House Hunters Renovation - General Discussion

sheetmoss · December 3, 2017

Re: Denver couple

I didn't care for how she was taking little shots/digs at him...her vocal fry either

I liked the idea of the cablewire railings and how it opened up the space, but the beetle kill wood used looked a bit too unfinished

Also, I would put the toilet back in the basement until reno, a working toilet down there is a working toilet. Why have to run upstairs - put a privacy screen around and call it a day

until a proper bathroom is built.

Edited December 4, 2017 by sheetmoss
sp

Boothbay · December 4, 2017

The woman in Denver episode was remarking how the house they eventually ended up with had multiple pantries - "Why do you need so many pantries?" Um, where are you going to store your food? I would kill for more pantry space!

illini1959 · December 4, 2017

Brass. Pulls.

Kill me now. Will this craptastic trend never end?

sheetmoss · December 4, 2017

2 hours ago, Boothbay said:

The woman in Denver episode was remarking how the house they eventually ended up with had multiple pantries - "Why do you need so many pantries?" Um, where are you going to store your food? I would kill for more pantry space!

Gaed, I forgot about that - yes, strange thinking

I wonder if she'll come to appreciate them if they ever have kids?

Bastet · December 4, 2017

It just depends on how you cook and/or what all you're storing in there; I have a small pantry and it's not filled, because most of my food is in the refrigerator and freezer, and oils and spices are in a different cabinet so they're next to the stove. If I looked at a house with multiple pantries, I'd comment on it, too, because I'd have to use them for something else or they'd be wasted space.

MooCat Pretzel · December 4, 2017

Denver.

My "favorite" part was when the couple was talking in the backyard about all of the money they were spending and the wife said something to the effect of "Let's not worry about the bathroom in the basement and instead focus on the BEER GARDEN". Because last I read it was kitchens and beer gardens that sell homes. Eeesh.

Between that, her comment of "I hate pantries", her approval of brass pulls, and her vocal fry, she had to be one of the most annoying House Hunters Reno person I have seen in a while.

chocolatine · December 4, 2017

So the Denver millennials bought the most expensive house because it was "close to bars and restaurants" for their "lifestyle" but they also need a beer garden/brewery in their own back yard? I've never met anyone who was *that* passionate about beer, and I lived in Germany for 17 years.

biakbiak · December 5, 2017

4 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I've never met anyone who was *that* passionate about beer, and I lived in Germany for 17 years.

I know several people including my father who brew their own beer and are passionate about beer.

ByaNose · December 5, 2017

On 12/3/2017 at 2:12 PM, sheetmoss said:

Re: Denver couple

I didn't care for how she was taking little shots/digs at him...her vocal fry either

I liked the idea of the cablewire railings and how it opened up the space, but the beetle kill wood used looked a bit too unfinished

Also, I would put the toilet back in the basement until reno, a working toilet down there is a working toilet. Why have to run upstairs - put a privacy screen around and call it a day

until a proper bathroom is built.

I thought the wood was too light for the space. It just look lots of............wood. LOL!!! I guess staining would have made it too dark. Perhaps a white wash? I know people hate that too. I’m not sure but the wood was too light. And, for the love of god can we call a stop to the large porcelain Spanish tile for the backsplash and kitchen tiles? I think it’s been so overrated and downright ugly.

Mittengirl · December 5, 2017

A pantry is essentially just a closet. I can’t say I have ever heard someone complain about too much storage space. Take out the shelves and put in a clothes rod or hooks. Rearrange the shelves to hold storage bins. Put your holiday decorations or cleaning stuff or out of season clothes in them - unless the pantry was one of those that is not deeper than a soup can. Even then, use your imagination - I would suspect most of us could find more uses for them than just a food storage area.

I live in a suburb of Beer City USA, so I hear plenty about people who brew there own and love the microbreweries as well. Personally, I think it all tastes like swamp water.

aguabella · December 7, 2017

About that Denver area episode, the most recent one, anyone else believe those two realized post-renovation their major mistake, i.e. eliminating the home's limited storage? If we visited them today, w/o notice, we'd probably find cereal boxes instead of cute tchotchkes on that open shelving. Either that or they'd have food in the linen closet down the hall and/or basement!

Terminology-wise, I call a walk-in closet, located in or in close proximity to the kitchen, a "pantry". If not a walk-in but a large closet with varied shelving, then it's a pantry closet. Pantry cabinets include those tall cabinets that frequently pull out. Or, lacking those options, why not place food into plain, old kitchen cabinets! (Sorry for the explanation - just so you know what I'm talking about. Don't know if those are official definitions.)

Anyway, everyone notice that they removed all uppers except for the (usually) unusable ones above the fridge? Uh, fail ...

Guessing here but I'll bet that home originally had a pantry. At some point, however, the previous owners tired of walking around the kitchen to reach the bedroom hallway so they demo'd the back wall of the pantry and framed out a doorway. Still guessing but it appeared they saved the old, side shelving but added new lower shelves plus cabinet / closet doors to finish the pantry closet. (Everyone notice the doors on their two "pantries" didn't match with their kitchen cabinets? Plus, only the "pantries" were painted white in lieu of the original kitchen cabinet stain.)

The additional window was nice but very close to the sliding glass door. Doubt they needed it for light. Gee, they could have installed a line of uppers over there, instead. Damn! They're kicking themselves now, lol.

aguabella · December 7, 2017

Anyone else dislike the Denver kitchen's triangle? Yes, they saved $$$ by placing items in their previous locations but hated the imbalance, placing both the fridge and stove in that back corner.

Hope they wanted that beetle wood! Checking out the designer's blog, looks like it's one of her favorite things and/or crutches. Either she mainly posted photos of renos including it or she frequently uses it.

BTW, HGTV selects the designers, assigning them to the episodes so they were probably getting beetle wood, one way or another, lol!

Here's her blog post, including a couple before & afters plus drawings about the episode:

https://coloradonest.com/2017/12/06/before-and-after-rustic-modern-ranch-as-seen-on-hgtv/

Looks like she added the drawings and some add'l info since I first pulled her blog. She indicates the homeowners demo'd a "pantry" but I believe she means the pantry closet shown in the episode.

Everyone notice they were already living in the home? See their garden set-up during the tour, including hops plants, in the backyard? Yep, that's "reality" television!

Designers normally calculate the b&a's on the storage / capacity of kitchens. Wish they'd address it and lose the excessive open shelving.

aguabella · December 7, 2017

On 12/3/2017 at 11:12 AM, sheetmoss said:

Re: Denver couple

I didn't care for how she was taking little shots/digs at him...her vocal fry either

I liked the idea of the cablewire railings and how it opened up the space, but the beetle kill wood used looked a bit too unfinished

Also, I would put the toilet back in the basement until reno, a working toilet down there is a working toilet. Why have to run upstairs - put a privacy screen around and call it a day

until a proper bathroom is built.

Yes, sounded as if they attempted a little tete a tete for the cameras but it fell flat - to me, anyway.

Definitely agree with everyone that the beetle kill wood appeared a tad light but unfinished prob works well in CO. The rustic look ...

If anyone remembers my (long, sorry) post about the LA area home with the raised dining room, I suggested an open staircase on the living room side b/c that home felt extremely small. (The designer eliminated 2' from the d/r!)

So, yeah, I certainly appreciated the open stairway.

You're definitely correct about the toilet, sheetmoss but here's what happens in real life: you cap off the plumbing and haul the bowl (yuch) out of the basement and toss it in the dumpster. The dumpster disappears in 3 days, according to its contract. Then, 2 days later, the project's delayed. Oops! Murphy's law in action, lol!

Edited December 7, 2017 by aguabella

twinks · December 7, 2017

Although the staircase was awkward, I think I would prefer it "before" but with some minor changes. Now it's too busy; a distraction. I also think there's just too much wood. I like the ceiling and flooring, but the rest, not so much.

aguabella · December 7, 2017

1 hour ago, twinks said:

Although the staircase was awkward, I think I would prefer it "before" but with some minor changes. Now it's too busy; a distraction. I also think there's just too much wood. I like the ceiling and flooring, but the rest, not so much.

Sure twinks, it's kinda' personal preference. I'm sure they wanted open concept but another option would be to open it up on one side, say the l/r side. (That was my suggestion for the LA property, BTW.) That'd make the l/r feel larger but they'd retain a kitchen wall for storage, assuming it's wide enough!

Under that plan, the kitchen could be set up as a galley. Many people love them and find them very functional. Lots of good options ...

CruiseDiva · December 7, 2017

4 hours ago, aguabella said:

About that Denver area episode, the most recent one, anyone else believe those two realized post-renovation their major mistake, i.e. eliminating the home's limited storage? If we visited them today, w/o notice, we'd probably find cereal boxes instead of cute tchotchkes on that open shelving. Either that or they'd have food in the linen closet down the hall and/or basement!

Word! No upper cabinets except the ones over the fridge that are so hard to reach that no one ever uses them. Those open shelves will be dusty and greasy in no time. Every dish or glass on them will need to be washed before using. Heck, even little-used items in closed cabinets sometimes need to be washed before using. I just shake my head at the stupidity.

laredhead · December 7, 2017

I have not seen this episode yet, but I did look at the pictures on her blog. My observation from the exterior picture of the rear is that none of the windows and doors matched. There is a slider over the sink, a regular window that was added by the peninsula, a large sliding glass door, and a few feet down from that is a door with 4 panes of glass. That drives me nuts when people don't try to match windows and doors to each other in style. I also agree about the open shelving. Maybe one shelf, but not at the expense of valuable storage space in cabinets with doors.

chocolatine · December 11, 2017

LA couple expecting a baby: she reminded me a lot of Ali Fedotowsky of Bachelorette fame. I thought the house they bought was very cute, but the updates they did were bland. Open shelving and brass hardware, again. Their designer looked like a teenager.

The back yard was really strange with an old "spa" bath in the middle surrounded by concrete. They turned the "spa" into a fire pit, but I guess it wasn't in the budget to remove the concrete, which takes up most of the yard and looks ridiculous.

sheetmoss · December 11, 2017

Have to say, I was tickled that LA couple had no idea the ceramic duck/goose head mounted on side of cabinet near sink was for towels.

I had a cow

For a seemingly artsy couple, the reno reveal was a bit meh

Peanutbuttercup · December 12, 2017

I deleted the show halfway through because it looked like another blah makeover with navy lower cabinets, white shaker uppers, subway tile, farmhouse sink, etc. Nothing I haven't seen a million times before. I was surprised that people with creative careers would have such a blah and uninteresting design for their home reno.

aguabella · December 15, 2017

On 12/7/2017 at 4:27 AM, laredhead said:

I have not seen this episode yet, but I did look at the pictures on her blog. My observation from the exterior picture of the rear is that none of the windows and doors matched. There is a slider over the sink, a regular window that was added by the peninsula, a large sliding glass door, and a few feet down from that is a door with 4 panes of glass. That drives me nuts when people don't try to match windows and doors to each other in style. I also agree about the open shelving. Maybe one shelf, but not at the expense of valuable storage space in cabinets with doors.

RE: Denver 'burbs, engaged couple

Definitely agree, laredhead. Was very disappointed b/c they made a big deal out of that window decision during the episode. Their eating area's off to the right so I would have stuck to the original idea of a pass-thru behind the sink, leaving more surface area in the kitchen for ... upper cabinets!

And, it's a major pet peeve of mine; homeowners always make the back of the house look like, you guessed it, the back of the house! (lol)

Everyone notice the (single) french door must belong to the garage? Oops! Somebody scored a nice, un-compliant bonus room. Given that rear exterior, the garage step-down (from the kitchen) remains. No wonder they neither toured nor mentioned the garage.

ETA: Given those mismatched windows and door, if I designed that kitchen, the patio area wouldn't appear on or in my blog / portfolio. She was only involved in that window decision so why highlight their mess?

ETA: Another concern of mine about their (single) french door: unless they have one of the newer, better doors, that's a security risk, in their nice, secluded backyard. And, most people leave the (interior) door to the garage open.

Edited December 15, 2017 by aguabella

aguabella · December 15, 2017

On 12/6/2017 at 10:09 PM, CruiseDiva said:

Word! No upper cabinets except the ones over the fridge that are so hard to reach that no one ever uses them. Those open shelves will be dusty and greasy in no time. Every dish or glass on them will need to be washed before using. Heck, even little-used items in closed cabinets sometimes need to be washed before using. I just shake my head at the stupidity.

RE: Denver 'burbs, engaged couple

Nothing I hate more than dusting, CruiseDiva and/or items that require dusting!

IIRC, between the kitchen and backyard, they had at least 6 or 7 tsotchke areas. If they added a few more items outside, they'd receive multiple emails requesting the tag / garage sale's start time, inquiring about "earlybirds"!

Edited December 15, 2017 by aguabella

chessiegal · December 17, 2017

I liked the house the couple chose in Denver last night. I'm hoping they leave all that beautiful wood trim alone. I didn't hear them say anything about that.

I was puzzled by the bathroom renovation. They replaced a jetted tub with a plain generic white tub. In fact, the remodel looked boring and bland. I would have left that bathroom alone and spent the money on adding another bathroom, or at least a powder room.

Then in the kitchen, toward the end the designer said they couldn't use the original brass pulls because they couldn't arrive in time, and showed another alternative type of pull. First of all, you can use cabinets without pulls, so there was no reason not to wait for what you wanted. Then in the final reveal, the original pulls were on the cabinets, not the alternative pulls shown. WTF? Not sure what that fake drama was about.

And on a shallow note, not sure what was up with the wife's glasses - the same frames in at least 3 different colors, and sometimes no glasses at all. Were they just a fashion statement?

twinks · December 17, 2017

I'm assuming it wasn't in the budget to do any work on the exterior. At the beginning of the show the cost to paint the house was estimated to be $18k. Really? While I liked the work (minus the blue cabs and gold hardware) I would have like it better had they kept it at least a little close to the period of the house.

juliet73 · December 18, 2017

Denver ep with the chickens: I was very UNDERWHELMED at this reno. This house had so much potential, yet it failed miserably.

Again with the two-tone cabinets. White with brass hardware and a dark blue island with SS appliances. This kitchen was such a mish mash of awful. She wanted classic, he wanted industrial. Unfortunately, they got ugly! The butcher block counter was a total fail - it looked like it was only there temporarily. Like they needed extra counter space for a party, and when it was over, the counter was going to go back in the garage. It was weird there was not a cabinet or anything under the kitchen sink - just an empty space. The "industrial" bookcase in the kitchen that displayed their plants was very weird too. The light fixtures over the island looked like restaurant heating lamps.

The dining room was ugly with the bright blue dresser and the overhead light that was swagged halfway across the room. Cut the chain already!! That looked HORRIBLE!! The living room didn't look any different.

The bathroom turned out nicely IF it was a powder room. However, it was the main bath and it was very boring and looked cheaply done. In the beginning, they talked about adding another full bath in place of the closet (former bedroom). Obviously, that didn't happen.

The baby's room was meh. Wish they would have spent their time and money on a different room instead.

$18k to paint the exterior? Huh? A few thousand at the most, and it would have made a huge difference! I don't think they even touched the outside of the house since they already went $15k over inside because of the structure and bathroom electrical repairs. I would have liked to see if and what they did to the front and back yards. Also, the entry and stairs were beautiful; it would have been nice to see how they looked cleaned up.

Edited December 18, 2017 by juliet73

biakbiak · December 18, 2017

44 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

18k to paint the exterior? Huh? A few thousand at the most, and it would have made a huge difference

The exterior looked like shit and wpuld need a ton of rehab and replacement siding before even attempting to paint it, so it didn't seem that ridiculous.

Thumper · December 18, 2017

No to gold/brass hardware. We are working hard to get rid of it in our 1980's-built house!

I did not like the brass light fixtures over the island either:. A) brass and b) too industrial (personal choice, I realize).

ByaNose · December 19, 2017

I was very underwhelmed with the Denver Reno. I thought the kitchen was going to be all dramatic after knocking down the wall. Nope! This is one time where it didn’t make the place look any better. It was all very meh. I didn’t care for the island. You had the nice white quartz with the ugly wood overhang. It only cheapened the white quartz. They did the usual upper white shaker with the usual navy blue lowers. When will that trend end? I still don’t know anyone who has it. Maybe, it’s just an HGTV thing. I was shocked they didn’t repaint the ugly yellow house. I guess it wasn’t in the budget. Their sons room was cute but the gray was too dark and depressing. The backyard was ugly. You get to look at a chicken coop everyday. Great! No thanks. Am I the only one who wouldn’t want neighbors with an ugly chicken coop in their back yard? Overall, it was one of the uglier and least dramatic HH Renovations that has been done.

chocolatine · December 19, 2017

I hated the most recent Denver reno. What's the point of buying a Victorian house if you want an open, industrial kitchen??? I would have loved to see what that house would look like with updates that were organic to the original style. Instead those fools created a franken-house.

Clover · December 19, 2017

That bathroom electrical problem - a total plant. That junction box they showed with the cloth covered wires that supposedly had been there for a while? It was new; had the label still on it. Agree with the rest of you; I hated what they did.

Edited December 20, 2017 by Clover
word correction

QuinnM · December 20, 2017

So if the gold handles and knobs are back ordered you go with a mid-century modern style for your industrial kitchen in a Victorian house? Yeah, right.

biakbiak · December 20, 2017

Did they show what they did with the "parlor" room?

I didn't mind them taking out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room as much as I thought I would but I did not like the finishes in the kitchen. It didn't appear that they mest with the woodwork in the dining room or living room so that is good.

aguabella · December 21, 2017

On 11/20/2017 at 6:18 PM, CruiseDiva said:

The Swamp-something couple... the kitchen had perfectly nice looking cabinets and they had a tiny budget, so WHY tear them out? Unless they are particle board junk or built in place, cabinets can be painted and relocated, people. It seems that no one realizes that. And why spend all that time ?and money covering beams that the husband obviously liked? And covering an existing door to the basement with a barn door? Those two had even less sense than money. Don't get me started on an all dirt back yard! No wonder the wife wanted a mud room. Their back yard will be total mud when it rains or winter snows melt.

Sorry to be slow, CruiseDiva but yeah, those cabinets were particle board.

The only justification given for the barn door was the husband's supposed "rustic" aesthetic, like everyone mentioned. You prob noticed they retained the basement door but the barn door did cover the open doorway, up the hallway from the front door. Does everyone need to see the front door from the kitchen?

That kitchen was quite small. If they'd eliminated the barn door, that wall would have been available for add'l uppers. They'd still have two entrances/exits to/from the kitchen: back door + open wall on the dining room side. Why not pick up the rustic elsewhere? The beams, for example ...

BTW, pet peeve of mine: too many hallways / entrances and exits into kitchens.

Notice their daughter's fastball during one of the scene intros? (Wasn't onscreen long, BTW.) Looks like she's very serious about softball. They might have the best reason ever for a mud backyard. Perhaps it's changed out seasonally for hockey??? And, possibly the best reason for a "mud"-room, too!

Will post some photos, below

aguabella · December 21, 2017

The Swampscott designer posted photos: (s/b 8 afters if you click on the photos twice and then use the arrows. Don't know why f/b doesn't want to link, today)

ETA: Updated photo reference: (click right for Swampscott job after selecting)

BTW, I have the listing, including the befores, if anyone's interested. Shoot me a pm and will fwd the link. (Would rather not publish their address.)

Looks like the home was for sale in 2016 but didn't sell. No 2017 relist but sale recorded. No reference, IIRC, to that realtor so it might have been a private sale, e.g. family. They seemed to know the house well during the tour with a plan formulated, e.g. the stove. Appears they'd done the dirt field in advance of HHR for their daughter. Priorities, right? (Good for them!)

Edited December 21, 2017 by aguabella

aguabella · December 21, 2017

On 11/20/2017 at 8:51 AM, QuinnM said:

I really didn’t mind the banter with the husband/wife. They seemed pretty good and making decisions as a couple. And the end result made both of them happy.

I so agree that the barn door was a toss in. Just seemed no reason for it. But the kitchen itself was very nice. And no cement tile on the floor! Way to go.

I will bet my next paycheck that someone in the family has asthma. He took that wood stove out the second they walked in the house. So yes a child with breathing difficulties really does make one more firm about airborn particles. Now the radon could be because of the area they live in. There are radon issues in my area and pretty stiff regulations about testing and disclosure when selling a house. I personally didn’t care that she was obsessive about it and obviously neither was he. And surprise, I had no idea there was a lead blocking paint. Who knew?

Now finally someone said it. Quartz is more expensive than granite. So all you granite/stainless people actually have cheap counter tops.

Agree, QuinnM, the result seemed to work for them, in general. Reviewing the photos, some of the materials were nicer than I realized. (The cabinet maker did a good job.) And, although they used cheaper, laminate flooring, etc. the cheaper materials made sense for this type of home.

Yes, it's asthma, most likely. You're right, Boston, in general, has these issues.

Lead blocking paint, however, is usually considered a temporary fix b/c of the potential for add'l dust. I'd simply cover / box-over the existing staircase. Prob solved.

Well, the quartz / granite can vary. Granite is available at various price points from thin, basic patterns and/or remnants up to very expensive, unique slabs. But, yes, in general, the prices flipped a couple of years ago. My guess is quartz, although manufactured, is now more popular; when demand increases, prices ...

Edited December 21, 2017 by aguabella

aguabella · January 5, 2018

On 12/19/2017 at 1:27 PM, Clover said:

That bathroom electrical problem - a total plant. That junction box they showed with the cloth covered wires that supposedly had been there for a while? It was new; had the label still on it. Agree with the rest of you; I hated what they did.

Agree, it was a plant - but not by the production company. There's no way they'd go to that amount of trouble.

Construction workers understand that time is money. Unless the boss removes it b/c they're upcharging parts and don't care to remind the h/o of that fact, price tags and other various labels remain. They're behind the walls and/or in a utility room so nobody delays installation to remove them, even if it requires only a minimal amount of time. If any of us opened up our walls, we'd probably see at least a few labels.

Unfortunately, that trick is ripoff 101 for unscrupulous electrical contractors. Show a h/o the shiny new box but don't bother pulling the wires and completing the job properly. It appeared a previous h/o (or two) had work done on that home over the years. And, in older homes, sellers often order pre-inspections and complete work in order to advertise that fact and (hopefully) increase their list / sales price.

aguabella · January 5, 2018

On 12/20/2017 at 9:40 AM, biakbiak said:

Did they show what they did with the "parlor" room?

I didn't mind them taking out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room as much as I thought I would but I did not like the finishes in the kitchen. It didn't appear that they mest with the woodwork in the dining room or living room so that is good.

Replayed my dvr several times on the reveal but couldn't see any other updates. They didn't present plans or a design so don't believe they touched the parlor. They certainly didn't mention a budget for it!

The original woodwork in the living areas remained but the island's walnut felt discordant, to me. Personally, I believe they needed to repeat the (older) woodwork in the kitchen. Instead of the dining island, I would have installed a peninsula between the kit and d/r and substituted a narrow, work island in the kit's center. They could have done the island's top with (sealed) scrap wood found somewhere in the home and/or a piece of reclaimed wood.

aguabella · January 5, 2018

On 12/17/2017 at 7:49 PM, juliet73 said:

Denver ep with the chickens: I was very UNDERWHELMED at this reno. This house had so much potential, yet it failed miserably.

Again with the two-tone cabinets. White with brass hardware and a dark blue island with SS appliances. This kitchen was such a mish mash of awful. She wanted classic, he wanted industrial. Unfortunately, they got ugly! The butcher block counter was a total fail - it looked like it was only there temporarily. Like they needed extra counter space for a party, and when it was over, the counter was going to go back in the garage. It was weird there was not a cabinet or anything under the kitchen sink - just an empty space. The "industrial" bookcase in the kitchen that displayed their plants was very weird too. The light fixtures over the island looked like restaurant heating lamps.

The dining room was ugly with the bright blue dresser and the overhead light that was swagged halfway across the room. Cut the chain already!! That looked HORRIBLE!! The living room didn't look any different.

The bathroom turned out nicely IF it was a powder room. However, it was the main bath and it was very boring and looked cheaply done. In the beginning, they talked about adding another full bath in place of the closet (former bedroom). Obviously, that didn't happen.

The baby's room was meh. Wish they would have spent their time and money on a different room instead.

$18k to paint the exterior? Huh? A few thousand at the most, and it would have made a huge difference! I don't think they even touched the outside of the house since they already went $15k over inside because of the structure and bathroom electrical repairs. I would have liked to see if and what they did to the front and back yards. Also, the entry and stairs were beautiful; it would have been nice to see how they looked cleaned up.

It was ugly - oh, yeah!

Designer took the sink under window rule too seriously. She needed to change the fenestrations ($$$) to do that properly. Or, forget that rule! It's no big deal.

The shelving unit was awful. It was unbalanced b/c they didn't have space to place it behind the island.

I would have done a peninsula and closed off the kit's 3rd entrance (the small doorway behind the island) so that wall was available for cabinets and/or shelving. They needed to rework the triangle so the kit would function efficiently.

B/c they hadn't presented either the plans or a budget, I didn't ding them for the ugly d/r and/or anything else.

Guess someone either forgot or didn't agree with the convention of using bright colors to stimulate babies.

Because of the woodwork's age, condition and style, the exterior painting would have been a huge job.

If they'd budgeted properly, they'd have no overage. The uneven floor in the kit (2" in just that small room) would have been extremely obvious either during their tour or the inspection. Plus, the floorboards were open in the basement. So, that would have been covered by either the seller via cashback at closing or advance planning.

For a home that age, in that condition, a 20 - 25% contingency wouldn't be abnormal. Even more, depending on the inspection ... Given that, a 5K overage (the remainder after the 10K) would be incredibly good!

Agree, that should have been the downstairs powder room and they needed 2 additional baths, minimum.

Conclusion: unless something major was omitted (lol!), they didn't have sufficient funds to buy that house. It requires more work / time / funds than they appear willing and/or able to invest.

Edited January 5, 2018 by aguabella

aguabella · January 5, 2018

On 12/11/2017 at 0:20 AM, sheetmoss said:

Have to say, I was tickled that LA couple had no idea the ceramic duck/goose head mounted on side of cabinet near sink was for towels.

I had a cow

For a seemingly artsy couple, the reno reveal was a bit meh

That was so funny! For two artsy-fartsy types, haha. I would have saved the duck (for fun) but given it a new home.

That 60's style bathroom (yellow plaid wallpaper, IIRC) looked interesting. There's 60's style and then there's 60's ... it appeared well-done even though overdone, if that makes sense.

For starters, I would have removed the w/p from the ceiling and redone the vanity area. I'd probably select a floating vanity in walnut to contrast with the yellow. Then new countertop, sink, fixtures, mirror and lights. And, a new toilet, obviously ...

Next, I would have lived with the remaining w/p (everywhere but the ceiling) for a few months. If it grew on me during that time period and still felt like good 60's, I'd keep it as an homage to the home's era.

Upon resale, uh, that's another story, lol.

Edited January 5, 2018 by aguabella

aguabella · January 5, 2018

On 12/10/2017 at 8:29 PM, chocolatine said:

LA couple expecting a baby: she reminded me a lot of Ali Fedotowsky of Bachelorette fame. I thought the house they bought was very cute, but the updates they did were bland. Open shelving and brass hardware, again. Their designer looked like a teenager.

The back yard was really strange with an old "spa" bath in the middle surrounded by concrete. They turned the "spa" into a fire pit, but I guess it wasn't in the budget to remove the concrete, which takes up most of the yard and looks ridiculous.

If they invest some time and rent the proper tool, that concrete can disappear, diy style, in less than a day.

Yep, same old, same old with the reno. Designer's appeared before but his look changes. I believe he's more struggling actor than designer. He did make the right call (or someone did) with that dark grout. At least it added something to the, you guessed it, subway tile, lol.

P.S. Did that woman score, or what, by timing her pregnancy with the home renovation? For those who can afford to remain in their previous home, avoiding the toxic dust, etc., that's a great idea! Woo-hoo !!!

Edited January 5, 2018 by aguabella

Peanutbuttercup · January 7, 2018

Last night's couple kept talking about hardwood floors, but that didn't look like hardwood to me -- maybe laminate? Or do I just not know what modern "hardwood" looks like?
Anyway, it was nice to see a reno that did not focus on the kitchen. I would not have chosen to do what they did (I really hate subway tile, just for starters) but still, it was a refreshing change. It was also good to see a couple making choices that would save them money instead of feeling like they should blow their children's college fund on the most expensive finishes and materials possible.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Peanutbuttercup

QuinnM · January 7, 2018

Last night’s Reno was pretty refreshing ina number of ways. No brass? The redo of the fireplace immediately took 30 years off the house. Nicely done. And the porcelain substitute for the cement tiles was so good that I wonder why people use cement? It’s my understanding that cement requires more upkeep. All and all money well spent. I agree on the door versus splash panel. I did. See that the guest bath had a combo behind the splash. Sometimes that’s what you have to do to fit a tub in the space. So until the kids are taking their own shower and not a tub bath, it’s just not an issue.

Liked it and liked them. That’s new.

juliet73 · January 7, 2018

Covina ep: one of the best ones I've seen in awhile! First, I'm glad the kitchen was already done so they could spend their money on the other rooms. The only brass I saw was the child/guest bathroom vanity hardware. With the exception of the brass, that bathroom turned out awesome! I LOVED the shower and bath together behind the glass - that is one of requests I have on my dream home wish list. I loved the tiles on the floor! The master bath came out lovely as well! I didn't care for the dark navy paint - a lighter shade of blue or grey would have been my preference, but the rest of it was beautiful! They did a good job on the fireplace. I liked that both sides looked similar but still different for each room. My only dislikes were most of the light fixtures and the stupid barn door! UGH! They should have just left the pocket door. All in all, it was a great renovation with a nice couple.

ByaNose · January 8, 2018

Great renovation & nice couple to boot. Like everyone else it was nice to see a renovation that didn’t involve the kitchen. The funny thing was I didn’t pick that house because the kitchen was already done and just assumed it wouldn’t get picked for that reason. They fooled me. LOL!!! I was a little scared of the navy blue in the bathroom but then realized it was just the top half so it was so overwhelming. I thought the fireplaces looked nice but I hate that they are on one one side of the wall. I probably wouldn’t have bought the house for that reason. I’m weird that way. The only thing they didn’t show was the outside of the house. It was still green and had the stone. I guess the budget didn’t allow that or they wanted to wait till later. I thought the floors looked great but I still didn’t notice that a difference with the off centered pattern. It looked the same to me.

laredhead · January 8, 2018

I liked the Covina episode too. The couple was nice and there was no drama.

I think the living room mantle should have been longer. It looked too short to me. Good thing the designer noticed the floor problem. I have exactly the same "problem" in my house because the previous owner or his installer laid the wood floor in a brick pattern in the dining room. The rest of the house, which I had done, has the wood flooring laid in a random pattern which looks much better. I agree that it's time for the barn door fad to go away. A pocket door would have been much better in that space, plus you can hang a piece of art on the blank wall behind the barn door.

I'm not sure I would want a "wet room" like the guest bath had. When you shower everything gets wet including behind the tub. How do you clean the walls and floor in that tight space?

aguabella · January 14, 2018

On 1/7/2018 at 8:36 PM, laredhead said:

I liked the Covina episode too. The couple was nice and there was no drama.

I think the living room mantle should have been longer. It looked too short to me. Good thing the designer noticed the floor problem. I have exactly the same "problem" in my house because the previous owner or his installer laid the wood floor in a brick pattern in the dining room. The rest of the house, which I had done, has the wood flooring laid in a random pattern which looks much better. I agree that it's time for the barn door fad to go away. A pocket door would have been much better in that space, plus you can hang a piece of art on the blank wall behind the barn door.

I'm not sure I would want a "wet room" like the guest bath had. When you shower everything gets wet including behind the tub. How do you clean the walls and floor in that tight space?

I agree, laredhead. I see tons of cleaning challenges in their future. They can use Rain-X on the shower doors but they'll need a flexible mop in a nearby utility closet.

Love the appearance of freestanding tubs but hate the function. In a few years, their son plus sibling(s) will enjoy superb water fights with that shower head! As soon as an adult's head turns away, lol ...

It's a kids' / guest bath so how about a standard tub/shower combo? The shower panels (no door) work well, btw. If the w wanted a better tub for herself (b/c they installed a m/b walk-in shower), my choice would be a soaking tub.

Yep, the mantles were, unfortunately, standard size. Local lumberyards will usually cut them for you, custom.

Don't think we can call barn doors a "fad" after so many years. They're inexpensive and relatively easy to install plus attractive so doubt they're going anywhere. Agree, definitely prefer pocket doors but unless it's existing ...

IIRC, they had a pocket door so no need. Funny they noted that everyone raved about the barn door! Not always positive if/when one attribute of a design draws attention, sticking out from the others, lol.

Uhhh, about those floors ... speaking of drama, everybody notice the blue tape 2' in? As in, install the floors to this point and then leave it for filming. The designer's acting wasn't the best, lol. Anybody ever see a flooring installer do 2' and then leave? (Not me.) They get on a roll and knock it out.

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