I still not really interested in the people with the giant sunroom, in the protected area.   

That lower level in the skiier's house really turned out nice. I don't think the beams really added anything, but the ceiling is high enough for them and the homeowners like them so they were good.

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, CruiseDiva said:

That lower level in the skiier's house really turned out nice. I don't think the beams really added anything, but the ceiling is high enough for them and the homeowners like them so they were good.

The color scheme was much better than the grey monotony of last week. Still too many throw pillows on the sofa. The way Sarah gushed over the skier representing Canada you would have thought she had risked her life defending the nation. 🙄

[cameron]

I so/so on the skier's lower level rec room.  Thought their boys will outgrown that climbing pretty fast and then you have to redo that space.  Hopefully the slope in their back yard drains really well, with having the inside  steps being so much lower than outside ground level could lead to serious water in the basement.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

On 11/16/2020 at 10:51 PM, LittleIggy said:

The color scheme was much better than the grey monotony of last week.

Yes. The family room / TV area was very pretty and looked comfortable. I'd have to rewatch to really take notice of the sofa ... some designers love light fabrics that just are not practical when you have young kids.

The other project is boring me.  Bad weather, delays, we get it! Show us some progress! I don't need the daily weather report.

[LittleIggy]

OMG, that ass-grabber chair beside the fireplace! 😆🤣😂

[chessiegal]

12 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

OMG, that ass-grabber chair beside the fireplace! 😆🤣😂

No kidding! It looked weird and uncomfortable. I wonder how much it cost.

The room turned out nicely. I thought it fit with the kitchen.

So was this the end of the season? Their talking heads at the end had a feeling of finality.

Found the stool - $1,195. Get rid of a couple more things like this and the husband could have a nice big screen tv and a comfy chair.

 

[CruiseDiva]

57 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

No kidding! It looked weird and uncomfortable. I wonder how much it cost.

The room turned out nicely. I thought it fit with the kitchen.

So was this the end of the season? Their talking heads at the end had a feeling of finality.

Found the stool - $1,195. Get rid of a couple more things like this and the husband could have a nice big screen tv and a comfy chair.

That stool was one of the ugliest things I've ever seen. If it were me, I'd return it for a refund, but that homeowner wife seemed like the type who'd like it. Edgy, ya know. The rest of the sun room, as well as the front entryway, did look nice.

The outside of the house didn't look as bad as I thought it would with the dark siding on the new sun room. Glad to see that the husband got something for himself in the garage with all the money spent.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think this was the finale, but another Bryan show starts next Sunday.    

[ChicksDigScars]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

No kidding! It looked weird and uncomfortable. I wonder how much it cost.

Found the stool - $1,195. Get rid of a couple more things like this and the husband could have a nice big screen tv and a comfy chair.

 

Good grief, YES. WTF was that?

 

And the size of the TV did not go with the space. Needed to be larger. The husband should have gotten his way on that one.

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is that the homeowners pick anything as pricey, and fugly as that stool.   Also, in my view, there is no way that the homeowners don't pick the colors, flooring, and other things they want, because it's their money, and they're the ones who have to live with the finished product. 

The next show is Bryan Inc.   

Edited November 24, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I think this was the finale, but another Bryan show starts next Sunday.    

Good. I like Bryan a lot.

Can’t believe that butt ugly (and “feeling”) chair cost that much! Having money doesn’t mean one has taste.

[DonnaMae]

Another renovation decorated in black, white, and gray.  🙄  I am so tired of this monotonous combination.   I like Ben and Erin Napier's work because they add color to the rooms.  

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Quote

And the size of the TV did not go with the space. Needed to be larger. The husband should have gotten his way on that one.

Totally, even though the wife said they spent hours "sizing" it. The asymmetry of the space bothered me as well. I think they should have done some trim work or something on that wall to fill some of the empty space.

Sarah bugs so much with her changes. Bryan regarding the framing for the closet, "This was in the drawings." If the next show is just him without Sarah, that would be awesome.

I wonder if they made any money on the job given the cost overruns due to the weather. I don't care if they didn't ... not my issue as the homeowner that the weather was cold, unless it was specified in the contract.

[CrazyInAlabama]

So it still calls it Renovation Inc, but the other guide I looked at calls it Bryan Inc.     They're buying, remodeling, or tearing down, and rebuilding homes for profit.   I think I'm going to like this.  

[LittleIggy]

The “mold mansion” is the one that should have been razed. 😷 What a money pit!

[CruiseDiva]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

The “mold mansion” is the one that should have been razed. 😷 What a money pit!

I don't believe for a minute that someone with Bryan's experience was surprised by the mold. He commented on the mold smell when they first walked in and it was right out in the open in the basement foundation walls and attic roof. He's playing dumb for drama.

  

[DonnaMae]

1 hour ago, CruiseDiva said:

I don't believe for a minute that someone with Bryan's experience was surprised by the mold. He commented on the mold smell when they first walked in and it was right out in the open in the basement foundation walls and attic roof. He's playing dumb for drama.

He probably didn't realize how bad it was, at least not until they saw the attic.

The houses in the Toronto area are as expensive as those in San Francisco.  Of course, those were Canadian dollars, but still $900,000 for a simple ranch style house was excessive.  

The company office is huge with so much open, wasted space.   

Sarah is annoying so often on these episodes, especially when she gets coy and cutesy.

Edited November 30, 2020 by DonnaMae

[NJMom]

Did the show that started last night come out  before or after the series we just got? There is something off about Sarah in this one to me.

[LittleIggy]

I said that “mold house” needed to be razed.

Who takes that much stuff on a vacation?

[cameron]

8 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I said that “mold house” needed to be razed.

Who takes that much stuff on a vacation?

Find it interesting that Sara is now blaming Bryan for buying this house when she was the driving force behind the purchase.  He voice his many concerns as soon as they walked through the house the first time.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm glad they demolished the mold house, but wouldn't there still be mold spores in the foundation block?  

[RoxiP]

On 12/6/2020 at 11:37 PM, LittleIggy said:

I said that “mold house” needed to be razed.

Who takes that much stuff on a vacation?

Are they going to a house they own?  I would think that would require marginally more stuff.

My daughter used to carry SO MUCH STUFF when we would go on vacation...and now she barely packs anything, but for a few years you would get a workout lifting her suitcase...or her other bag...or her purse...or her backpack!...but if you needed anything she probably had it.

[DonnaMae]

So they went to Florida, not their island resort.  

[CrazyInAlabama]

Renovation Inc was before they bought the resort.    So I'm guessing it's at least three or more years old.      However, at some time they visited where the resort was abandoned, so maybe on another vacation.  

Edited December 9, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[cameron]

12 hours ago, RoxiP said:

Are they going to a house they own?  I would think that would require marginally more stuff.

My daughter used to carry SO MUCH STUFF when we would go on vacation...and now she barely packs anything, but for a few years you would get a workout lifting her suitcase...or her other bag...or her purse...or her backpack!...but if you needed anything she probably had it.

They own a house in West Palm Florida.

[DonnaMae]

53 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Renovation Inc was before they bought the resort.    So I'm guessing it's at least three or more years old.      However, at some time they visited where the resort was abandoned, so maybe another vacation.  

Oh, so that's why the children looked younger. I forgot that this new series isn't new at all, just new to us. 🤨

 

[chessiegal]

Tonight's episode was mostly boring. Bryan building a house - oh goodie, the steel beams have arrived. (snore) It occurred to me the only thing interesting is Bryan and Sara interacting.

[cameron]

While the wrap-up of the Highview house was interesting; if I am going to spend over $2,000,000 for a home it better have an attached garage.  Canada gets a lot of snow in the winter months and walking from the garage outside to the house doesn't cut it with me.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I can't believe the detached garage, without even a covered path between the house and garage.    People will track in a lot of snow into the house and the garage.   

 

I hated the antler light fixtures, and the chandelier with crystals looked very nice without the crystals.    

I will never like the mixed metals, with gold/brass, nickel, chrome, and all of the other colors.    

[cameron]

36 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I can't believe the detached garage, without even a covered path between the house and garage.    People will track in a lot of snow into the house and the garage.   

 

I hated the antler light fixtures, and the chandelier with crystals looked very nice without the crystals.    

I will never like the mixed metals, with gold/brass, nickel, chrome, and all of the other colors.    

Totally agree with you.  When we bought our last home, I immediately de-crystaled the chandelier in the powder room that the previous owners had installed.

[RoxiP]

I would have at least put some kind of cover from the garage to the house...heck, they are lucky they noticed that there wasn't a walkway there a few episodes ago!  Right now my garage is filled with the stuff from my daughter's college apartment and I am missing parking my car in the garage...I don't like wet and cold!  

The light fixtures didn't seem to match the house.  The house was modern and minimal and then there were these fussy ornate light fixtures - not a fan for sure!  I did like the ones over the island but not the crystal ones and especially not the antler ones.

[Flip Flops]

I’m confused. I’ve caught this show here and there so that’s probably why. I saw a few shows with them remodeling a ranch house with a detached garage. Did I hear right that it sold for 1.6 MILLION? That was hard to believe! Where is it? There was another one that they backed out of. I saw a couple shows with them renovating an island resort but lost track of it. Did they ever finish it?

[cameron]

9 hours ago, Flip Flops said:

I’m confused. I’ve caught this show here and there so that’s probably why. I saw a few shows with them remodeling a ranch house with a detached garage. Did I hear right that it sold for 1.6 MILLION? That was hard to believe! Where is it? There was another one that they backed out of. I saw a couple shows with them renovating an island resort but lost track of it. Did they ever finish it?

It sold for a little over 2 million while the one they backed out of sold for over 3 million.

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, Flip Flops said:

I saw a couple shows with them renovating an island resort but lost track of it. Did they ever finish it?

Yes, they finished it. And then the pandemic came along.