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I'm guessing the homeowner has more input than they depict in the episode--that is, the decorator consults with them on what items they purchase, etc. I know I would never trust someone I just met to spend all my money on redoing the house I will live in without having some "right of refusal". That customary reveal at the end (where the homeowner acts all surprised) would not be as surprising as they pretend, and of course there is a lot of pretending going on. No way could a bunch of strangers figure out my personal style (what I like) in such a short period of time. Perhaps there is the surprise of seeing the results of the agreed-upon constructions and the things they picked out being arranged in a unique way. But having NO input and putting this entire thing into the hands of TV people? I would not have that level of trust. The depiction of the homeowner as being totally in the dark until that last big reveal might have been another of the "feigned cliffhanger" things they do (Will the homeowner like the bright red cabinets in the kitchen?") but remains even after, as you point out, no one reacts negatively to anything.
(And of course there are stories of the homeowners acting like they're happy, only to sell it shortly afterwards or tear out the things they claimed they liked when a camera was in their face).
I think most of the time the homes are staged with rental furniture. The homeowners are going to have all of their own belongings when they move in, so all of the furniture, dishes, art, etc that we see in the reveal gets back on the truck after filming.
I think most of the time the homes are staged with rental furniture. The homeowners are going to have all of their own belongings when they move in, so all of the furniture, dishes, art, etc that we see in the reveal gets back on the truck after filming.
This is usually the case, although I think some shows (like Fixer Upper) have furniture owned by the flippers that the homeowners can buy if they want to.
One thing I hate about these shows is that many of them make a big production out of demo, but in some cases the stuff they are taking out appears to fairly good quality but not the latest trend. It seems like donating wood cabinets makes more sense than demoing them just for the show. I have seen some shows where they will carefully take out good quality stuff.
I have to admit that I watch these shows, but there is constant themes:
Open Floor Plan - they knock down walls without checking if load bearing, vent pipes, a/c ducts.
Wood Floors - what if the people like carpeting?
Shaker style cabinets - they destroy perfectly good cabinets that could be refinished.
Farm style sink - another made up item.
Natural Light - what other light is there?
Sometimes white walls are good/sometimes bad
French doors / pocket doors / barn doors - anything adjective they can think of.
Backyard - out door furniture / gigantic grills / fire pits / umbrellas - the gaudier the better.
last but not least - SHIPLAP.
what happens when all these things go out of style.
Yeah, granite was the great big thing a few years back, but I don't notice anyone putting in granite anymore. So what happens to all those kitchens with miles of granite? Are they already outdated?
I hate open floor plans, gray (thanks, Christina), shiplap, tearing out good cabinets that could be redone, barn doors especially on bathrooms OMG, and fire pits. I'm getting tired of big patterned tiles, marble, and subway tile.
While I agree that any price they get on TV is like 1/3 of the price normal people have to pay for a re-do, at least on TV they address major issues, not just cosmetic. Apparently every house in North America has either a failing roof or foundation or plumbing or electrical, all requiring a total re-do.
No, Laurie actually had decent taste. It was Hildi who liked unconventional materials and design. Like thousands of fake flowers. Or furniture on the ceiling. Or sand on the floor
A new kitchen regardless the size is minimum $35K.
Last Jan - Mar I re-did mine: All new appliances, electricity for electric stove added and gas lines removed, refinished hardwood floors, cabinets refinished, plumbing for washer and dryer moved upstairs, new w&d, new paint on the walls, all for about $7000. Didn't move anything; sink is still where it was, and I did have the cabinets sprayed instead of replaced or moved. So I guess I saved money on not getting new cabinets and not moving the location of things and not changing out the sink or getting new countertops - mine were/are stainless steel. And my appliances aren't unnecessarily fancy (though they are from "best" lists - Speed Queen, Whirlpool - and they work great for a normal, non-gourmet kitchen.)
But still, I sure don't know where you're getting that $35K amount!
Last Jan - Mar I re-did mine: All new appliances, electricity for electric stove added and gas lines removed, refinished hardwood floors, cabinets refinished, plumbing for washer and dryer moved upstairs, new w&d, new paint on the walls, all for about $7000. Didn't move anything; sink is still where it was, and I did have the cabinets sprayed instead of replaced or moved. So I guess I saved money on not getting new cabinets and not moving the location of things and not changing out the sink or getting new countertops - mine were/are stainless steel. And my appliances aren't unnecessarily fancy (though they are from "best" lists - Speed Queen, Whirlpool - and they work great for a normal, non-gourmet kitchen.)
But still, I sure don't know where you're getting that $35K amount!
The appliances in my kitchen cost $6500 and I didn't get SZ or anything like that! Quartz countertops cost $6000+. Cabinets with soft close and mostly drawers cost, well I'm not going to say, but you can see how the number gets up there easily when you add the demo, floors, windows, backsplash, lighting. Kitchen reno's can easily get to $35K.
I'm not in a high COL area of CA or NY. West coast of FL (not Naples or Sarasota either).
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