Battle On The Beach - General Discussion

[Shelbie]

I wish there was no winner this week. There were big problems with all the living rooms and they should have said that and said the prize money would be added to the next challenge.

Alison is so aggressively sure she is right about design I smile whenever she loses.

[lgandkihei]

I think we've already established that I'm a mean horrible person, so I'm sure it won't surprise anyone that I got a huge thrill out of seeing that even Allison's own team can't stand her!  Wow!  I don't recall ever seeing one of these various home and/or cooking and/or design shows where the contestants actually expressed animosity towards their expert/mentor before.  So refreshing!!  (And such insight and astute taste on the guys' part!)  Allison's passive-aggressive routine was sorta scary to watch- - she really doesn't like being crossed, does she?

And unlike Bryan B., I like green, but c'mon!  Overkill, anyone?  The house is way too small to handle that concentration of such a strong color.

If Taniya's team survives the season with their marriage intact, I'll be surprised.  I have very good longtime friends who have been married forever, but they bicker constantly.  I'm used to it, but even after all these years, I find it very uncomfortable to be around (my husband actually tries to limit his exposure), and it gets pretty ugly and tense at times.  They laugh it off, but I couldn't live that way.  I understand that this whole show concept is stressful, and emotions will naturally come into play, but personally, I'd be mortified to carp at each other in front of TV-land.  That said, I do think their house looks pretty nice, and I understand how frustrating it must be to lose each week, so I do feel sort of bad for them.  Plus, they're way younger than the others, and inexperience is one more stress factor.

In real life, I loathe mirror walls, but Ty's pair's one actually didn't look all that bad to me (words I never thought I'd say!), and in a smallish beach house situation, it makes sense to try to maximize the appearance of more space.  The extra powder room is a definite value-enhancer, and it looked nicely done.

I've never been to Alabama, so I'll confess to gross ignorance, but does it ever get cold enough there that you'd need a fireplace?  It's funny that the team that had one already got rid of it, while the other two added them in!

I'm softening towards Ty, if for no other reason than he seems very supportive and kind to his team.  Ok, so does Taniya.  I know they'd both like their teams to win, but they manage to compete without being obnoxious about it.  Hmmmm...who does that leave?

On a totally shallow note (I'm a mean person, remember?), I'm so over Allison waltzing around in her skintight oh-so-adorable outfits.  It just seems so contrived.  Plus, was she the one walking around barefoot in that one scene?  Granted, I live my life barefoot, but not in construction sites where's there are nails and staples and splinters and nasty things underfoot. Looks like a tetanus shot waiting to happen!  It might have been Taniya, but it was stupid, whoever it was.

Edited June 20, 2023 by lgandkihei

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, lgandkihei said:

I've never been to Alabama, so I'll confess to gross ignorance, but does it ever get cold enough there that you'd need a fireplace?

In my experience, yes.  One year, to celebrate my husband's birthday in late January, we stayed at a beachfront condo in Gulf Shores. It wasn't freezing but was chilly enough to appreciate the indoor heated pool and hot tubs.

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

I think these designers forget they are designing a beach house. Why didn't any of the teams spend some money on beautiful glass doors or large windows? Not sure if they have to upgrade them to hurricane proof and that is way too expensive, but dang, missing out on that view. I agree that I am not impressed with any of these design choices. 

[topanga]

8 hours ago, lgandkihei said:

I think we've already established that I'm a mean horrible person, so I'm sure it won't surprise anyone that I got a huge thrill out of seeing that even Allison's own team can't stand her!  Wow!  I don't recall ever seeing one of these various home and/or cooking and/or design shows where the contestants actually expressed animosity towards their expert/mentor before.  So refreshing!!  (And such insight and astute taste on the guys' part!)  Allison's passive-aggressive routine was sorta scary to watch- - she really doesn't like being crossed, does she?

I guess I'm mean, too because I agree with everything you said. Alison seems especially horrible this season. I don't know how this show corresponds to her renovating a house in Las Vegas (and maybe moving there?), a new episode I just watched on her renovation show. Maybe she's undergoing a big life transition, and that's making her cranky -er. 

The one moment of hers I actually liked was in the first episode, I think, when she did a Dirty Dancing leap into the air, and the guy who caught her raised her over his head. It was cute. Very reminiscent of the move. But now I wonder if he did it voluntarily or if she forced him. 

 

10 hours ago, Shelbie said:

I wish there was no winner this week. There were big problems with all the living rooms and they should have said that and said the prize money would be added to the next challenge.

You are very correct. I like the couple that won, but I didn't like their living room. In regards to the too-high bench: would it have been too expensive to add wire to the circuits and move the outlets outside the benches? That way, the benches could be actual sitting height, and the outlets would be usable. Because right now they're completely covered up. 

The woman with the braids (Ashley? Angela?) is a good carpenter, but she seems like a little kid--she just loves building things. (I love her built-in shelving and the frames around the mirrors, but not the benches). 

[CalicoKitty]

I thought the idea was to add value to the house.  All that green would limit the buyer pool and therefore the value.  I hate green, so I would not even look at this house if I was in the market.

[Fellaway]

23 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

I thought the idea was to add value to the house.  All that green would limit the buyer pool and therefore the value.  I hate green, so I would not even look at this house if I was in the market.

That's the way I feel about Ty's team's house. I love green, so that would not be off-putting to me, but the endless, relentless sand color in Ty's house is, very much so. It's so blah. Really, team, no splash of color at all? Like @CalicoKitty with the green, if I saw pics of this house at a realtor's site, I'd pass it on by based on the color scheme alone.

That, coupled with the execution problems and what I saw as kind of a crowded, jumbled mess of a layout, I couldn't believe this house won. I'd have given it to Taniya's team. When your only critique is the furniture isn't taking full advantage of the view... Guess, what, Mr. B.? Couches can be lifted and moved. I, too, keep wondering why someone doesn't put in bigger windows for the view. I mean, when you're sitting on the couch, those windows are too small and high to take advantage of it anyway, no matter which direction the couch is pointing at.

Really, these houses, likewise the budget, seem too small for any "Wow!" moments.

I get the criticisms of Alison and agree with some of them, but I gotta say I'm not impressed with the one guy on her team, either. Not the construction guy. He seems to be able to do no wrong when it comes to the execution, but the other guy seems a real complainer. When the going gets tough, he just wants to whine, half-ass it, or, worse yet, do one of his art pieces. Alison's right on that point. Unless he's a famous artist, now, that's not gonna add value.

 

[Feline Goddess]

On 6/20/2023 at 12:40 PM, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

I think these designers forget they are designing a beach house. Why didn't any of the teams spend some money on beautiful glass doors or large windows? Not sure if they have to upgrade them to hurricane proof and that is way too expensive, but dang, missing out on that view. I agree that I am not impressed with any of these design choices. 

I was wondering the same thing. The judges keep harping on about the view, but not much of it's available through those little windows.

I'm not impressed by any of the rooms so far. There's not one idea I'd want to steal for my own home. Bryan and Sarah seem to be having a hard time choosing a winner - and not because they're all so good, but because someone has to win.  

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

16 hours ago, Feline Goddess said:

I was wondering the same thing. The judges keep harping on about the view, but not much of it's available through those little windows.

I'm not impressed by any of the rooms so far. There's not one idea I'd want to steal for my own home. Bryan and Sarah seem to be having a hard time choosing a winner - and not because they're all so good, but because someone has to win.  

Well Bryan and Sarah are duds. As someone mentioned above, they did the big whoopsie when creating a fireplace that blocked the view when they were on Rock the Block. I really wished they had different judges each week.

[Fellaway]

That bedroom from Ty's team? A monstrosity, both aesthetically and practically. What's the person on the far side supposed to do in the middle of the night, when they need to use the bathroom? Disturb everyone or suffer in silence, I guess. Plus, there was nothing extra in this room, to up the value or give visitors something to do, like in the other teams'. I remember the judges commenting on wanting to see more games and stuff for kids in Alison's house, and remarking on the stuff in Taniya's house, but I don't remember them saying anything about the lack in Ty's. Yeah, and what's up with the judges not commenting on that ridiculously tiny closet?

At least their bathroom was nice. Color! At last! But that bedroom subtracts value from the house. The first thing I'd have to do, if I bought that house, would be to destroy that bed and get rid of it.

Right team won. After adding an extra bedroom, they'd have had to really screw up something to lose.

Edited June 26, 2023 by Fellaway

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, Fellaway said:

That bedroom from Ty's team? A monstrosity, both aesthetically and practically. What's the person on the far side supposed to do in the middle of the night, when they need to use the bathroom?

Right team won. After adding an extra bedroom, they'd have had to really screw up something to lose.

I really don't understand the "value" of built-in bedroom furniture. Nor do I think it's necessary to provide children's toys and/or games. When I hear the words rock wall, I cringe. Think accident-waiting-to-happen, people! I liked the guys' bedroom with the store-bought bunk bed with the queen-size bed on bottom. It would be more practical if two couples, without children, were renting that house. Not everyone has kids and those who do probably bring along their own favorite toys to keep them entertained.

The winners really deserved it! Creating two bedrooms was a good move and, despite all the drama queen's tears, the results were very nice. 

[Shelbie]

All the teams had some bonkers design decisions but that huge bed was absolutely nuts.

[topanga]

4 hours ago, Fellaway said:

Right team won. After adding an extra bedroom, they'd have had to really screw up something to lose.

Agreed. I've heard participants in Battle on the Beach/Rock the Block talk about how stressful the competition is. But this is the first time I've seen it on camera. To the point where a producer broke the fourth wall to comfort the wife. 

I just hope she's okay. She was having a full-blown panic attack. 

[Feline Goddess]

On 6/26/2023 at 8:40 AM, Shelbie said:

All the teams had some bonkers design decisions but that huge bed was absolutely nuts.

 

It reminded me of the bed set-up for the four grandparents in the movie Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. 

[MartyQui]

Never mind getting out of that bed monstrosity in the middle of the night, but how do you make the bed?  All of the throws tossed across the middle gave me the feeling they just didn’t bother to figure that out.

[topanga]

Did my recording cut off early, or was there no winner this week?

Ashley and company were at a disadvantage because they had two decks areas to renovate. And the Baumlers judged them for not making each space a friggin Shanghai-la. Ultimately, those two will come out better having a covered porch.

The Baumlers are really starting to get on my nerves. You think they’d be a little more understanding since they went through this process themselves on Rock The Block. But no, they’re still judging these teams as if they’ve had weeks and months—plus an unlimited budget —to do their renovations.

And why do they keep criticizing them based on temporary furniture?!! “You don’t have enough chairs at your table, there’s too much furniture in your covered porch, where is your grill?”

I liked Tanyia’s team’s storage shed/bathroom the best. I think they utilized the space well. And they had cute swings plus a hammock.

And why does Allson keep bashing her team? Even if you don’t necessarily agree with their choices, you’re supposed to be their advocates. At least pretend to like what they did—or the intent behind it.

 

 

[Shelbie]

No winner was announced. The ending said “to be continued “.

[katenm]

I'm guessing there is no "exterior" winner, and each time gets cash to finish off their renovations for the final judging. It looked like the teams had very little cash left to do much of anything to correct mistakes before the final judging.

[tinderbox]

The fact that two teams chose an ombré effect, in the same color tones, to use on their shed walls was suspect, to me.  What are the chances?  I’m thinking one of the teams overheard the idea from the other.  Just throwing it out there.  

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

The bitter Baumlers need to go. I agree that the young married couple deserved the win for the guest bedroom(s) While I liked the headboards for the huge beds, that was a total shit show. Unless you plan to house sextuplets in that bed, I would be mortified to see that. The guys' idea was ok for the bunk, but they looked like a cheap Wayfair one. I would have rather seen 2 twin beds tucked in there with trundles than that. I cringe every time they say rock wall as well, can anyone say concussion? I absolutely love the location of these homes right on the beach, but other than the few teams adding an additional bathroom/bedroom, I really don't see the added value with the poor choices made. 

[Ilovepie]

I am finally caught up and had to come here to vent: holy crap, these houses are all so fugly! I wouldn't want any of them! Bald Rock the block judge wasn't wrong - I hate the black tile in the kitchen and the living room looks like a doctor's office - this isn't an urban loft, it's a beach house! I hate that the guys moved their kitchen to right inside the door - what purpose did that serve other than stroking Alison's ego? And the quality of work in Ty's team's house is atrocious. The bathroom pretty much needs to be gutted and redone - it's barely usable, and the Willy Wonka beds - can't unsee it now, so thank you for that @Feline Goddess!

I feel like overall, despite the black, the young couple have added the most value. Their house at least looks well done and has the most bedrooms and bathrooms, so to me, that is the most value added. I hope they win.

[CousinAmy]

I was rooting for Ty's team all along. Their home was beachy and calming - I love the sand-colored theme throughout the house; against that backdrop you can add your own blue and green accents. Funny how all the designers immediately ended up in the Big Bed; it's just so inviting. 

I didn't like the mentors telling the teams to just buy something and it will add value - like the free-standing grill. I get why everything was consructed with cheap wood - money saving. 

But all that for a $50, 000 prize - that's just crazy! 

Jk

Edited July 10, 2023 by CousinAmy
Typo

[MartyQui]

What did the young couple spend their money on on the last day?  It didn’t seem like anything they did added up to $5000.   A couple of cheap cubbies didn’t cost that.  I don’t know why they didn’t spend it on a couple of closet systems…those are quick to put in and would have added a ton of real storage.  Also, I’ve stayed in plenty of cottages with a bedroom as small as their third bedroom…all you need is a place to sleep and room enough around the bed to change the sheets.

[Pine]

That Poly Bed.  My daughter and I had to laugh at that one.  If you live near Microsoft, and all the techies, and look at the dating apps, every single techie is Polyamourous, or kinky.   Maybe that look would suit the PNW.  

[buttersister]

Quote

It just seems so contrived

And not a single bit as flattering as she thinks. If the previews are any indication.

[Mollywolly555]

Ty Pennington was hospitalized in Colorado last week.  They found a throat blocking mass and removed it.  He's ok. 

[LuvMyShows]

I found it funny that Allison's was by far the worst in the storage shed communication challenge, yet she said prides herself on her communication.  It was truly awful, especially compared to the other two. So was the communication that bad, or did they just get a terrible carpenter?  There was almost nothing in there, and the toilet was just sitting in the middle of the room. 

In the final day when they were allowed to re-do things, I really wanted to see Allison's team address that, but the only team they showed us was Taniya's, who had already had the best one in the original challenge.

[seacliffsal]

I was surprised by the outcome.  I thought the young couple who added a bedroom and a half-bath would see the 'biggest increase in value.'  The winning house was my least favorite-and how usable is a bedroom with one giant bed than would be difficult to get in/out of, unusable unless it is one family, and the sheets would be near impossible to change?  Yes, there were nice touches and the bathrooms looked good, but if the winning criteria was 'the design we like the best' it would be one thing, but the show kept harping on it being about increasing the value the most.

[Ilovepie]

On 7/19/2023 at 2:40 PM, seacliffsal said:

I was surprised by the outcome.  I thought the young couple who added a bedroom and a half-bath would see the 'biggest increase in value.'  The winning house was my least favorite-and how usable is a bedroom with one giant bed than would be difficult to get in/out of, unusable unless it is one family, and the sheets would be near impossible to change?  Yes, there were nice touches and the bathrooms looked good, but if the winning criteria was 'the design we like the best' it would be one thing, but the show kept harping on it being about increasing the value the most.

I totally agree with you on everything! I thought the winning house was the worst! That second bedroom was ridiculous! and I thought the quality of the finishes were also the worst. I don't care about the hand made stone in the master bath - it looks messy. I hated the blotchy paint everywhere, the mirrors in the living room, the overly tall ledge, the giant patio with almost nothing on it.

I thought the boys added the most value with their $5,000 - they basically have a full outdoor kitchen now, plus the screened in porch, but overall I think changing the layout inside was a terrible idea. The little table in the dead space corner is ridiculous, plus by changing it, zero rooms actually face the beach! And I'm with the judge - I hated the green cabinets. They did not grow on me.

I still think the young couple's was the best. I don't love the black tile in the kitchen at all for a beach house, but at least it looks modern and well done. They have the most beds and their bathrooms look well done. They had the second best patio at the end (after the boys upgrades) and the best beach room. They were robbed!

[tljgator]

I've been watching the Renovation Resort Showdown -- essentially Battle on the Beach, but on a lake instead, with the Canadian dude from the vacation rental show -- and I'm shocked (or maybe not, given how low-rent this show is, lol) by how much better the design & quality of the work is on that one than this one.

Been enjoying it for the most part...even husband (just him, not the wife) from the resort makeover show who I really dislike here and on his own show is tolerable to me, lol. (p.s. no screaming Ty or Alison!)

[crazy4tv]

I found the listing for the houses from season 2:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/702-710-Blue-Water-Hwy-Freeport-TX-77541/2060199750_zpid/

They're selling all 3 houses together for $2.4 million. It says in the description that they are the houses from HGTV's Battle on the Beach

[CruiseDiva]

8 hours ago, crazy4tv said:

They're selling all 3 houses together for $2.4 million. It says in the description that they are the houses from HGTV's Battle on the Beach

Interesting. While glancing through the photos I noticed dark boards hanging loose on the ceiling between the living area and kitchen in the third house.

Asking price started out at $2.9 million, dropped to $2.5 and then $2.4.

[alexa]

I am cheating because I won’t watch this show long enough to want a topic, but Battle on the Mountain…ugh, Chelsea and Cole are judges.  You can tell the more qualified designers on this show are being polite and wondering why those two get to judge their work.  lol.  They are not qualified for HGTV in general.  

[Soapy Goddess]

I agree Alexa. Apparently HGTV is trolling other reality shows for new material.

If you start a new topic, we can continue to discuss 😁

[Fellaway]

Battle on the Beach Season 4 starts tomorrow. Here is an interview with Taniya.

How Season 4 of Battle on the Beach is Different

[NoThyme]

The work on these projects is done so fast and as cheaply as possible.  I would never buy one of these homes.

[Fellaway]

12 hours ago, NoThyme said:

The work on these projects is done so fast and as cheaply as possible.  I would never buy one of these homes.

I have to believe HGTV, or whomever ends up selling these homes, goes in and does a lot of "finishing touches" before they put them on the market. A lot.

[chessiegal]

Sarah criticized the height of the pot-filler in the winning house. It looked to me that all the pot-fillers in the houses were at the same height. 🤷‍♀️

[CousinAmy]

On 8/18/2023 at 11:06 AM, crazy4tv said:

I found the listing for the houses from season 2:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/702-710-Blue-Water-Hwy-Freeport-TX-77541/2060199750_zpid/

They're selling all 3 houses together for $2.4 million. It says in the description that they are the houses from HGTV's Battle on the Beach

 

Development potential! Tear them down and build your own. None of them are really high-end. And look at all the extra property that is included in the deal.

[MartyQui]

First episode:  HATED the winning kitchen, and why did Alison’s mentees close up the windows to the beach?  That was the whole reason they moved the kitchen, and they were left with that narrow view of the ocean?  Of course that horrible fake stone should have been thrown away when it arrived.

I liked Tanya’s couples kitchen the best.

[LoveIsJoy]

I didn’t like any of the kitchens but I think Taniya’s team should have won.  Alison’s team was a butt ugly head scratcher for sure. 

Actually, the participants they chose were odd to me.  They all seemed like complete novices.  Taniya’s team had only previously redone their own home.  Allison’s team met when she bought a house and he helped as her handyman.  I don’t even recall Ty’s team’s credentials.  
 

7 days is not nearly long enough to design and completely switch the location of a kitchen, even for seasoned pros.  They were set up to fail.  The fake drama is so annoying and they are terrible actors.  
 

Someone is always overwhelmed and threatens to quit (except they don’t) Will the cabinet/countertop fit through the door? Will the window/door fit in the space? (They will—with some last minute modification). This week’s crisis was “Oh noes—The chairs for the island are bar height!  Whatever shall we do?”  Me: as I rolled my eyes, “cut the legs to counter height.” Which is exactly what they did. 

I’m probably going to do a lot of fast forwarding this season.

[MartyQui]

I think I read once that when they do things like move plumbing around, it's not really done in the 7 days, they just have unplumbed faucets/toilets/showers as stand-ins.

All I could think of when I saw Alison's "stone" was how filthy it would be because it would be impossible to clean without scaffolding!

[MsJamieDornan]

On 6/5/2024 at 7:50 PM, MartyQui said:

 HATED the winning kitchen, and why did Alison’s mentees close up the windows to the beach?

Never, ever take out windows facing the water.  There was no need to move that kitchen, waste of money.

[MsJamieDornan]

This weeks episode was terrible.

[TeapotWakeen]

11 hours ago, MsJamieDornan said:

This weeks episode was terrible.

Agreed!!

[Fellaway]

I would not want a grungy old door as the headboard to my bed.

Everything felt too rushed this week. Enough with the games, HGTV. Let's see more reno.

The right team won, based on completeness and design. I loved that accent wall behind their bed. But I did think Taniya stepped too far away from being an advisor this ep. She basically took them by the hand and told them what layout to do for the rooms.

Are these seriously the best competitors they could come up with for this season? Because they are lacking. Taniya's team (at least the lady) are the only ones who seem to have real talent for this.

[Soapy Goddess]

21 hours ago, MsJamieDornan said:

This weeks episode was terrible.

Totally agree! It was so bad, I deleted it off my DVR after 10 minutes. 

Either the show is having a hard time getting people to apply, or the quality they have to choose from is getting worse. Either way, I'm not looking forward to another season.

[RowdyCam]

Yes, this season is no fun at all. Tired of silly challenges and games! I'd rather give the contestants a reasonable timeframe and see nice, well-done rooms. I'd also tell Alison or Taniya to shut their mouths, get with the program and do some work! The silly competition should not be about who is the best designer; that's Rock the Block.

[TeapotWakeen]

17 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Either the show is having a hard time getting people to apply, or the quality they have to choose from is getting worse

I feel like the couple/pair who had only done one previous reno was cast as cannon fodder, ie for drama. Dislike!

[CalicoKitty]

I really wish they would find someone other than Alison for this show.  She is sort of a bully.  She was "helping" paint this week, and left paint all over the floor that had to be cleaned up by the team.  That's not helping.  The show stresses that the teams have final say in what they do, but Alison really bullies "her" team to do what she wants.  I could do without her on the show.