745 replies to this topic

[kitty32]

I've been watching this since it started and can't find a thread so here it is.

I loved both the office and nursery segments (which I wondered about, but her baby bump had become very apparaent so it isn't just for theory's sake). Sarah's color sense -- which seemed a bit off the wall when she was talking about it, was absolutely spot on in the execution. All that red furniture in the office was simply gorgous.

Although they haven't really discussed a plan for the whole house, the rooms they've already done are very cohesive, color and size-wise. No huge bedrooms, no jarringly different color schemes. I'm reallly looking forward to the rest of the series.

I was surprised that Sarah didn't design that basement guest room with A) An eggress window which would be required in the US and B) a separate door into the bathroom, which, while it may be for a planned family room or something down there, would be nicer if a guest didn't have to go trekking through the basement to get to it at night.

I think there are some great tips about keeping things neutral or if you have an accent wall (like wallpaper) make it a small area that can easily be changed. Also, those cheap plates in the shadow boxes were outstanding -- I was thinking the boxes would just be big enough for the plate and maybe an inch around. Instead they gave them huge mats that made them stand out and look incredible.

ETS: I never started a thread in the 10 years or so I've been posting ... but when I reached fanatic (and considering how long that took ...) I felt impowered and this is my third start-up this month).

Edited by kitty32, Jan 31, 2010 @ 3:24 PM.

[EmbiggenedSoul]

Hi kitty, I really love this show. I adored the basement guest room - absolutely stylish and adorable. The color palette, the shadow boxes, the wallpaper, that black and white pillow, all of it, I covet it!

I also loved the red office too. So energizing.

For me, this is also right in the sweet spot, budgetwise. Divine Design is way too high-end, Design on Dime too cheap. This is a nice blend of showing how to have luxuries in some places and how to save money in others.

[selhars]

Love the show. LOOOOVE Tommy:) He likes big organs, hates boob lights, etc (so funny and risque)

NOT crazy about the fact that her DECOR budget is considered part of the RENO budget.

Pillows, headboards, and furniture have nothing to do with REMODELING a house.

I suppose it's great to see that you can get both for a certain overall budget. And she does break out all the costs.
But technically as I say, one has nothing to do with the other.

[addicted_aardvark]

I've been enjoying this series as well. Interesting to see a show that starts with a stated budget - that was, as commented, reasonable rather than astronomical - and then tells us, each week, reality vs. target. And also how she and her contractor deal with the unexpected crises that DO indeed arise during renos.

NOT crazy about the fact that her DECOR budget is considered part of the RENO budget.

Agreed on this point. I guess that decorating or staging the property may play into the total cost offset against the eventual sale price, and if I were redoing my personal residence I might consider the cost to 'refurnish' the space after renovations, but Sarah is clearly talking about buying and renovating a house in order to sell it.

Tommy IS a great addition to the show. And he and Sarah play off each other really well.

I was surprised that Sarah didn't design that basement guest room with A) An eggress window which would be required in the US and B) a separate door into the bathroom, which, while it may be for a planned family room or something down there, would be nicer if a guest didn't have to go trekking through the basement to get to it at night.

I suspect the reason for no direct bedroom<->bathroom door was to give the bedroom enough uninterrupted wall space. Otherwise all 4 walls would have been broken by a window or door, and restricted furnishing/decorating options. I will say, though, that the show's editing of all the activities into sets of "floor" is a little confusing in that it separates out activities that were clearly done together (watch the "baby bump" when she and Tommy are philosophizing about design and shopping. It inflates and deflates). Last week's episode was clearly the basement bathroom mentioned this week - but contained no reference to planning/installing a bedroom, and this week's guest bedroom one never revisited the bathroom. Now, this might have been because the basement bathroom turned into a MUCH bigger project necessitating its own segment, what with the plumbing fixes, but I was distracted trying to remember how the bathroom turned out.

[queasy]

I like this show and lot. Sarah and Tommy are both adorable and talented. I agreed with Tommy that the den would have been better in darker colors -- it turned out lovely but was too feminine, I thought, for a shared family room. And why another office space when there was already a dedicated home office? I guess part of the point of the show is to give viewers ideas for their own multi-purpose rooms, but for that particular house, I thought it was overkill. Although my sister and BIL each have their own office space at home, so maybe I'm off base.

The basement guest room was very pretty, but when a bed and two nightstands take up the entire width of the room, that's a pretty small space. Not that a guest room has to be huge and it's hard to guage size on TV, but that's a squeeze. Somehow I missed the back yard episode but am looking forward to seeing what she does with the front of the house.

It has been interesting watching Sarah's pregnancy come and go and her hair get longer and shorter week to week.

[MsGonzo]

I read somewhere that Sarah used her own money to buy and renovate these houses. Wow, she must be making a boatload of dough from her design business and television shows. We haven't been made privy to the final sales prices of these houses, but surely they probably went for pretty close to the appraisal valuations. I also wonder if the furniture was also for sale as part of the package. I just hope Sarah made her investment back.

Tommy annoys me just a bit. Can't put my finger right on it, but he rubs me the wrong way sometimes.

[Suz at Large]

I'm glad to see a thread for this show. I've missed some episodes, but agree with the overall opinions that this is a "sweet spot" design/renovation show.

And such a relief from the real estate sales marathon nights we get so much of now on HGTV.

[SparksFan59]

I'm enjoying the process of this show, from gut job to reno. I like that Sarah hunts for bargains and spends the money wisely on what will gain her the most bang for her buck.

The basement room was gorgeous.

[kitty32]

Okay, I thought I'd seen all the episodes, but I haven't seen the den or the backyard -- I'm not sure how I missed them. What I've seen is house hunting; office/nursery; master bedroom; bathrooms; and guest room. Which is,, starting with the new year when I thought it started, but maybe I'm wrong. Can anyone enlighten me?

[selhars]

I believe this season has already been shown in Canada. Perhaps that's it.
I, also, have only seen: house hunting; office/nursery; master bedroom; bathrooms; and guest room.

(And don't even get me started on the NONviewer friendly air times for this show, while they ram HH, HHI, MFP, PV, Antonio and Jamie down our throats)

Edited by selhars, Feb 1, 2010 @ 8:22 PM.

[kitty32]

Ah ha! Canadian schedule -- you're probably right. I always find it confusing when we're all discussing different episodes. And they I envy some of the shows they get that we don't even get a sniff of.

(Oh, and by the way, welcome back to all those cable people that got cut off for a while -- that happened to me with our ABC affiliate a year ago but it wasn't a problem except for the view and ABC National News and Jeopardy.)

[jkingstl]

Just had to add that I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this show. It's great to have Sarah back on TV in the US, and she and Tommy are adorable together. Hopefully, we'll then get to see "Sarah's Cottage," and I think that there was also a different house series as well?

Once again, this show proves the point that HGTV Canada is soooooo much better and more watchable that HGTV US. Bring on more, I say!

Edit - Thanks, sheetmoss for the info about season 1 on Fine Living. DVR is set!

Edited by jkingstl, Feb 4, 2010 @ 9:52 AM.

[sheetmoss]

RE: Egress Window

I seem to recall, that even in the US, if the bdrm is used for guests--the window doesn't have to be an egress, but does so if it's used as a permanent bdrm. I suppose one couldn't list it as a bdrm either when selling.

The show on HG running now, is actually Season 2-- if you get the Fine Living channel, on Sat. mornings at 10:30am CT, 11:30 ET, they're running Season 1, which was a trad hse with a really big reno/decorating budget.

ETA: It also repeats on Sun at the same time.

Edited by sheetmoss, Feb 4, 2010 @ 5:14 PM.

[Mita_Jo]

I am also a fan of this show and I'm happy that there is a thread. I do have a hard time getting over the fact that she's spending so much money and time on decorating a house that she isn't going to live in. However, I've just accepted (even if I'm wrong) that she's offering decorating tips for those of at home that might want to do some similar things in our own homes. I do hope that when/if she sells the house that all of that stuff is included, because if it isn't, it just seems like a waste of time.

I tried to watch the episodes on FLN but I can't get over her hair, which kind of sucks, so I'll just keep watching the ones on HGTV because I think she looks much cuter and I LOVE her clothes.

As much as I hate to admit it, I agree that HGTV Canada has better quality shows that what HGTV America is producing. That said, I'm and HGTV addict and I will watch just about any show they decide to air, no matter where it was produced.

[fiftyfifty]

I do have a hard time getting over the fact that she's spending so much money and time on decorating a house that she isn't going to live in.

Is that the premise? I've only seen a couple episodes (the basement guest bedroom and the laundry room), and I couldn't figure out, if this was supposed to be her dream house, why she didn't have any of her own furniture/art to put into the rooms already. An end resell makes a lot more sense.

I was also a little confused by how inefficient the reno seemed to be - room by room rather than all the drywall up at once, everything painted at once, etc. But you all have solved that one as well. Not sure how I didn't see her baby bump getting bigger and smaller during the episodes, apparently I am very unobservant! It must be very complicated to film and keep straight each storyline out of sequence.

I do like Sarah though. I love that throughout her shows over the years she has the same team (give or take). There's never the sense that her team are people with fuzzy qualifications who just want to be on tv (unlike most of the other shows on HGTV). Same thing with the rooms - they feel real. They're always very pretty, but not so over the top you want to roll your eyes. And she's also not trying to pass off some horrible thing she hot glued as an acceptable substitute for a well-designed, well-made product. So refreshing.

[kitty32]

I was glad Sarah was sensible abut the washer/dryer and didn't go for the fancy red ones that are all the rage these days, but did explain the advantages of having the controls on the front and being able to put a top across the appliances for folding, etc. (Didn't really think it needed to be marble, though).I liked the wine frig and little bar under the stairs since it's only steps from the family room, and alll that organized storage would seem to be a realy plus for most house buyers when closet/storage space is such a sellingpoint.

There are so many glitches with things like the gas meter being moved, and there not being a hookup for the gas dryer that most renovators go throuigh that it's interesting that the same things happen to someone as organized and on top of things as Sarah. Iit would seem to give hope to the rest of us.

The sporadic nature of the espisodes is a little disturbing. Last week when they were working on the guest room they were talking about the storage area in theory, but in this episode they never show the guest room/bathroom or even their doors or how the spaces go together.

I'm always impressed by Sarah's color sense and vision for open, airy comfortable looking spaces. I'd hire her as a decorator any day.

Edited by kitty32, Feb 7, 2010 @ 1:42 PM.

[Sea]

I saw a promo for season 3 starting on HGTV Canada in March.

Season 3? Sheesh. Completely renovating/decorating 4 properties in a row is way too much work for me.

[Suz at Large]

OK, I understand how useful it would be to have a long countertop in the laundry room, for folding and sorting clothes.

But I'm with kitty32: I thought putting in a marble laundry room countertop was ridiculous.

Was I the only one who noticed, that despite all the pretty glass tiles, and marble countertop and meticulous planning: the iron and ironing board were sitting out in the reveal shot? And the ironing board was folded up and sitting on end. I'd hate to think that with all the planning and expense, there's no place to store the ironing board out of the way when it's not in use. A place to stash the ironing board would be near the top of my list when planning a laundry room. Just sayin'.

[Satchelpooch]

There are so many glitches with things like the gas meter being moved, and there not being a hookup for the gas dryer that most renovators go throuigh that it's interesting that the same things happen to someone as organized and on top of things as Sarah.

That's very kind of you. After watching a few episodes, I'd be more inclined to say she's an excellent decorator (though her tastes don't mesh with mine) but a lousy renovator/project manager, and if it weren't for her team bailing her out all the time and the fact that it's a TV show and not real life, she'd be doing some other job more in line with her capabilities, like managing floorspace design at an upscale boutique store.

I think in 3 episodes now, some piece of countertop/furniture/something hasn't fit. Pull out a tape measure fool!

I really want to like this show, but her callous disregard for her budget and inattention to detail make me believe that she's the one of the people Mike Holmes is cleaning up after in "Holmes on Homes".

Edited by Satchelpooch, Feb 8, 2010 @ 10:40 AM.

[jerusha]

I am really looking forward to each episode of this show, and find myself wishing the episodes were longer, which is a rarity on HGTV these days. I laughed so many times at Tommy's mugging for the camera this week; guess I'm an easy audience.

Agreed that the marble countertops were a bit much, although I liked the glass mosaic tiles a lot. Was Carrera marble really cheaper and faster to fabricate than soapstone or zinc? Or a polished concrete countertop?

I would like to think the ironing board was out on dispay so we could see how cutely it matched the colors in the room. The bins, etc. on the storage racks in the storage room were all "staged" as well, so it's possible.

I think in 3 episodes now, some piece of countertop/furniture/something hasn't fit. Pull out a tape measure fool!

I'm willing to give them a break on this-- if they're doing all the rooms concurrently, it gets hard to track all the measurements when the wall/trim edges might be moving with the reno. I think the "High bath" vanity only didn't fit because of the lip at the bottom, which a lot of people wouldn't think to measure by. And then on pre-ordered items, a lot of times the dimensions they give don't include trim pieces (which I've found out the hard way).

[Jempilot]

Count me in as someone who loves this show. I think in the US it is running on both HGTV and Fine Living, although not the same episodes the same week. Two different houses (the split jack (?) and the other one with the train outside the den). I haven't seen Sarah's cottage.

My favorite thing so far is the re-use of scrap MDF as letters in the nursery.

I still don't get who is paying for what - if she buys the house with her own money, does HGTV pay for the renovations? Or does she do everything with her own money and collects a salary for the show? But the contractors and tradesmen are surely being paid by the show as well.

I second the decor love. Candice is still my favorite, but Sarah's rooms are just a little bit less "full" looking.

I didn't think the marble was as bad given the size of the countertop as having to remake the flowered bed in a master because it wouldn't fit up the stairs (the upholstered bed and headboard were made as one piece).

Edited by Jempilot, Feb 8, 2010 @ 6:49 PM.

[sheetmoss]

I still don't get who is paying for what - if she buys the house with her own money, does HGTV pay for the renovations? Or does she do everything with her own money and collects a salary for the show? But the contractors and tradesmen are surely being paid by the show as well.

Basically it's a hse flip show. Think in terms of This Old Hse but wo/occupants with the place decorated at the end.

Sarah & her partners/production company own the show--they're a business. She purchases the hse, pays the trades, furnishings, etc and then recoups the money when the show and the hse are bought.
HGTV buys the rights to broadcast and distribute the show from Sarah/production company....money is made from the selling of commercials when the show is aired.

I suspect with the furnishings, whoever buys the hse has an option of buying them too, but if not, they probably have a sale at the end to sell everything off.

ETA: Sarah's Hse and well as her other show design.Inc. show when mistakes are made in measuring, tiles layed wrong, etc. It's more true to life!

Edited by sheetmoss, Feb 9, 2010 @ 8:32 AM.

[MsGonzo]

And she's also not trying to pass off some horrible thing she hot glued as an acceptable substitute for a well-designed, well-made product. So refreshing.

On Sarah's original show Room Service, she quite often did a craft project that was incorporated into the room. She's an accomplished seamstress and meticulous in how things were put together and finished. She has shown how to make the signature "Sarah pillow" with the flap and buttons, as well as the large bulletin boards that so often show up in her laundry rooms and offices. No sign of a glue gun anywhere...but then Sarah is an honest-to-gosh designer and not some designer wannabe who won a contest.

[Suz at Large]

but then Sarah is an honest-to-gosh designer and not some designer wannabe who won a contest.

Amen!! And thank goodness she is. Along with Candace of Divine Design, and it's so refreshing to see their work. As compared to the wannabeeeeezzz . . .

[oakgal]

I think I can answer a few questions regarding the original season since it aired here a couple of years ago. The house was sold complete because it was an option for the buyer. They could buy it empty or complete with all furnishings and they opted to buy the whole shebang. In fact it just came up for sale last November and you can see it is still the same, pretty much.

I think it's the same deal with the 2nd season too, option is there to buy all furnishings as well. I know the 2nd house didn't sell as quickly, as I was monitoring it on mls at the time and it stuck around a while and was reduced in price ultimately.

I quite like that she is willing to show the mistakes and hurdles that come with a renovation instead of implying it's all smooth sailing. Sometimes things happen and it's how you deal with those hiccups that show how organized and prepared you are as a professional. Stuff happens occasionally, but not that often. I think she is pretty on top of it or else she wouldn't be nearly as successful.

The new season is apparently an old farm house. Should fit right in with Sarah's penchant for a country aesthetic at times. You can see a little glimpse here.

Edited by oakgal, Feb 12, 2010 @ 2:16 AM.

[Satchelpooch]

I quite like that she is willing to show the mistakes and hurdles that come with a renovation instead of implying it's all smooth sailing. Sometimes things happen and it's how you deal with those hiccups that show how organized and prepared you are as a professional.

Sorry, but 30% over budget on the flippin' laundry room is not professional. The only way she is making money on these flips is because Canada is experiencing the same crazy housing prices CA and FL and other places did a few years ago. When it all dries up, she'll have to scale back dramatically or be done and selling her 'flip program' secrets in hotel seminars, like all those guys on the US flip shows currently are.

[anaximander]

The only way she is making money on these flips is because Canada is experiencing the same crazy housing prices CA and FL and other places did a few years ago

Canada has a fundamentally different mortgage system, which is much more restrained than that in the US. Basically, you can only lock an interest rate for 10 years, at the max, by law, after which it adjusts - no matter what. So, to a certain extent, ALL the mortgages here are ARMs. As such, we didn't really experience the highs and lows experienced in the US - NINJA loans are almost unheard of up here. As such, the houses tend to be much more expensive as a general rule - more to pay off at time of sale. Higher property taxes. Mortgage payments aren't tax deductible. Toronto is an especially expensive area within Canada (Vancouver/Victoria, certain booming areas of Alberta, and Montreal and Quebec City are also quite costly), but even crappy houses in tiny farming towns in Ontario tend to go for more than 150k. To give you an idea, the house beside my best friend had 3 bedrooms and required a total gut - only on street parking, NO yard - 3' paved in the back and 3' in the front. After sitting on the market for awhile, it went for 700k. This was *after* the bust. These higher prices are especially notable in the areas Sarah's houses are in. (The first was just a few blocks north of my friend's place in Toronto)

Re: the first house.

The people who bought it after it had been renovated (fta: "everything, right down to the cutlery") put it up for sale in November - asking 1.29 mil $CDN, NOT including furnishing, though those are "negotiable." http://www.nationalp...html?id=2242848

Edited to add: Apparently they're selling off the furniture for the second house on Kijiji - http://toronto.kijij...QAdIdZ184855819

Edited to add again: The 2nd house was for sale for 999k, unfurnished, then experienced a couple of price drops - to 929, then to 899, according to comments made here - http://www.househunt...47-26724bda778d

*Now* I feel like a stalker :)

Edited by anaximander, Feb 12, 2010 @ 12:21 PM.

[millk]

I love Sarah and adore Tommy. I think Sarah's shows are more real than a lot of design shows for the aforementioned willingness to show the mistakes made along the way.

There is a realated season where they redo Sarah and her husband Alexander's cottage. It was Alex's before the got together and wasn't really kid friendly. Alexander is a great sport and was all over the show. (good solid stock eye candy) She was pregnant doing that one too and its fun to see the baby bump go up and down.

[kitty32]

The budget for the backyard seemed inflated given the small margin of profit the real estate agent keep drumming into her head even before she went crazy with the swimming pool. I just can't imagine the the length of the watersports season lasts in Toronto. Certainly not long enough to justify that much money. It seemed like a teenager saying "everyone else in the neighborhood has one" -- well that doesn't seem a good reason to blow the renovation budget, especially since many people don't want pools and that would be a deal breaker for them. That whole think was stupid.

Looked good, as does everything Sarah decorates -- loved the interior of the cabana. She's been very careful about keeping the color family consistant.

Loved Tommy drooling over all the hunky young carpenters.

[addicted_aardvark]

I, too, was wondering about the lengthof the pool season in Toronto when Sarah made a comment about its year-round functionality. Although being on a Great Lake no doubt moderates the temperature (I just remember being glad of the underground tunnels when I was there one February).

If anything, Sarah's pool decision is a stellar warning to people about researching your reno plans BEFORE jumping into them. How a simple "pool" expanded once it met city permit requirements, how the type of water affects your surround choices, and even the challenge of getting the equipment into the yard space. But yes, kitty32, I wonder about the ultimate profit margin. "Most of the other houses in the neighborhood have a pool". T hat type of argument didn't work on my mom when I *absolutely needed* some item of clothing as a kid. Is it that much more significant in real estate values? It WAS a great sized backyard and could have been landscaped and furnished into several "zones".