Do you watch HGTV?

[SaintLouieWoman]

I have to confess that I enjoy watching it to get ideas for the house. Some of the new shows are not my favorites. That Emily that won the Design Star last year and has "Secrets of a Stylist" is the worst. I couldn't believe last night when she put this awful sort of pink/red wallpaper that looked like her version of something from the Jetsons all over the walls and on the celing. She installed a white chair rail and painted the lower part red. If she had done it to our house, SR said he would have said right on the show that it was awful. She's done some weird stuff, but this was the worst.

The Donna Designs Dallas (or something like that) is also annoying. Her stuff is way too glitzy, lots of "bling". I guess it's just not my taste, but it's so overdone.

Then there's Party with Dina or something like that, one of the Housewives of New Jersey, who looks like her lips have been blown up way too many times by a plastic surgeon and looks like she's had more than her share of Botox. Her stuff is way overblown, too.

What I like is that Chicago condo that Vern Yip designed that they're giving away on one of their contests. It's sleek and in quiet good taste.

What are your favorites and not so favorites? Does anyone like Antonio, the guy with all the tats and the cute dog? Personally, I wouldn't let him do a room in our house.

[Tipsycatlover]

Back when I had cable, I watched HGTV all the time. I loved not only the designer shows. That woman from Canada, I forget her name but she was fantastic. I also liked the househunting show. I guess I have a bit of the snoop in me.

[SaintLouieWoman]

Back when I had cable, I watched HGTV all the time. I loved not only the designer shows. That woman from Canada, I forget her name but she was fantastic. I also liked the househunting show. I guess I have a bit of the snoop in me.

I think you're thinking of Candace Olson, that extremely tall blonde with really good taste. I got a lightweight comforter and pair of shams on sale at the Dillards in St Louis from her. It was about 75% off. It's dark charcoal grey, almost black. She's way ahead of her time. Now I see that stuff on the market. At the time, it was probably considered weird. My greyhound, Blue, used to jump on the bed all the time. I could never have light colored linens. Now he's gone and the black greyhound, Darlene, on occasion jumps up there. The black is good to not show any black dog hairs. But she doesn't shed much.

BTW, am I the only one who gets annoyed at some of those folks looking at houses? I'm getting sick of hearing them whine that their first house absolutely MUST have two sinks in the bathroom, granite everywhere and stainless steel of course. Don't forget the hardwood floors.

No wonder there are so many foreclosures. Too many people are conditioned to think that they have to buy a perfect house with all the goodies, that old champagne taste and beer budget thing.

[Tipsycatlover]

That's the one, Candace Olson. I loved her show.

I had an opportunity to rent a little house real cheap. It was destroyed. At one time it was a crack house. It was so bad off, the owner didn't care what I did. I used Olsen's tips to make it into a charming little cottage. The funny thing is, the owner said "I don't care what you do. Just don't tear out any walls." The first thing I did was tear out a wall. That little house was a total WRECK. Holes in the walls, ceiling light fixtures bare wire with a bulb hanging off the end. Interior doors kicked in. Flooring was black padding nailed down with big nails. Paint and wax all over. The wall sconces filled with wax (used as candle holders). The cottage itself was built in 1923, originally a railroad line shack. I had a lot of fun fixing it up and the rent made it feasible to do. Olsen's ideas made the difference.

I can understand people wanting the best they can get. After all, buying a house is a major purchase. If two sinks are important, either the home has to have two sinks, or the buyer has to put in another sink. No matter how whiney they are, they always get real and settle in the end.

I'm one of those people who like to look at the pictures on Realtor.com.

[Odysseus]

Mrs. O loves HGTV. Several years ago, she was watching one of the design shows and they were comparing swatches of paint and showing how the color changed as they dried. After a minute, I asked her if she was really watching paint dry on TV. She still watches it, but now we call it the "paint drying channel."

[Hawkgirl]

I watch it all the time...My favorites would have to be Candace and Sarah. I do like some of the work by David Bromstad. I like Vern Yip's designs as well. I don't like Antonio. I also like the designer who is on the RENT show....she is pretty good. Most of the design on a dime people suck.

My personal taste is classic contemporary. I like simple lines, but I also like comfort.

HGTV is coming out with a magazine too, I saw the tv promo...Meh.

[SaintLouieWoman]

I watch it all the time...My favorites would have to be Candace and Sarah. I do like some of the work by David Bromstad. I like Vern Yip's designs as well. I don't like Antonio. I also like the designer who is on the RENT show....she is pretty good. Most of the design on a dime people suck.

My personal taste is classic contemporary. I like simple lines, but I also like comfort.

HGTV is coming out with a magazine too, I saw the tv promo...Meh.

Neither do I. As I said in another post, really don't like Emily. I'd hate to have either of them touch our house.

SR enjoys watching the Handyman Challenge show and Holmes Inspection. We both learn about possible major problems in a house. It's scary what a poor job many of these inspectors do on homes. I'm sure there are good ones out there, but sadly I've never found one. They're too indebted to the realtors for referrals to mess up a sale by telling the whole truth. (Or at least that's been my experience). You'd think I'd learn and find my own, but it's tough for the average homebuyer to find someone competent on their own.

[RobJohnson]

I like both HGTV and DIY.

I like fixing stuff myself, it seems to get done right that way.

[Novaheart]

Rarely.