Rehab Addict - General Discussion

[BearCat49]

Detroit Renovations (Nicole Curtis) purchased the house, for $32k way back in 4/30/13, it is still showing as being owned by her, 20 months later, and no licenses for rental. She had it on and off the market a few times, lowered the price, and it's currently inactive. Ithink it's a matter of over pricing and location isssues. I doubt she's making much money on this one after all this time!

 

Thanks for refreshing my memory WRT the 20's home with the gorgeous woodwork, Mplsmn.  BTW,  I was referencing the Akron home in the next paragraph.  Edited to make it a little clearer.  (Your quote lacked the paragraph break for some reason -)

 

Definitely, agree.  Even at $32K over 20 months, she does have ongoing carrying costs plus time value of money issues.  And, worst of all, her capital's tied up.  Not that much $$$ in the grand scheme of things but prob (at minimum) a d/p on her next project.

Edited December 22, 2014 by BearCat49

[Mplsmn]

Sorry, I jumped topics there, my mistake.

[cattykit]

ICBW, and I don't want to bash everything that she does, but I think one of the reasons her houses don't sell is that she turns the worst, cheapest house on the block into the best, most expensive house on the block.  Her renovations outstrip the neighborhood she's in.  Rule number one of house buying is to buy the cheapest house in the best neighborhood, and she's selling the most expensive house in the cheapest neighborhood.   Unless she can link up with a developer to renovate a street or a block or a neighborhood, she's always going to be faced with a market that she doesn't fit into.

[Lola16]

ICBW, and I don't want to bash everything that she does, but I think one of the reasons her houses don't sell is that she turns the worst, cheapest house on the block into the best, most expensive house on the block.  Her renovations outstrip the neighborhood she's in.  Rule number one of house buying is to buy the cheapest house in the best neighborhood, and she's selling the most expensive house in the cheapest neighborhood.   Unless she can link up with a developer to renovate a street or a block or a neighborhood, she's always going to be faced with a market that she doesn't fit into.

I think she does buy the crappiest home on the block but I don't think for the most part that she's over improving them.  I think the issue is that most of the neighborhoods are transitional at best.  And inventory just sits.

[auntjess]

Sometimes her Facebook page is good value. 
Today, it's parents who are "too busy" to help with kid teams, and it can be annoying, but so is using a tv show-provided platform, for  a personal agenda.

[Mplsmn]

Sometimes her Facebook page is good value. 

Today, it's parents who are "too busy" to help with kid teams, and it can be annoying, but so is using a tv show-provided platform, for  a personal agenda.

Yes, another one of her holier than thou, self-praising, rants, judging others for not being just like her. Anyone wonder why she goes through investors, I mean rich boyfriends, so quickly? Her ego is getting out of control. If she intended that comment for someone specific, like she says in response to people daring to contradict her, why use social media? Why not just send them a message? Attention is why, she gets a thousand "you go girl" "your(they spell it as your) amazing" " preach it sister" comments , her FB fans are morons for the most part.

[larapu2000]

What was up with Nicole kvetching about having to paint the kid's rooms in a color?  She kept going on and on and on and on that her favorite color was white, blah blah blah and she wanted to make sure it was a "Nicole Curtis house."  I wanted to Dr. Phil her ass and yell "IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!!!" several times during the bedroom episodes.  So you don't like color?  STFU.  Kids like color.  Get over yourself, Nicole.

 

That closet concept with the open shelving and hangers always seems like a good idea in theory, but there's a reason closets exist, and it's because not all clutter is cute, vintage, and appealing.  Sometimes you just need a place to shove shit.

Edited January 8, 2015 by larapu2000

[GaT]

We have a new intro for season 6! The new house looks interesting, lots of really nice details in it. I'm surprised they got through the entire outside in one episode, hopefully this means they'll be spending more time inside.

[missalanny]

 

she gets a thousand "you go girl" "your(they spell it as your) amazing" " preach it sister" comments , her FB fans are morons for the most part.

I'm giving YOU a "preach it sister!" I was such a big fan before I followed her on facebook...which I finally had to stop a little while back. I think the final straw was the day she posted about how much smarter she was than people who went to college, which was naturally met by a chorus of "you go Nicole - college ain't worth a damn!" and, of course, the beautiful catch phrase "you can't fix stupid!" was tossed in more than once. The thing was, she was picking a fight with NOBODY - it was just a theorhetical rant about how she "might not have a degree, but at least [she knows] it's cheaper to restore what's old instead of importing new floors from China" and this made up scenario was complete with a cutesy-angry ending about flooring shipping over "on a big boat" (because... that's the proof that means it's expensive, like, duhhhh) and it was all just to rile up her loyal morons.  I'm sorry to break it to you, Nicole, importing shit from China is so incredibly cheap; to be concise - THAT'S WHY WALMART IS WALMART. But maybe I'm wrong and colleges are just shoving incorrect information at people en masse, all over the world, every day, for decades and decades, and you've uncovered the truth!  YOU GO GIRL!

OK, I sorta just ranted a la Nicole a bit myself, but... yeah, I'm a bit defensive.  It was a bummer to find out from Nicole's fb fandom that my stupidity 'can't be fixed' (outing myself as a college-goer...trust me, if I'd known that I could have just followed the Rehab Addict facebook page to get the education I need from the wise Professor Curtis, I wouldn't have 6 figs in student loan debt... damn, maybe I AM stupid :( 

 

Aaaanyways..what is the hot gossip about the boyfriend investors? I've never heard any mention of that on the show.  I never really understood the details of her involvement with the mansion... I knew she said she didn't own it, but I didn't catch the part where it was clear who did.  Interesting... I've noticed they never showed much about the purchase of the homes, with the exception of the "dollar house," but I've not been very curious about the initial purchase so much as about the money that goes into the actual renovations.  The house itself is probably such a small percentage of the total cost, and having looked at the listings for the homes once they are on the market post-reno, I'm shocked if she is making a profit.  The houses post-reno are priced low and still usually well above the average in the neighborhood, so I'm guessing her sales are mostly due to the novelty factor of the house having been on TV.  I do think she's talented and I admire her work ethic and eye for homes, but I think Rehab Addict is about a person's passion (or fetish as someone upthread said...fittingly) not a house flipper's sustainable entrepreneurial endeavor. 

 

ETA: I just read up in the other RA thread, and I see now that what I've said re: her projects actually making any money is echoed a lot in there already, so I apologize for the redundancy.  (I didn't lurk much before I posted.)  I also know a little more now about the boyfriend(s) and the Minnehaha house.  I'll be honest, I didn't think the "Nicole Curtis" who posted in this thread a while back was legit (it just didn't read like it was written by the same person who writes all those facebook rants, to me), but the post from the same time in the other thread seems like it possibly could be and that just... kinda freaked me out.  

Edited January 9, 2015 by missalanny

[emma675]

I'm glad we're done with the Lebron James house and back to rehabbing a single home without a massive horde of teen volunteers.

 

That Tudor house is gorgeous! And is anyone here familiar with Detroit? She said the house was on Grand Street (?) and it looks like it's actually in a nice neighborhood. It doesn't look like the most awful house in an equally sketchy area for a change.

[auntjess]

Yes. love the house, and so glad it's not another Craftsman.

 

[NoNeinNyet]

Love the new house but I did think it was ridiculous how she brought her dog with her everywhere while she was closing on it.

[Honey]

When I first starting watching this show I liked Nicole a lot.  It appears that her head has grown a bit, and she is really starting to annoy me.  I really hated it in the most recent episode when she said that usually, people fear her on the jobsites.  Sometimes she thinks she's coming off as "cute", but IMHO, not so much.

[Lola16]

   I really hated it in the most recent episode when she said that usually, people fear her on the jobsites.  

Fear that she'll stain something badly?  Screech "why in the hell would you cover that up"?  Drop her ring down a vent?  Run out of gas to the job site?  Other attention grabbing delay tactics? 

 

I think the voice is the scariest.

[aguabella]

I know most people in my situation would not ever want to go head to head with any of you, but if you have truly watched me since I have been on tv then you know I'm not " most people".  

I would like to first thank you for dedicating so much of your free time to discussing my show, my business even my personal life. It seems to me that you are more dedicated to this "job" than anyone I have ever worked with.

I wholeheartedly agree with you that this season is hodge podge:)  It is spanned over 2.5 years of my time and quite honestly, putting this together has been a logistical nightmare.  A few things that you failed to criticize us on that I would think would truly top your list:

1. my dog, Lucy, is clearly a lot younger in my house episode than a few episodes earlier when she appeared at Summit  2. When I started Summit, I had hair that was just past my shoulders and now...oh my gosh, in the same episode it's  inches longer. 3. In one episode, I switched my eyeglasses 3 -yes three different times!!!!!!

 

Enjoy our Sunday and please let me know if I can buy you breakfast I would love a conversation with someone who knows how to live a perfect life and has mastered the things I can't seem to even get together for a quick 22 min on tv.

 

 

If this was the real Nicole, I'm sure you're long gone.  Late response but if you come back around ...

 

Have to say that I just read this thread and found the comments fairly benign in the world of online message boards.

 

As a mother, ever tell your son to "accept the little things", "rise above it" or "be the better person"?  If your perception was that certain posters were overly critical, did you need to respond in kind, implying that they're unemployed and have nothing better to do?

 

WRT the errors fans missed, I'm only interested in the renos so I don't pay much attention to either your appearance or your dog.

 

If I were you, I'd only be concerned if people stopped posting.  That's when you have something to worry about, IMHO.  We snark b/c we love, lol.  Can't, in general, w/o viewing the episode, right?  Only thing for you to worry about, i.e. your numbers. 

 

If you don't want fans commenting and paying attention to your personal life, then don't include it (e.g. Ethan, your own home and life as a single mother) in the episodes.  And, don't work on projects where you're personally involved, e.g. Minnehaha and Summit.  

 

And, I do concur with some other posters - it's not a good idea for you to pay any attention to mb's.  Your friends or relatives can pass along either positive feedback or anything constructive that might be good for you to consider for RA.  The network or your production company will work with you on any pertinent negative.

 

P.S.  Nicole, the Summit episodes seemed to end abruptly.  Looked up the RE but didn't see a sale.  Did see a home on Summit that's rented out for weddings and events.  The photos were limited so I wasn't sure it was the same property.  Was it?  Or is the home occupied by the owner's family or utilized as a rental?  Any Twin Cities RA fans know? 

 

WRT the Akron home, I was impressed by how much LeBron actually did.  Many other people probably thought it wasn't much but compared to other celebrity's foundation projects, I was impressed.  Overall, nice job for the family.

 

That's just one fan's personal opinion, Nicole.

Edited January 11, 2015 by aguabella

[Mplsmn]

P.S.  Nicole, the Summit episodes seemed to end abruptly.  Looked up the RE but didn't see a sale.  Did see a home on Summit that's rented out for weddings and events.  The photos were limited so I wasn't sure it was the same property.  Was it?  Or is the home occupied by the owner's family or utilized as a rental?  Any Twin Cities RA fans know? 

I thought I had heard that the Summit property had been sold, but it still has Nicole's former BF on the tax records, except now the mailing/contact address listed is his business address, not the house itself. It is listed as homesteaded though, so who knows! There are a number of houses on Summit rented for events, and used as businesses, those big houses are expensive to heat and maintain! Today Nicole is having a rant/pity party over on FBook because apparently she found out the bath tub she worked so hard on was smashed up and replaced. She's lecturing people on how to be just like her and telling people what to do with their own property.

I just watched the new series 6 episode, that house is beautiful!! I bet any odds she uses the same tired formula and the baths will be all black and white hex tile floor with white subway, and the walls will all be beige, khaki, and light gray, yawn. A house like that could really shine with some warm arts and crafts colors, but it will probably end up looking very Pottery Barn, like all her houses do.

I'm no longer shocked that Nicole happily goes over old stain with a new coat, and then pats herself on the back for how great it looks! That entranceway stain looked patchy even on TV, great job, such a pro!

[auntjess]

OK, so I read the Facebook post. 
In her comment, she faults the "expert" (quote marks hers) for saying the tub couldn't be brought up to code, then says all the things that could be done to do so.
This begs the question, why didn't Nicole do all of that, and why did she act like it was finished, when her work wasn't to code?
 

[emma675]

Was that the tub from the mansion that was featured earlier this season? The one with the pool? I thought it looked familiar.

[Lola16]

How is a tub not up to code?  Too tall?  Too shallow?

[Mplsmn]

OK, so I read the Facebook post. 
In her comment, she faults the "expert" (quote marks hers) for saying the tub couldn't be brought up to code, then says all the things that could be done to do so.
This begs the question, why didn't Nicole do all of that, and why did she act like it was finished, when her work wasn't to code?

Exactly! I guess she finished the job "good enough" for TV!

To answer other questions, the tub was in the Summit house, and the code issues she mentioned were, to quote her statement "the "expert" just had to add a scald protector, back flow preventer and rework the overflow-but you see that requires maybe using the google option on their phones or doing a bit of part searching with wholesalers." If it wasn't a problem, she should have done it herself, then the tub probably would still be there. Or maybe whomever owns it now wants something different that works well, their house, their money, not her problem.

[GaT]

How is a tub not up to code?  Too tall?  Too shallow?

Bad spray paint job.

[Lizzing]

I'm no longer shocked that Nicole happily goes over old stain with a new coat, and then pats herself on the back for how great it looks! That entranceway stain looked patchy even on TV, great job, such a pro!

This, a thousand times, this!  My father has been a master furniture/woodwork refinisher for longer than my 40+ years on the planet, and Nicole's "refinishing" is laughable.  If I went on TV and "refinished" wood like Nicole does, I'd be lucky to only be disinherited. LOL!  And it is so worth the time and effort to do it right. Once it's done right, it will last a good, long time.  Her slap dash techniques maybe will last a couple of years.  Maybe.

 

Nicole does it, but so do a lot of other shows, but if I never see another subway tile reno (that isn't, in fact, in a subway), I'll be happy.

[GaT]

This, a thousand times, this!  My father has been a master furniture/woodwork refinisher for longer than my 40+ years on the planet, and Nicole's "refinishing" is laughable.  If I went on TV and "refinished" wood like Nicole does, I'd be lucky to only be disinherited. LOL!  And it is so worth the time and effort to do it right. Once it's done right, it will last a good, long time.  Her slap dash techniques maybe will last a couple of years.  Maybe.

 

 

She basically defends doing this by saying she's keeping the original finish. That's how she gets away with just doing a crap repair on something that should be replaced instead, she "restores" homes to their original condition, she doesn't "repair" them, so she keeps everything she can & it's bad a lot of the times.

Edited January 16, 2015 by GaT

[Honey]

Nicole used to be cute, but she is looking very haggard.  It's not helping that she has started wearing much, very black eye liner.  It's usually all smudged, and it makes her look very severe.  And while I'm at it, I wish she would trim that ratty, dry out hair.  Yuck!

[txvoodoo]

Tonight's ep, the powder room. Just going to put down my thoughts as they occurred.

 

OK, so she wonders about the glass on the powder room door, saying something like people weren't as bothered by it 'back then" - does she remember her "open plan master suite"?

 

People don't get ready in the mornings in their master baths? It needed a medicine chest? whatever.

 

Refinish the door - take the only brightness out of that room, and stain it. Also, it was probably painted (with oil-based paint) before because it's more water resistant. 

 

The color. UGH. It looks like a goth bathroom. Like a coffin. Nicole, there are colors other than white and blackish brown. Live a little.

 

I liked the sink, but like many of her cast iron tubs, I would've sent it out to be refinished. Her patch job is insufficient. 

 

Now, this is commenting on her personal stuff, but she's the one putting it in the show. She's flying back and forth *every day*??? That really doesn't seem fiscally sound. 

Nicole used to be cute, but she is looking very haggard.  It's not helping that she has started wearing much, very black eye liner.  It's usually all smudged, and it makes her look very severe.  And while I'm at it, I wish she would trim that ratty, dry out hair.  Yuck!

I think a lot of it is just natural aging - happens to all of us. And we have to learn how to soften our look as we get older. 

BTW, I didn't comment on the first ep, but that screen door looks so wrong with that house. 

[Calibabydolly]

Nicole is turning into her Mother!  (Don't we all?) I know you look washed out on TV if you do not wear extreme makeup......but those false eyelashes and thick black eyeliner are overkill to me. She would look better toning it down and letting her natural beauty shine thru. I mean that is her intent on her houses, so why not on her own look!!!???

 

That said; I really liked how the outside of this house looked after they painted it "vanilla & chocolate". Everything looks perfect except for that screen door that stands out like a sore thumb!

[Honey]

Tonight's ep, the powder room. Just going to put down my thoughts as they occurred.

 

OK, so she wonders about the glass on the powder room door, saying something like people weren't as bothered by it 'back then" - does she remember her "open plan master suite"?

 

People don't get ready in the mornings in their master baths? It needed a medicine chest? whatever.

 

Refinish the door - take the only brightness out of that room, and stain it. Also, it was probably painted (with oil-based paint) before because it's more water resistant. 

 

The color. UGH. It looks like a goth bathroom. Like a coffin. Nicole, there are colors other than white and blackish brown. Live a little.

 

I liked the sink, but like many of her cast iron tubs, I would've sent it out to be refinished. Her patch job is insufficient. 

 

Now, this is commenting on her personal stuff, but she's the one putting it in the show. She's flying back and forth *every day*??? That really doesn't seem fiscally sound. 

I think a lot of it is just natural aging - happens to all of us. And we have to learn how to soften our look as we get older. 

BTW, I didn't comment on the first ep, but that screen door looks so wrong with that house. 

No.  I don't mean the natural aging, she has no control over that.  It's the too severe makeup that is making her look so haggard.  And that stringy, messy hair.

[txvoodoo]

Right - that's what I mean though. When we're young, we can handle dark dark eyeliner and more extreme makeup. It does us no favors when we get older.

 

Ast least she puts her hair in ponytail when she's working - drives me nuts on some shows when long-haired women don't do that - I worry a lot about safety! 

[BradandJanet]

I watched as much of the auction house with the powder room episode as I could stand. Nicole looked and acted sleep deprived. French doors are missing! Trim is missing! Glass is broken! She was on a tear. Well, that's what happens when you buy a neglected property at auction for a flip property. Then she had to take over work on the powder room when no one was around so the work would be done right. I guess she's not in charge of the crew. So much bitching about everything. Then she started rolling that dark paint on the walls and hit parts of the white trim. I had to give it up. I really wanted to put her in a timeout.

Edited January 16, 2015 by BradandJanet

[GaT]

She did a terrible job painting the powder room. They were showing the finished room, & I just kept looking at the white spots that were showing through & everywhere where the wall paint was on the trim. 

 

Now, this is commenting on her personal stuff, but she's the one putting it in the show. She's flying back and forth *every day*??? That really doesn't seem fiscally sound. 

 

That was my first thought, how much is flying twice a day adding to her costs? It's crazy to fly between Minneapolis & Detroit every day.

[Honey]

She did a terrible job painting the powder room. They were showing the finished room, & I just kept looking at the white spots that were showing through & everywhere where the wall paint was on the trim. 

 

That was my first thought, how much is flying twice a day adding to her costs? It's crazy to fly between Minneapolis & Detroit every day.

On Delta, it's about $350 round trip.  But, she complains about spending money on landscaping, and talks about how cheap she is.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Honey

[FormerMod-a1]

It's only about an hour flight, well, 1.5 with taxi to/from gate time.  I live in Mpls and have family in Detroit so I've taken this flight quite often.  That said, I would hate to fly it every day, even for a limited time.  Dealing with airports and parking and all that jazz is never fun.    Weekday to weekend would be bad enough (like to spend weekends in one place and weekdays in another).  

[Ms Anthrope]

Nicole's appearance is of no importance or interest to me.

 

What DOES bother me is that in the more recent episodes is her emphasis on "me, me, me" rather than a fuller explanation of what she plans to do with the house, as she has done in the past.

 

Her "fixes" are just as shoddy as ever.  That bathroom?  She should have sent out that sink to be re-enameled, rather than slap on some "porcelain touch-up" or whatever the heck it was that she slopped on.  Don't get me started with the paint job.  And don't bother cleaning the tiles because the toilet will cover up all that nasty filth?

 

This series is already being shown in a very choppy manner.  At one point, the camera was pointing down the hallway outside of the powder room and I could see that the kitchen was already half done.  There were some new, light colored cabinets installed (Horrors!  New cabinets)

 

This show used to be fairly interesting, but if I want to see a rehab done professionally by real craftsmen, I'll stick with This Old House.

[emma675]

Holy cow, that tiny little bathroom was dark! Way to make a small space feel even smaller and claustrophobic. Why on earth would you paint a bathroom black? Her paint job was sloppy and showed she didn't take any time or effort to do it right. I love to paint, so this really irked me.

 

And did anyone notice in the reveal that the sink had a bar of soap sitting across that hole in the top of it (where the doorknob had previously been) and still had stains around the drain? Take that beautiful sink out and let professionals fix it!

[Mplsmn]

I watched as much of the auction house with the powder room episode as I could stand... Then she had to take over work on the powder room when no one was around so the work would be done right. I guess she's not in charge of the crew. So much bitching about everything. Then she started rolling that dark paint on the walls and hit parts of the white trim. I had to give it up. I really wanted to put her in a timeout.

 

She ended up painting the trim a color even darker that the wall trim, she said they were one apart on the paint strip, but I think someone went back and painted the walls a bit lighter in the finished room shot. At one point it showed the room fully painted and the difference between trim and wall was barely noticable, but I suppose with super bright lights for TV it might make the walls look lighter. Whatever the reality is, it was a crazy dark bathroom, and although it was nice to see something different than khaki and gray, brown is hardly a huge leap! Did you get far enough to see the hideous patch job on the sink?

 

She did a terrible job painting the powder room. They were showing the finished room, & I just kept looking at the white spots that were showing through & everywhere where the wall paint was on the trim. 

 That was my first thought, how much is flying twice a day adding to her costs? It's crazy to fly between Minneapolis & Detroit every day.

 

Did she actually say she was doing it everyday, or imply that, I don't remember, but I do remeber thinking what BS! If she going back and forth so much, why bring so much luggage and pay for extra bags? She just likes to talk about what a great mom she is, she would fly back and forth for her "boo", but wait a minute, she was putting in long nights in Detroit, hmmm, doesn't add up does it. More exaggeration and self praise from Nicole.

 

Nicole's appearance is of no importance or interest to me.

 What DOES bother me is that in the more recent episodes is her emphasis on "me, me, me" rather than a fuller explanation of what she plans to do with the house, as she has done in the past.

 Her "fixes" are just as shoddy as ever.  That bathroom?  She should have sent out that sink to be re-enameled, rather than slap on some "porcelain touch-up" or whatever the heck it was that she slopped on.  Don't get me started with the paint job.  And don't bother cleaning the tiles because the toilet will cover up all that nasty filth?

This series is already being shown in a very choppy manner.  At one point, the camera was pointing down the hallway outside of the powder room and I could see that the kitchen was already half done.  There were some new, light colored cabinets installed (Horrors!  New cabinets)

 This show used to be fairly interesting, but if I want to see a rehab done professionally by real craftsmen, I'll stick with This Old House.

That bathroom sink was hysterical, proof that she will fix it up good enough for TV, or to flip. That was not a quality restoration, returning the sink to it's "former glory", it was a quick, CHEAP, fix that will be showing rust stains in no time, even though she knocked off the loose bits and put on a thin coat of primer!

Nicole claims to edit the show herself, and why not, no one else could do it better, she's awesome at everything!! My partner thinks she suffers from narcissism, I think he's right. It's all about her, she's the best at everything, she knows more about everything, and she even has bigger pieces of glass than the glass lady!!! Don't dare criticize her, that's not allowed, and anyone who dares to is just jealous of her awesomeness!

[Mplsmn]

Holy cow, that tiny little bathroom was dark! Way to make a small space feel even smaller and claustrophobic. Why on earth would you paint a bathroom black? Her paint job was sloppy and showed she didn't take any time or effort to do it right. I love to paint, so this really irked me.

And did anyone notice in the reveal that the sink had a bar of soap sitting across that hole in the top of it (where the doorknob had previously been) and still had stains around the drain? Take that beautiful sink out and let professionals fix it!

I didn't notice that! One of her houses we went in, Case or Minnehahah, had a hand pump of soap over the hole, I kind of prefer the door knob! If anyone ever buys that house in Detroit they will probably replace the sink, then Nicole can publicly shame them on her FB page for not loving her crappy work.

She never mentioned, or showed, what she did about the holes in the floor where the radiator plumbing was. She must be putting in forced air in, there will be holes everywhere.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Mplsmn

[BradandJanet]

I simply hate it when she turns to the camera and sneers "Who does that????" Pot meet kettle. 

[Mplsmn]

I simply hate it when she turns to the camera and sneers "Who does that????" Pot meet kettle.

Haha, exactly! I have noticed she keeps referring to herself as "not normal', or referring to "normal people" and she means others, not herself, because she think she's better than normal people, she's exceptional!

I just went back to look at the wall color, it's definitely lighter when she puts in the medicine chest. Has anyone else noticed how awkward she holds a hammer? She holds it up close to the head, or in the middle, with two hands, totally ineffective. We have noticed it too often, even when she's demoing a whole wall.

[GaT]

Did she actually say she was doing it everyday, or imply that, I don't remember, but I do remeber thinking what BS! If she going back and forth so much, why bring so much luggage and pay for extra bags? She just likes to talk about what a great mom she is, she would fly back and forth for her "boo", but wait a minute, she was putting in long nights in Detroit, hmmm, doesn't add up does it. More exaggeration and self praise from Nicole.

 

Yes, she said she did it every day so that she could be home with Ethan & make him dinner. I approve of the sentiment, but it still seems crazy to commute like that to me. The luggage she took from Detroit to Minneapolis was empty. She said she took empty luggage home so she could transport things she had stored at her house in Minneapolis that she wanted to use in the house in Detroit.

 

And did anyone notice in the reveal that the sink had a bar of soap sitting across that hole in the top of it (where the doorknob had previously been) and still had stains around the drain? Take that beautiful sink out and let professionals fix it!

She's done that little trick before, hiding a hole in the sink under a bar of soap because you know, nobody is ever going to move that soap. She's spray painted sinks before, I don't understand why she didn't do the whole sink instead of that crappy patch job.

[Mplsmn]

Yes, she said she did it every day so that she could be home with Ethan & make him dinner. I approve of the sentiment, but it still seems crazy to commute like that to me. The luggage she took from Detroit to Minneapolis was empty. She said she took empty luggage home so she could transport things she had stored at her house in Minneapolis that she wanted to use in the house in Detroit.

 

I think at one point she said she was flying back to Mpls on weekends, that makes sense, then in the car she's implying it's daily, which I don't believe. I get the empty luggage for transport, but if she were flying daily she would hardly be bringing back 6 suitcases every trip to Detroit, weekends maybe! I think she can't keep straight what she babbles on about, I'm not sure she even knows what's real anymore.

[larapu2000]

Well, if Nicole is flying from Detroit to Minneapolis EVERY SINGLE DAY, then she's probably got status with Delta (Detroit/Minn are both Delta hubs).  I get up to 3 free checked bags on domestic flights on United.  So it's possible she's not paying for those extra bags.  I did what she did (small suitcase in the big one) when I went to Turkey to fill with ridiculously cheap souvenirs.  But I doubt she's flying every day, how in the world would she ever not experience so many delays that by the time she might get to Detroit one morning, it's time to get back on the flight back home!  Even if it's summer, the midwest has cancellations and delays for thunderstorms all the time.

 

I agree with everyone on that terrible paint color.  What a cute little powder room that she totally ruined.  And I love that she was jumping up and down at the original bathroom at first, then proceeded to change the toilet.  LOL.  I guess that's too "original" for her?  By the way, Nicole, "masculine" does not equal "black" or "dark gray," or "dark."  

 

This is a woman that bitches about people painting beautiful wood craftsmanship, who then proceeds to not just paint the trim in the bathroom (which is fine with me), but paint it a color that will be horrific to paint over in the future.  If it were me moving in there, I would just tear it out and put in new trim as opposed to dealing with that nightmare.  

 

I was on board with her keeping the frosted glass in the door, though.  You can't really "see" anything unless it's right next to the glass, and I'm sure another reason they put glass in the door back in the day was to increase the natural light going into the bathroom, which got sucked out of there with Nicole's black paint job.

[BradandJanet]

What was all that fist waving about needing a powder room to brush her teeth in in the morning? Whatever. My justification for that kind of bathroom is that it's nice to have guests use the sink and toilet in a bathroom that isn't used by people who are showering, shaving, and brushing their teeth every day. Was someone trying to make her remove the little bathroom?

 

It's tough to focus on the content of the show when Nicole comes across as the rehab bully. 

[CN42]

THE BATHROOM SINK. That alone merits its own post. First Nicole says, "Meh, separate hot and cold faucets. Who cares?" I would. Modern technology allows us to mix hot and cold water into one faucet for a more pleasant experience. It's a simple fix with a new or newer vintage faucet set. Then she does a crappy job of "fixing" the rust with a sloppy ceramic patch. THEN she places a soap dish over the hole from the missing faucet piece and calls it "done." Notice we didn't get an up-close look after the patch job. Please repair or replace the sink to a version a buyer would actually want to use. I love old houses, but that sink was not acceptable as finished.

 

I agree the black/grey was far too dark for such a small space. There are colors besides black, white and grey. And as noted by another poster... just cover up the 100-year-old floor grunge with a new toilet - no need to clean up first! That seems typical of Nicole's jobs - as long as it LOOKS good on the surface, that's good enough.

 

Major props for saving the textured glass. That kind of detail is what makes old houses so special.

[Lola16]

 

That was my first thought, how much is flying twice a day adding to her costs? It's crazy to fly between Minneapolis & Detroit every day.

If she's flying back and forth daily to make Ethan dinner, she's not spending that much time on the job site.  I did daily hub flying for a few months - it's exhausting and if you want to have dinner at home, you're not spending that much time in your location.  I cabbed it to my local airport and had a colleague pick me up at my destination. I had status on Delta and while I appreciated the fast tracking and perks, I didn't get to bring 6 bags for free (I got 1 checked, 2 carry on).   I think she's flying in for the TV filming.  She should have a local person on-site that runs it day to day for her.  She's full on believing her own hype.

[Nicole Curtis]

Hi all- we are sitting here having brunch going over schedules this thread is always a fun entertainment moment for us. I feel it's unfair to make you suffer through these questions you have so we thought we'd answer them in one swoop.  First and foremost, thank you for continuing to watch every week even though you hate me and the show and also your dedication to my social media is like none we've ever seen. 1. The tub I was upset about was in a different bathroom in the house waiting to be finished.(never featured on the show) The tub we did for the show was brought up to code in the manner described. which if you had read the post in its entire context -you would have seen that very obvious statement by me 2. I most definitely have status on airlines and easily fly home 3 bags each way so no worries for those who thought I would be in financial disrepair for my luggage costs. 3. most impressed with your skills on google and tracking down owners of homes that I worked on-hopefully, none of you were the ones we caught trespassing recently. 4. thank you for agreeing with me that I look haggard just said that this morning,in fact, after peeling off eyelashes from a photo shoot -unfortunately, due to the popularity of the show from such dedicated viewers as yourselves, I get asked to do more media interviews than imaginable -which includes hair and yes, those fabulous eyelashes-which because I'm on such a tight schedule most certainly get worn right to work (perhaps you have not ever had the fun of trying to repair your face after a photo shoot-but it takes more than a minute) 5. what am I forgetting ?oh, the dark bathroom you hate-yes, well good news is-you don't have to buy it-even if you did-you could repaint it. 6. oh the waste hole, good eye-you definitely got me there :) my special order stop didn't arrive in time for us to cut this. 7. the toilet tile ? I said don't bother with the rust stains -yes-but rest assured it was clean.  Did I miss something? probably:(  let us know-we haven't got our food yet so we can pop back on .  Happy Sunday

[Tahitigirl]

Wow.

I enjoy the show. Would I do everything exactly the way Nicole does? Probably not, but I enjoy seeing old homes revitalized. I live in a city where everything is new, well, no older than 50-60 years or so, so I have a deep love and appreciation for 100-year-old homes with character.

But that little rant? Very disappointing.

[emma675]

Wow. I'm not sure if that's the real Nicole or not, but that rant is very disappointing. She's on a national tv program and should know people are going to be vocal about what they like and don't like. Going after viewers who are interested enough to post on a message board about her show is just kind of sad. I don't think I'll be watching anymore.

[Mplsmn]

Nicole, glad to see you're still following us too! I would think with your super busy life you wouldn't have time, but thanks for popping in. My life is super busy as well, but who doesn't make time for social media now and then? I don't really think you answered many questions, but I appreciate the effort. I couldn't find anywhere in your FB comment that explained the tub you were posing on was an additional bath, not the one featured on the show, the one with the same decorative elements on the side. So thanks for now explaining the situation. I find I really do misunderstand much of what you post on FB, but it's difficult to read your posts. Your grammar and punctuation are unique, and I can't read your fans comments, too much ass kissing and repetitiveness. Also, I haven't "liked" your FB page, because of my busy life I don't want constant updates on your's, so I might have missed some info. It seems like you tightly control your FB page, it must drive you crazy that you can't control what is posted here,

Edited January 18, 2015 by Mplsmn

[larapu2000]

Wait, come back Nicole! Why did you remove the toilet? And why not just take the extra five minutes to clean the entire toilet area? And can we get a close up of the sink patch to see your work? And are you flying back and forth every day? And we don't have to buy the homes you redo, but isn't the point to appeal to a fairly broad audience? I think I got all of the questions in here that everyone wanted to know. I give your show a lot of shit here, but it's because I care about old homes, but I also care about the people that have to live in them.

[missalanny]

Ugh. The defensiveness just freaks me out!  

 

HOMEGIRL:  You have a legion of fans fawning all over you on facebook, but you only ever respond to negativity, and you post antagonistic stuff to dig up more negativity. And now, you're scouring message boards to find some more fights? Maybe use the energy to thank your fans on social media and then just spend your down time at brunch or whatever (because that was important to tell us, I guess) being thankful for the opportunities Rehab Addict has brought to you instead of wallowing in the bitterness you apparently feel so deeply toward anyone who dares detract from the Cult of Curtis.  I'm a fan - I watch your show because your passion for old homes is inspiring to me and like presumably everyone else on these boards, I enjoy shows about renovation projects.  If you go to any message board for a tv show in the home-reno genre, you will see viewers discussing the choices of the host/contractor/designer/whomever...I mean, IDEALLY you will, because otherwise nobody cares about the show in question. I feel badly for anyone who reads hurtful things about themselves on the internet - I don't envy your bruised ego or the position you're put in to bite your tongue - but self-destructing online is the opposite of whatever would be the best way to handle it. 

Edited January 19, 2015 by missalanny