House Hunters Renovation - General Discussion

[7-Zark-7]

RE: Austin Family - For the most part, I liked the house remodel. I liked the kitchen. Okay, I didn't like the tiles or the change of handles with brass on the top, and silver below. But I do like two toned cabinets, light up top (or better yet no top shelving at all) opens up the kitchen and makes it seem less cluttered. Dark cabinets below, anchors the space (and doesn't show dirt easily). I also loved the furniture. The womb chair in the library, for example, is something I've had my eye on for some time (they aren't cheap). As for the books in the library being turned the wrong way, I thought it was done for the same reason t-shirts are often blurred or grocery store cans and boxes found on most kitchen shelves aren't shown on tv: to avoid advertising logos, etc. I guess the production team didn't have leather bound dummies to put in place for the shoot, and they didn't want to leave the built-ins bare, so they came up with that. The screen around the pool did look clunky, but many counties/ cities, etc. require homeowners to have a separate fence around their pool, even if they already have one around their yard. Or they may have chosen to do it themselves as a temporary security measure until their kids are older.

As for the powder room... there they lost me completely. I could only see Gilligan's Island.

On 12/19/2016 at 0:37 PM, laredhead said:

The pictures of the couple taken a few years earlier showed him w/o the beard and I think he looked better. 

They both were better looking. Those photos were taken awhile ago. Age and child rearing will take a toll. 

[MaKaM]

So, definitely re-thinking some of my life decisions (college, mechanical engineering degree, masters, etc) when a Weird Al knockoff-puppeteer (whose man-child-ness was very wearying) and his make-up artist fiancee have a $1.3 million house hunting budget.

ETA: I did not like how the greenish backsplash tiles looked with the orangey tile floor.

Edited January 15, 2017 by MaKaM

[morgan]

Not knocking engineering, but there are other legit choices.  Christian is a hardworking creative guy.  I saw him on Broadway ages ago and looks like he's done a lot since.  

I'm not a fan of a lot of their design choices, but thought they were a nice couple who worked well together.  Nice to see a respect for budget too.  Half the time I watch and it's like watching people playing with Monopoly money.  

Edited January 15, 2017 by morgan

[Empress1]

9 hours ago, MaKaM said:

So, definitely re-thinking some of my life decisions (college, mechanical engineering degree, masters, etc) when a Weird Al knockoff-puppeteer (whose man-child-ness was very wearying) and his make-up artist fiancee have a $1.3 million house hunting budget.

If she's a makeup artist on a show, she could make a good living. I used to be friendly with one of the makeup artists on Law and Order SVU and she did all right for herself. And Kevin Clash made a GREAT living as a puppeteer!

I didn't care for the kitchen, especially the tile, but I appreciated that they respected their budget and didn't take on too much at once. I don't think I've seen a show where they went so far UNDER budget.

[Pickles]

I didn't really like the tile in the kitchen or the color of the cabinets. But, I really enjoyed this couple. They worked well together and seemed like nice people. I wonder if her mother was contributing to the large budget, since she was going to move in?

[juliet73]

I liked the couple as well. I like to hear about people who have "different" jobs. Sales reps, IT, account manager, etc don't sound nearly as interesting as puppeteer. 

I wasn't a fan of the kitchen. However, it was refreshing to see something different. It definitely had a "retro" look to it and it went well with the rest of the house. 

Yes, they did come way under budget, but they still have phase 2 to complete. They were smart with their design choices so I'm sure phase 2 will be done cost effectively as well. What saved them a lot of money was: 1. keeping the existing kitchen appliances  2. Keeping the same kitchen and bath layout so they didn't need to move plumbing, electrical, etc. 3. The bathroom was purely cosmetic. 

Good episode. Hopefully, we will see more like this one in the future. 

[ByaNose]

The West Hollywood kitchen is ugly & looks like it's from the 70's. I've lived through the 70's and we had ugly kitchens but we just didn't know it. LOL!!! The backsplash was horrible & the brown wood cabinets looked so cheap looking which I doubt they were. The bathroom came out nice and not too over the top. I did like the couple. They worked well together and didn't come off as obnoxious bitches. The patio area looks fine and I don't think they need to spend any money there unless they want all grass. 

[mojito]

I came here to see what anyone else had to say about Mrs. Puppeteer. I know I've seen her before. I'm thinking she's done commercials. (I have never mistaken someone for someone else in my life, no kidding.)

[Peanutbuttercup]

I liked last night's kitchen reno (the bathroom: NO). It wasn't exactly what I would have chosen for myself, but I'd take it over the subway tile backsplash/white shaker cabinets/farmhouse sink standard HGTV reno that is so incredibly boring.

Edited January 15, 2017 by Peanutbuttercup

[biakbiak]

4 hours ago, mojito said:

I came here to see what anyone else had to say about Mrs. Puppeteer. I know I've seen her before. I'm thinking she's done commercials. (I have never mistaken someone for someone else in my life, no kidding.)

She is an actress. I remember her from an episode of Law and Order (original flavor) and an ep of Grimm.

[lucygoose]

I really enjoyed last nights show, I missed the first few minutes so when the husband kept talking about a puppet room, I just thought that was his hobby, I didn't realize that was his career.  While I was no fan of those floor tiles, I did like the rest of their kitchen renovation, I thought it was a different style than a lot of people go for.  I really loved the back splash, I thought it was bold and fun.  Would I put it in my house?  No.  But I liked that there was no cookie cutter white and navy with subway and brass/gold hardware.  

[Irlandesa]

5 hours ago, mojito said:

I came here to see what anyone else had to say about Mrs. Puppeteer. I know I've seen her before. I'm thinking she's done commercials. (I have never mistaken someone for someone else in my life, no kidding.)

I have mistaken people for other people but I felt that I recognized her as well.

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

She is an actress. I remember her from an episode of Law and Order (original flavor) and an ep of Grimm.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Throughout the episode, I felt like I recognized her.  And I felt like wherever I had seen her before, I hadn't liked her.  I thought maybe it was on a reality show like The Amazing Race.

But thanks to you, my recognition and feelings towards her were from the character she played on L&O. (Season 20--Just A Girl In The World.)  She was a manipulative con artist and clearly did such a good job that just seeing her now could bring up those old feelings even though I was enjoying her on HH-Renovation.

I'm conflicted on the green subway tile.  On one hand, it was different than what we usually see get put up so I applaud the boldness and use of color.  But seeing it put up, it did come off as a bit heavy/dark.  I would have gone with green but maybe with something to lighten it up a bit. 

22 hours ago, morgan said:

Nice to see a respect for budget too.

Sorta. They did mention in the beginning that their original budget was 900K but after looking at houses, they decided to increase it 400K to 1.3 million.  So they definitely deserve props for staying within their budget but I don't see much of a difference if people increase their budget before purchasing or during renovation.  It's still a budget increase they'll have to deal with.

[laredhead]

I really liked the choices the LA couple made with their kitchen.  Restores my faith that there are buyers of something other than white subway tile and Shaker style cabinets.  I am not a fan of saltillo tile, but I thought they made a smart choice in keeping it with their budget constraints.  It was nice to see a colorful back splash and a different type of cabinet style in something other than white.  Even the peninsula was different in that it has 2 types of counter surfaces.  While the design choices in the kitchen are probably not overwhelmingly a favorite of most viewers, I think it reflected the individuality and tastes of the owners perfectly.  I could live there happily. 

I did think the bathroom shower was a little boring considering their boldness in the kitchen, but I am guessing the white tiles they chose were probably very inexpensive and all white made the space look larger.     

[Empress1]

6 hours ago, biakbiak said:

She is an actress. I remember her from an episode of Law and Order (original flavor) and an ep of Grimm.

Ooh, i think she was the hipster grifter on Law & Order! I knew I'd seen her but couldn't place her.

[biakbiak]

7 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

Ooh, i think she was the hipster grifter on Law & Order! I knew I'd seen her but couldn't place her.

He's not Lenny but you can't fuck with Lupo and just move to LA and become a makeup artist! I will still remember you.

I actually liked the backsplash and would do it in a more neutral kitchen but I felt it and the cabinets clashed with the saltillo tile.

Edited January 16, 2017 by biakbiak

[ByaNose]

I didn't like the design but the house does look beautiful in the "Hollywood Hills". I think the area view and the patio are the perfect place for a glass of wine & some twinkling lights. Yes, I watch too much HGTV. LOL!!!

[laredhead]

Has anyone seen Maine Cabin Masters on the DIY network?  A group of renovators fix up old cabins usually on waterfront property in Maine.  This may be a very limited series because I can't imagine there would be an unlimited supply of cabins in need of renovation.  They are also constrained by the weather in Maine and cannot work during the winter.  I caught 4 of the shows and it was a pleasant diversion from granite/stainless/over the top decor installs.   In 2 of the cabins, the only source of power was by solar panels or a generator which would probably disturb the peace and quiet you would be seeking in a cabin in the woods.  I enjoyed the scenery and seeing the more rustic and simple cabins.  

[Pickles]

The episode last night in Austin. I thought the entire Renovation was beyond hideous. Those neon yellow cabinets. The other cabinets with gray vertical lines. The geometric stenciled shapes in bright colors. The gray toilet. The painted stripes. They took out the fireplace which kind of horrified me. I thought they were an odd couple. Did he have highlighted hair at the end? I guess she was early thirties, but she looked very matronly in her face. Not trying to be mean. Just an observation.

[suebee12]

I actually liked their kitchen and the colorful mural on the wall BUT and this is a big but! I don't think I would like it for very long! It was really bright and cheerful but in the long-run, it would get tedious. I think that is why people use gray and beige for decorating. You can add a pop of color to those shades and brighten any room up and when you get tired of it, you can change it to another color.

As for the fireplace, I am probably in the minority but the only thing I like about a fireplace is the mantle...a girl has to have a place to hang her Christmas stocking, doesn't she? I had a fireplace in my house and the realtor used it as a selling point...I personally would have been glad for it to be gone. I don't like fires in the house because I can't stand the smell of burning wood!(Told you I am in the minority).

As for the green tub, it should have gone far, far away but it surely was a bit different from the pink, gray and blue ones you usually see in older homes. It actually might not have been so bad if the toilet and sink matched but they didn't so go for a more neutral color and decorate around that.

[ByaNose]

I'm all for thinking outside the box but the yellow shiny cabinets weren't the answer. I didn't like them with the ugly gray cabinets either. Usually, I would say to keep a fireplace but it did open up the space when they took it down. I give them a plus for that call. The bathrooms were ugly, too. The baby room was cute but you can't really mess up using either blue or pink, right? Overall, not one of my favorite renovations. It's not my style or taste but they seemed happy with it. They also seemed like a nice couple and neither one was overly obnoxious. 

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, suebee12 said:

I actually liked their kitchen and the colorful mural on the wall BUT and this is a big but! I don't think I would like it for very long! It was really bright and cheerful but in the long-run, it would get tedious. I think that is why people use gray and beige for decorating. You can add a pop of color to those shades and brighten any room up and when you get tired of it, you can change it to another color.

Exactly.  I liked the color and boldness but I do wonder how long I'd like it.  One day some house hunter is going to walk through complaining about the hideous and dated look.  But that would likely happen regardless even if it were more neutral.  But then I realized that seeing that color every day would eventually start to feel neutral since we tend to tune out things we see daily.

[QuinnM]

The take on modern in the kitchen is just not my taste.  BUT if I did go that way I can co-sign the countertops, the shiny white with grey stripes the gray washed lower cabinets.  I just don't know about the yellow.  If I could paint them in 10 years, then yes.  At least it was a set of uppers along one short wall.

I congratulate them on taking out the fireplace.  I think that is a hard thing to do but there was no way to make that house work with that mammoth structure there.

I cannot on any level understand the guest bath.  Ok, if I'm all funky I keep the green tub.  I don't put in a different green glass vanity top.  That had a chance of work if she had figured out how to bring the color to someplace else in the room.  But I'm wondering if she has a degree of colorblindness.  I mean there is no way that toilet was ever going to work in that room.

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, QuinnM said:

The take on modern in the kitchen is just not my taste.  BUT if I did go that way I can co-sign the countertops, the shiny white with grey stripes the gray washed lower cabinets.  I just don't know about the yellow.  If I could paint them in 10 years, then yes.  At least it was a set of uppers along one short wall.

I congratulate them on taking out the fireplace.  I think that is a hard thing to do but there was no way to make that house work with that mammoth structure there.

I cannot on any level understand the guest bath.  Ok, if I'm all funky I keep the green tub.  I don't put in a different green glass vanity top.  That had a chance of work if she had figured out how to bring the color to someplace else in the room.  But I'm wondering if she has a degree of colorblindness.  I mean there is no way that toilet was ever going to work in that room.

That said, I didn't know toilets came in gray. LOL!!! I thought they only came in white or almond. Who knew? LOL!!

[chessiegal]

We had a baby blue and green toilet in our last house that was built in 1949. I was at a house recently that had a gray toilet.

[juliet73]

Austin episode:  Where do I begin with this mess?!  Pros: I liked him.  He had kind of dry sense of humor.  I would normally say don't remove the fireplace, but in this house, it was a good call.  Plus, it's Austin so they wouldn't have used it all that much anyway.  Cons:  keeping the mint green tub.  I didn't understand her reasoning for it except she thought it was "vintage".  It wasn't.  The vanity counter top color clashed so bad with the tub! Keeping the gray toilet.  Again, why? The reason must be she's an idiot because there is no other explanation.  I didn't like the master bath because it was busy and dark. And finally....the kitchen!  NO! NO! NO!  I loathe 2 different color cabinets and this kitchen had 3!!!!  My eyes hurt just looking at it!!  A little goes a long way with the bright yellow! They should have just had all the cabinets in brown (even those were ugly) and used bright yellow accessories.  A yellow window shade, yellow display bowls, yellow utensil holder, etc.  I actually would have liked the wallpaper IF the kitchen was way more muted.  The gray striped cabinets were awful! They looked like they belonged in the garage...or at the curb.  

[Irlandesa]

You know, I think I'd respect a homeowner who said they wanted color and when they saw a color they didn't hate (like that green--it was a green I think I could tolerate) saying that it might not be their favorite but they're going to try to find ways to make it work to save money.  I think we all have things in our house that might not be our first choice but we keep it because it's not worth spending a lot of money to redo it.

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, juliet73 said:

Austin episode:  Where do I begin with this mess?!  Pros: I liked him.  He had kind of dry sense of humor.  I would normally say don't remove the fireplace, but in this house, it was a good call.  Plus, it's Austin so they wouldn't have used it all that much anyway.  Cons:  keeping the mint green tub.  I didn't understand her reasoning for it except she thought it was "vintage".  It wasn't.  The vanity counter top color clashed so bad with the tub! Keeping the gray toilet.  Again, why? The reason must be she's an idiot because there is no other explanation.  I didn't like the master bath because it was busy and dark. And finally....the kitchen!  NO! NO! NO!  I loathe 2 different color cabinets and this kitchen had 3!!!!  My eyes hurt just looking at it!!  A little goes a long way with the bright yellow! They should have just had all the cabinets in brown (even those were ugly) and used bright yellow accessories.  A yellow window shade, yellow display bowls, yellow utensil holder, etc.  I actually would have liked the wallpaper IF the kitchen was way more muted.  The gray striped cabinets were awful! They looked like they belonged in the garage...or at the curb.  

I wanted my post to say exactly what you said but I'm a horrible writer. This was so spot on. I especially like NO! NO! NO!. That's all you really to say to sum up the Austin episode. It was all sorts of wrong.

[Empress1]

Those yellow cabinets were killing me. I don't like yellow and that was REALLY REALLY yellow. I'd never feel relaxed in that kitchen.

[izabella]

If they like their kitchen, I can applaud their desire for something more fun and bold, but I could never live with that particular yellow color.  If I were going with modern cabinets like that, I'd have gone with a red.  It would still be bright and fun, but it wouldn't make my eyes bleed like that yellow.  I could also never stand near those cabinets, because the yellow would make my skin look a breath away from death. 

[Bastet]

I didn't see the episode, but grey toilets (I'm thinking specifically of the Kohler ice grey) look great in certain color schemed bathrooms - e.g. gray-ish shades of blue - where white would be too stark.  It's a beautiful sink color, too (again, in the right context).  I wish more refrigerators were available in that shade; it's a nice option when stainless steel is too cold (and finger print-y), but white and black aren't right, either.

[Lola16]

15 hours ago, Pickles said:

The episode last night in Austin. I thought the entire Renovation was beyond hideous. Those neon yellow cabinets. The other cabinets with gray vertical lines. The geometric stenciled shapes in bright colors. The gray toilet. The painted stripes. They took out the fireplace which kind of horrified me. I thought they were an odd couple. Did he have highlighted hair at the end? I guess she was early thirties, but she looked very matronly in her face. Not trying to be mean. Just an observation.

It looked like they shopped the showroom sample sale. Everything was so mismatched and disjointed. Those bright yellow cabinets? Very Ikea or Kitchen Cousins.

Was this the wife who made exaggerated faces and gestures during the kitchen demo?  If it stresses you out that much, leave the room. Every time they'd hit something with the sledge hammer, she'd gasp. and physically recoil as if they were hitting a person.

[ByaNose]

Also, what were the yellow kitchens cabinets made out of? It looked like my 80's lacquer furniture but I doubt it's that. Does anyone one know what the shiny "material" is? I've also seen this in red on the other HGTV shows, too.

[wait.what]

In the beginning the couple was looking st houses on line. One house had bright yellow cabinets. The wife laughed and said she didn't like it and it reminded her of mustard. She said it made her want a hot dog. Funny that she then chose mustard yellow cabinets in her house. 

[Peanutbuttercup]

I love the shiny lacquer cabinets. Yellow would not be the color I would choose -- give me a peacock blue or tangerine or lavender maybe -- but the general idea is right up my alley. No boring white cabinets for me.

[Nysha]

On 1/22/2017 at 8:46 AM, suebee12 said:

As for the fireplace, I am probably in the minority but the only thing I like about a fireplace is the mantle...a girl has to have a place to hang her Christmas stocking, doesn't she? I had a fireplace in my house and the realtor used it as a selling point...I personally would have been glad for it to be gone. I don't like fires in the house because I can't stand the smell of burning wood!(Told you I am in the minority).

 

I don't like fireplaces, either. I'm allergic to wood smoke, plus, you lose a wall for furniture placement. The only worse than a fireplace is baseboard heat.

[Neurochick]

On 1/14/2017 at 10:36 PM, MaKaM said:

So, definitely re-thinking some of my life decisions (college, mechanical engineering degree, masters, etc) when a Weird Al knockoff-puppeteer (whose man-child-ness was very wearying) and his make-up artist fiancee have a $1.3 million house hunting budget.

ETA: I did not like how the greenish backsplash tiles looked with the orangey tile floor.

I don't get this.  Just because someone doesn't have a masters degree, or an engineering degree, doesn't mean they can't make a good living.

[aguabella]

Sorry I'm behind posting ...

Quick comment about some of the installation issues:

Starting with the blue lower cabinets in the recent Austin episode (oops, that's almost every recent episode, lol!)  Anyway, I noticed the issue with the cab pulls, too.  If you see the reveal again, notice that in the first shot of the lowers, the pulls appear to be chrome.  Check out the next shot - in that one, they're brass.  I noticed the same thing on the designer's website.  (will insert it when I get a chance, sorry)  It's a lighting and editing issue.  In real life, I'm 99.99% certain they're dull brass, coordinating with the uppers.

Here's another one, remember the Austin condo with the shower tile where the rear installation appeared kaka (a technical term, haha)?  In that shot, reflective glass from either the opposite shower wall and/or the bathroom mirror reflected the side tile onto the rear.  Make sense?  Again, it was lighting and editing. 

Same thing happened in the Long Beach master closet b/c of their wall of mirrors.  (I posted about this same issue at that time.)  BTW, there's another example over on the HH thread, i.e. the backsplash tile in a NYC condo.

These production companies run tight, threadbare operations.  Too bad the editors don't catch these in post. 

[aguabella]

On ‎12‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 11:00 AM, laredhead said:

I think the washer/dryer in the kitchen is against the HH "law".  I guess my house would never sell if I put it on the market today because my washing machine is in the kitchen and the dryer is in the utility room, one room away.  Why?  Because when the house was built in 1957, not many people had dryers, but most  had washing machines and they were located in the kitchen which made sense to builders and home buyers at the time.  When drying clothes outside became passe', dryers were then located in outside utility rooms in these houses because there was no room in the kitchen.  Some people then moved their washer outside as well.  Fast forward to today, and I have managed to live with these horrible laundry conditions (heavy sarcasm there) just fine for the 13 years I have been in this house.  I've had several estimates to move the washer to the indoor utility room where the dryer is located and all come in at around $2,000, plus extra cost to jackhammer up the outside patio to run a new drain line, and added cost to do the required tie in to the sewer system and repair all of the damage done to the back yard planting beds that will be torn up in that process.  I just had the kitchen renovated and the washer is tucked away behind two doors that everyone thinks is a pantry and they certainly cost a lot less than $2,000+.  Young buyers today are so used to having lived in almost perfect houses (or they give that impression) that they don't know how to react to something different, and to learn to live with it.  Now I do draw the line at the w/d being in the garage or an outside utility room because I've had that set up before and I don't ever want it again.  That's my deal breaker.  

Sorry for the late reply, laredhead but I completely agree with you about your laundry closet.  It sounds like a good, working solution.  And, if you did sell your home, most buyers would expect to see laundry in the garage.  So, finding the utility room plus nearby pantry would be a bonus!

Also, it's really true that buyers make up their mind in about 2 minutes, shortly after they've been lured into the home by the neighborhood, an appropriate listing price and good curb appeal, etc.  By the time they enter your updated kitchen, they're sold!

My only suggestion would be to stage a neat and tidy folding area in your utility room.  But if I were you, the laundry closet / pantry would probably be one of the last things I'd worry about ...

[aguabella]

On ‎11‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 8:29 PM, laredhead said:

Last night's episode about the couple (husband is a musician and wife is . . . I don't remember) who had a $60,000 to remodel a kitchen and two bathrooms, plus new flooring downstairs, and a few other things had me screaming at the TV before they began that they were going to go over the budget.  Yep - by $24,900!  The couple was pleasant and they seemed to have a very nice, loving relationship with no sniping at each other and not too much drama by either one.  He was pretty funny with some of his quips about trying to rein her in on spending.   His phobia about 2-story houses and earthquakes was a new one as far as I remember for HH.  

I got a little tired of hearing the word "Tuscan" about 55 times during the episode, but I do have to say that she was correct in wanting to change out the stair spindles from wood to iron.  The end result looked much better.  

 

On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 8:50 AM, juliet73 said:

I enjoyed them as well.  They didn't take each too seriously and seemed like a fun couple.  Her dress at the end though made her look like a nun. LOL!  

I agree about the overuse of "Tuscan", but then during the reveal segment, I must have heard "AMAZING" at least 10 times! In two minutes! UGH! I HATE that word!

I fast forwarded through the construction/drama parts, so I didn't understand the issue with the lighting above island.  

The kitchen came out lovely as well as did the adjoining family room.  I loved that they used the children's artwork.  The bathrooms came out nice, but they reminded me of the bathrooms you see in a lot tract home new construction.   The staircase came out beautiful! I think it's my favorite part of the house!  

The only things I really have to nitpick, besides them going way over budget, is the front door and the pool/spa.  I wish they would have sanded and stained the inside of the doors to match the staircase.  The pool was empty, but not the spa?  It was already green so it obviously needed some help.  I would have drained that immediately since it's not being used at the moment and it doesn't cost a dime. 

Good call on the front door, guys.  Everybody know the single best, $$$-wise, update a homeowner can do prior to selling their home?  No, it's not kitchens or baths, lol!  Besides curb appeal, in general, it's the front door!  It sets the tone for the entire home.  And, that can be as simple and inexpensive as just painting it.

Too bad HGTV hires these designers to do one room, only, and they usually ignore the other areas.  (I've noticed the homeowners during the last season or two occasionally request some assistance with their DIY projects, however.)  We all know that it's impossible to update only one part of your home w/o integrating it with the adjoining / remaining rooms.  Sure, you may try, to keep costs down, but it never works!  Major fail for the designer, in my book ...

But, I wouldn't have them just stain it.  It'd be a fairly significant time consuming job to strip and stain that door.  Plus, that door was stuck in the 80's!  I'd probably suggest they simply change it out.*** The vendor would most likely sell it to them unfinished, allowing them to match the stain.  That way, everything flows, starting with the front door and moving on to her grand staircase and updated kitchen!  

If they really wanted Tuscan, here's a fairly inexpensive solution from a local vendor:

                         https://www.etodoors.com/mahogany-tuscany.html/ 

I'm sure the vendor would stain it for them, too.  (ETA:  Now that I looked at it, I believe they have an unfinished version on the website.)

I assumed they were in the process of draining the pool and would take care of that spa, too.  WRT the lighting and island issue, personally, I would have asked the designer to cover that added cost.  (He failed to measure correctly.  Yep, I've been doing blue tape for years!) 

In any event, correcting the lighting would be covered by their contingency.  Oops, it sounds like they didn't maintain a budget!  The staircase was terrific but I do agree - those bathrooms looked builder special or direct from Home Depot.

Yes, they were a cute couple and nice family but her reveal dress???  We called her a pilgrim (sorry) and expected to see her husband in one of those wide-brimmed hats!

*** ETA:  They'd probably receive a decent tax deduction, if they donated that 80's door.

Edited February 3, 2017 by aguabella

[Bastet]

Quote

Although I liked the chicken-raising, fitness-fanatic, too-cool-for-school couple moving to Austin (especially Chad!) that house was a hot mess.  I mean, I like color too but this place hurt my eyes.  Screaming red, magenta, green, purple, ornate blue wallpaper, plus ghastly "hand painted" curtains in bright stripes and squiggles, and twee knick-knacks galore.

I just got to see this episode from last year via a re-run tonight, and oh my god, those curtains were too ugly for words.  The very worst Trading Spaces designer with a tiny budget would have nixed that.

I liked the HHs, and appreciate that their renovation was much more interesting than the repetitive norm.  I love the red of their living room, and like that they used a lot of different colors, but they're not very good at combining colors. 

The kitchen cabinet handles looked like sausage links.

Great episode for deviating from the typical script and featuring pleasant-to-watch HHs, and all that matters is they like the house (and I easily could, too, with a few changes), but I seriously can't get over those hand-painted curtains.

[JasmineFlower]

Austin couple with the ugliest renovation I've seen to date. I'll take cookie cutter or repetitive over this any day. Literally no place for the eye to rest in this crayon explosion, including just staring at a freaking ceiling. And it was so much worse because there was no part that wasn't over-decorated, I've never seen a house cry out so much for plain white dinnerware for just a moment's opportunity to rest the eye. And they didn't spend a dime on that fugly exterior.

They were cute and likable and he was nice eye candy even though I wanted him to go wash his hair with good product, but this renovation was literally the worst I've ever seen.

[Irlandesa]

I thought of the designer in that moment.  I didn't love all of her choices together. For instance, I could handle the wallpaper and really liked the blue back splash but up against one another was too much pattern clash for me. But I think I would be begging my color addicted clients to not mention my name when asked who designed their house.

Still  they were likable.  And there's something very sweet that these two people with such awful color/design tastes seem to have found one another in this crazy world instead of inflicting those desires on unsuspecting neutral people.

[Bastet]

9 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I could handle the wallpaper and really liked the blue back splash but up against one another was too much pattern clash for me.

The hand-painted curtains were the ugliest for me, but the patterned back splash butting directly up against the patterned wallpaper was second - and, while only second ugliest, I regard it as the worst design choice, since it would require stripping wallpaper (or demolishing tile, but that was a great back splash) to undo, while the curtains could just be taken down. 

[JasmineFlower]

On 2/12/2017 at 1:22 PM, Bastet said:

The hand-painted curtains were the ugliest for me, but the patterned back splash butting directly up against the patterned wallpaper was second - and, while only second ugliest, I regard it as the worst design choice, since it would require stripping wallpaper (or demolishing tile, but that was a great back splash) to undo, while the curtains could just be taken down. 

Agreed. I thought that was a very nice backsplash, along with the nice kitchen cabinets, and not one you see everyday and when it's shown above the oven, you're like, ooh, that's nice. Then they pan over to the dining space and it's like YIKES! As you see this geometric pattern backsplash abut the dark blue paisley print wallpaper. If there is a still shot of the dining space with the front window and shows the edge of the kitchen, it captures the horror of this renovation perfectly. Because in that one shot, you get the backsplash that has no business being next to this wallpaper, and the wallpaper runs into the ugly ass dual patterned half tye-dye curtained thing that this sweet, but deluded homeowner thought everyone was going to ask about and envy. You have the dining table with the multi-print dinnerware settings that don't complement any of the other design elements in the room, chairs with black and white geometric pattern, that again don't match a thing but instead clash because they are very distinctive on their own, the bench or loveseat with the colorful non-matching printed pillows, and a lighting fixture that looks like it was hijacked from a much classier renovation. It was a mess and I just have never seen anything like it. Taken individually, one by one, some of these pieces were actually very nice, like the chairs, but it was hard to tell much of anything in this mess of a renovation.

Totally agree about the designer. If you told me her phone stopped ringing after this, I wouldn't be surprised in the least. It's very lucky she is in Austin where enough people seem to have a goal of wanting to be different and the whole "keep Austin weird" motto. But I'd still run if I was assigned her in the future, and wonder if this was a one and done for her.

[JasmineFlower]

For anyone who didn't see the episode and thinks we're exaggerating, here's a few shots someone was able to take of their TV and posted on Twitter. These are AFTER shots. And I'd say the house looks way better in these pictures than when you watch because you can't see a ton of detail and half the house isn't captured like the drab/bad kitchen color, the problems I mentioned above, the paisley bar stools, the fugly peeled green paint exterior. Like you can see the curtains slightly (bottom left), but I promise you this doesn't capture the horror of them. For instance, look closer if you think that just looks like burnt orange and white horizontal stripes. If only. The does capture how insane the color palette of this house is. Yes, that is a bright yellow painted door in that blue room with a magenta ceiling.

 

[laredhead]

My DVR failed to record this episode for some reason.  I want to watch it, so could someone please give me a clue as to what to search for on the HGTV HH website?  Date?  Title? Episode #?  Thanks in advance.

[MsTree]

Tonight's reno...exactly what did the wife think she was auditioning for? Sorry dear...that was your 15 minutes. Now go away.

[ByaNose]

4 hours ago, MsTree said:

Tonight's reno...exactly what did the wife think she was auditioning for? Sorry dear...that was your 15 minutes. Now go away.

Yeah, she was trying hard to be a singer and dancer. Her beautiful girls weren't going for it though. They wanted Mommy out of their shot. LOL!! She was really pretty and looked familiar. Maybe, she was on a soap I've watched in the past. Overall, the house looked nice. There A LOT of white. I'm sill not sold on the gold hardware yet. Usually, they've been on blue kitchen cabinets and hers were just white. It just oooks old to me even though they were shiny and new.

[juliet73]

El Segundo: I agree about the wife...she was trying way too hard!  She said she was a "performer", but didn't specify.  She was soooo annoying. Her husband looked liked a skinny Chris Klein; he was nice and normal.   I really wish they would have chose house #2.  So much potential and the view was awesome! Plus, it was way under budget and only 10 mins to the beach.  But of course, they choose the smallest house (the house that they complained was as small as their apartment) and for $200k over asking!  They wanted an office and a playroom and the house they chose had neither.  They went $35k over their reno budget!  I understand the extra cost of the electrical and the floors, etc, but $3000 for 3 UGLY BRASS light fixtures?!  $650 for 2 UGLY BRASS bathroom mirrors?! The kitchen:  UGH with the gold hardware!  It was so shiny and clashed so bad with the SS appliances!  I feel like there was so much space wasted.  The four $800 (!) floating wood shelves by the stove looked out of place and served no purpose.  I liked the window seat dining area, but the seating was so long and they used such a little tiny table with it.  I wish they either made the benches shorter or added a larger table.  Or eliminated the benches/table entirely and just added more cabinetry.  Or moved the hall tree to that area instead of having it in the dining room.  They had seating at the island and a separate dining room so it's not like they really needed another eating area.  However, with 3 kids under the age of 4, I was curious where they put all the toys and stuff and where the children play.  Since they wanted a dedicated play area, I would have turned the formal dining area into a play room.  The area had some built in cabinetry; I would have added a bit more for toy storage, etc.  The living room:  the mantel looked like every other mantel you see in a tract home so I didn't understand her "custom" mantel drama.  Plus it disappeared into the shiplap wall.  They should have painted the shiplap a different color.  The master bath:  I liked the floor.  Everything else was awful mostly because of the gold fixtures.  They should have used oil rubbed bronze fixtures and hardware , it would have looked more cohesive!

[Peanutbuttercup]

eh, children can play in their bedrooms or outside, they don't need a special indoor playroom.

I thought the kitchen was a combination of boring/trite (white shaker cabinets! White marble countertops! White subway tile backsplash! Stainless steel appliances!) and ugly (clashing gold hardware).

While it was a shame they "had to" (not really buying it) get rid of the original floors, I actually did like the new floors they put in. Usually new hardwood floors look ugly and manufactured, despite being called "hand scraped," but I liked their new floors a lot. But I think that was the only part I liked.

I hope their daughters both grow up to have mohawks, nose rings, and an affection for Doc Martens rather than growing up to be the adult version of dancing singing princesses that their mother is projecting onto them.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Peanutbuttercup
cabinets =/= countertops