157 replies to this topic

[RangerRick]

Isn't anyone going to create a thread for this show? Guess I'll have to!

This is a new show on HGTV, and let me tell you, there is some serious eye candy here. I think the show is about 2 cousins who remodel kitchens or something, but honestly I wasn't really paying attention to that. Seriously though, it seems like they only work with one custom cabinet company so the kichens could start to look the same week after week. But honestly, the kitchen remodels aren't the main reason I'll be tuning in every week...

[jeanine0123]

Yep, they're cousins. And yes, they are both HOT! Much more so than the Property Brothers IMO. I really enjoyed the show, no faux drama or crap like that. Seems like their family is pretty laid back and fun. I was drooling over the converted fire house, such a cool place for offices!! I like the fact that they have a successful business to begin with instead of creating something just for tv.

[Lopethina]

Yeah, isn't this show about George Clooney and his cousin? ;)

[Lopethina]

The remodel in last night's show looked nice, but by removing the peninsula I thought functionality was cut down.

Also, if every episode is going to feature those same opaque-glass (?) cabinets from their source in Italy, this series is going to get old fast.

[jkingstl]

Also, if every episode is going to feature those same opaque-glass (?) cabinets from their source in Italy, this series is going to get old fast.

Well, if I may be shallow for a moment - as long as we can watch these two work on each kitchen, I won't really care :) Damn, but these boys bring on the pretty - especially the scruffy one.

Cousins aside, I do really dig these kind of Italian kitchens, and would kill for one of my own.

[Lopethina]

Based on this thread, I'm thinking I'm one of only a handful of people watching this show! But I do like it.

Glad to see them use wood cabinets last night for a change. The whole episode was fun due to the comedic homeowner. But I wished they would've changed the layout of the kitchen more from the original, and I thought the placement of the oven/microwave by the backdoor was awkward.

[jeanine0123]

If they had changed the layout more drastically then they would have had to move the plumbing and gas lines which is expensive. Especially in an old house where God knows what you'll find when you start digging. I think they were wise to use that money for air conditioning instead. I agree that the placement of the oven was awkward but really, it was the only place to put it. Especially since they already had electricity over there. I loved the repurposed rolling island.

[Lopethina]

Good point about moving the lines. That makes sense. But if the oven had to be over in that corner, I thought it could've at least been swapped with the pantry cupboard next to it. Let's hope they can open the oven door without banging into the backdoor frame!

Edited by Lopethina, Nov 4, 2011 @ 10:35 PM.

[RangerRick]

I liked that they used a different style of cabinets this time. Those super modern Italian cabinets they've used before wouldn't have fit in this house.

Loved the homeowners. But I'm not sure the cousins gave them a big enough spice rack. I bet he still has spices hidden in some of his cabinets.

When the cousins were outside in the rain and their shirts got soaked, I was secretly hoping they were going to just take them off!

[LurkerNoMore]

When the cousins were outside in the rain and their shirts got soaked, I was secretly hoping they were going to just take them off!

Whoo hoo! Now that's the kind of HGTV that I would really like to have. Handsome, buff contractors come over to remodel my kitchen ...

I agree about the placement of the oven. Very awkward. I hope this family keeps the new kitchen looking nice. They didn't give the impression of trying that hard to do anything to organize or clean up the old kitchen.

I'll keep watching. One, because I love kitchen remodels, two, because the guys are hot and fun and seem nice, and three, because at a half-hour, it is a nice, low-commitment show (@ 20 minutes when watching on TiVo).

[Catgirl14]

I like this show, and the two cousins better than PB, maybe because I would actually hire them to do a renovation. Plus, they just seem so likeable and capable.

[LurkerNoMore]

I just saw the Orlando family episode where they took out what appeared to be an almost-new kitchen! I understand what they are saying regarding the fact that everything can be new and look nice, but not be the best quality and not be ideally functional, but STILL! "We'll just have to recycle that granite." Oy. Couldn't you give it to Habitat for Humanity or something? Oh, and dudes, get over yourselves regarding the granite not having been sealed to the cabinets. (They were SHOCKED!) You yourself admitted that due to its sheer weight, it wouldn't budge an inch if you tried.

Interesting about her original oven, the one with a smaller oven on top. I've wanted one of those for a while since I often cook just a casserole or something and thought it would be more efficient not to have to heat the entire oven. I agree with her though that the bigger door opening completely flush to the ground is not the best idea.

I was torn about the peninsula being removed as well, but using the entire wall was a neat idea. If you are having lots of people over regularly, having that open space would be nice. I loved the little bambino! Isn't it funny how even at around 9 months old the baby looks like a North Jersey guido, meaning that in the most respectful way.

They said it was an 'apartment', but it must of been a condo, right? No one redoes the kitchen of an apartment, although I know terminology in NY (and maybe north Jersey) is different. (People can own 'apartments' in NY, correct? Feel free to educate me.)

And count me out regarding the modernistic Italian cabinets. Not my taste whatsoever. And what about resale concerns? There are ways to have a more contemporary kitchen that would still appeal to more homeowners vs. what they used.

[Squeezel]

LurkerNoMore, when I re-did my kitchen, I too wanted an oven like that, and picked out a Jenn-Air with a small oven on top/full size on bottom. When it came time to order it, it wasn't available because of a merger or something, and I got a GE with the large oven on top/small drawer-style oven on bottom. I use that small oven all the time - it's great. Even for lasagna (I'm Italian) and many other things, except cakes. So, I took issue with the gorgeous cousins calling it a 1/2 oven in a derogatory way. I do forgive them, though, because of the gorgeousness. I hope that they donated all of the cabinets and appliances to charity or a needy family.

[Emilyanne]

It was really nice that the brothers had something built out of the built-in the woman really wanted to keep. Loved the purple since its my favorite color and I thought it went well with the space.

[EndoKE]

They said it was an 'apartment', but it must of been a condo, right? No one redoes the kitchen of an apartment, although I know terminology in NY (and maybe north Jersey) is different. (People can own 'apartments' in NY, correct? Feel free to educate me.)

Some condos are technically apartments. Most people I know who live in condos live in apartments (this is in NYC).

[buttercupia]

The episode of this that I saw last night was a train wreck. They destroyed a beautiful, custom-built chestnut (extinct tree!) hutch and then sanded and painted subway tile. I thought I was going to have to start breathing into a paper bag. What a travesty. And the whole thing with how they showed the homeowner two designs, one crappy, one nice, to get her to choose to get rid of the hutch. No way. If you're a real kitchen designer, you work with what I want to keep.

[LurkerNoMore]

I thought that they could have incorporated the hutch into a good design as well, IF it could have been restored. (It looked it pretty sad shape.) Why didn't they consider doing something on that other wall as well, perhaps more base and wall cabinets. I couldn't tell what her dining room situation was, but to me, if you have a small-ish kitchen, but a formal dining room, I'd forego having an eat-in-kitchen to maximize counter and cabinet space. OR, do an island that also serves as your main eating surface.

Why not try to clean and restore the tile before going to painting over it?

I actually did like the end result, however. It looked like a designer kitchen out of a magazine.

[jeanine0123]

It didn't look like you'd get a whole lot of cabinets/counters on the opposite wall. You need enough clearance to be able to comfortably enter the room and there was a door in the far corner. On the wall with the window, which I initially wondered why they didn't use, was the radiator and again, the issue with having enough clearance to be able to use that other door.

I agree that the hutch looked like it was in pretty rough shape. Maybe it could have been restored but who knows how much that would have cost and what the homeowner's budget was. I also don't know if there would have been proper clearance if an island had been put in, depends on how wide the room is. I was sad they had to lose the hutch but I think that it was the best choice and was glad that they could reuse some of it.

[diydude]

We had some of the same ideas WRT the hutch. It needed restoration but could have been saved. ITA buttercupia, it felt as if they showed the woman a crappy design to induce her to select their design. They only aired a shot of the other two walls once or twice but it appeared that the back wall had one window and the other side wall had one doorway.

Depending on the room dimensions, they could have proposed a U-shape design, incorporating those other two walls and then installed a center island, if room, to satisfy her apparent eat-in kitchen needs, retaining a restored (hopefully) hutch on the fourth wall. Alternatively, they could have wrapped their design around the back wall instead of the front and placed the lacquered table in the center, again retaining the hutch. Nice they created the bar piece to salvage something but we didn't understand why they proposed that ridiculous peninsula, if not to sway her decision.

WRT the Orlando family cabinets, Squeezel, considering the care they took in removing them and the fact that they appeared brand new, we believed they probably sold them on CL or even to one of their neighbors. If the previous owner installed that kitchen prior to selling them their unit, some neighbor with an identical floor plan could easily update their space.

The Orlando oven situation was easily solvable, BTW. We didn't care for the long hallway they created with their design. For large family gatherings, they could have continued setting up their table sideways, jutting into the living room. Sorry, we have a hard time with the automatic solution of yanking everything out to resolve minor issues. (not to mention removing what sounded like a special piece in this week's kitchen)

IMHO, Lurker, in the NYC area, they use "apartment" to describe a multi-unit, multiple floor building. So, you're correct - an apartment could be either rented or owned. "Condo" or "co-op" technically refers to the form of ownership, not the type of building.

Edited by diydude, Nov 10, 2011 @ 6:59 PM.

[Mama Tiger]

I nearly cried when they wouldn't even *try* to use that gorgeous old chestnut built-in hutch -- it seemed to me that they had their one design in mind and refused to even contemplate anything else (in spite of their red herring design they showed her). And I HATED the final result -- dreadful greys, and then painting over that beautiful old subway tile without even trying to clean it, too. And that purple lamp was just appalling, IMO! They totally ruined the character of that lovely old room with their kitchen. There are a lot of ways they could have redesigned that kitchen and kept at least a *bit* of the original character, it seemed like.

But they're still fabulous eye candy. And, unlike the Property Brothers, who are total phonies (read their thread here if you haven't -- it's quite eye-opening!) and who I find totally skeevy, these two guys are really, really hot. REALLY hot. So I'll keep watching, even if I hate the final results!

[RangerRick]

During some of the scenes in this week's episode all I could look at was the way the younger cousin filled out his jeans. It was incredibly distracting. But in a good way. :)

[Jonas Quimby]

During some of the scenes in this week's episode all I could look at was the way the younger cousin filled out his jeans. It was incredibly distracting. But in a good way. :)

I was thinking the same thing about the way he filled out his shirt.

[Ima Pilgrim]

Mmm, majorly crushing on Anthony -I'd have that in my kitchen any day. The butcher block they remade today, not so much. That was a tall work table for a tall man, they chopped it off and put it on a smaller, shorter cabinet which is going to make it pretty useless as a workspace for a tall person, he's going to be bending over all the time which is not comfortable. They could have just gotten him a 48" island and used that butcher block as the top. Wasn't crazy about that spice rack, although it was pretty, it would have been a great opportunity to install sliding ones that can be hidden in a cabinet. Oh well, it was certainly an improvement over where they started, and it was nice of them to include the AC. That was almost a little Holmes-y.

[aquariumblue]

I thought the Cousins came off condensing to the homeowners regarding the counter top. Their job is to provide the homeowners with their expertise and advice. But ultimately, it is the homeowner’s choice – and money.

[LurkerNoMore]

Hey, we're just lucky that the cousins didn't 'surprise' her with the slick, modern, white Italian cabinets that they like to use.

One of the challenges of being a contractor or designer is giving your expertise, which is why they hired you, yet giving the customer what they want. I think it was fair to try to talk someone out of marble if it truly won't be functional for them, but if the babe wants white subway tile, even after seeing the thousands of other options out there, hey, give it to her. (I would have taken her to a tile showroom ... maybe she would have been inspired by something else.)

How the heck will they reach those upper cabinets? They are beautiful, but you would need one of those ladders that you see in an old library or bookstore.

The chopping block/cutting board? How will he clean it? Plus, it is so thick that it might be uncomfortable for the chef to chop on.

Love having the potfiller right by the cooktop. I'd love that.

Edited by LurkerNoMore, Nov 18, 2011 @ 2:20 PM.

[Lola16]

I thought the all white kitchen for the chef was boring too. I think the homeowners felt it would make the space look bigger. It didn't really look custom though I loved the crown molding and the extra row of cabinets on top. No, they aren't practical for everyday use but good for storage, you just use a step stool. The beige-ish backsplash they picked was also ho hum. And the grouting looked unprofessional. I'd have probably shown them a light blue glass tile or stainless steel tiles.

And the handmade cutting board was so Trading Spaces. Germs! And too thick & clunky to be useful.

ITA about the potfiller. When your stove top is far from the sink, those come in handy.

I also liked how they maximized the space by closing off the basement door. Not sure if there's another interior access point (I hope so).

And yes, they are yummy eye candy. I had 2 brothers come do a little work on my kitchen last year and they were also hot. Needless to say, I stayed home from work to supervise the project :-D

[diydude]

I expected them to push the modern cabinetry, also. Agree, they were condescending. It's fine to explain why your clients might want to select a different material but when it's so obvious they know what they want (and they're restaurant professionals, BTW) - stop trying to coerce them into your way of thinking. Incidentally, why did their mother need to attend that last meeting? As if she could somehow talk woman-to-woman to the wife and change her mind.

I got the impression they considered the wife difficult simply because she didn't automatically accept their design vision and had her own opinions. Remember the father with his comment about "keep me away from that job" or something? To me, that was unfortunate because I'm sure the couple wanted to promote both their restaurants and U-tube show.

They didn't show the backsplash that closely but it appeared to be the translucent glass tile that shows the mastic and grout underneath. (Yuck!) Subway tile's appropriate for the brownstone. Again, give them what they want -

Nice idea about using the reclaimed wood w/grain for a cutting board but it looked like a bad diy project. Have a feeling the homeowners chucked that immediately. Instead, how about using some of their wood for a stepstool? Plus, they could have painted it (say, coordinating with their backsplash) to inject more color into the space.

Edited by diydude, Nov 20, 2011 @ 10:10 AM.

[LurkerNoMore]

I hate to use texting abbreviations, but OMG! regarding the latest episode with the woman who brought the cousins in, and then told them that she already ordered cabinets and appliances. John said to Anthony, "Did you know about this?!?"

The end result had to be the ugliest kitchen that I have ever seen. The banquette, the raised bar area, the red backsplash wall, the deep fryer ... auggh! I hope that family never plans on moving or selling that house, because that kitchen would turn away any potential buyer. There was so much stuff in the kitchen that I found it hard to tell how you would move around in it and actually cook. What kind of countertop did they use?

Did Anthony have a girlfriend at the family dinner? She was cute.

John cracked up a couple of times during the episode ... he has a unique laugh.

[Lola16]

The end result had to be the ugliest kitchen that I have ever seen. The banquette, the raised bar area, the red backsplash wall, the deep fryer ... auggh

The white grout was hideous on the broken red glass backsplash. Way too much, would have been better as an accent. The banquette was crappy. Kinda Trading Spaces looking. It was better looking than what was there before given it was rotting and broken. But overall, ick.

[Jonas Quimby]

The end result had to be the ugliest kitchen that I have ever seen. The banquette, the raised bar area, the red backsplash wall, the deep fryer ... auggh! I hope that family never plans on moving or selling that house, because that kitchen would turn away any potential buyer. There was so much stuff in the kitchen that I found it hard to tell how you would move around in it and actually cook.

While I didn't think the kitchen was that ugly, I agree about the red backsplash. It looked like it was shoddily done.

I wondered if she had a catering business that might have been unlicensed, because why would she need two ovens and two dishwashers and two full-size refrigerators?

The cousins are pretty to look at (especially John -- loved his raised eyebrow to the camera when he asks Anthony how he's going to secure the backs for the banquette), but I'm not feeling this show. Maybe it's because kitchen after kitchen after kitchen is too specific (and a little boring). At least they're not the creepy "Property Bros."