things i would like to see in some of these decorating shows...for example... i love to watch house & home, design inc and designer guys and many others and l do love the homes and ideas that they show...my problem is that i wish they would show more everyday homes, i never see typical 70's bungalows or high ranches and for people like me on a tighter budget....i find many of the shops or ideas are very expensive. For my budget a 8000 dollar bathroom makeover is not what i would consider cheap....and then you get some who take a 1000 dollars to do a room and glue hay to a wall, not my idea of good decorating....just my opinion and if anyone knows of good reasonable ideas and would like to share, feel free
janetc
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I think the average ho hum home is not appealing in terms of inspiration. What the shows do is give you ideas to incorporate into your own home. Copying another's finished product in its entire revealed state is hardly great design. Developing your own style which ultimately is a reflection on you is far more substantial. Your influences can be vast and varied which is the goal of a good design show.
If not... it becomes a little paint by numbers don't you think?
oh dreamer, dont be so hard on yourself... lol we all make mistakes, believe me i think i make one everytime i decorate any room...that is why i need to see homes similar to mine that are made over lol
janetc
you are right about not wanting to see grannies house but what im saying is why not show more makeovers on the average home done with a tighter budget....i would like to see more of that. I too also get ideas and just put them together in a cheaper way, however it would be nice like i said to see similiar layouts to everyday homes made over
janetc
Regrettably, you would probably find a television show about my home decor very dull indeed. How many times would you watch me put up a light fixture or paint a room a gloomy colour? I have a sneaking suspicion that the drama factor would be noticably absent, and you would soon be hoping my kids would hate their rooms, my partner would pack his bags to move and the dogs would throw up on the floor. Then, you would feel guilty for wishing all that upon me because I am such a nice person.
I don't watch the shows to get ideas on how I can work around my pink walls or animal wall paper, but I watch it to get ideas on how I can achieve certain styles by focusing on key design elements in a room.
I doubt many would watch if it was Auntie Helga's brown and green dining room that was being showcased, except perhaps for the fear factor.
Is that show from Calgary the host looks so like a guy that used to be a writer in the Sun.
I agree wholeheartedly. Where are the 3 bedroom bungalows with L shaped living rooms and all the other more common homes seen in most of Canada?
The shows I truly appreciate these days is Open Homes (Global and Prime), Great Taste No Money, and Me My House and I. There are some others but those three really appeal because the homes are a little more realistic to where I live, how much money I have, and my goals. I particularly like Open Homes as they have been dealing with everything from builders new messes to war time house and the fixes are actually something most people can do on their own. Big bonus to me is they rarely use beige or anything that looks like beige.
It's true that so many of the other shows (even Cityline) have gone more high end, more Toronto, and deal with homes that are the exception rather than the rule. Even when they show homes from other cities, they are unique homes and although nice to see, not too useful for my life. They almost seem to be designers for designers' inspiration than the average home owner. I don't have a quarter of a million to do a reno and if I did I'd be hiring someone to do it. I think for the most part, they've forgotten those of us who do DIY and have to watch the budget.
I dont' watch Trading Spaces or the spin offs any more. I still can't figure out why people would offer up their homes to that bunch. It certainly isn't for the decorating value. BTW, I heard the homeowners who got stuck with the hay on the walls paid $11,000 to have it fixed. So much for that bright idea I guess.
What about the time I think it was moss they glued to the walls. Where do they find these people. Only one time I saw a home owner freak out and starting crying and ran off the set. They must have to sign a waiver saying they won't sue or man they would have some law suits on their hands.
It seems that sometimes the decorators go out of their way to do something the homeowner specifically does not want, painting wood furniture or painting rock/stone fireplaces.
Anyone remember the one where Hilde glued 50,000 plastic flowers to the bathroom walls. Had to see it to believe it! Now thats sanitary!
shows like ''Trading Spaces'' and stuff...i wouldn't be good for those shows...cuz if they painted all my wood furniture...i would be kicking some a**...i always freak out when i see them do that...if it's particle board or MDF ok fine paint it...but if it's real wood oak or pine....ahhhhhh....the s*** would hit the fan....lol...i'd be back over at whoever did that to my furniture and spray paint or ''tag'' their house.....lol
I totally agree with everything that has been said here.
It is very disheartening when my DH and I have worked so hard to improve this house, and it STILL doesn't look anything like the shows.
I don't like the 'MDF' shows. I do not want them to come to my house and make me furniture from MDF. Thank you, but No.
I enjoy 'Moving Up', because that seems to be regular people doing their own DIY.
I would love to go and see what our old house looks like after we sold it! Or after spending so much time fixing up this house, I wonder what the future owners would say. Would they appreciate what we did, or hate it and remodel again!
woodburn it is just like a soap' lol that is putting them in the right place
smoodgie
i agree with your comment, they always seem to be rich, famous or pretty
doesnt fit into my real world lol
janetc
i really liked the one house two looks show, i wish it was still on....im glad to see that so many share the same feelings as i do and like smoodgie said, after watching these shows and reading the mags, i thought my house was just horrible but then came to the realization that it has to be a home first and that is what i aim for now...in my house a cream or real light tone couch for example, would just cause me to stress...our children dont abuse the furniture or house but lets face it, everyday wear and tear must be considered in a home and i dont want my kids growing up thinking that the house was just about looks, i feel it is there home too...so now my goal is homeyness (spelling not sure) lol and now I decorate for my family and what is pleasing to my eye
janetc
There are support groups in the States for people that feel so poorly about themselves because they can't be like "Martha". It is just another way to keep people like DR Phil in business.
Not only are the renovations on a lot of these shows way out of an average person's budget, but (and the designer guys are especially guilty of this), they seem to only do homes for famous or "beautiful" people. Not that an average person can't be just as beautiful, of course :) But, there was the woman from Flare magazine, Denise Donlan, the woman who works on Y&R, Christine Cushing..... I wouldn't consider any of them average people with average budgets.
My other problem with these design shows is that I look around our house, and feel like such a complete decorating failure because most of the rooms in our house aren't even coordinated or properly accessorized, and don't get me started on how messy they are!! I think they give us a false impression of what a real home should be, but it's still discouraging to not measure up to all those beaitful homes!!
That was one of my favourite ones it did really look normal people and normal houses. Mostly changes with just color and huge differences.
how about new homes. Not those custom jobs with all the mouldings etc, etc. but a plain builders box with huge builder mirrors, stupid corner fireplaces, small skimpy windows, plain builder options (no granite). You know, my house and so many others. I used to love One House, Two Looks, because they used a lot of homes from builders like Mattamy. Showed you what was possible on a budget. I would love to see more of those then constantly trying to interpret a bigger look on a smaller budget.
I think they are our version of the "soaps" I am hooked on them but they are not reality. How many of us live like that.Then when you see one that is for the budget minded they are so silly. I have a new house but still need to keep things in my budget.
i'm not the only one who thinks that...you always see a home that is huge...and i would like to see some follow up shows...like are the people keeping with the decor...and what does the room look like in 3 months...i especially wonder about the shows like ''Neat'' and ''Clean Sweep''...ok they unclutter the people...but do those people really stay ''uncluttered'' or do they go back to the clutter again...i agree that not everyone has a bugdet of $10,000 for a bathroom or $50,000 for a kitchen...sometimes they need to be a lil more realistic...
I'd love to see a how to/ decorating show that gives ideas for those of us an a "shoe string" budget!