Restored - General Discussion

[Irlandesa]

I LOVED last night's episode.  I'm a big mid-century modern fan but sometimes all the hard materials (like concrete) make it seem like it wouldn't be a very comfortable place to live. 

But last night, everything about the aesthetic, views and material made it look like a house I'd want to live in.

The couple was great too, especially the wife.  I love how much she loved her house. 

[biakbiak]

On 3/11/2021 at 10:04 AM, Irlandesa said:

The couple was great too, especially the wife.  I

I liked that they were open to keeping things they didn’t really like (the slate fireplace, the ceilings, the Formica in the dining room) if it was original. 

[Sewlitaire]

Last night's episode was amazing. The whole house was absolutely incredible and when they showed the Turkish room I just stared at the TV with my mouth open. Brett did a great job preserving the original feel while making it more functional. There wasn't a single thing I disliked. The way he moved the rooms around made sense without any of them feeling out of place. 

[biakbiak]

6 minutes ago, Sewlitaire said:

There wasn't a single thing I disliked.

I disliked the lack of issuable counter space in the kitchen end butlers pantry. With the two large sinks in both areas and a narrow one across from the stove it didn’t leave a lot of space to actually cook and bake. 

[JJ1]

Just saw where the McNally Estate is on the market so I guess they were fixing it up to sell. It’s a gorgeous house, but I’m not sure I would enjoy living in it. Awfully big and ornate. 

[Irlandesa]

I loved the Turkish room.  What a unique thing.  I'd be sad if someone bought it and ruined it.

But I can't imagine putting in close to 400,00 dollars into renovations just to sell the house.

[LoreliLee]

I felt bad when I read above that the house is being sold. I found it on Zillow and have attached a screenshot of the ad (didn’t know how to link). You can see quite a few more rooms than we saw on the show. The house is spectacular. I can see why it’s being sold, according to Zillow the property taxes alone are almost $3000 a month & the mortgage payment could be about $15,000 monthly. It looks like they tried to sell in 2018 but it didn’t happen. I’ve lived in SoCal my entire life & didn’t know Altadena was such a ritzy area. Such beautiful homes are currently for sale. Take a look but try not to be shocked at the prices. 🙀

[Sewlitaire]

Thank you for the pics! It's a beautiful house!

I can understand someone wanting to sell a house that's costing them so much money each month. But I wish DIY had been upfront about it. Most people would've gotten it if they had properly explained the reason why they want to sell. And if they're empty nesters, such a house is way too large. You need some staff to clean all those rooms and keep the garden pretty. But the way DIY handled it wasn't ok in my book.

I thought for just two people who only entertain occasionally the kitchen was large enough. But for a 3.6 million house, it's rather on the small side. I would've used half of the ugly den to make the kitchen bigger, use the other half as a laundry room and make the former kitchen a den. Or use the whole den and put the laundry where they did on the show. It's not like there's a scarcity of living rooms in the house. But I guess it was a money issue.

[Irlandesa]

I loved that we got another Mid-Century last week.  I was not a fan of slate and I kind of laughed at their reactions to linoleum but it was fun.  I do wish they had kept the original color of the door, though.

I also liked tonight's English cottage.  They did go with linoleum.  I was also happy they made minimum changes to the wood framing the fireplace.  I get wanting it to be period appropriate but c'mon.  It'd be silly to tear out beautiful craftsmanship just because it was 80 years old instead of 90 years old while still putting in brand new appliances in the kitchen. 

[biakbiak]

One thing I really didn’t like was them going on and on about what could they have been possibly been thinking with the landscaping. Um they were thinking that California was in the middle of a horrific drought and is about to enter a new one and keeping grass green is not always doable and often something that people actively do not want to do even if it better matches the architecture of the house.

Restoring the windows did make a huge difference and hey because they had never moved in I was actively annoyed when he didn’t put the tv back! 

Again with his need to put in so many sinks at the expense of working counter space for actual making things be it even just cooking a large meal or any sort of pastry projects. The sink in the laundry made sense but all three of them (and they all appeared to be the exact same sink) together in such a small space was ridiculous to me. 

Edited April 1, 2021 by biakbiak

[izabella]

I did not love the restoration on the most recent episode, an arts and crafts type bungalow.  The house was only 1100 square feet, so that made the layout a challenge, but it was not helped by some of the choices, I think.  He added a wood half-wall with columns between the living and dining rooms, which seemed far too big and blocky for that small space.  It may have been better if he had done the wall/columns in the form of two smaller walls coming out on either side of the space, or just abandoned the idea altogether. 

I also thought that kitchen was too small for an awkward little table against the wall between the kitchen and dining, which was also entirely closed off from the dining and living rooms.  What is the point of that?  There is a bigger table in the dining room which would be more comfortable to eat in!  

Brett did a lovely job, as usual, but it just didn't work for me.

[biakbiak]

10 hours ago, izabella said:

it just didn't work for me.

I agree. If it were me I also would have just gone with a smaller stackable washer and dryer and a normal sized shower. He kept saying he only took out one closet but based on the plans he took out two and half, one in the hall and one and part of another in the bedroom. In a house that size having storage would be a priority for me. 

[laredhead]

Biakbiak, I have wondered how much input the owners have on the projects, and if there are certain things the owners insist on having such as a full size washer and dryer side by side instead of stacked, or certain colors that are a definite no.

Tonight's episode about the Victorian was interesting.  I guess the budget did not include more renovation to include the laundry area, and incorporate it into the mudroom, but I think more storage and a better use of the mudroom space could have been done.  Perhaps making space for a toilet as well as a sink to make it a true half bath.  Interesting that the house had only 1 bathroom, and it was downstairs while the bedrooms were upstairs.  The father with the knee problems probably wished for a downstairs bedroom.  I noticed a couple of window A/C units which had disappeared in the reveal.  Wonder if they managed to incorporate a mini-split or two somewhere.   As usual, the finished project was a huge improvement.   

 

[biakbiak]

11 hours ago, laredhead said:

e and a better use of the mudroom space could have been done.

Seriously it looked more like a huge entry than a mud room! More built in storage there seems like a no brainer more than just another large ass sink so close to large kitchen sink! Based on the drawings I think there just wasn’t anyway to incorporate the laundry because it looked like it was probably an addition after the fire so that they couldn’t take down any of the walls but like you said maybe turn that into a true bathroom and use some of the closet mud room as the laundry room. 
He seems always able to work into his “historical” plans huge ass showers and built in fridges  so he misses me on a ton of other shit he avoids.

I absolutely loved the fireplace restoration! 

Edited April 15, 2021 by biakbiak

[chediavolo]

On 4/14/2021 at 10:46 PM, laredhead said:

Biakbiak, I have wondered how much input the owners have on the projects, and if there are certain things the owners insist on having such as a full size washer and dryer side by side instead of stacked, or certain colors that are a definite no.

Tonight's episode about the Victorian was interesting.  I guess the budget did not include more renovation to include the laundry area, and incorporate it into the mudroom, but I think more storage and a better use of the mudroom space could have been done.  Perhaps making space for a toilet as well as a sink to make it a true half bath.  Interesting that the house had only 1 bathroom, and it was downstairs while the bedrooms were upstairs.  The father with the knee problems probably wished for a downstairs bedroom.  I noticed a couple of window A/C units which had disappeared in the reveal.  Wonder if they managed to incorporate a mini-split or two somewhere.   As usual, the finished project was a huge improvement.   

 

I wondered about that too. Do they have a bedroom downstairs? I can’t imagine elderly people and one of them has a walking issue, going up and down the stairs to use the bathroom. I would’ve used some of that renovation money to put a bath upstairs if that’s where the bedroom is and definitely to put air conditioning in. every time I see a house in California that doesn’t have central air it blows  my mind I know it’s an old house but it can be done especially when you’ve got almost $300,000 budget. Of course from some of the older people I know they probably don’t want the AC. I believe they said the daughters were living there now,they are going to absolutely hate sweltering in the hot California heat. 
I wasn’t  thrilled with the exterior colors and it’s a shame that because of the lawx in California they couldn’t keep the original roof on the turret. 
Big improvement on the interior it was very grandma looking before. The couch looks so much better all but for that money Reupholstering reupholstering cost, I would’ve told mom to put the couch in her  bedroom and bought a new one that’s  probably a lot more comfortable than that one. 

[CruiseDiva]

20 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

every time I see a house in California that doesn’t have central air it blows  my mind I know it’s an old house but it can be done especially when you’ve got almost $300,000 budget. Of course from some of the older people I know they probably don’t want the AC. I believe they said the daughters were living there now, they are going to absolutely hate sweltering in the hot California heat. 

When I lived in Orange County, California we didn't have central air. It honestly wasn't that bad with fans to move the air. At night the temperature dropped considerably and we never missed having AC. We did have central heat, which we seldom needed to use.

[deirdra]

1924 Arts & Crafts bungalow.  What's the deal with her eyebrows?  The original kitchen lime green countertop edge clashed horribly with the cabinet colour (which I liked, but not with that countertop).

[chediavolo]

Anyone know if this show is coming back? It’s my fave. 

[Dessert]

11 hours ago, chediavolo said:

Anyone know if this show is coming back? It’s my fave. 

I think so. I follow Brett Waterman on Instagram & he’s been working houses that are probably for the show. Plus, he went to some event for the Magnolia Network.

[chediavolo]

So is this in the magnolia channel included with spectrum etc. , or another app we have to buy? 

[izabella]

Magnolia took over the DIY channel.  If you had DIY, you have Magnolia.

[Dessert]

Brett Watermen recently posted on Instagram that Restored has even renewed and new episodes will start airing soon.

[deirdra]

2 hours ago, Dessert said:

Brett Watermen recently posted on Instagram that Restored has even renewed and new episodes will start airing soon.

I cannot wait to hear him call clients and co-workers "Dude", "Bud" & "Hey Buddy" again. Goofy, but endearing. And to see his new authentic renovations, of course.

Edited July 31, 2022 by deirdra

[JJ1]

Has anybody heard when the new episodes will show up on Discovery Plus? Sure hope we don’t have to wait until the season is over. 

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, Pegasaurus said:

Yes, he's a bit quirky. I like him and it's a good show. Hope new episodes are coming at some point!

 A new episode just aired.  I'm assuming more are coming.

And I finally found one show I'd miss if I didn't have cable since YouTube TV doesn't have Magnola--and this is the one show I watch on Magnolia.

[chediavolo]

No comments on the new episode? Beautiful home. I wish they would show the whole house though. It’s so frustrating! What did the bathroom(s) look like? I would have left the kitchen as it was.( Is this the one where they painted the kitchen cabinets blue? I may be getting this confused with houses with history. I watched them both in the same day. )

Where do people get all this money? It’s looking like this country is 90% wealthy if you just watch HGTV magnolia etc.  . I’m starting to feel really bad about myself & even more depressed when I watch these renovation shows and house hunters. My husband and I worked hard all our lives & can’t afford anywhere near what most of these houses are worth. Or what they put out to renovate. 

[Irlandesa]

17 hours ago, chediavolo said:

Is this the one where they painted the kitchen cabinets blue?

They had a huge budget but only did a few rooms.  No kitchen which is usually a highlight so I was a little bummed about it.

There are no new episodes scheduled which I seem to recall happened last year as well.  They aired an episode around Christmas and the rest of the episodes aired in March/April.

[amarante]

They only show the rooms they are "restoring". When they took off the new siding it was mentioned that the back of the house was going to be done at a later time when they did the kitchen.

I have mixed feelings about the show. I admire the work he does as he is immensely talented and has such knowledge and respect for the architecture.

However I just am getting tired of shows that have such completely unrealistic costs for the scope of the projects being done. There is not any way the project could have been done for the $280,000 budget. I can't imagine what the cost would be to hire experienced and competent workers to strip all of the wood work and restore it. For starters - if you could even find competent labor.

 

[RoxiP]

I'm always amazed at the prices of homes in California...I was talking to a man yesterday who just moved from the San Bernadino area to Galveston and he said that they had reverse sticker price when they moved to Texas, and since he and his wife have chosen to move both his in-laws and his own parents have also left California...their retirement dollars just stretch further in Texas than they did in California.

[chediavolo]

3 hours ago, RoxiP said:

I'm always amazed at the prices of homes in California...I was talking to a man yesterday who just moved from the San Bernadino area to Galveston and he said that they had reverse sticker price when they moved to Texas, and since he and his wife have chosen to move both his in-laws and his own parents have also left California...their retirement dollars just stretch further in Texas than they did in California.

I am amazed at the prices of homes just about everywhere. I remember when a $1 million house would get you a mansion. Now in most parts of the United States and get you only a very nice home. i’m stuck where I am because I must live in one of the only parts US where housing prices have exploded. I can’t afford a $400,000 plus home ..So if I were to move I’d have to live in a tent🤬

[amarante]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

I am amazed at the prices of homes just about everywhere. I remember when a $1 million house would get you a mansion. Now in most parts of the United States and get you only a very nice home. i’m stuck where I am because I must live in one of the only parts US where housing prices have exploded. I can’t afford a $400,000 plus home ..So if I were to move I’d have to live in a tent🤬

Probably because I live in Los Angeles and moved from New York City, the high prices in high cost of living metropolitan areas don't surprise me because people will pay a premium for convenience in terms of shorter commutes and access to cultural and recreational amenities. I admit I am a snob but I always do a bit of an eye roll when HH (on that other show) say that are moving to some tiny suburb and are so excited because of the restaurants and other stuff. It spent some time in small backwaters and in general there wasn't much worth eating except for the native stuff like BBQ in the South which is pretty universally good.

However I am blown away by high prices in what I think of not particularly high cost of living areas where wages also aren't that high. On that other show (House Hunters) there was a recent episode in which the couple bought a home in Baton Rouge for a bit over $800,000. It was a relatively large home but was essentially just a rather dated four bedroom home from the 1980's - nothing McMansion or particularly architecturally significant or in any way charming or desirable except that it was a house of a certain size.

[pasdetrois]

On 1/2/2023 at 10:19 PM, amarante said:

There is not any way the project could have been done for the $280,000 budget.

And costs have soared due to pandemic supply and labor issues. I had a few boards replaced on my porch and I was shocked at the cost of materials.

[laredhead]

A new episode aired tonight.  The house was large, about 2900 sf, and I wondered what the real estate prices in Redlands are, or were when this was filmed.  Young couple with 2 children, and had a budget of $140,000.  Most of the $$ was spent on a totally new kitchen, knocking down one wall, reconfiguring the laundry room into a 1/2 bath & laundry room, and repairing some wood rot as well as building a parapet wall over the front porch.  Minimal landscaping was involved in this one. 

I wonder if the couple kept the buffet and dining table and chairs that were staged in the dining room.  I'm not sure I would have just for the sake that they were Edwardian in style.  I did like the foyer wall treatment. 

[chediavolo]

On 3/28/2023 at 10:46 PM, laredhead said:

A new episode aired tonight.  The house was large, about 2900 sf, and I wondered what the real estate prices in Redlands are, or were when this was filmed.  Young couple with 2 children, and had a budget of $140,000.  Most of the $$ was spent on a totally new kitchen, knocking down one wall, reconfiguring the laundry room into a 1/2 bath & laundry room, and repairing some wood rot as well as building a parapet wall over the front porch.  Minimal landscaping was involved in this one. 

I wonder if the couple kept the buffet and dining table and chairs that were staged in the dining room.  I'm not sure I would have just for the sake that they were Edwardian in style.  I did like the foyer wall treatment. 

Between the renovation shows & house hunters, I don’t know how people are affording anything. I sure couldn’t. These shows are depressing to the working class. I do love Brett’s style & vision though.   

[pasdetrois]

2 hours ago, chediavolo said:

Between the renovation shows & house hunters, I don’t know how people are affording anything.

That's an interesting observation because lots of people feel the pressure to keep up with the renovation Joneses and they borrow lots of money to pay for it, including expensive elements they don't need.

Edited March 30, 2023 by pasdetrois

[RoxiP]

Heavy sigh...and of course this isn't showing on Discovery + yet.

[chediavolo]

In my opinion, this is the best renovation show because Bret really tries to stick with keeping a House updated in areas that need modern touches like the kitchen & the bathroom, but really loves the historic features of the house. I’m sorry that this forum is so empty and it doesn’t seem like many people are watching this.
Tonights episode showed my absolute favorite type of house, I have such mixed feelings about this.  not the house. The house came out beautifully. But the owners. They neglected this house for 30 years Incredibly lucky that it’s stood up to time, the roof did not start to leak, etc. etc. They could not even be bothered by pulling the foliage growing up the sides & the front of the house and simple maintenance.. I mean how much time or money could it have taken to keep some of those features from going into disrepair. They did say that they had children that are now out of the nest didn’t they? I guess they didn’t lift a finger to help around the house. I can understand not affording a new roof but then again, I think of the inside. Oh my God the kitchen was absolutely disgusting. This woman is supposed to be a baker. You couldn’t pay me to eat anything she made. I really seriously doubt that they couldn’t afford to put a new cheap piece of vinyl down in the kitchen at least. And duct tape on the ends of the counters.. and of course let’s not forget ,  is she going to be able to stop hoarding, I mean collecting🙄, all those items?  it looked like the inside of a antique shop/junk store in there . House looked dirty & unkempt and unsanitary.  The new furnishings,  the emptiness of it was a completely different style from what these two previously had in the house and I get a little sick thinking about how this place is going to look  in a few months to a year . They came up with the money to do this renovation but were living in what I can only imagine is dusty, dirty rooms for 30 years.  

Edited April 6, 2023 by chediavolo

[laredhead]

Restored is one of my favorite shows, and the latest one did not disappoint.  The return of the server to the dining room was perfect.  I would have loved to have seen the new kitchen floor, and what material was used.  Just caught a glimpse of it, and it was a very light color, but could not tell if it was tile, or another material.  I know that the finished remodeled areas are staged, and I wonder if this couple was going to keep any of the staging furniture.  I hope so because it all fit so well, especially the dining table and chairs, as opposed to their old furnishings.

It is a shame that the exterior (and kitchen) of the house was in such disrepair, but I have noticed that many times people who live in the same house for many years, don't really begin to notice problems with maintenance, and when they do, very often an estimate to fix things is overwhelming and unaffordable, as is the disruption to their lives especially if it's an inside fix, so they do the minimal amount of work.  The wife seemed to have a little trouble walking and navigating the front steps, so maybe she had health issues that cost $$, or just didn't have the energy to deal with a kitchen remodel that would have been a major disruption inside.  I've lived through one - never again!  They had to move out of the house, so maybe she found a storage space for all of her collections, and most won't be returned to the house.  In any event, it's their house, and they should enjoy it, and hopefully maintain it for the next owner in the future.   I know that spending $140,000, and having to move to have things would be a great incentive for me.  It would be interesting to have seen the remaining parts of the house though since it was about 3,000 sf total,            

[chediavolo]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

Restored is one of my favorite shows, and the latest one did not disappoint.  The return of the server to the dining room was perfect.  I would have loved to have seen the new kitchen floor, and what material was used.  Just caught a glimpse of it, and it was a very light color, but could not tell if it was tile, or another material.  I know that the finished remodeled areas are staged, and I wonder if this couple was going to keep any of the staging furniture.  I hope so because it all fit so well, especially the dining table and chairs, as opposed to their old furnishings.

It is a shame that the exterior (and kitchen) of the house was in such disrepair, but I have noticed that many times people who live in the same house for many years, don't really begin to notice problems with maintenance, and when they do, very often an estimate to fix things is overwhelming and unaffordable, as is the disruption to their lives especially if it's an inside fix, so they do the minimal amount of work.  The wife seemed to have a little trouble walking and navigating the front steps, so maybe she had health issues that cost $$, or just didn't have the energy to deal with a kitchen remodel that would have been a major disruption inside.  I've lived through one - never again!  They had to move out of the house, so maybe she found a storage space for all of her collections, and most won't be returned to the house.  In any event, it's their house, and they should enjoy it, and hopefully maintain it for the next owner in the future.   I know that spending $140,000, and having to move to have things would be a great incentive for me.  It would be interesting to have seen the remaining parts of the house though since it was about 3,000 sf total,            

 

[chediavolo]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

Restored is one of my favorite shows, and the latest one did not disappoint.  The return of the server to the dining room was perfect.  I would have loved to have seen the new kitchen floor, and what material was used.  Just caught a glimpse of it, and it was a very light color, but could not tell if it was tile, or another material.  I know that the finished remodeled areas are staged, and I wonder if this couple was going to keep any of the staging furniture.  I hope so because it all fit so well, especially the dining table and chairs, as opposed to their old furnishings.

It is a shame that the exterior (and kitchen) of the house was in such disrepair, but I have noticed that many times people who live in the same house for many years, don't really begin to notice problems with maintenance, and when they do, very often an estimate to fix things is overwhelming and unaffordable, as is the disruption to their lives especially if it's an inside fix, so they do the minimal amount of work.  The wife seemed to have a little trouble walking and navigating the front steps, so maybe she had health issues that cost $$, or just didn't have the energy to deal with a kitchen remodel that would have been a major disruption inside.  I've lived through one - never again!  They had to move out of the house, so maybe she found a storage space for all of her collections, and most won't be returned to the house.  In any event, it's their house, and they should enjoy it, and hopefully maintain it for the next owner in the future.   I know that spending $140,000, and having to move to have things would be a great incentive for me.  It would be interesting to have seen the remaining parts of the house though since it was about 3,000 sf total,            

They never show the whole house and it’s very disappointing. But in this case, it was probably full of clutter, etc. like the rest of the house & porch. . Probably the only reason all the woodwork and all the original details & fixtures were still in the house is because they couldn’t be bothered doing anything to it. Thank God! 
 I hope this couple turns out to be worthy of this quality renovation & will take care of it. Truly don’t see how a hoarder  is going to be able to live with the space so clean . i’d love to see what it looks like in about a year.

 

[Irlandesa]

They never show the whole house because they rarely do the whole house.  They focus on the rooms they renovate.  That's pretty typical of most renovation shows. It's only the house-hunting shows that show everything.

I didn't think they were hoarders.  I loved this renovation because so often, the focus is purely on restoring the home to the original style with modern touches usually happening in the kitchen.  But this time, her family had such a unique history that I'm glad they got to incorporate some New Chinatown-inspired touches.

[Doublemint]

I'm a little confused.  They didn't eat in the "breakfast area" - so that was turned into a laundry area.  I didn't see a table in the kitchen after the redo.  Do they eat every meal & snack in the dining room?   The oven hood was not necessary, because the oven doesn't vent to the outside on an outside wall.  They could have saved some money there.   Mahogany cabinets?   Wow that kitchen must have cost over $100,000.   Also, will they ever have a bath on the first floor?  They could have put the washer dryer there or in the basement.   Having said all that, they did a beautiful job.   The fireplace looked so much better, and the wood.  Where is everybody - com'n speak up!

[laredhead]

Doublemint, the woman did say during the reveal that she wanted to eat in the dining room more, so maybe they eat there now.  It was just around the corner from the kitchen so it is conveniently located.  Maybe they are going to turn the sunroom into a breakfast room, and remove some of the plants.  The range hood can vent to the outside depending on the roof line and what's above it.  The kitchen may not have had part of the 2nd story over it.  The floor plan showed 2 large rooms to the left of the entry hall, and I thought one of them might be a primary bedroom, as well an another bedroom and/or home office.  If it was a primary bedroom then the first floor full bathroom would make sense; however, it did not have a shower, just the claw foot tub. 

I wish the show was 90 minutes long so that more details could be discussed.  The kitchen floor was very nice, but it was never discussed as to how the material and pattern were chosen.  I love the kitchen cabinets, and the 4 folding doors between the living room and dining room are beautiful.  Overall, this was a gorgeous restoration, IMO.      

[Doublemint]

18 minutes ago, laredhead said:

Doublemint, the woman did say during the reveal that she wanted to eat in the dining room more, so maybe they eat there now.  It was just around the corner from the kitchen so it is conveniently located.  Maybe they are going to turn the sunroom into a breakfast room, and remove some of the plants.  The range hood can vent to the outside depending on the roof line and what's above it.  The kitchen may not have had part of the 2nd story over it.  The floor plan showed 2 large rooms to the left of the entry hall, and I thought one of them might be a primary bedroom, as well an another bedroom and/or home office.  If it was a primary bedroom then the first floor full bathroom would make sense; however, it did not have a shower, just the claw foot tub. 

I wish the show was 90 minutes long so that more details could be discussed.  The kitchen floor was very nice, but it was never discussed as to how the material and pattern were chosen.  I love the kitchen cabinets, and the 4 folding doors between the living room and dining room are beautiful.  Overall, this was a gorgeous restoration, IMO.      

Yes - maybe there was a bedroom, so that makes sense.  She did say she wanted to eat more in the dining room, but it looks like there's no where else to eat.  They showed the hallway and living room very nicely at the reveal, but they never panned around the kitchen.   Of course they have the money to pay for it, so if they want the oven hood, go for it.   I agree everything looked great.

[pasdetrois]

We have only a dining room, but we cheat with TV trays sometimes.

I can't put a vent over my stove (100 year old house) so the "vent hood" is actually a fan.

[Irlandesa]

I absolutely loved the restoration.  It was gorgeous. 

And I appreciate everyone who opens up their restorations for the camera but I'm especially happy that this couple did because they clearly had a passion for vintage/restoration.  I love so much that they went with a vintage stove. So often the kitchen is the place in these restorations that screams modern with modern trends.  This one didn't feel that way with their choices of colors and using a vintage appliance.

I think the dining table is enough as a place to eat.  Perhaps they have an outdoors area where they like to eat.  Maybe they don't eat at a table all that often.  I know I don't.  In fact, I once bought a table for my apartment, my only table, but I never used it so I returned it. 

I do wonder where they put the TV.

2 hours ago, Doublemint said:

Also, will they ever have a bath on the first floor?

Since we don't know what's on the second floor, they might?  Perhaps the upstairs bathroom was something added in later during a reno and it doesn't have room for a bathtub.  If either of them want to take a bath, that downstairs bathroom might be the only place to have it.

[chediavolo]

The house turned out beautiful yes. But money will buy you what you want ! Mahogany cabinets in the kitchen seems like overkill. I hated the sink that they kept in the laundry room. Where I grew up, everyone had one in the basement,  they’re ugly and porous and not very user-friendly. I have to wonder how energy efficient that old stove is and how easy it’s going to be to cook on it. The wife grated on my nerves for some reason. Maybe it was because she was trying to look half her age. I wasn’t all that sold on the doors that were hiding the refrigerator. I would have opted for a different design.
The  house that Brett went to see for inspiration: I was getting weird vibes from the guy & his decorating choices. Lots and lots of creepy looking goats. Maybe he was a devil worshiper🤔😄. You couldn’t pay me to live with decor in that house it was really cluttered and ugly.  I actually missed what Brett was going there to look at because I just couldn’t take my eyes off the cluttery crap. 😃

[Gam2]

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

The house turned out beautiful yes. But money will buy you what you want ! Mahogany cabinets in the kitchen seems like overkill. I hated the sink that they kept in the laundry room. Where I grew up, everyone had one in the basement,  they’re ugly and porous and not very user-friendly. I have to wonder how energy efficient that old stove is and how easy it’s going to be to cook on it. The wife grated on my nerves for some reason. Maybe it was because she was trying to look half her age. I wasn’t all that sold on the doors that were hiding the refrigerator. I would have opted for a different design.
The  house that Brett went to see for inspiration: I was getting weird vibes from the guy & his decorating choices. Lots and lots of creepy looking goats. Maybe he was a devil worshiper🤔😄. You couldn’t pay me to live with decor in that house it was really cluttered and ugly.  I actually missed what Brett was going there to look at because I just couldn’t take my eyes off the cluttery crap. 😃

Hmmmmm. Lots of criticism there for what I considered to be a wonderful house.

[Doublemint]

2 hours ago, chediavolo said:

The house turned out beautiful yes. But money will buy you what you want ! Mahogany cabinets in the kitchen seems like overkill. I hated the sink that they kept in the laundry room. Where I grew up, everyone had one in the basement,  they’re ugly and porous and not very user-friendly. I have to wonder how energy efficient that old stove is and how easy it’s going to be to cook on it. The wife grated on my nerves for some reason. Maybe it was because she was trying to look half her age. I wasn’t all that sold on the doors that were hiding the refrigerator. I would have opted for a different design.
The  house that Brett went to see for inspiration: I was getting weird vibes from the guy & his decorating choices. Lots and lots of creepy looking goats. Maybe he was a devil worshiper🤔😄. You couldn’t pay me to live with decor in that house it was really cluttered and ugly.  I actually missed what Brett was going there to look at because I just couldn’t take my eyes off the cluttery crap. 😃

I agree with ALL of this.  It's ok to critique things.  If it were my house, I would want it done a little differently.  I thought the same thing about cooking on that stove, and I've had old old stoves.   When you're on the floor with matches trying to light the broiler, it's not fun.   The woman in the episode doesn't look like she can deal with all of that, she likes the way it looks period.  They probably eat out a lot, that's why they don't want the breakfast nook.  

[Irlandesa]

I've had to "light a stove" when I lived in another country.  It wasn't a big deal as long as you had the right equipment.  I bought really long matches. 

As for the energy efficiency of the stove, it might burn more energy than current versions but they're preventing an old non-biodegradable piece of equipment from going into a junkyard.