House Hunters Renovation - General Discussion

[NYGirl]

Yes. I forgot to mention about the basement since that was going to be his man space. I never thought they'd take that house because of the ceiling.

[buttercupia]

The only place he had to duck was under bulkheads.  The main areas were fine.

[ChelseaNH]

They had to work to create some drama with the Tudor.  Their original budget was $350K, they got the house for $290K but their renovation budget was only $44K, so they could have the obligatory going-over-budget drama.  And then it took a whole 2 months!  For a complete kitchen and bath remodel.

 

Also, the part where they were taking a hammer to the slats in the bathroom closet door was completely ridiculous.

 

But other than that, nice house, nice couple.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

I thought that they may have been able to add more base cabinetry and counter-space if they changed that large picture window on the wall opposite the oven to a smaller window.  That would have given them a nice u-shaped kitchen.  Still didn't have much counter-space around the stove.

 

Couple definitely was cute and this was a good "cautionary tale" of what happens with many renovations. 

 

Loved the character of the houses and the neighborhoods. 

[NYGirl]

Last night's reno in Buffalo NY.   I liked the couple a lot.  They were really down to earth.  I didn't see the house hunt itself but I did see the renovation.

 

The kitchen came out pretty good but i have to stay that the designer forced the wife to use the color he wanted.  I was astonished that he was forcing what he wanted on her rather than what she wanted.  In the end he was not going to change the color no matter what she said.  He said..if you don't like it you can change it later on yourself.  I shook my head.

[erikdepressant]

This may belong in the "Commercials" Forum, but I thought I'd have better luck here.  I saw this Realtor.com commercial yesterday:

 

http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7xHM/national-association-of-realtors-real-people-2015

 

The first couple they show... is that the Chicago couple who wanted the sauna & super room mentioned up above?  As soon as I saw him, I thought, "Wasn't he on House Hunters?"

[izabella]

Last night's reno in Buffalo NY.   I liked the couple a lot.  They were really down to earth.  I didn't see the house hunt itself but I did see the renovation.

 

The kitchen came out pretty good but i have to stay that the designer forced the wife to use the color he wanted.  I was astonished that he was forcing what he wanted on her rather than what she wanted.  In the end he was not going to change the color no matter what she said.  He said..if you don't like it you can change it later on yourself.  I shook my head.

 

I didn't understand why he was pushing color on her, though I loved the color and would have hated that kitchen if it had been white.  Maybe his services were free as long as he could use their reno and photos for his business, and have some creative control over the design.

[sheetmoss]

Still don't understand something about Buffalo couple's  kitchen and the blue walls.   They picked out a tile for the kitchen--but when wife was not liking the wall color... that area was later covered completely  in the tile. 

Why  was the blue paint wasted on an area to be tiled to start?

 

Thought the old LR now DR was looked dumb with.small table

 

Also, her voice grated.

Edited July 13, 2015 by sheetmoss

[ChelseaNH]

Confession: I have very little sympathy for colorphobes.  Maybe that was their designated drama for the episode.

[izabella]

Confession: I have very little sympathy for colorphobes. 

 

Me, too.  I understand that a lot of people who are painting before selling should go with neutrals, but when you are painting for yourself and plan to live there a long time, white is not a color, IMO.  I hate those all white kitchens where Everything is white.  Why go with a cold, sterile white that will soon turn to dingy white with all the cooking and hands on all the cabinets, etc.?

[biakbiak]

Because that is what they like and they are going to be the one's living there, if they eventually sell the house to someone who likes color they can paint the house whatever the color they want.  I have little patience for designers who try to overrule homeowners on what they like, yes they can push and hope that they can change the homeowners mind but in the end they should make the people who live in the house's taste. The fact that they painted multiple rooms that color (which I didn't like at all) would have annoyed the hell out of me and would have at least painted the bedroom as soon as the cameras left. 

[laredhead]

Interesting choices on last night's episode of HH Renovation, but I knew they would take the least expensive because all of the houses needed some work and this one gave them the largest budget to use.  I understand his desire to rid the house of some of the Tudor style architectural features, but I agreed with her when she told him to remember they did not buy a modern looking house and it was never going to look like that even with the removal of some of the Tudor details.  I think the beams looked better after being clad in more simple trim, and that fireplace/barbecue pit in the den was definitely a tear out.  The couple wasn't annoying and no one had a meltdown, so it made for a fairly pleasant hour of viewing.

[Bastet]

I hate TVs mounted up high, even with a tilt mount, and theirs would really drive me nuts because they had no furniture facing it, just two couches perpendicular to it.  So, they're going to be lying down and looking all the way up at that TV?

[biakbiak]

I was listening to the Doug Loves Movies podcast and Keith Powell (Twofer from 30 Rock) and he mentioned that the reason he appeared on the show was because they paid for his kitchen remodel. 

[laredhead]

Chicago (?) couple last night remodeled a split level, and it certainly looked a lot better when they finished.  Not too much drama, but that woman's voice was grating to me.  They ended up going about $20,000 over the budget.  He and his father tackled some of the work and saved money or else they would have probably gone over another $10,000.  I think there were a couple of things they could have delayed doing, but I guess they figured while the house was torn up go ahead and take care of them and add to the cost.  I could have lived with the railings in the dining room for another year or so, but he took advantage of having one of the workman help him with that which made the job easier - once they figured out the instructions which was funny.  I think they chose the best house with regard to the back yard which was lovely.      

[7-Zark-7]

 

The couple wasn't annoying and no one had a meltdown, so it made for a fairly pleasant hour of viewing.

Re the Studio City couple: That's husband's refusal to accept that his house was not mid century modern was very annoying to me.  He made a drinking game out of calling everything "old" which was supposed to be a pejorative - as if architectural beauty never withstands time.  Someone should have told him that Mid Century modern is at least 70 years old now, so perhaps he'd drop that too. I understand getting rid of the gate and strange stone into brick combo on the outside of the home, but when he finished, it looked like army barracks.  Everything was mud colored, and those horrible sliding windows were in no way an improvement over the leaded glass that actually fit the style of the home.

 

 

I was listening to the Doug Loves Movies podcast and Keith Powell (Twofer from 30 Rock) and he mentioned that the reason he appeared on the show was because they paid for his kitchen remodel.

 

He also said it was falling apart.

Edited July 26, 2015 by 7-Zark-7

[biakbiak]

Re the Studio City couple: That's husband's refusal to accept that his house was not mid century modern was very annoying to me.  He made a drinking game out of calling everything "old" which was supposed to be a pejorative - as if architectural beauty never withstands time.  Someone should have told him that Mid Century modern is at least 70 years old now, so perhaps he'd drop that too. I understand getting rid of the gate and strange stone into brick combo on the outside of the home, but when he finished, it looked like army barracks.  Everything was mud colored, and those horrible sliding windows were in no way an improvement over the leaded glass that actually fit the style of the home.

 

 

He also said it was falling apart.

 

 

I could have sworn he said that the kitchen was the only part of the house that isn't falling apart and was the nicest part of the house and Doug asked him if he slept in the kitchen. 

[CocoaGoddess]

Because that is what they like and they are going to be the one's living there, if they eventually sell the house to someone who likes color they can paint the house whatever the color they want.  I have little patience for designers who try to overrule homeowners on what they like, yes they can push and hope that they can change the homeowners mind but in the end they should make the people who live in the house's taste. The fact that they painted multiple rooms that color (which I didn't like at all) would have annoyed the hell out of me and would have at least painted the bedroom as soon as the cameras left. 

 

Totally agree. Some people really like soft color palettes in their homes, and designers shouldn't force their preferences when the homeowner is clearly uncomfortable with it. I would never, ever want that color in my kitchen. Ever, and barring some sort of contractual issue, I would have fought tooth nail against having it. And I'm sorry, but painting is *not* an easy fix, it takes a lot of time, effort and money if you're not skilled enough to do it on your own without it coming out looking amateurish. 

 

Our last house was an explosion of colors and while I liked it at the time we painted it, we got tired of looking at the boldness year after year, and it was really hard to decorate and not have the colors clashing during the holidays. 

We're having a house built now, and everything is going to be neutral and safe. Whoever doesn't like, well ... you don't have to visit. :-) 

 

But back to the episode--I do wonder if the wife ever came around to really liking the colors, or if she's badgering her husband about having it changed right now. 

[Kiddvideo]

This may belong in the "Commercials" Forum, but I thought I'd have better luck here.  I saw this Realtor.com commercial yesterday:

 

http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7xHM/national-association-of-realtors-real-people-2015

 

The first couple they show... is that the Chicago couple who wanted the sauna & super room mentioned up above?  As soon as I saw him, I thought, "Wasn't he on House Hunters?"

It was, indeed. Episode was just on, and I didn't like them at all. They looked at a few houses, and now they're experts on style and class. (The kitchen with granite and SS needed updating. A bathroom with wallpaper needed "work.") More idjits who look at decorative elements rather than the space and use the word "I" when it's "me." I thought their Super Room was awful. There was barely enough space for him (he? /snark) and the baby to play on the floor. Multi-color panels conflicting with the TV; multi-color cheap tin in the drop ceiling. The bench wasn't large enough to sit on and relax, and I'd love to know how often they use that sauna. It didn't seem big enough to relax in, either.

[NYGirl]

Watching a couple of episodes this morning and I realized what makes me crazy about HH in general.  They're discussing the three houses and one person is criticizing a certain house.  Then the other says...we have to get House #2...the same house that was just criticized to holy hell.  Then the partner says...I agree I've loved that house all along.  It feels like home. 

 

Me:  Wha??????

[laredhead]

Last night's episode was very different since the buyers chose a geodesic dome house.  All of the houses were so different that what we usually see on any of the HH's shows.  I loved the Cliff May house and with some $$ and careful remodeling, it could be a real gem.  The colors in the 2nd house were wild, and the house obviously belongs to someone who has totally embraced the 60's.  I enjoyed the episode from looking at all of the choices to seeing the final reveal of the dome house.   

[Peanutbuttercup]

I liked the dome house and the buyers as well. The house wasn't quite as cookie-cutter as many of the reno's end up, and the primary buyer seemed to be making sound financial and renovation decisions, not just "I'll spend whatever I want to get whatever fancy finishes are trendy right now, who cares about the budget." I mean, he did end up significantly over budget, but at least they showed him considering some options that he thought he wanted, but rejecting them when they were too expensive.

Not really sure I buy Peaches as his "roommate," but it doesn't really matter anyway, as I'm not personally going to be looking to fix either one of them up on a blind date or anything.

[erikdepressant]

It was, indeed. Episode was just on, and I didn't like them at all.

Thanks, Kiddvideo.

 

The dome choice actually surprised me.  Because the show is fake, I was convinced he was going to pick the Cliff May house.  The other two houses were so similarly decorated that I thought they were both owned by one of his friends.  I guess he could have bought the dome from this theoretical friend and then used the Cliff May house as a dummy choice.

 

Not really sure I buy Peaches as his "roommate," but it doesn't really matter anyway, as I'm not personally going to be looking to fix either one of them up on a blind date or anything.

I swear I heard Peaches vocal fry a couple of times.  The realtor, if I remember right, was a former roommate of the home buyer.  At the obligatory kitchen party scene at the end of the episode, when the buyer gave a toast, he said something about roommates past, present, and future.  There was some fourth guy at the event.  I wondered if it was a veiled threat to Peaches.

[sheetmoss]

I know it was for the show, but I can't believe the Chicago/Orland Park couple was shown the Victorian in Joliet  as an options when it looked like he worked on the north side of the city.

Yes he could take the train in, and,,,

 

Even moving to Orland Park is a commute to downtown.

 

Oy to wife's strange aversion to dining room tables and 'kids cave'.

[NYGirl]

Tonight in Buffalo.  No snow at all...whaaaa?

 

OMG what a mishmosh!!  That 4 color floor going on a slant made me dizzy.  What was the designer thinking?  Was she on LSD??  Reclaimed wood cabinets?  a crazy color backslash?  Yikes.... 

 

I liked the 2 guys though.  I wanna be their friend.

Edited August 9, 2015 by NYGirl

[ByaNose]

The guys in Buffalo & it looked beautiful with no snow. The house was nice before but out of the world ugly after the renovation. That had to be the worst remodel I have ever seen. Beyond ugly!!!!!

Old reclaimed wood for cabinets? WTF?

Edited August 9, 2015 by ByaNose

[Chippings]

Oh thank you guys, thank you !   I liked the guys, but holy moses, what they did in that kitchen and bath was just horrific!  I was thinking it must be me, since they were professionals & stuff, but that was just Ugly.  Also dark.  Also entirely not complementary to the beautiful house itself. 

The half-bath was just jarring to the eye.  The kitchen floor was dizzying - the colors made no sense.  The cabinets were hideous.  (Am I hiding behind my anonymity here?  No, I think I'd tell them that in person if I had the chance.) 

Thanks everybody for confirming my impressions.   

[absolutelyido]

Oh thank you guys, thank you !   I liked the guys, but holy moses, what they did in that kitchen and bath was just horrific!  I was thinking it must be me, since they were professionals & stuff, but that was just Ugly.  Also dark.  Also entirely not complementary to the beautiful house itself.

The half-bath was just jarring to the eye.  The kitchen floor was dizzying - the colors made no sense.  The cabinets were hideous.  (Am I hiding behind my anonymity here?  No, I think I'd tell them that in person if I had the chance.)

Thanks everybody for confirming my impressions.

Adding to the confirmation of your impressions. Horrific was exactly the word that came to my mind. When they first introduced the couple as an architect and historic preservationist I had such high hopes, but what they did in the kitchen and bath was truly horrific. The reclaimed wood they used may have fit in a rustic cabin, but was so wrong for a Victorian in the city. The bath had very nice and totally appropriate bead board, so I was horrified to see them nailing over it with that ugly multicolored re-claimed wood.

 

The multi-colored kitchen floor was so, so, ugly, made worse when combined with the cabinets and awful lighting. Guaranteed that the next buyer is going to gut that kitchen.

[laredhead]

Chiming in here to agree with most of the above comments.  I absolutely hated the kitchen floor.  I can only imagine what the installers must have been thinking, and can totally understand why they would need someone to tell them how to install it since it probably like nothing they had ever done before and probably will never do again.  It looked like an amateur job by someone who bought up remnants of tile and put down all of one color until they ran out and started on another color.  Thank goodness they didn't put that tile on the ceiling.  If I remember correctly, they said the designer specializes in commercial spaces with some residential work, so maybe that was some of the vibe she was trying to instill, but it wasn't my cup of tea.  The architect had edgier tastes, so I think his preferences were more represented.  I liked the the guys a lot and it was nice to see all of the beautiful old houses in Buffalo.  It was nice to be able to see Buffalo without it being covered in snow as in previous shows.  The preservation guy was going on and on about how in the south we don't have pocket doors.  Actually we do, and I have seen them in many old plantation houses and houses built in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  He said he was from a small town in south Louisiana, so maybe there weren't many large old houses where he lived and grew up.  Would love to know where he is from in Louisiana.

Edited August 9, 2015 by laredhead

[sheetmoss]

RE Buffalo Guys

I can see some future owner doing a 'What were they thinking?"

      Who puts reclaimed wood in a Victorian? Flr tile layout okay in coffee shop, not so much in a home kitchen

For those that remember it, I flashed on the old Apartment Life(later Metropolitan Home) magazine from the 70's and how their kitchen  reminded me of a DIY  feature in the magazine about how to 'hip' up your kitchen.

 

I did like the cement bthroom sink the arhitect designed.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I always complain about how the houses on House Hunters/Property Brothers/other HGTV shows end up looking alike. Well, after the horror of last night, I say bring on the white shaker-style cabinets, wood-grain porcelain floor tiles, Edison lights, farm sinks, stainless steel appliances, subway tile or small glass mosaic tile backsplash, and sliding barn doors.

Also, who wants to try to keep reclaimed wood planks clean in a bathroom? Can you imagine what the moisture is going to do to them, and what kind of horrifying life forms will be growing there in short order (note: I am NOT a germaphobe, I promise)?

[ChelseaNH]

Yo, preservationist, does the term "period-appropriate" mean anything to you?

 

They looked like nice people, but they really owe that house an apology.

[Grneyedldy]

Yo, preservationist, does the term "period-appropriate" mean anything to you?

 

They looked like nice people, but they really owe that house an apology.

Yes! My thoughts exactly.

[buttercupia]

I just want to know what happened to those beautiful dividers that were high in the door frames.  Please tell me they were given to someone who would appreciate them and install them in a house that was not being methodically ruined by a "designer" with zero taste or sense.

[Patrizio]

That design job was just awful. If I knew that "designer", and didn't like her, I would be positively gleeful about now. I think the one guy can stop calling himself a preservationist. The tile concept in the kitchen did not lend any aspect of coolness or whatever they were going for- it just looked dumb. The minute she showed that "reclaimed wood" for the kitchen cabinets, we sat back and waited for the disaster we knew to be coming, and they didn't disappoint. On a more positive note, it was nice to see Buffalo in the 3-month period where it is absolutely gorgeous. That Wright house is not far from where I grew up, and it's good to see someone taking care of it-though probably a museum now. One of Frank Lloyd Wright's earliest benefactors was a Buffalo businessman. Wright also designed a beautiful downtown commercial building which was tore down so a parking lot could be put there. So much for preservationists.

[dga28]

I hate when the designer tells the homeowner to "trust me" when presented with something they don't like. I keep hoping that the HO will come back with asking if the designer will pay to have it redone to their taste if they don't like it.

My house, my money, you do it to my taste, not yours. Or Gabby's.

i disagree somewhat...i don't think its that simple.   we select designers because we feel they have a professional perspective regarding vision and what works better together that we lack.   we give them details and the specifics as to what we are looking for, pay them for their professional advice, them we ignore it?   lol.

a lot of home owners lack the vision to see how things play together once completed.

 

in the end, the designers perspective is usually right.  if it isn't, we selected the wrong designer.

 

regarding her view on the window versus the door, i thought it was completely silly.   why does she think a big window is any less vulnerable in terms of safety than a door?  if her issue was visibility into her bedroom, there are such things as curtains and coverings.

Edited August 15, 2015 by dga28

[dga28]

Watching a couple of episodes this morning and I realized what makes me crazy about HH in general.  They're discussing the three houses and one person is criticizing a certain house.  Then the other says...we have to get House #2...the same house that was just criticized to holy hell.  Then the partner says...I agree I've loved that house all along.  It feels like home. 

 

Me:  Wha??????

agree...lol

what gets me in general are a few things. 

 

people who obviously have a limited budget, getting upset at the realtor for not being able to find what they want in their budget.  most of the times what they want compared to what they can afford is unrealistic.

 

people who harshly criticize houses they are touring, when the living arrangements they are moving from are far worse.

 

people who insist on customizing their houses so it becomes essentially unsellable to other people after they have finished their customizations.   its as though it never occurs to them, that one day they might have to sell that house.

[sheetmoss]

Chicago/Lincoln Park couple tonight

 

I'll take a stereotypical Chicago accent any day over the sound the wife was emitting. Super annoying

[Bastet]

Indeed.  There was much about them that came off as insufferable, and her "cutesy" voice was pretty high on the list.   I will never understand women choosing to sound like that.

 

With this Renovation series, I'm always bored with the house hunting segment and just want to get to the renovations, but especially in an episode like this one where a neon arrow would not have been a more obvious indication which home was theirs. 

 

The end result was fine but boring; I found last week's monstrosity a more enjoyable episode despite the design being out of step with the style of the home (and, as in the case of the kitchen floor, just plain ugly sometimes) because at least it didn't look like 95% of the renovations shown.

 

Did that sliding door through which they brought in the peninsula countertop open out onto nothing, or was there a balcony I just didn't notice because I wasn't paying full attention during that segment?  From my inattentive viewing, it looked like the crane was delivering to a direct opening, while the interior shots showed a sliding door, so I got confused.

[biakbiak]

It was just a Juliet "balcony"/railing so they took out the railing to get in the slab. I really hate those things!

[laredhead]

Why did the Chicago couple remove the bench from under the bay window and move it upstairs?  It wasn't taking up that much space and the additional seating would have been nice.  I would have built another one in the child's room if she wanted one so badly.  People have this idealized version of sitting on porches to drink coffee every morning of the year, reading to their children in the perfect place, etc.  The wife's voice was beyond annoying between the pitch and the speed of her talking. The husband must be partially deaf.  I was a bit sorry when the contractor finally told her she was trying to use the sledgehammer on a stud and it would not budge.

 

Also agree that the result was nothing spectacular, but the kitchen was a definite improvement.   

[sheetmoss]

Why did the Chicago couple remove the bench from under the bay window and move it upstairs?  It wasn't taking up that much space and the additional seating would have been nice.  I would have built another one in the child's room if she wanted one so badly.  People have this idealized version of sitting on porches to drink coffee every morning of the year, reading to their children in the perfect place, etc.

The wife didn't like it in the living room so that why it was moved. 

Also, yes old  mantel was 'dated'==I say classic, but what it was replaced with was just so generic for the $ spent.

[Empress1]

I love bay windows. I've always said my dream home would have a library with a bay window, and some stained glass somewhere (when the wife pooh-poohed it in house #3, I gave her the side eye).

Chicago wife did have an awful voice. The vocal fry was one of the worst I've heard and she talked very fast.

I agree that the episodes are more interesting when the designs are different. That house, while lovely (I love town homes), ended up very generic. I like white cabinets and gray (my bedroom is painted gray), but I thought their kitchen was pretty sterile. The lime green backsplash in the LA geodome wasn't my taste, but at least it wasn't the same old tile. The Buffalo kitchen was butt ugly, but at least it was different. (But seriously: so ugly.) the most interesting bit was the stencil in the dining room.

[CocoaGoddess]

Just now catching up on the latest episodes, and I can't even form coherent thoughts after being exposed to that horrible, horrible Buffalo reno. I am just going to declare it as the absolute worst renovation I have ever seen on this show. EVER. Reclaimed wood tacked against a bathroom wall? What what what?? What were they thinking??

 

And someone upthread mentioned the whole house as being dark, and I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, not dark enough, because we could still see the hideous "design" choices in the end. 

 

Lovely couple, awful house. Any future homeowner who walks in there in five years and proclaims that it is "a total gut job!" won't get any eyerolls from me. 

 

Chicago episode was pretty blah. Nice house, but completely boring. It was nice seeing homeowners finally challenging the designer though, although I would have liked to see more of the designer's ideas implemented. 

[MoreCoffeePlease]

 

I am just going to declare it as the absolute worst renovation I have ever seen on this show. EVER.

 

Totally agree (Buffalo, NY renovation).  They RUINED that house, and wasn't it the one on the historic register?

[wait.what]

The latest buffalo, NY renovation episode: I thought the kitchen was horrible. The cabinets? The weird windows that were like garage doors? But the most distracting? The woman's earrings. During the "decision meeting" I think she was wearing trampoline springs as earrings!!

[laredhead]

I thought the garage door windows were not the best decision.  If they aren't double pane windows, they would be huge energy wasters in those very cold Buffalo winters.  Also, if there isn't a screen on those windows, won't bugs fly in?  Not a good design choice in my opinion.  I also wasn't fond of the upstairs bathroom with the dark slate walls.  I know the man wanted some northwest design elements, but I think that could have been accomplished with some other colors or materials.  They were pleasant with no drama which was a plus.  About the only drama was whether the gianormous kegerator was going to fit in the basement w/o destroying everything in its path including the people who were moving it.  Glad to learn a bit more about Buffalo and it's history and architecture.

[Empress1]

I wondered how practical it was to raise chickens in Buffalo when it's so cold and snowy for so long. I truly did wonder, not facetiously - like, is the coop enough warmth for chickens when there's 7 feet of snow and subzero temperatures?

 

I also wasn't fond of the upstairs bathroom with the dark slate walls.  I know the man wanted some northwest design elements, but I think that could have been accomplished with some other colors or materials. 

I didn't like the bathroom either. Since they didn't make it bigger, the dark slate made it look (and feel, I'm guessing) even smaller. In general I like lighter colors in the bathroom.

 

I loved the warm orange they painted their living room. Their library was interesting because the dream house I have designed in my mind has a library (I come from a family of readers and have lots and lots of books. The house I grew up in had what we called a "den" but it was really a library/office full of bookcases) but it has floor to ceiling bookcases, preferably built-ins. I didn't like their floating shelving and I didn't see enough shelves or books to fit my definition of a library - but hey, it's not my house.

 

The first house was clearly the best choice for them. I thought house #2 was really ugly. House #3 could be amazing eventually but it would take a LOT of money and work, and I don't blame them for not wanting to take that on.

 

The real estate prices in that area continue to amaze me. Damn near free.

[SPLAIN]

The Buffalo renovation? I seriously did not care for it in the least. It was all bad. The color scheme, the so-called design, it just looked like a confused and jumbled mess of different ideas all thrown together.

[racked]

Wow you guys weren't kidding about the buffalo reno with the preservationist/architect couple. I don't hate that look, except I despise the painted wood and the colored tiles, but man it did not fit the characteristic of an old Victorian! Buffalo has more log cabin feeling homes that would have suited that design better. It was so incredibly modern but also somehow mismatched for a modern home. I did like the concrete sink and countertops and their bedroom looked lovely. They're happy and they seemed like nice people so that's what matters but yikes!