Home Town - General Discussion

[JJ1]

59 minutes ago, absolutelyido said:

I didn't love that the kitchen had no windows. That would bug me if it were my house.

Interesting. I’d never even thought of it until you mentioned it, but I’ve owned 4 houses in my life and only 1 of them had a window in the kitchen. The other houses had kitchens that were in the center of the house. Houses had open floor plans so there was plenty of light, but no kitchen window. Hasn’t ever bothered me, but then again I spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. Definitely not a chef! 😂

[chediavolo]

21 hours ago, RoxiP said:

While I don't dislike the faux fireplace I did not like the log disks - all I can think of is that they are going to get dusty and will be impossible to dust because of the texture.  I'm much more of a fan of putting beautiful candles in that space instead.  I guess just my personal preference and my dislike of dusting...LOL!

I agree. That looked so bad! 

9 hours ago, absolutelyido said:

I didn't love that the kitchen had no windows. That would bug me if it were my house.

I didn’t even notice that. That’s nuts. 

[pasdetrois]

On another show a designer added transoms to let in more light to a kitchen.

I have three kitchen windows plus a back door with glass. I looked into installing solar tubes but decided against the cost.

[Barlowe]

Erin’s released a peel and stick wallpaper collection.
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpfiqt5OSim/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

I liked the first photo before I zoomed in but I actually like the second photo and the last two.

The rest just look either too basic (the blue with the gold stars) or I just can’t imagine people actually using the designs without it overtaking the room.

[DonnaMae]

I really love this house and the beautiful renovations.  Erin uses so many beautiful colors, unlike the boring white/gray/black that so many other designers choose for their renovations. 

What I don't understand if how there can be so many vacant houses in Laurel.       I don't see that in my city.  

[Scatterbrained]

3 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

What I don't understand if how there can be so many vacant houses in Laurel.       I don't see that in my city.  

Pre-pandemic a lot of small towns were dying because young people wanted to move to metro areas.    Laurel is not unique in that respect.

I know friends of friends who have had to leave a home unsold due to a better job opportunity elsewhere and no buyers in their town, or buyers who want to move to their town.  

[chediavolo]

15 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

I really love this house and the beautiful renovations.  Erin uses so many beautiful colors, unlike the boring white/gray/black that so many other designers choose for their renovations. 

What I don't understand if how there can be so many vacant houses in Laurel.       I don't see that in my city.  

From someone I know who was there: It actually has a lot of issues. Don’t believe everything you see. 

[pasdetrois]

17 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

What I don't understand if how there can be so many vacant houses in Laurel.       I don't see that in my city.

The 08 recession killed some very small towns, especially those that were already struggling. Original industries had already died off, and tax bases were already low. People walked away from their homes, even ones that were paid for, to seek work in larger towns. My family's Mississippi town is slowly dismantling its infrastructure (police, utilities, schools, etc.) because it cannot afford to provide services, and the county and state are now providing some of those services. A friend who is a visiting nurse and who grew up in rural North Carolina worked in Mississippi during the pandemic, and she said the poverty is shocking.

Edited March 8, 2023 by pasdetrois

[3 is enough]

The Laurel you see on tv is not the real Laurel.  Sure, there is a small quaint historic district, but once you leave that area apparently it is not very picturesque.
Also the real life demographics are very different - the town is over 60% African American which you would never guess from watching the show.

Of course they aren’t going to show shots of the less than charming areas, but it just shows that real places are not always shown accurately.

[RoxiP]

When I visited there in 2020 I noticed that also - like many small, southern towns there is a large population of less advantaged people who live right outside the fringes of downtown (come to think of it Dallas is like that in many ways).

[buttersister]

I enjoy watching Ben and Erin, but the fact that in 2023 Mississippi ranks last in public health and has the highest mortality and infant mortality rates in the US isn't lost on me. Show has done wonders for their businesses, associates, homeowners and parts of the city. But the overall state of the state ain't great and that's frequently lurking in the background for me.

I appreciate that there's some diversity in their client base and I think that's part of why I keep watching. But I don't hold any illusions about what's happening out of camera range. Or in that other little fix-it town in Alabama (overall ranked 46 to Miss. 49 by USNews/World Report).

Again, I like that Ben's furniture building is set to creatively meet client's needs and uses materials that are largely recycled and sometimes previously owned by the client's family. 

[RoxiP]

Best way to assist people is to bring in jobs and help lift economy up - I guess perhaps their reawakening of interest in this town is doing it one little step at a time.

[chediavolo]

They make it all seems so friendly and loving etc. etc. but this area has one of the highest crime rates and poverty rates in the country. All those people are living in their beautiful little bubble homes better have a great security system and not go out at night. You couldn’t pay me to live there. This show is an unrealistic portrayal of an “quaint” small town and it’s starting to bother me a lot . 

[abbyzenn]

I too have wondered why there are so many houses available in this small Mississippi town.  I also wonder at so many people moving to this town.   Mississippi would be the second to last state I'd think of moving to.

At the end of the show does Erin stage the house with the owner's furniture or is it all for show?  It seems strange to me when it's a first time buyer and they've been living at their parents' home they'd have all this furniture.

I'll admit that I'm not up on current trends but almost every kitchen I've seen Erin redo she paints the kitchen cabinets some shade of green.  Is this really the trend - green cabinets.  I've seen one show where she did white cabinets on top and blue below but only one show where the cabinets were a natural wood (no paint).

I do think the quality of work done is better than a lot of these type of shows -- but then again what looks good on tv but not look so good up close.  While I don't like everything Ben does in his workshop there have been several pieces that I thought were gorgeous.

I'm still in the skilled nursing home so today is the day the tv shows about 10 episodes of this show and I'm a captive audience.

[DonnaMae]

I think it's staged, which is something realtors do these days when they show houses where the owners have moved out.  However, there have been times when at least some of the new owner's furniture is in the house.  Ben usually makes something in his workshop for the owner.  I don't about all the dishes,, paintings on the walls, pillows, and other things that make a house a home.  All I know is that the rooms always look beautiful and inviting.  I love what they do.

Sometimes the kitchen cabinets are painted blue.  I think it all depends on what will make the new owners happy.

[Scatterbrained]

I think another tv series that helps to illustrate and provide some answers to the questions some people have is Abandoned.  If anyone decides to watch it, I recommend you skip the first episode.  The first episode was awful and not indicative of the rest of the series, IMO.  
 

as far as people moving to the town, I think the series has charmed a lot of people.  Initially, it was people who either had ties to the area, or were there due to job transfers.  Later, there are a lot of retirees.  People who want a more affordable life and are ok living without all of the big city amenities.  This helps infuse the town with more capital,  but Ben and Erin have said since the beginning that their hope is for more young people and families.  To keep the town going for generations.

[mojito]

On 3/8/2023 at 4:40 PM, buttersister said:

I enjoy watching Ben and Erin, but the fact that in 2023 Mississippi ranks last in public health and has the highest mortality and infant mortality rates in the US isn't lost on me.

A common expression that comes up when there's a discussion of another state's low rankings in education, housing, poverty, medical care, etc. compared to the rest of the nation is "Thank God for Mississippi!"

On 3/9/2023 at 4:22 PM, chediavolo said:

They make it all seems so friendly and loving etc. etc. but this area has one of the highest crime rates and poverty rates in the country.

Whenever a city has a greater-than-average crime rate than the other cities of the US, it's often described as having  "one of the highest crime rates" in the US. Technically, true, but misleading. So if my city has the average amount of crime and yours has 1% more crime and another city has 150% more crime, both are frequently labeled as having "one of the highest crime rates" in the US. I've only recently come to learn this. I would guess that mathematically, it's possible  that half the cities in America has "one of the highest crime rates" in one category or another.

Yeah, it's true, though. Laurel has a lot of property crime.

[3 is enough]

The houses are staged. The homeowner gets to keep anything Ben makes, any craft project Erin does, or anything done by a local artist which Erin commissions especially for the house. The furnishings are available to the homeowners at a discount apparently. 
I’m thinking the show must have made some sort of deal with Viking because the past few episodes have featured appliances “made right here in Mississippi”. While I am sure they are very good appliances they are super pricey and I just can’t see many people wanting a $5k range.

Edited March 12, 2023 by 3 is enough

[Grrarrggh]

44 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

I’m thinking the show must have made some sort of deal with Viking because the past few episodes have featured appliances “made right here in Mississippi”. While I am sure they are very good appliances they are super pricey and I just can’t see many people wanting a $5k range.

Doesn't "made in Miss" (or USA) pretty much always mean "put together in Miss all from parts made in China"?

[chessiegal]

54 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

I just can’t see many people wanting a $5k range.

I would love to have a Viking range! If the cost is part of the renovation, bring it on.

[chediavolo]

2 hours ago, mojito said:

A common expression that comes up when there's a discussion of another state's low rankings in education, housing, poverty, medical care, etc. compared to the rest of the nation is "Thank God for Mississippi!"

Whenever a city has a greater-than-average crime rate than the other cities of the US, it's often described as having  "one of the highest crime rates" in the US. Technically, true, but misleading. So if my city has the average amount of crime and yours has 1% more crime and another city has 150% more crime, both are frequently labeled as having "one of the highest crime rates" in the US. I've only recently come to learn this. I would guess that mathematically, it's possible  that half the cities in America has "one of the highest crime rates" in one category or another.

Yeah, it's true, though. Laurel has a lot of property crime.

Ucr.fbi.gov.  If you check out this website, it’s pretty clear that the crime is staggering in this town. 

39 minutes ago, Grrarrggh said:

Doesn't "made in Miss" (or USA) pretty much always mean "put together in Miss all from parts made in China"?

Good question,  I wonder. Unfortunately, it seems made in America is not that great anymore. I just spent way too much money on a piece of furniture & I’m sorry I did. it’s just that made in the USA does not connote quality anymore.  I had a Subaru that was assembled in the USA of Japanese parts. I still consider that a Japanese car and so does everyone else.  Nothing is clear anymore and pretty much anything you buy is subpar these days.   

[chediavolo]

1 hour ago, 3 is enough said:

The houses are staged. The homeowner gets to keep anything Ben makes, any craft project Erin does, or anything done by a local artist which Erin commissions especially for the house. The furnishings are available to the homeowners at a discount apparently. 
I’m thinking the show must have made some sort of deal with Viking because the past few episodes have featured appliances “made right here in Mississippi”. While I am sure they are very good appliances they are super pricey and I just can’t see many people wanting a $5k range.

What always makes me laugh is the houses of staged without a TV set. They make these rooms look beautiful, but there is never a place to put the television.

[3 is enough]

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I would love to have a Viking range! If the cost is part of the renovation, bring it on.

Don't disagree that a high end appliance is great, but if it turns your $20K kitchen reno to $25K and results in cutting some corners elsewhere then I can see people saying no thanks.  For example, if I was told the pricey range meant no backsplash and butcher block counters instead of quartz I would opt out. But everyone has their own priorities.

I really suspect that there is some promotional discount involved.  Just a few seasons ago they were singing the praises of a scratch and dent stackable laundry pair and now there are Viking ranges in homes of people that don't have a super large budget?  It just seems a bit too coincidental.

[Scatterbrained]

Yeah, I think they are advertising this season.  The appliance maker and the chicken business.  The first episode the appliances were featured, the name was mentioned along with the “made in Mississippi” blurb.  In subsequent episodes, you just get the blurb.  I don’t mind it so much.  As long as the finished dwellings make the homeowners happy and are interesting to watch, I’ll tune in.  The Property Brothers and Nate and Jeremiah both use the same colors palettes over and over again, plus other design ideas repeatedly.  This show is so much easier to watch, although I really miss the old days with designers like Candace Olson’s original show.

[pasdetrois]

5 hours ago, chediavolo said:

it’s just that made in the USA does not connote quality anymore.

About 30 years ago US manufacturers pushed back against higher wages and embraced the concept of "twin plants." As in, manufactured parts in Mexico, VietNam, etc,, shipped to the US and assembled here and stamped Made in the USA. The conditions in many of the foreign twin plants are horriffic.

Edited March 12, 2023 by pasdetrois

[3 is enough]

1 hour ago, pasdetrois said:

About 30 years ago US manufacturers pushed back against higher wages and embraced the concept of "twin plants." As in, manufactured parts in Mexico, VietNam, etc,, shipped to the US and assembled here and stamped Made in the USA. The conditions in many of the foreign twin plants are horriffic.

It is so sad.  I got married in 1980.  All of my kitchen items- pots and pans, dishes, flatware, were made in Canada. ( US companies like Corning Ware all had Canadian branches).  All of my real wood furniture was made in Canada as well.  And the people who worked in those factories were able to live a middle class lifestyle on their wages.  Fast forward  to today and you really have to look hard to find anything made in the US (or Canada).  With a few exceptions like Rubbermaid and Pyrex/Corning the vast majority of made in the USA goods are simply not affordable to the average American. 
Enter Erin and Ben.  While I really do admire their commitment to American made goods the majority of appliance buyers cannot afford Viking ranges.  If you look at the Laurel Mercantile website they do have beautiful quality items for sale, but again not everyone can afford to pay $ 100 for a Scotsman cutting board.

 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

"Second Chances"What a wonderful thing Mike and Cornice want to do for others.   They really do believe in pay it forward.   What a clever way Ben wants to make a collapsible bed, with storage, and seating.   I love what they did with the cottage.   And they added a screened porch was very smart. 

And turning the former Marcus Furniture store into their Scent Library sounds nice.  At least they don't have to demo much, that building is in rough shape, including with rain coming inside the building.  Keeping the Art Deco details will be so appropriate, and attractive.   I love the man discussing the vitreous glass exteriors on stores.    I love the design concepts for the Scent Library store.   

 

Edited March 13, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[MichaelaRae]

Been binging this season’s episodes so far this week and one thing I’ve noticed (that I don’t remember noticing until this season) is that when they’re showing the post-reno exteriors of the house, most of the time, the windows are very clearly reflecting (pun intended? Maybe?) the exterior - like a mirror. Absolutely no transparency into the home during the camera work, just very clear, bright reflections of the houses / trees across the street, etc. And I’m wondering if they’re putting some sort of film on the windows for privacy (given that I imagine quite a few of these homes are becoming tourism stops) where you can see out from the inside but not in from the outside. And if so, I want to buy some. ;-) 

Edited March 13, 2023 by MichaelaRae

[sadtvjunkie]

I've referenced an article in my hometown paper about why we don't use products "Made in USA." it's too expensive and people want their homes NOW and don't want to wait for sourcing. This was in 2012. It's a gorgeous house but it did take them over 3 years to build it.

 

https://www.themadeinamericamovement.com/uncategorized/lessons-learned-from-100-made-in-usa-house/

[CrazyInAlabama]

13 hours ago, MichaelaRae said:

Been binging this season’s episodes so far this week and one thing I’ve noticed (that I don’t remember noticing until this season) is that when they’re showing the post-reno exteriors of the house, most of the time, the windows are very clearly reflecting (pun intended? Maybe?) the exterior - like a mirror. Absolutely no transparency into the home during the camera work, just very clear, bright reflections of the houses / trees across the street, etc. And I’m wondering if they’re putting some sort of film on the windows for privacy (given that I imagine quite a few of these homes are becoming tourism stops) where you can see out from the inside but not in from the outside. And if so, I want to buy some. ;-) 

I suspect the the film is to stop people from peering through the windows to see what's going on.    

[retired watcher]

13 hours ago, MichaelaRae said:

Been binging this season’s episodes so far this week and one thing I’ve noticed (that I don’t remember noticing until this season) is that when they’re showing the post-reno exteriors of the house, most of the time, the windows are very clearly reflecting (pun intended? Maybe?) the exterior - like a mirror. Absolutely no transparency into the home during the camera work, just very clear, bright reflections of the houses / trees across the street, etc. And I’m wondering if they’re putting some sort of film on the windows for privacy (given that I imagine quite a few of these homes are becoming tourism stops) where you can see out from the inside but not in from the outside. And if so, I want to buy some. ;-) 

You can buy a film to put on your windows. My husband did this on our sidelight because he did not want people looking in.

[Grrarrggh]

25 minutes ago, retired watcher said:

You can buy a film to put on your windows. My husband did this on our sidelight because he did not want people looking in.

I always side-eye these people who want almost full glass doors. With open concept anyone can see most of your house. 

[buttersister]

The nice couple with the retreat house did a nice job on their own house remodel. Although from the look of it, they may have watched a lot of HGTV;-) 

I'm looking at that Cottage Candle. Will applaud that the candle and its wick don't contain the chemical ingredients they tell you to avoid.

[3 is enough]

I saw some close up photos of the little retreat house on Instagram this morning.  The microwave and the mini fridge in the kitchenette? Both Viking. The microwave retails for around $2300 and the under counter fridge around $5000. 
I didn’t see the whole episode so I missed the budget, but there is no way there is not some sort of sponsorship deal going on.  

[buttersister]

Their budget was $40K. I think you may be right, which would be bonus time for homeowners.

[chessiegal]

Has anyone paid attention to the closing credits to see if "Promotional consideration given by Viking" is listed?

[3 is enough]

43 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Has anyone paid attention to the closing credits to see if "Promotional consideration given by Viking" is listed?

Just saw a rerun.  The credits were moving really fast but I saw a part that said “ promotional consideration” followed by a list of names.  Also noticed that when they showed the kitchen you could clearly make out the Viking label.  In the past the logos on appliances were blurred out.  I think that’s a pretty sure sign of a promotional deal. Which is a win for the homeowners for sure.

[chediavolo]

This was fast forward material. The couple renovated their home on their own but needed Ben & Erin to re-do the tiny little cottage in the back of their home?🙄 Yep all this was was publicity for the show. And the whole premise was crazy to me. They are going to have strangers inhabit this beautifully renovated and expensive little house for one night at a time? Who are they? Former inmate friends that the husband made in prison? They never made it clear. If they think they’re going to let someone stay there who is looking for shelter and think that they can just throw them out when they overstay their welcome they’re going to be in for a big surprise.  All this for free no less and they spent $40,000 on renovations? Must be nice to have money to throw away. I’m sure the neighbors are gonna love this idea. 

[RoxiP]

A lot of people who are heavily involved in churches offer respite housing - either in their own home or otherwise.  Missionaries, retired pastors, and yes, people who need a hand up are offered those places to stay.  It is usually coordinated through another church or agency.

 

[Barlowe]

I liked the respite cottage reno. It was quaint and while I questioned the placement of the kitchen, I like the design. I think patio is the best part because I can see someone relaxing out there and I think the couple might use it when it’s not being used.

I also liked their refresh of the main house. They mainly changed the appliances and painted the cabinets while keeping the everything else the same. I thought it was a nice compromise between what Erin’s vision and construction would’ve entailed and what a modest budget refresh could do. For the first time ever I found myself bored by Ben’s workshop creations. I think because they were so elaborate to make and there was so much talk about what needed to be done but we didn’t see that much of the functioning  bed besides the quick reveal.

I’m curious what the top level of the scent library will be used for. Another business or housing? I feel like we’re really getting in Gaines territory with how many business the Laurel Mercantile group are operating and their partnerships with other business like the winery and the guy who’s a coffee connoisseur. But they and the “Framily” might as well try all the opportunities that are possible.

I just never saw them opening their version of a bath and body works on top of the wallpaper line and Erin’s books.
 

 

[DonnaMae]

I guess Bath and Body Works is the scent library in my town.  Are candles the only thing they are selling in that big 'library'?  I just found it rather odd they would spend thousands of dollars renovating that huge building for selling some candles.

[Scatterbrained]

I believe they said they were going to sell various scented things (ex. Scented sprays and soaps).  My impression (which may be incorrect) is that the primary objective is to rehab a building, the secondary objective is to sell items that might appeal and be somewhat affordable to tourists and mail order customers, the third objective is to create jobs and foot traffic.  When all this hoopla is over, they hope to have a thriving downtown, and they may try to sell their businesses and/or sell the building to another vendor.  Again, just my speculation.

[Barlowe]

L

21 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

I guess Bath and Body Works is the scent library in my town.  Are candles the only thing they are selling in that big 'library'?  I just found it rather odd they would spend thousands of dollars renovating that huge building for selling some candles.

I checked the website and it’s also room sprays and hand soap 

[buttersister]

Reminded me of the 1970's SNL skits about candle shops.

(I didn't buy the candle;-)

[DonnaMae]

42 minutes ago, Barlowe said:

I checked the website and it’s also room sprays and hand soap

I wonder if they're going to make money on this venture.  I bet their clientele will be tourists, not locals.

[chediavolo]

12 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

I wonder if they're going to make money on this venture.  I bet their clientele will be tourists, not locals.

For sure. I stopped using candles & sprays years ago when I became educated on how toxic even pure essential oils can be to dog’s & especially cats. 

[3 is enough]

They have been selling candles at Laurel Mercantile for years now. I bought a Laurel scented one a few years ago and it smells really nice.  
They are a bit pricey but people are more likely to splurge on something like a candle than a more expensive item.  I imagine the bulk of their sales will still be online.

As far as the building goes I would not be surprised if Erin’s family owned it.  They had a bunch of properties in the downtown area.  Erin and Ben’s first apartment was in a building her family owned. Also, I think that when Josh came to town he bought up a bunch of older buildings.  The taxes are really low and they were probably dirt cheap.

[RoxiP]

I honestly just couldn't figure out how that bed would work.  Personally I think a murphy bed would have been a better use of space.

[Barlowe]

4 hours ago, RoxiP said:

I honestly just couldn't figure out how that bed would work.  Personally I think a murphy bed would have been a better use of space.

What he described sounded somewhat like a more mechanical version of this pull out daybed. But while I did do some skipping on these scenes I don’t think I missed him showing how his would actually work. Just the finished expanded version during the reveal

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/brimnes-daybed-with-2-drawers-2-mattresses-white-meistervik-firm-s09130035/

Edited March 15, 2023 by Barlowe

[DonnaMae]

He said after the bed was opened up, it became a queen-sized bed.  It looked longer, but not wider.  🤨