Home Town - General Discussion

[buttersister]

Not cookie cutter at all. And no whining over structural work). Nice job, you crazy kids. (Yes, early 30s, heard you.)

Also, there’s much more diversity this season, better.

Edited February 19, 2019 by buttersister

[3 is enough]

Loved the house, loved the couple.  I am generally not a fan of wallpaper, but it looked really good in the bathroom.

There are a lot of negative comments on Instagram. ("Disappointed in you", "Deleted this episode", etc.)  The comments have been shut down on both Ben's and Erin's posts about tonight's episode , but you can still see some of them on the Laurel Mercantile's post.  I was sad to see the negative comments, but not really surprised.  Kudos to Ben, Erin, and the whole team for being so inclusive.  I hope they are not too hurt by all of the negativity.

Edited February 19, 2019 by 3 is enough

[2727]

51 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

There are a lot of negative comments on Instagram

Gross.

I'm a little dubious about the proportions of the porch swing and reading nook benches; one seems too wide and other too narrow to be comfortable as seats. But probably I'm just too old and rickety to think about sitting sideways with a couple of throw pillows for back support.

Did I sleep through the main bathroom? It must have needed a re-do as well.

That was a pretty street with all the trees and tidy looking houses. 

[3 is enough]

2727, they did not show the main bath. I guess the budget did not allow for a renovation in that room.  I don’t know if they still freshen up the rooms they don’t show on film.  That is a question I would love to ask.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I bet the main bath was simply cosmetic, with generic updates, which would save a lot, but wouldn't be good TV.   I think in that house you would be fine with tiling the bathroom floor, replacing toilet, and replumbing, then doing a generic tub insert, and vanity with top.     That would be a couple of thousand, as opposed to full tile, and all new everything like the master bath.   

Maybe someday they'll build on an addition with another bedroom or two for guests.     Since the one woman was local, she probably doesn't expect a lot of out of town guests.    I didn't notice if the second woman was local also.       

For now, a pull out sleeper sofa in the living room will work for guests. 

A few postings on the FB page for the episode are really mean also.      

Edited February 20, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[Pixie Chicken]

They chose the 2 bedroom/1 bath home. That WAS the main bath. One of the girls said early on that she didn't want guests having to use their bathroom, so I was surprised they chose that house. 

Love that these homes are not 700K homes with gray, gray, and more gray. 

[3 is enough]

9 minutes ago, Pixie Chicken said:

They chose the 2 bedroom/1 bath home. That WAS the main bath

Actually, they turned the second bedroom, which could only be accessed through the master, into the master bath. The main bathroom, which was originally the only one in the house, was never shown, and may or may not have been renovated.

So they ended up with a one bed, two bath home.  

[Pixie Chicken]

8 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

Actually, they turned the second bedroom, which could only be accessed through the master, into the master bath. The main bathroom, which was originally the only one in the house, was never shown, and may or may not have been renovated.

How'd I miss that?! Thanks for clearing that up. 

I thought for sure they'd go for the second home. The book nook was cute but not worth an extra bedroom or two.

Edited February 19, 2019 by Pixie Chicken

[3 is enough]

Pixie Chicken, the second house had one bath which was going to be redone.  I think you just mixed up the two houses.  

Honestly, as much as I do like this show, I often fall asleep while watching and rewatch the next day.  It's not because it is boring, I just have a bad habit of falling asleep while watching tv.

One unanswered question:  Did they find the rats?  I assume they caught them, but after Erin was grossed out by the rat poop on Ben's arm that topic was closed.

Edited February 19, 2019 by 3 is enough

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

7 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

Pixie Chicken, the second house had one bath which was going to be redone.  I think you just mixed up the two houses.  

Honestly, as much as I do like this show, I often fall asleep while watching and rewatch the next day.  It's not because it is boring, I just have a bad habit of falling asleep while watching tv.

One unanswered question:  Did they find the rats?  I assume they caught them, but after Erin was grossed out by the rat poop on Ben's arm that topic was closed.

No rats were shown in the broadcasting of this show.  Thank heavens!

@3 is enough, even now that I'm over my pique at the Napiers, I find I watch long enough to see the houses 'before," then fast-forward to the reveal.  Usually later on I'll watch the episode to see the various scenes of repurposing, or building, or shopping, or cutting up, or the featured business of the moment, but to watch the whole thing start to finish just isn't my bag anymore.  But that may just be me.  I unreservedly LOVE Maine Cabin Masters and even that, I watch in fits and starts.

(My disaffection for the Napiers began with getting just TMI about their charmed lives in their memoirs. Same thing happened with Chimp and Joprah over on the Fixer Upper show.  If the Maine people ever publish memoirs, I am going to diligently ignore it! 

[suebee12]

The thing I loved the most about this renovation? They actually left the screened porch a screened porch! I am betting that the new owners requested it(especially since they grew up in Laurel and knew about mosquitoes and other flying bugs!)

And I liked the bold, brightly colored wallpaper! It only worked because the room was fairly large and could take that big print! The blue walls made it pop!

I'm going to mention that I watched the pilot that was shot in Starkville and have posted about it in the Genre Talk section under Flipping shows.

[pasdetrois]

I wonder if the young woman is related to former Senator Trent Lott, who was a US Senator forever and then went down in some scandal - I think financial. I have (non-fancy) Lotts in my MS family tree.

As I watched I heard an imagined chorus of nasty comments about the women. MS is still an EXTREMELY conservative state.

Having an unscreened porch in MS is the definition of insanity. You will get eaten alive eight to nine months every year.

[3 is enough]

1 minute ago, pasdetrois said:

As I watched I heard an imagined chorus of nasty comments about the women. MS is still an EXTREMELY conservative state.

When I heard Erin say "engaged couple", and then I saw the two women, I immediately knew this was going to stir up some controversy, and sadly, I was correct.

I feel really bad for Ben and Erin.  They did absolutely nothing wrong, but she is extremely "tender hearted" as she puts it.  All of those nasty comments must have really hurt her. I'm not sure if they expected such a backlash, but wow.  It really was swift. Even though she has disabled the comments on her recent Instagram posts people are leaving encouraging comments on older ones.  I hope she knows that this is happening.

I don't think it was just people in Mississippi.  A lot of their fans have been very vocal about how they love that Ben and Erin are a "Christian, Godly couple", and these are the ones who are so incensed.  Lots of  "love the sinner, hate the sin" rhetoric.  Also lots of "Chip and Joanna would never have stooped to this level".

The whole thing just makes me incredibly sad.  And those poor girls.  This must be so difficult for them too.  Hopefully they have lots of friends and family to support them.

[izabella]

Those girls should think about getting a security system for their house.  That won't stop a brick through their window, but it might stop some nutjob from getting in and hurting them.  Everyone knows where they live now, and those fools making those comments could very well be nutjob dangerous.

I loved that screened in porch with the huge swing.  I would be doing all my reading and lounging in that spot.  Did it have a ceiling fan?  If not, that's the first thing I'd put on that porch.

I really love that Ben and Erin do these cozy houses rather than the big renos we usually see on HGTV.   And I especially love that their main goal isn't tearing out every bit of charm and turning it into generic contemporary on the inside.

[3 is enough]

@izabella: I am pretty sure I saw two ceiling fans on the porch ceiling.  I assume that must be pretty standard in that part of the country. 

[AnnieHeights]

I have tried not to like Ben and Erin but I just adore them!  The 'pictures of wood' doesn't bother me because an old house deserves to have as much true to the original as it can get.  If laminate is your thing, no worries but hardwood flooring just seems more authentic in old homes.  I do agree about the windows, the waviness of the old glass is super charming and if you can figure out how to preserve them AND make the efficient - awesome but I have to admit the layers and layers of old paint might drive me a bit crazy.  I loved the Dutch door Ben converted in the courtyard episode.  They just do a wonderful job of thoughtfully restoring the houses in their community.      

[CrazyInAlabama]

Yes, porch and patio fans are very popular, and but you do have to buy a fan that's made to stand up to humidity.    If you put a standard fan outside, the fan blades sag, and look like they melted.  

[suebee12]

I forgot to mention in my original post that I got a bit "homesick" when I saw the sink they put in the kitchen! That was the sink that I washed dishes in when I was a kid...well, not the same one but one just like it! Looking back, I now realize that we didn't have much counter space but we made do. My mother worked in a bakery when I was really little and she still did lots of baking as I was growing up...somehow, not having loads of counter space didn't seem to bother her. Boy, have times changed!!

[chessiegal]

2 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

but you do have to buy a fan that's made to stand up to humidity. 

Yes, but not hard to do. We've put ceiling fans on 2 screen porches - you just shop for outdoor ceiling fans.

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

Yes, but not hard to do. We've put ceiling fans on 2 screen porches - you just shop for outdoor ceiling fans.

We have had two ceiling fans (outdoor Hunter brand fans) in our screened-in sunroom for five years and the blades haven't sagged. With the heat and humidity here only poor quality fan blades fail.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Loved the blue on the exterior with the green trim. Loved the color throughout the home as well. 

Does a big rainhead shower like that actually provide enough water pressure to get shampoo and conditioner out of thick hair? If I had a rainhead shower, I would want a regular showerhead as well.

Kitchen sink was awesome.

If yucky stuff (sewage) had been dumping under the house for years, I wonder if they did anything special to make sure it was better under there (i.e., dig some dirt out, put fresh dirt in, I don't know ... just something).

[chessiegal]

Rainhead shower heads are awesome. And yes, they put out plenty of water pressure.

[3 is enough]

That shower head looked amazing!

1 hour ago, MoreCoffeePlease said:

If yucky stuff (sewage) had been dumping under the house for years, I wonder if they did anything special to make sure it was better under there (i.e., dig some dirt out, put fresh dirt in, I don't know ... just something)

Good point!  Maybe some gravel or sand would have been a good idea.  I don't know if the house had been sitting empty for a while.  If not it must have smelled awful. But if no one had used the bathroom for months or even years I guess everything would have dissipated by now.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved the artist and her son on tonight's show.     It was so neat that she wanted to move home, and find a great house like that.    They really fooled me, I didn't think she would pick the house she did, but I think it will be a wonderful place for her and her son.     The kitchen was so great.     I loved the new railings on the stairs.      

[buttersister]

So it’s either me or Show. I like this season so much better. There’s more diversity among their clients, Erin and Ben come across as legitimately likeable without the Chip and JoJo bs, the house tonight, for example, was terrific—not my style, but original and not cookie-cutter. And while I don’t have any linoleum here, I learned something about it. Can’t say that about the other HGTV shows.

[CruiseDiva]

1 hour ago, buttersister said:

So it’s either me or Show. I like this season so much better.

I really enjoy this show, but I wish they would show more of the houses, like bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. The artist's house tonight turned out lovely and I hope the bathrooms have decent plumbing and there were no electrical issues.

[suebee12]

Loved the house tonight! Was this house shown before? The stairs and all of the railings looked really familiar.

The one thing I am enjoying about the show this season is the fact that they are letting us "see" Helen but not really "see" her. She isn't being exploited, just shown because they love her! And how cute was the hard hat that Ben designed!! I have noticed that she has been shown in each of the episodes but not close ups so she is being kept "secret"...I like that.

[3 is enough]

As always, they did a lovely job.  Those jadeite handles on the kitchen cabinets were so unique.  I have never  seen anything like them before.  

  I was looking at the live tweet feed for a bit and I think Erin said the house had been featured before.  

I would also like to know if any other rooms are redone.  They did show a quick glimpse of the redone back mudroom without going into detail last night. The purchase price and Ben's estimate for the work always add up, but the homeowners have to get some compensation from HGTV for being on the show.  Maybe they freshen up the other rooms and don't show it?  But surely they go upstairs and check to make sure there are no leaky pipes, etc.  Otherwise the renovations could be ruined.  But I think the main reason they don't show everything is just time constraints.

The way they are handling Helen on the show is ideal.  They do put pictures of her on their Instagram accounts, mostly stories the disappear after a day.  They want to protect her privacy as much as they can.  Some other tv families could learn from them.  That is also the reason Erin did not resume her online journal after Helen was born- she  knew most of the entries would be about Helen.

And they put in new windows last night! 

Edited February 26, 2019 by 3 is enough

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think they said something about the bedrooms only needing cosmetic work, like new carpet, paint, and maybe lights.   

The homeowner is featured on their facebook page today, she opened the first art supply store in Laurel.    I hope she does really well.   The scene with Ben and the son talking about putting a basketball hoop in the living room was so funny.    

[pasdetrois]

I think I heard Ben say that Erin had wanted to renovate the house for a long time.

It's cool to see linoleum as an affordable option. Today's lino can be beautiful.

It took me forever to switch out my kitchen cabinet hardware because there are too many choices and I drove myself nuts. Every conceivable metal, stone, resin, etc. and every conceivable color.

I love Erin's hair when the humidity makes it curl a bit. Don't fight it Erin!

Helen's at that scrumptious age.

I feel bad for Ben having to do all of the sweaty work in Mississippi's horrible heat. There was a very quick shot of him under the house, and the other worker was able to rise up on his knees - Ben wasn't because of his height and had to work on his elbows.

[Gam2]

I do love this show. Erin, Ben and all of the others are real people with real lives who really care about what they do for a living. Although, I have to say that Ben sweating through every shirt in every scene makes me queasy because I just hate to sweat and will do anything to avoid it in the summertime in TN. Their daughter is too adorable for words and I’m so happy for them that they were able to have her. Erin has written about her overwhelming fear of childbirth so they must be very grateful that she overcame that. Helen is the blessing from God that they probably thought they’d never have. She looks so much like her daddy and those fingers are as long as mine! 

[MoreCoffeePlease]

What a neat and unique house! That middle room near the kitchen came out great. The beams / columns looked awesome, as did the redone stairs.

In the kitchen I really like how they did some "open shelving", but it wasn't what you usually see on HGTV.  To me it looked like the upper cabinets were there, just without doors in a few locations. I would never do trendy open shelves, but I might consider this.

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

@MoreCoffeePlease (love the screen name!), just leave the cabinet doors uninstalled, see how you like open fronts, and attach the doors if you don’t! Easy Peasy.

The artist’s house. The posts & the new stair railing made me dizzy and I could never live with the kitchen tile backsplash. 

Loved the entryway, the glimpse of the baby in her hardhat, the great room when I wasn’t looking at the posts and railing, and the studio.

I’d get the seat on the studio bench framed before I sat on it, though. There was at least one BIG old piece of wood that looked like it would snag clothes — or skin!

[CrazyInAlabama]

I loved the homeowner on tonight's show.   Lived all over the world, and came back to her hometown to settle down.   I loved what Ben did with the front door.      I love how Ben and Erin roll with the punches, and in this house reused everything they could to save money.   The homeowner's mother was so funny.    

[BookWoman56]

One thing I really appreciate about this show is the lack of OTT dramatics when they find something wrong that was unexpected, such as the problem with the flooring in tonight's episode. Although I'm sure if the unexpected item was something that would run thousands of dollars to resolve, they would talk to the buyer and figure out options, it seems that for a lot of issues that pop up, Erin and Ben just sort of calmly accept that there's a problem and figure out how to deal with it. For example, Erin quickly decided she could do without whatever fancy tile design she had originally wanted to put in the bathroom and opted to go with something that would entail a lot less in labor costs but still looked good. I can get behind that approach to problems. 

[3 is enough]

Another great episode.  Cute house and cute owner.

Add me to the list of people who appreciate the lack of drama.  That bathroom sub-floor was BAD.  But when you pay $32,000 for a house you have to expect hidden surprises.  And Erin and Ben just roll with it and make adjustments.

I understand why they used vinyl tile in the kitchen, but I don't know why they didn't go with the ones that look like wood planks, since hardwood flooring was their original plan.  Maybe it was too expensive? The floor looked fine, but I hate white floors in a kitchen.  I had one in my first apartment and it was a nightmare to keep clean. 

I don't get the art on the range hood.  It was nice of Erin to do a painting for Ebonee, but why put it there?  It will just get dirty, and the hood looked fine on its own.  Erin has done this before so I guess it is just part of her signature style. 

Speaking of Erin's art, I like the house paintings. I find them charming.  I know a lot of people think they are too primitive and childish looking, but my understanding is it is hard to get crisp lines with watercolour paint.  If I had one of my house I would be very pleased.

[buttersister]

Liking Ben and Erin more each week. Now that increased exponentially after struggling through 15 minutes of Chip and Jo vamp their way through a house “hunt.” That was four “you guys all-in budget of $200,000” in the first 90 seconds, showboating, same old everything, etc. Ben and Erin are the fresh air lacking in every FU knock-off (weirdo couples, siblings, bros, etc.). Here’s hoping there isn’t some bs in theiri background.

Edited March 6, 2019 by buttersister
Typo. Hate typos.

[BookWoman56]

For me, one of the differences I see between Home Town and other renovation-focused shows is that Erin and Ben aren't hellbent on imposing their own design preferences on every damn house. With Fixer Upper and similar shows, it always seemed as if the designers/renovators had one particular design style they liked and they wanted to incorporate it into every property they touched. Erin comes across as wanting to update the house with modern conveniences and sometimes an improved floor plan, but without sacrificing the character of the house. I'm not fond of the wood kitchen countertops that they favor in a lot of the kitchen remodels, but that's a relatively minor thing. I think while all of the renovations have a similar design aesthetic, so to speak, they're not clones of the exact same design choices. Nor do they insist on insanely expensive bathroom and kitchen remodels, but instead try to make those work within a reasonable price range. Bottom line, they're not going into a house where there's a pretty limited reno budget and insisting on going with the most expensive options possible, and then throwing a hissy fit because the clients are asking for something less expensive. 

[3 is enough]

I have a feeling the wood countertops in the kitchen last night were chosen to save money in light of the unexpected structural expenses.  Wood seems to be their go-to when the budget is tight.

[pasdetrois]

I've never seen wood countertops. I wonder if the homeowner considers them temporary until she can upgrade to butcher block stone.

I also wondered if she is a former Peace Corps worker, or perhaps an international aid worker.

It's puzzling to me that they "discovered" the rotten subfloor and joists after their design plans. In a house that old it would be one of the first things one would check for. Having recently been forced to take my very old bath down to the studs because of water damage, I learned from various contractors that invisible leaks in old bathrooms are very common.

I do love seeing the budget finishes. Some of us live in the real world, or we don't want a brand-new McMansion.

The only off note was the art work on the kitchen vent hood; it struck me as a bizarre choice.

Edited March 6, 2019 by pasdetrois

[CruiseDiva]

2 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

I do love seeing the budget finishes. Some of us live in the real world, or we don't want a brand-new McMansion.

I noticed that they used a fiberglass tub surround in the bathroom as well as the vinyl floor in the kitchen. Those were lower cost options that turned out well.

We recently had deluxe vinyl tiles installed on  our kitchen floor. They are "floating" above the old 1987 sheet vinyl that was glued to a gypcrete application over the subfloor. It would have required an entire new subfloor if the old sheet vinyl floor had to be removed. I wanted flooring that wouldn't be too hard on my knees and the new floating vinyl flooring was a good solution. It's only been in place for 6 months, but so far, so good.

[3 is enough]

3 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

It's puzzling to me that they "discovered" the rotten subfloor and joists after their design plans. In a house that old it would be one of the first things one would check for. Having recently been forced to take my very old bath down to the studs because of water damage, I learned from various contractors that invisible leaks in old bathrooms are very common.

I think they knew the subfloor was bad but did not realize that the damage had extended to the joists.  That's the impression I got, anyhow. The extra cost was only $1400, which, while not an insignificant amount of money, is still a lot less than the "surprise" structural repair costs seen on other HGTV shows.

3 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

The only off note was the art work on the kitchen vent hood; it struck me as a bizarre choice

Thank you!  I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so. In hindsight, I do think the fact that it was a painting of a person that really made it a no for me.  If it had been a landscape or a still life it may not have seemed so out of place. In my house I have a lot of art on the walls but they are all landscapes, botanicals, or architectural.  I just never was drawn to portrait paintings.  I guess I just don't like random strangers on my walls.  I can admire them in museums, and I appreciate the talent required, but it isn't my thing.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

What a sweet woman, and a dear mother. I'm so happy for them. I hope the homeowner does stick around for a while.

I love how they discuss how to save money and stay within the budget. I wish they would actually do even more of that.

I was not in love with the "pink" doors. I can't even really describe how they looked on my TV, but it wasn't good. Cleaning the exterior of the house made a big difference.

[izabella]

I love these charming houses so much!  It's wonderful that they really work with what is there, and don't try to turn them into something else. 

I did like how the front porch turned out and it did look better, but I had a pang of sadness that they took the screens off. 

The bookcases around the fireplace looked great when they were done.  It was such a warm, cozy house.

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

@Pegasaurus, ditto. My contractors were nervous about my choice of a pictures-of-wood flooring for my living and dining rooms that didn’t at all match the pictures-of-wood flooring in my kitchen, which abuts both the other other two rooms. 

TL; DR — both pictures-of-wood floorings look great and it’s very apparent and problem-free that they don’t match. 

Also: I’m proud of my pictures-of-wood floorings!!! I will probably replace my kitchen flooring with pictures-of-tile flooring in a few years!!!

TOWANDA!, y’all!

Edited March 7, 2019 by BckpckFullaNinjas

[pep4]

That green exterior paint they gushed over tonight was very meh.  Hated the blue stripes on the porch and steps and that shade of blue didn't seem to go well with meh green.

But otherwise I loved the episode, paused what I was doing more often than normal to just watch.

Edited March 12, 2019 by pep4

[2727]

Made me chuckle that Erin didn't re-do her original watercolor after some of the exterior details had been changed. Maybe she never does and I haven't noticed.

The only thing that seemed a bit off to me about the house were the handrails on the front steps; they looked a bit wan and wimpy next to the thick wooden porch rails.

The kitchen was pretty but it was dinky! Functional for one person, though.

Homeowner: "Oh, Erin. Oh, Erin. Oh, Erin. Oh, Erin. Thanks so much, Erin."
Erin: "Thanks to Ben."

[pasdetrois]

Wondering if this is a part-time residence for the retired anesthesiologist. She lived/lives in Jackson. Kind of small, but maybe that's what she really wanted. Or it's an investment property.

I didn't care for the exterior color scheme; it didn't come together. I do like the pale gray-greens that Erin uses on her interiors.

What did they do about AC? The wall units disappeared and were surely replaced by new HVAC. Do we ever see them replacing or repairing a roof?

The laundry chute was cute but she has to reach down and inside of that thing to pull out her dirty laundry.

[3 is enough]

I agree about the house color- it was a little too intense for my taste, and I love green.  The porch floor color on the house may have looked better.  But lighting is tricky and it may look totally different in person- it did look better from a distance.

The rest of the house looked nice, although I am still not a fan of hardwood in the bathroom. I'm sure they did the AC, but it is just not exciting to watch and they can only show so much in an episode.

40 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

Wondering if this is a part-time residence for the retired anesthesiologist. She lived/lives in Jackson. Kind of small, but maybe that's what she really wanted. Or it's an investment property.

 That makes sense.  I was a little surprised that a retired anesthesiologist would only have $120,000 to spend on a home, but if it is a second home I can understand spending less.  I missed the very beginning- who was the other lady?  Just a friend?

This episode felt weird to me- hard to say exactly why, but it didn't seem to have the same vibe as the others.  Maybe it was filmed around the time their book released and they were a bit preoccupied? It just seemed a bit "off".  I hope Erin redid the house painting at a later date.

Edited March 12, 2019 by 3 is enough

[BckpckFullaNinjas]

I’ve just started watching my recording and I’m willing to bet an Adam Trest toss pillow (retail value $85) that the retired lady is using this as a second home and occasional investment property. 

She just introduced the lady with her as her friend. The friend said that she’s coming along to offer opinions - or words to that general effect. 

@3 is enough, I chuckled that you say the do felt off, as it's the first one I’ve chosen to watch the whole way through (while puttering around my house).

Edited March 12, 2019 by BckpckFullaNinjas