Home Town - General Discussion

[3 is enough]

I liked what they did with the house.  And the family seemed very happy with the result. The kitchen and the bathroom were beautiful.  And the vase was really gorgeous.
Did anyone else notice the music? Coming back from a commercial there was some instrumental music that sounded very stereotypical “Asian”.  I don’t usually overthink things, but given that the family was Chinese the choice of music really surprised me.  HGTV is usually so PC about everything, and this seemed out of character for them.

Edited April 4, 2022 by 3 is enough

[mojito]

On 3/8/2022 at 10:07 AM, 3 is enough said:

Evidently Erin and Ben recently bought a farm outside of town, and the renovations of that house will be featured on an upcoming episode.  They aren't selling their home in Laurel- it will just be a second home.

I get it. After a long week of the hustle, bustle, noise, and stress of the big city, it's gotta be nice to have a quiet place to come home to.

I just saw the episode about the wraparound porch. I saw no way to fill that shower-tub except from the ceiling showerhead. I can't imagine someone taking a bath and filling the tub that way. 

He spoke of showering, but someday someone will probably have to call in a plumber to install a faucet for the tub.

[paramitch]

I've been bingeing this show over the past year -- I actually saw it for the first time one year ago in the hospital, and got hooked on it. Since I am a secret home decor addict (do not get me started on my intense feelings about crown mouldings, beadboard, gazebos, and accent walls), this show has been total TV valium for me in the best way. It's just a soft, sweet show. I also grew up in the deep South (although I'm happy to no longer live there), so this does kind of push some nostalgia buttons for me (their accents are very close to my family's NE Florida/Georgia accents, which is also my hidden accent that only comes out if I'm mad or if I've had a few glasses of wine. Then all of a sudden my pronunciation of "wine" becomes Erin's "waaaaaahne" and I'm mortified.

I also get a kick out of Erin and Ben, and their relationship for each other, which appears incredibly genuine, loving, and close. My favorite thing about them is that both of them share a love of terrible puns (I have a weakness for bad puns myself), so their delight when the other makes a good one is really funny and charming. Yeah, I think she's a little more tightly wound than he is, but I think she tends to energize him, while he calms her down. I think they complement each other perfectly -- their edges fit.

And I keep seeing random comments about Erin sniping on him or belittling Ben and I 'm just mystified; I seriously don't get that at all. To me, she has little hearts in her eyes every time she looks at him, and is patently adoring (and vice versa). Sure, they snark at each other, but it's very mild and good-natured to me. Half the time they're just plain cracking each other up.

I also really like the way she goes out of her way to compliment his work, and she does so with real feeling and appreciation each time, noting little beautiful details or how much effort would have been involved, etc. He also seems to do the same, enthusing constantly about her color or style choices. And it doesn't feel forced to me, but them just being kind and appreciative, so that's what's fun about the show to me -- they really seem to like each other's styles, and to enjoy working together.

I also think they're both quietly bright, witty people (while it has become apparent to me that Ben is genuinely brilliant), and they come across to me as warm and caring.

On 2/4/2020 at 9:42 AM, Kiki620 said:

I may not always totally love Erin's designs, but I greatly appreciate the fact that she takes into consideration the style of the home and specifically, what she thinks the home owners will like.  She is not a cookie cutter designer.  Love it or List It and Property Brothers may be more splashy with their reveals, but they pretty much all look the same.  Erin's designs are thoughtful. 

(snip)

The lady with the very limited budget who bought the last remaining building of an old farm.....I wondered if they had moved the house there?  It was such a prime spot on that little lake! 

I enjoy Erin's style. It's not always my style, since I tend to be a little more contemporary, but I find it very soothing, and it's rare for me to actively dislike one of her designs. I tend to prefer jewel tones so Erin's taste is a bit too Crayola-primary for me, but on the other hand, I have a weakness for sage green, and that's certainly one of her recurring favorites.

I admit that nothing on this planet could make me move back to the South but the idea of buying a house for $35,000? Yeah, I admit I've actively drooled over some of the tiny budgets for these houses in Laurel.

I'm conflicted on Laurel and how it's presented on the show, meanwhile, because it really has a horrific crime rate, and as others have pointed out, the stats on schools, healthcare, education, employment, etc., are pretty grim. But I appreciate what Erin and Ben have tried to do for their little town.

On 2/4/2020 at 11:12 AM, Lovecat said:

Then again, this Yankee would die of heat prostration and/or blood loss from all those mosquitoes, so I'd never be able to live in Laurel.

I grew up in Florida on and off, as well as spending several years in Texas in adulthood, and nope nope nope. Never again. I do not miss being able to fry an egg on my car's dashboard or gasping from the intense heat on a summer afternoon like a beached carp.

On 2/4/2020 at 11:40 AM, kimberussell said:

I don't think so. When we saw her reaction to the pew bench seating my husband and I said, "she does NOT like that" at the same time.

That Church House dining room was just horrific. I can't stand banquet seating and that was one of Erin's only (and biggest) misfires for me. I thought it was flat-out ugly, it looked unfinished, it would be a nightmare to clean, and incredibly uncomfortable to sit around. Gah.

On 3/31/2020 at 7:41 AM, NJMom said:

Loved the finished house but could not believe how many times Erin was dismissive of Ben when he would start to talk.

I'm currently on season 5, and have never, ever seen Erin be dismissive of Ben, so I'm wondering what other people are seeing here. I've seen them kid each other, but to me it looks very equal and gentle.

On 3/31/2020 at 8:48 AM, pasdetrois said:

Erin treats Ben like crap. I stopped counting how many times she interrupts him and finishes his sentences.

I must be watching from an alternate universe. I've never seen Erin "treat Ben like crap." She openly adores the ground he walks on (and vice versa). Sure, they kid each other, but to me, again, they all appear to be mutual funny little inside jokes.

What I think some people see as Erin being "snippy" translates to me as simple anxiety. It is very apparent to me that she's kind of an introvert with some degree of social anxiety, and what moves me about her relationship with Ben is that sometimes you can see her simply look at him, or he touches her, and you can see her blood pressure drop ten points. I suspect that she finds the show difficult and stressful to do, and that his calmness is an oasis in that -- and that he understands that, and pretty effortlessly makes sure he's supporting her through it.

On 4/8/2020 at 9:36 PM, LittleIggy said:

BTW, am I the only one who doesn’t really care for Erin? ::ducks for cover::

I adore her. I feel bad for the occasional coal-raking she gets from viewers and commenters because it honestly mystifies me, but I also get YMMV.

On 5/2/2020 at 9:07 AM, DonnaMae said:

If you don't want to live in a humid climate, stay west of the Rockies.  Yes, it gets hot out here, but the dry heat is easier to live with.  My daughter recently moved to San Antonio where the weather is great in the winter, but she says the humidity is pretty bad in the summer.  I didn't know that Texas gets humid.

Oh, Texas gets humid. I lived in Houston for two years and it's literally subtropical. Walking outside in Houston Summers felt like wading through hot Jell-O.

On 5/26/2020 at 4:52 AM, pasdetrois said:

Read an article about Erin in Southern Living magazine, in which she once again goes on, at length, about how she suffered from anxiety as a child. She also once again plugs her friend Mallorie's business. The magazine devoted some time to the woman who actually originated the "save Laurel" campaign, of which Ben and Erin are one of many involved. I think one of the earlier HT episodes showed us this woman briefly.

Erin's on-screen contribution to each episode seems to be limited to talking heads with Ben and bouncing around the construction area, exclaiming about how excited she is. Or her simplistic "paintings." I know she is talented - love her aesthetic - and works hard, but I'm put off by her nervous mannerisms. A little of her goes a long way. Ben and even the crews are the more natural on-screen presences.

I didn't know about her anxiety but it makes sense to me -- I have always suspected she was a little tense and anxious on-camera, and that Ben's presence is what enables her to get through it.

I disagree that Erin's onscreen contributions are just "talking heads" or "bouncing around construction areas" when we literally see her working on extensive projects in almost every episode. And while I'm sure that there's some showmanship to this in that HGTV way and that they aren't doing that stuff 8 hours per day in one home (especially given that they're usually filming multiple homes at once, evidently), the stop-motion video segments have shown us a ton of visible instances on-camera where Erin has tiled entire bathrooms or kitchens, painted walls, hung wallpaper, staged homes, created accent furnishings and decor items, or assisted Ben. To me, it appears that she and Ben each contribute to the renovations in different yet useful ways that are appropriate to their skills and strength levels.

And as others have pointed out, Erin and Ben have honored the woman who created the "Save Laurel" campaign repeatedly on the show, and most notably in the episode where she was shown getting the key to the city from the mayor. I definitely think they've tried to show that it is a community versus a solo effort (although of course HGTV certainly loves to promote them as saving the town in their interstitials and promos).

Edited April 7, 2022 by paramitch

[chediavolo]

11 hours ago, mojito said:

I get it. After a long week of the hustle, bustle, noise, and stress of the big city, it's gotta be nice to have a quiet place to come home to.

I just saw the episode about the wraparound porch. I saw no way to fill that shower-tub except from the ceiling showerhead. I can't imagine someone taking a bath and filling the tub that way. 

He spoke of showering, but someday someone will probably have to call in a plumber to install a faucet for the tub.

No faucet on the tub? How idiotic. The whole tub in the shower thing is stupid & not user friendly anyway.  

[Barlowe]

16 hours ago, paramitch said:

I also get a kick out of Erin and Ben, and their relationship for each other, which appears incredibly genuine, loving, and close. My favorite thing about them is that both of them share a love of terrible puns (I have a weakness for bad puns myself), so their delight when the other makes a good one is really funny and charming. Yeah, I think she's a little more tightly wound than he is, but I think she tends to energize him, while he calms her down. I think they complement each other perfectly -- their edges fit.

And I keep seeing random comments about Erin sniping on him or belittling Ben and I 'm just mystified; I seriously don't get that at all. To me, she has little hearts in her eyes every time she looks at him, and is patently adoring (and vice versa). Sure, they snark at each other, but it's very mild and good-natured to me. Half the time they're just plain cracking each other up.

Part of why I grew to like them and their show was how openly adoring they are to each other instead of snarking at each other. Ben’s constantly praising Erin and flirting with her throughout the seasons, even this most recent episode he made a crack about always wanting to be near her in a shower or something  and Erin definitely looks at him with stars in her eyes. I think I even remember reading someone’s old comment from years ago that described Erin’s old blog entries where she once expressed a fear before she had her kids that he would love the kids more than her. 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Barlowe

[mojito]

On 4/7/2022 at 12:49 AM, paramitch said:

I must be watching from an alternate universe. I've never seen Erin "treat Ben like crap."

Some people don't recognize humor unless the person making the joke is smiling at the same time, or there's a laugh track. Without it, what's said is interpreted as an insult.

Returning to Wisconsin

I don't get this house-in-a-hurry nonsense. (For this couple, it was a weekend.) You're about to spend $600K+ on a home and you can't maybe spend a few extra thousand dollars on temporary accommodations so you can look at more houses and take a little time to think about which house to purchase?

HH, stop doing that. It doesn't add drama and it's not even believable.

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by mojito

[CrazyInAlabama]

They're taking a break with new episodes of this, and showing the six part Kick Start ones with other HGTV hosts.  

I think the music on the house for the grandmother, and the parents was just the usual banjo strumming.    It does sound a little like Asian stringed instrument music, but banjos are the same type of instrument.  

On the church house in Ellisville, the wife was ticked because she knew that they would always have a lot of people for at least Sunday dinners, since there was now a lot of seating for them.    The husband's face lit up when he saw that, and you know the family will rarely have a quiet family dinner after the dining capacity was now so big.  

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[DonnaMae]

I think it's odd that Laurel has so many vacant houses for sale.  A lot of them look like they haven't been lived in for a long time.  

I loved what they did to the loft. Those open slatted walls were beautiful.  They were able to spend more because the owner didn't want to change the kitchen.

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by DonnaMae

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think some of the 'for sale' houses, are actually owned by the original owner or their family, and the family lives in another town now.   The soaring house prices have now made them a good idea to sell, or the family just didn't go through the process to sell until they decide what to do with the house. 

[RoxiP]

From what has been said on the show (and we are talking pre-2020), Laurel was a rural (and it is off the beaten path), financially depressed small town.  Initiatives by the townspeople (and major exposure on this show) seem to have turned it around.  There are a lot of small communities like Laurel all over the south (I can't speak of the north because I have no experience - and most of my experience is in Texas and it is observational only) where older family members pass away or can no longer live in their homes and their offspring have fled to bigger cities and have no desire to live in mom and dad's house so they sit vacant.  Or they become rentals and get run down.  

[DonnaMae]

I just find it strange that every house they show is vacant, and those prices are unbelievable.  

[buttersister]

The houses are getting more expensive as Laurel becomes more of a revitalized town and less of a small town somewhere in deep Mississippi (with the state's very low rankings when it comes to education, health care, etc.). That there are many towns in a similar situation was the idea behind the "contest" to find an entire town to make over last season with Ben and Erin and this season with a rotating door-full of HGTV hosts. 

For whatever reason, this season I've been less excited to watch, usually recording it and not always watching all the way through. Maybe the clue is in the early show openings when they talk about revitalizing old beat-to-shit homes, but leaving a little dinge, cause they love that. Not so much this season.

[3 is enough]

House prices are going up all over the country, and working remotely seems to be here to stay.  I can see where an affordable town like Laurel would be attractive to a lot of people, especially if they currently live in a high cost of living area.  
I could not handle the weather, but I guess it doesn’t bother a lot of people.  
What they don’t talk about on the show is that outside of the historic district and downtown area, there are a lot of sketchy neighborhoods in Laurel, and a lot of poverty.

[chediavolo]

19 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

I think it's odd that Laurel has so many vacant houses for sale.  A lot of them look like they haven't been lived in for a long time.  

I loved what they did to the loft. Those open slatted walls were beautiful.  They were able to spend more because the owner didn't want to change the kitchen.

 

Doesn’t seem like such a great place to live. At least when the home prices were in the 60’s etc for a fixer upper. Tells you something. I have to wonder about the crime rate and neglect in these areas. The prices have been driven up by the tv exposure which is too bad for those who can’t afford a home. 

[Scatterbrained]

12 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

What they don’t talk about on the show is that outside of the historic district and downtown area, there are a lot of sketchy neighborhoods in Laurel, and a lot of poverty.

They don’t really mention it, but if you pay attention to the wider external shots, it’s always been a bit obvious.  A lot of lots and buildings in the background look really rundown.

[RoxiP]

Yes, once you get out of the immediate downtown area in Laurel there are some shabby neighborhoods (I stopped for gas in one of them).  But the people are very nice and helpful there.

[mojito]

On 4/11/2022 at 9:48 PM, 3 is enough said:

What they don’t talk about on the show is that outside of the historic district and downtown area, there are a lot of sketchy neighborhoods in Laurel, and a lot of poverty.

I always found it worth a few eyerolls that the shots of the people in Laurel didn't reflect the population, demographically speaking, which made me think that there were certain areas that many people didn't frequent or that the videographer was shooting selectively. 

[chediavolo]

6 hours ago, mojito said:

I always found it worth a few eyerolls that the shots of the people in Laurel didn't reflect the population, demographically speaking, which made me think that there were certain areas that many people didn't frequent or that the videographer was shooting selectively. 

Yes. Makes you wonder…

[buttersister]

I think it's safe to say that some (choose your %) of these homeowners are friends or family--or members of their church or in their network. The newbies moving into Laurel are likely referrals (or at least before Erin and Ben became well-known). I appreciate that there is some diversity (or an attempt at), unlike, say, how the Gaines rolled back in the day.

[rainsmom]

When I first caught this show... season 2 or 3?... the first thing I noticed was the dearth of people of color, particularly among their work crew and artisans.

NOW I fully recognize that my initial impression was wrong. There are very definitely people of color on this show, and I've seen nothing that makes me think that Ben and Erin have issues with people of color -- NOTHING.

I just wish the people on camera were more representative of the area. I vaguely recall that the population of Laurel is something like 2/3 black. The show is more like 10-20%. (Percentages may be way off!

[3 is enough]

Did anyone watch the first episode of Home Town Kick Start last night?  I watched Call the Midwife instead.  Curious to see if it is worth watching on demand.  

 

[CruiseDiva]

29 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

Did anyone watch the first episode of Home Town Kick Start last night?  I watched Call the Midwife instead.  Curious to see if it is worth watching on demand.  

 

It was okay. Something different for a change. Watch it if you can fast forward through the boring stuff. It was nice that they renovated the town movie theater, but I thought the "games" in the lobby were dumb. Who plays foosball and ping pong while waiting to see a movie? I realize they were trying to provide something to appeal to young people to do, but that stuff just seemed out of place in a theater lobby. That had to be Jasmine's idea. Ty was slightly less creepy than usual, but still looked like a homeless wino.

One thing that bugged me... when they were driving into town Jasmine had her feet up on the dashboard of the truck. That is so dangerous in an accident situation. At least she was wearing her seat belt, 

[RoxiP]

Lots of people play games in the theater lobby.  Most multiplexes around my area have games.  Those seems to be weird choices (most of the ones I see are more like pinball and video-type games) because they take up room and could potentially be a source of injury, but I'm not surprised that they have games (but then again I haven't watched the show yet so I might be talking about something I know nothing about!).

I put my feet up on the dashboard all the time.  Oops!

[izabella]

I've seen games in lots of theaters, but agree they are usually video game type things.  They can be a source of revenue when there aren't movies.  If they add video games, they can stay open all the time as a games arcade, plus movie theater snacks and beverages. They did say there wasn't anything to do in that town.  But there are only 4500 people, so there probably aren't enough kids to make it worth keeping open every day.  But it could work well on movie nights.

Did they explain why the mom slept in the mudroom/sunroom and gave her daughter the bedroom? 

I loved how they painted the fish scale shingles on the front of the house.  That was pretty and fun, and gave that house a lot of personality.

[buttersister]

I skimmed the episode. It was nice that they helped this vet and her daughter, I hope they liked their home as much as they seemed to.

I don't love Jasmine and have little to no use for Ty. Next week, the twins are featured. Will skim at best. HGTV,  your stable of personalities aren't going to cut it here.

[3 is enough]

What town are they doing next week?  To be perfectly honest, the only town that mildly interests me is Winslow, AZ.  I've been there to take a photo "standing on the corner".

[CrazyInAlabama]

1 hour ago, 3 is enough said:

What town are they doing next week?  To be perfectly honest, the only town that mildly interests me is Winslow, AZ.  I've been there to take a photo "standing on the corner".

on 1 May, next Sunday it's the Winslow AZ episode,   The hosts are the twins from Unsellable Houses.   

[kirklandia]

On 4/25/2022 at 9:33 AM, 3 is enough said:

Did anyone watch the first episode of Home Town Kick Start last night? 

I'll tell you what made it worth watching for me. That quick cameo by author Craig Johnson at the beginning. I had me a Walt Longmire fangirl moment!

[mojito]

On 4/25/2022 at 12:11 PM, CruiseDiva said:

It was nice that they renovated the town movie theater, but I thought the "games" in the lobby were dumb. Who plays foosball and ping pong while waiting to see a movie?

That struck me as a setup they will re-work. It seems like a place for people to hang out, and worse, make noise and trouble.

I was hoping that since this show started in the Spring, there would be a handful of episodes for each town and it would run into the summer. If they just do one episode per town....well, it doesn't seem like much of a kickstart.

I liked the Wetumpka series a lot. You felt that they spread around the re-workings and renovations, and they were reviving a town.

Not impressed with this show so far.

On 4/25/2022 at 12:11 PM, CruiseDiva said:

One thing that bugged me... when they were driving into town Jasmine had her feet up on the dashboard of the truck.

Just two days ago, I commented to someone that this is the kind of thing adolescents do to look cool to passersby, only it just looks stupid to most people.

[Gam2]

Putting your feet up on the dash is incredibly dangerous. If you have a wreck, the air bag will deploy and blow your legs to smithereens. How stupid of them to film that and for Jasmine to ride like that. 

[camom]

Just watched the Winslow AZ episode.  I don't quite get the art car park.  It's nice to have a place to sit I guess, but kids are going to climb all over those cars and ruin the "art" on them.  The root beer stand still looked pretty boring from the outside.  There needed to be signage, not just a decal on the window, to tell you what it is.  And the nice couple whose house they redid -- they kept talking about how they have up to 30 or so kids there at a time, yet they now have less seating in the living room.  it did look nice but may not meet their needs. (I'll be glad when the open shelving trend is over.)   And I thought it was weird that the twins were't there for the reveal.  

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, camom said:

Just watched the Winslow AZ episode.  I don't quite get the art car park.  It's nice to have a place to sit I guess, but kids are going to climb all over those cars and ruin the "art" on them.  The root beer stand still looked pretty boring from the outside.  There needed to be signage, not just a decal on the window, to tell you what it is.  And the nice couple whose house they redid -- they kept talking about how they have up to 30 or so kids there at a time, yet they now have less seating in the living room.  it did look nice but may not meet their needs. (I'll be glad when the open shelving trend is over.)   And I thought it was weird that the twins were't there for the reveal.  

The car art was interesting, but seemed off the beaten path. Not exactly a tourist attraction like The Corner right in the middle of town.

I totally agree about the root beer stand. It turned out nice, but needed a big sign across the front that faced the road. Otherwise, travelers passing through will be clueless as to what it is. The logo in the window was a huge fail.

Where are the coach and his wife going to accommodate all the kids now? The seating in the living room was reduced so much that they will be sitting on the floor unless the coach has a mess of (uncomfortable) folding chairs somewhere to set up. That pegboard/seating thing looked useless. The kitchen appeared very nice, but the open shelving seemed inadequate for what they need, although the wife said she liked it.

It was odd that the twins left before the reveal, but I find them tiresome and their work is completely average.

[Grrarrggh]

1 hour ago, CruiseDiva said:

The kitchen appeared very nice, but the open shelving seemed inadequate for what they need, although the wife said she liked it.

Can the homeowner really say anything else in this situation? 

[buttersister]

I suppose not. But still the Twins are such mediocre designers who didn’t understand the assignment. Thirty plus kids! The three pegs and the ratty looking bench looked awful. Seating was inadequate. Use of space wasn’t worked out for what they needed, either. When one of the sisters bragged that they increased the eating seating from 4 to 7? LOL! No seating at the island. Small open shelves. 

The restaurant was meh. Signage was pathetic. Their master touch was the orange dots? C-

I dunno, maybe the cars and benches will lead to something but I wouldn’t bet on it. Glad the Hopis got some recognition, I guess.

Dear Erin and Ben, I’d request to be separated from this hot mess.

[sheetmoss]

I noticed the  restaurant didn't have any lights added to the ceiling  of the rebuilt cover.  It would have looked  good too with some additional outdoor lighting as well

For the coach's house - they should have given them back a huge sectional - but  one that was on a smaller scale/clean lined... and in a performance fabric.

[MrPissyPuppy]

9 hours ago, buttersister said:

The restaurant was meh. Signage was pathetic. Their master touch was the orange dots? C-

The only thing I can figure is that possibly more dramatic signage was against town code, but in looking it up, it seems like that applies more to lighting at night.   So, I don't know why they weren't able to put a big basic freakin' sign there. 

https://www.codepublishing.com/AZ/Winslow/

[chessiegal]

Kick Start: Watched Buffalo. It felt more like a soap opera than a reno show. I'm out.

[windsprints]

9 hours ago, sheetmoss said:

For the coach's house - they should have given them back a huge sectional - but  one that was on a smaller scale/clean lined... and in a performance fabric.

I agree. They talked about the sofa seating so many plus kids sitting on the floor. Taking out & replacing with half the seating was stupid, like they didn't even listen to the couple. But hey, there's a stupid peg board. They couldn't even bother staying until the end.

I really liked when Ben & Erin went to the other town. I thought this show would be like that one but Ben & Erin aren't even on this show. It's pretty much send an HGTV star they want to push, put up a mural/sign, redo part of a small house and some other little project then call it a day. Maybe if they spent some time in the town and did a couple of more projects it would be better but as it is now I find it dull.

.

[camom]

I'll be going through Winslow in a couple of months.  I think I'll check out the car art to see how it's holding up.  I imagine I'd just drive right by the root beer stand without really seeing it.

[Gam2]

1 hour ago, camom said:

I'll be going through Winslow in a couple of months.  I think I'll check out the car art to see how it's holding up.  I imagine I'd just drive right by the root beer stand without really seeing it.

Please give us a report on the places we saw on the show. Thanks!

[mojito]

19 hours ago, camom said:

There needed to be signage, not just a decal on the window, to tell you what it is.

Ordinarily, my first thought would go to strict zoning laws about signs and the size of signs. Somehow, I kind of doubt that Winslow has such laws.

This episode was a big slice of nothingness. I agree, the rootbeer shop needed much, much more pizazz, the home had maybe half the seating it had before, and I don't see the vintage cars attracting anyone unless the rootbeer place acquires a food truck.

I recall driving to Meteor Crater back a million years ago, give or take, and even though Arizona is probably the state I've traveled the most, this area is pretty forgettable. I hope Winslow comes up with some more ideas.

[Grrarrggh]

Winslow law (no idea if the sign at the Root Beer place follows it as I haven't seen the episode)  1. Nameplate–Maximum size, two (2) square feet and fixed flat to the main wall of a building. Not exceeding one (1) per business or dwelling unit. Permitted home occupations may be a maximum of four (4) square feet. If signs are placed in a window, they may be internally lighted.

www.codepublishing.com/AZ/Winslow/#!/Winslow17/Winslow1780.html

[pasdetrois]

15 hours ago, mojito said:

This episode was a big slice of nothingness. I

Yeah, the episodes are nothing more than vapid sound bites with a few photos thrown in. Extremely disappointing, but not surprising. HGTV is frantically pushing out as much product, with their "stars," as possible. And "People" magazine is a prominently featured sponsor. It's an all out money grab at this point. I'm disappointed in Ben and Erin in their empire-chasing.

Edited May 3, 2022 by pasdetrois

[Boudreaux]

I watched the first two episodes. The remodels are blah to me. Wow, change the flooring and the ceiling tile….like who couldn’t think of that. I wanted way more for that Root Beer stand. I’m not a designer and I could do more. All that concrete looked terrible. And the outside sitting area wasn’t inviting at all.  I didn’t mind the art cars as I see they put it by the railroad park area. People will go to that and then see the cars and take pictures. As far as the house, I said the same. They took away seating!  But I did love the kitchen, the tile on the floor was gorgeous. 

Oh, I forgot to say I am interested as I live close to Minden. One of the towns they did. 

[paramitch]

I caught Season 5 over the past month or so and it was interesting -- the whole season was basically just remodels for their friends, crew, and family. Which was a little odd to me, but also really sweet and frequently moving.

The comforter that Erin had embroidered with all of the little sweet notes from the widow's husband made me cry, not gonna lie. That was just so lovely (and so sad).

I will never be okay with banquette seating. It looks incredibly uncomfortable to me and I don't like the look of it. It instantly sucks away the room's openness and makes it claustrophobic to me. Just, ugh.

I was pleasantly surprised by Erin's design work on both the "Hobbit House" and on the midcentury-modern job she did for (I think) Ben's former student or church member? Both of those projects really seemed to push her out of her usual color and design approaches, and I was impressed with how thoughtfully she came through and gave the clients what they wanted (not what SHE wanted). And best of all, she really seemed to have fun with it -- and so did Ben, which was always delightful to see.

Also, as far as Ben hamming it up more in later seasons, I really don't think it's the network or some cynical ploy, so much as the fact that Ben has always seemed like a little bit of a ham to me, and he's just more comfortable now and willing to admit what a ginormous nerd and goofball he really is (which I love). 

Edited May 4, 2022 by paramitch
oops, I used the wrong "Banquette" :D

[KeithJ]

I fast forwarded to the reveals (which weren't great) because I can't stand the twins.  Did they explain their remote reveals?  That really seemed out of touch and not caring.

[sadtvjunkie]

Maybe the twins caught Covid or someone on the crew had it?

This Kickstart stuff is SO BLAH. I watched Nate and Jeremiah's last night. What the F did they actually do to the bridge to make people from out of town want to stop there? I thought the art installation was going to be an archway over the expanse of the bridge. No! It's just a dinky sculpture that will be moved out of the way. What was up with the squares of fake grass? A big tripping hazard especially since the leaves were falling pretty heavily and soon there will be snow.

They made the woman's store look better but where is her stock? That place was loaded with stock when they showed up. Didn't see any area where she could put back stock either. Her packaging checkout area was dinky. I'm tired of "designers" knowing what retail establishments need. There wasn't enough room on that cabinet to have a register, cash wrap or gift wrap station. And they never addressed the water being able to come into the store. Just replaced the subfloor and flooring. What happens when water seeps in again?

And the home-why did they put that huge screen in front of a FAKE fireplace? Then a chair right next to it impeding the flow of traffic from the kitchen area? Wasn't that WHY they opened up the wall? To make the flow better? The fake fireplace should have been on the wall at the end of the dining table. And didn't the husband say he wanted a table that seated 12? And got one that barely sat 6?

 

I guess PEOPLE's budget is smaller than mine since no one has really received what they wished for.

[buttersister]

Sadtvjunkie nailed the shop/photo studio. I’m a N/J fan and was scratching my head at the reveal—especially when they didn’t show up. And the car remote couldn’t have been more blind—where TH were they?  Bizarre.

The bridge area wasn’t the worst idea, linking the residential and commercial areas, if that was true. But the town leaders didn’t need HGTV to sweep leaves and set up seating and plants. 

The nods to Erin and Ben being involved are laughable. I’ll skip Allison’s episode because that’s what I do. After that, I may stay out. 

[deirdra]

15 minutes ago, buttersister said:

The bridge area wasn’t the worst idea, linking the residential and commercial areas, if that was true. But the town leaders didn’t need HGTV to sweep leaves and set up seating and plants. 

And HGTV won't be there to rake the leaves and shovel snow off each of the squares of grass & concrete at different levels.  I suspect the grass squares will be gone this winter, or earlier if someone trips & cracks their head open.  

Edited May 9, 2022 by deirdra

[NYGirl]

7 hours ago, sadtvjunkie said:

Maybe the twins caught Covid or someone on the crew had it?

This Kickstart stuff is SO BLAH. I watched Nate and Jeremiah's last night. What the F did they actually do to the bridge to make people from out of town want to stop there? I thought the art installation was going to be an archway over the expanse of the bridge. No! It's just a dinky sculpture that will be moved out of the way. What was up with the squares of fake grass? A big tripping hazard especially since the leaves were falling pretty heavily and soon there will be snow.

They made the woman's store look better but where is her stock? That place was loaded with stock when they showed up. Didn't see any area where she could put back stock either. Her packaging checkout area was dinky. I'm tired of "designers" knowing what retail establishments need. There wasn't enough room on that cabinet to have a register, cash wrap or gift wrap station. And they never addressed the water being able to come into the store. Just replaced the subfloor and flooring. What happens when water seeps in again?

And the home-why did they put that huge screen in front of a FAKE fireplace? Then a chair right next to it impeding the flow of traffic from the kitchen area? Wasn't that WHY they opened up the wall? To make the flow better? The fake fireplace should have been on the wall at the end of the dining table. And didn't the husband say he wanted a table that seated 12? And got one that barely sat 6?

 

I guess PEOPLE's budget is smaller than mine since no one has really received what they wished for.

You stole my thoughts. LOL.  I agree 100%,