the ghastly decorating on HGTV

[Auggie27]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 9:08am

Has anyone else observed how awful much of the "redecorating" on that string of HGTV shows really is? I cannot bear the work of that smug Verne Yip, who consistently turns muted, tasteful spaces into garish bordello-inspired contemporary nightmares. But he's not alone.

The worst is that show with the enabling middle-aged woman who brings in an over-caffeinated bevy of boys who seem to have grown up inside Pier One. No matter what her fellas do, she finds it cool or awesome (her command of decorator-speak clearly helped her career.) On Saturday I watched a perfectly nice grey and white spare bedroom convert too quickly into a loud tropical nigthmare of a "family room," complete with horizontal stripes on the wall, a panel adorned with 12 dimestore mirrors that looked ripped from a SNL satire on 70s crashpads, and for the final touch, ripped hula skirts glued to valences. Hula skirts as a window treatment? The "designer" said he was worried about this deal clencher, that it oversold the theme. It oversold one thing: his lack of decorating talent.

Somebody at HG thinks too much beats not enough, that stripped hot peach walls and homemde furniture constitute exciting rennovation. They routinely rip legs off any old piece of junk, spray paint it, slap glass on it, or hang loud drapes from the edge and call it "fun." It often appears as if it was thrown together like a community theater set, flimsy and fake. It's startling how little sophisticated taste is on display on this network that touts the opposite. Only the landscape shows really exhibit some good ideas. There's no sense of how people actually inhabit these spaces, or thought given to the long-term impact of a "splash" of saturated color.

Updated On: 3/17/08 at 09:08 AM

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 9:16am

Sounds like they're copying the playbook of TLC's "Trading Spaces" (where Vern Yip first started on TV). I stopped watching after Hildy San Tomas stapled turf to a bedroom wall.

Cheap and ugly may make for good TV, but not good design for living.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 9:25am

I agree with everything you said, Auggie.

It seems to be in extremes, with interior design. We went through a decade of everyone being afraid to use ANY color, or put anything on their walls. Most homes I went into looked like beige monasteries.

So, yeah, add a little color here and there, and put some artwork up. Good idea. That doesn't mean turn your place into the inside of a pinata.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 9:47am

Many of the shows are over the top.

A favorite remains Candace Olsen's 'Divine Design'. I find each and every makeover to be tasteful and inspired.

But, the "do-it-yourself macaroni and glitter picture frames" found on some of the other shows leave me empty.

Though, I wouldn't mind that handyman for a day bit...

Updated On: 3/17/08 at 09:47 AM

[DG]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 9:50am

Addy - we like Candace's work, as well. The big difference is the budgets she gets to work with - usually in the tens of thousands.

Plus, she actually seems to have good taste.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 9:52am

True - budgets make a big difference.

I love her design inspirations, and her attention to lighting and texture as well as color. I want her to do MY apartment...

[D2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 10:19am

Candace Rules!

The rest... meh.

Although they aren't designers per se, I do enjoy Donna and Shannon, the mother/daughter team who come in to people's homes and rip them apart in order to "help" them sell.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 10:26am

Candice is beyond Divine! I'm also enjoying Karen McAloon's new show, Find Your Style.

Posted: 3/17/08 at 11:18am

I LOVE the show that redecorates your whole house so you can sell it. First, the women acts like your (perfectly acceptable home) is a leper colony and has to trash every single element. She acts outraged at the drop of a hat ("You have a PILE OF SHOES sitting in the BOTTOM OF YOUR CLOSET!? ARE YOU AN ANIMAL???????") Then (Watch if you don't believe me) she insists on repainting EVERY house. If you have a neutral color scheme she screams in horror and says you need to add some color! If you, god forbid, have chosen a typical designer color like orange or green she shields her eyes and whimpers how grossed out the buyers will be and insists on painting it beige.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 11:29am

I hate house-flipper shows.

Paint it a new color, add a counter and mark it up $75K.

They disgust me.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 12:26pm

To be fair, Designed to Sell is usually people who are legitimately selling their longtime home and they never discuss raising the asking price. There are many shows that are more obviously house-flippers, especially on DIY.


The show I hate is Save My Bath. In literally every single show, the resulting design looks exactly the same. An "expresso" vanity, two very trendy Kohler sinks (because god-forbid any of these couples not mind sharing a sink), a jet tub, "custom" tile work (that looks the same in every episode), and green or beige paint. They even use the same lines in every show, how they want it to be a relaxing, nature-inspired retreat. These bathrooms are almost always ugly to start with, so isn't one single person just content to change the negatives without going over the top into trendy bathroom design? Five years from now, they're going to want to sell their house and whatshername from Designed to Sell is going to bitch about how outdated it is.

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:04pm

I saw Trading Spaces this weekend for the first time in ages. Hildi covered some poor person's walls with 200 pounds of confetti. If she redecorates your home can you charge her with vandalism?

[D2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:08pm

Hildi should be shot.

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:09pm

She'd only use her blood to color the walls.

[D2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:10pm

Good point.

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:17pm

Wasn't Hildi the one that also covered some poor couple's bathroom wall with thousands of silk flowers. Geez,try keeping that clean?!

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:18pm

She loves putting crap on the walls. I saw straw, dirt and fan belts.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:20pm

Who was the designer that glued corrugated cardboard all over the walls and substituted cardboard fold together furniture for the people's own stuff?

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:21pm

You must have missed the episode with 400 records (45s) nailed to a woman's living room walls. It was a 50's theme. I'm sure the poor woman had to pay to have the walls replastered after she pulled the rords off the walls.

[nitsua]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:25pm

"Who was the designer that glued corrugated cardboard all over the walls and substituted cardboard fold together furniture for the people's own stuff?"

It wasn't Hildi, but the crazy red head. Lori? Lauri? I remember that episode, but not her name.

Uuuuuuuugly!

My favorite TLC show was "While You Were Out".

[D2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:32pm

Laurie, really? She was one of the few on that show who actually had some taste and talent.

Are you sure it wasn't Hildi? Or the equally as awful Christie Proctor?

[nitsua]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:37pm

If Laurie didn't design that room, she designed the other one.

I remember she was in the other episode.

Okay... did some searching. I found this on TVGuide.com:

"Trading Spaces is listed on Jump the Shark for Hildi's cardboard room, among other things."

Updated On: 3/17/08 at 03:37 PM

[D2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:38pm

Well, there you have it. Hildi's to blame. As usual.

[singingbackup]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:58pm

Hilde should be up for high treason! Her first major crime was when she glued 800 dollars worth of plastic flowers all over a perfectly gorgeous bathroom.

Posted: 3/17/08 at 4:09pm

I still feel sad when I think of the lovely craftsman style living room she painted pink and glued straw all over. Why would you do that?