An in-law walked around my home and told me everything I needed to change. She lives in a world of white/beige/tan from the walls to the furniture. My home is colorful without being "clownish", and yet the word "re-sale" kept coming up in her language. She even looked at a family cabinet from Belgium that had a wide crack in it and said "you'll never get any money for that!" Well, it wasn't for sale and there was a story about how & why that crack was made. It was defective in her mind. The little mice drawn on the baseboards drawn by my son - she wanted to paint over as well as the glorious wooden antiques (took dark- paint it white!) All I could think was, I live here. It's home and comfortable to me, not some cold hard place you can't even sit because you may stain the white upholstery. I thought my home was magic. All she seemed to care about the dollar signs from some sell of the home in 40+ years. I'm not leaving. This is my final home.
I prefer the "restoration" shows these days like "Restored", "Houses with History", "Stone House Revival" and such. I also think Erin Napier on Home Town is so creative. Her houses don't look like everyone else's. She lets the personality of the homeowners shine through. LOVE their show. "Bargain Block" is super creative and 'Fixer to Fabulous" has also had a few really unique homes. It seems every time HGTV has a show that showcases creativity, it gets cancelled unless it's SUPER popular. I miss the days of "Design on a Dime" and "Design Remix" where the designers refresh rather than tear everything down, but those don't get the sponsorships HGTV lives on. Sigh...
HGTV used to have a show where the designer came in and just moved things around, introduced maybe a rug or some pillows. It was such a delight because it inspired viewers to creatively rethink their space. It wasn't about trends, it was about design and creativity. But I don't think there's a lot of money to be made in such a model.
Why would there be less money in an attainable model of design than in these massively unrealistic "knock it all down" style shows? The show would be cheaper to produce for a start!
@@RachelDee remember when "Kimmie" insisted on not touching her fireplace and when they showed her the reveal, you could hear her sobbing off camera? Good times, that show.
that is why I like the little blond lady on DIY. She dedicates a whole season to renovating 150yo victorian houses with leaded glass and crystal light fixtures and ceramic tile fireplaces 😍
@@Zan_ChrisThere was a show on HGTV called One of a Kind where a decorator in Texas went in and literally personalized entire homes. It lasted two seasons.
I think the obsession with resale value is kinda weird. I would maybe consider it when doing mayor structural changes. But why do it for decor, furniture or paint?
I recently moved into a 20 year old home that had recently been renovated. Nothing too drastic. The home was great except I needed a really big room for a specific purpose, and the only thing that made sense was to enlarge a bedroom by taking up part of the garage. I struggled before I did it, because of the potential impact on future resale value. Then I woke up and realized that this is MY HOUSE and it should be the way I wanted it. So I did the remodel and to heck with future buyers.
It is weird lol. Especially if the person doesn't plan on moving for several years. Also it gets incredibly boring when everything looks the same. So tired of seeing all white everything, furniture included. And I personally love neutral pallets. But little bits of character and color are a nice surprise here and there. And what makes a home stand out in some of these cookie cutter neighborhoods
Yep. That trend of decorating your own home for the next potential buyer started when people started seeing homes as real estate investments instead of places to live forever. It’s so gross We just bought a condo, and we may not stay here forever. But I plan to make improvements for my own use, not for the real estate market value/lowest common denominator potential next buyer. If I wanna put wallpaper up on one wall, I will. If I want to put a wall up, I will (if the HOA lets me.)
I think it's a myth. You don't make money off of renovations for the most part. People just talk about resale value because they feel they need that kind of justification to spend that much money to make their home trendy. Or they're being fooled, because you pretty much never get back enough in resale to recoup the costs of the reno, unless you do the work yourself and use cheap materials
When we were selling our house 3 years ago, the first thing our real estate agent told us was that we had to remove all the "personal" stuff. Otherwise, potential buyers couldn't/wouldn't identify with the house. We did no such thing, as we were selling a (future) home and wanted to show those buyers that it was something personal and not a prepped place for an AD photoshoot.
20 years on I still miss the old HGTV shows like Decorating Cents, Design on a Dime, Mission: Organization, Room by Room, and Curb Appeal to name a few. Lots of great ideas and inspiration, mostly on a budget, and not cookie cutter. It felt like real design for real people who wanted homes that were fun to live in, and “resale value” were words rarely uttered.
Do you remember a show called “For Rent”? It provided low-cost, stylish solutions for those who were renting. I absolutely loved it, and was I so disappointed when I couldn’t find it anymore.
I can’t help but feel that “the obsession with resale value” that causes people to change their decor and kitchen colors is actually just a way to assure themselves that their home is valuable to others, even if they don’t love it. The validation that people find their home worthy of purchasing (no matter how true or practical that may be) is easier and instantly gratifying. It reminds me of people who buy outrageously expensive bags they don’t really love because they are highly sought after. They can excuse the purchase by reasoning that it has a high resale value, while soaking up the validation they get from having a sought after item.
Yes my mother tells me how I should live at my current home long term and whenever I talk about decor or wallpaper she brings up resale. Like I’m not selling it…
everyone keeps telling me NOT to take these two downstairs bathrooms that are back to back tiny bathroom and make them one big one. It would mess with resale value lol...I get it that having 3 bathroom is good..but two tiny bathroom with showers and whatnot...kinda seems dumb to me.
The bag is a good financial decision just look at the Birkin bag. Those who bought it for “cheap” can now resale and buy three houses 😂😂😂 resale has always and will always be around. Since the recession is near people are thinking of tomorrow more.
As someone who works in real estate, I couldn’t agree more. I evaluate 15-20 properties weekly and I can’t tell you how correct you are. Everything looks the damn same!
We spent years trying to find a house to buy that wasn't boring, we finally found one with great character and whimsy, and just after we bought it - from the zillow listing - we were contacted by HGTV to be on a show called "The ugliest house in america" where they wanted to renovate our cool unique house into the boring sameness we've been trying so hard to escape! It is tempting when you hear how much the renovation is worth, but I definitely would rather have "the ugliest house in america" than an HGTV house!
I’m glad you didn’t, all the makeovers they did are horrible! Some of the houses are really cool and I watch it and hoping they don’t touch them and ruin them!
Careful what you wish for. These shows have a lot of lawsuits that are kept out of the public eye. I would never trust my property to any of them. And what do they know about pretty or ugly with those cookie cutter vision goggles they metaphorically wear.
A lot of these decorating/remodeling shows are also hosted by places like Lowe’s and Home Depot. I believe that they are motivated to encourage trends to come and go quickly, so that people are pressured to remodel more often in order to keep their homes from appearing outdated. More remodeling means more money in their pockets.
Totally true - the shows will often bring in merchandise conspicuously labeled with the name of the business (ex. Wayfair) on the final styling day. My guess is they get some products for free in return for displaying the name.
At 62 years old, I am trying to learn new and fresh ways to re-decorate my home. My husband and I were at an antique store and I was looking for small ceramic dessert plates. I didn't want them to be matchy-matchy but to look good together. I was focused on finding these plates with my husband's help. And he said to me, "I know what you are doing, you're doing your Paige Wassel thing". I am bringing in blues and greens, reds and a pop of yellow color to my new home because of your channel. Thank you for being the voice in the interior design wilderness showing us a better way other than the HGTV way.
I remember watching an episode where Joanna Gaines redid a home in mid-century modern and I was stunned to realize that ship lap and everything beige wasn't her only talent. I mostly just watch youtube now for decorating and renovating. I really like you, Lisa Holt, Nick Lewis, Phoenix Grey, and Lone Fox.
It’s such a double edged sword for Joanna, she decorated central Texas homes for what they regionally had to offer, shiplap and limestone. She had unique taste at the time I never think the intention was for the internet to adopt this as the only way to decorate!
Thank you for being the sound of reason. I HATE all this obsession with ripping out walls, barn doors, shipman. And the wrong shade of Grey can make a room look depressing. I love visiting a home with personality and maybe a collection of older, interesting objects. Decorate your home for its current occupant. Who knows? Maybe the next person will love what you have done. If not, you can clear out and repaint. In the meantime you have a space that reflects you and brings you joy - a place you like to come home to. Can we just stop following JG- please?
The purpose of advertising has always been to convince us that we can't trust our own tastes. Only fairly recently, however, have we become so thoroughly media-addicted we cannot even conceive of HAVING tastes that haven't been spoon-fed to us. What's more, a good many utterly awful items that are foisted off on us come with "talking points" that we believe without critical analysis. Anyone who actually USES her kitchen has some choice words (often of four letters) for the granite counter craze. And I have seldom seen a retrofit island that isn't, in fact, an abomination.
i liked Chip and Joanna Gaines when they were giving old subdivision houses a modern facelift, but unfortunately that didn't last. Joanna is not an interior designer and just a one trick pony.
2nd time (millennial) home owner here- the first house we thought more about “what will sell”. We didn’t do anything outrageously trendy and we did do blue lower cabinets in the kitchen with white uppers. We made significant improvements to the house and it paid off. But with this second home one of the first things I did was paint a mural in the guest bathroom. We built an entire new bathroom down stairs and painted it Dusty Rose by SW and went sort of classic vintage modern. Im painting our entry Funky Yellow by SW, the fireplace was white and now a light sage green. Wall paper in the toddler’s room! I know we won’t be in this house long but I’m going to love it while I’m here. When looking for homes to buy I immediately click OUT of flipped HGTV type houses.
Paige you are a voice of reason!! This is why you're the only channel of this genre I follow and watch. My reno crew was wincing at some of my choices, me wanting to leave in some 70s elements of my apartment, but it LOOKS GOOD! It looks timeless. And don't even start on me not wanting gray or white bathroom, me not wanting fake marble tiles, the renovators were literally like "this is weird, no one does that :/" well shut up. Personality is a vice in interior design, it seems, but not for me, screw grays and whites and beiges.
You know my mom recently passed away and selling her house has been difficult - because she made a lot of personal changes that are so awesome and perfect for both her and the house’s history. But we’ve been frustrated seeing her house get 12 views a day, while the boring White House next door got 80. She kept her old kitchen and original cabinetry but updated it tastefully, and transformed her basement into a personal yoga gym with mirrored walls instead of an entertainment center. But when we ask the realtor why no one is interested, they say the kitchen feels too dark, or the basement is too quirky. Like what? You can CHANGE it you know. I fail to understand this idea of buying the perfect house and making no changes. It’s your HOUSE - make it you! Keep the old things and work with those to have it reflect yourself. People want beige boxes. And for some reason they don’t even have enough creativity to take a non-beige box and paint it beige themselves. They need it to be beige to start with.
Something else I find kinda strange is when the interior of the house does not reflect the exterior. I understand sometimes certain updates are needed. But, not when the interior is stripped completely clean of said style.
While looking for ideas for changing up our bathroom, literally 75%+ of the “before” photos are the ones I like and took inspiration from! It’s sad how much amazing decor/tile/wood gets thrown away in these shows. Really irresponsible IMHO.
Paige, I completely agree. I watched my parents renovate a 1920’s home and it horrified me. They took out the wood paneled basement bar, got rid of the beautiful metal kitchen cabinets with lights, carpeted over wood floors. I find all of this upsetting. I want to see all the character, I dream of having a lava rock tiki bathroom, I’d rather be in a small unrenovated time capsule that have a home that’s poorly built and not functional. Let’s breathe life into all the wonderful charm of previous decades. Put some modern in, sure. But what was set by you rings true in my eyes. Even with saving buildings. Here where I live, they tear down a historic place, build a condo on it, then put the old signage in the lobby and name it for the previous building. It’s so upsetting. Thank you for this channel of yours, it’s a beacon of light in my day always.
I'm so pleased that I'm not the only person to feel this way - I get a bit frustrated with the ripping out of perfectly functional kitchens and bathrooms because they are a "bit" outdated. I have always been drawn to old homes with unique features, even if sometimes they are a bit impractical. Our neighbours live in a home that was built in the 1970s and had that 60s and 70s Hollywood movie stars vibe. (It's in Australia) Lots of dark slate floors, heavy timber beams, split level, stone fireplaces etc. I would like to think that if the owner ever sells, the new owners would do any upgrades in keeping with that whole era.
What’s so crazy is if you look at like… actual rich ppls older home Reno’s… they’re made to retain all their character. But the middle class gets swindled into this mass manufactured look and it hurts me lol
@@Cheesyenchiladythat’s really observant and based. it’s almost like true wealth is intentionally eliminating the individuality of those without wealth in order to ensure that their widespread power is never questioned. if you can numb a nation in their fenced off single family condos, you’ll have a nation ripe for exploitation.
I'm on board with everything you have just said. A home with character is (to me) so much more desirable than a showy, shiny soulless house. We can all add our own stamp to a place, and simple or structural upgrades can be done in keeping with the character of a home.
I love the micro small updates to a space! I mean really, I'll spend an hour re-arranging my teacup shelf - and I know others into home decor do the same thing. Of course I want to see how small changes can make a big difference. I want to see how to layer decor pieces, how to better orient my existing furniture, how to hang art, etc. - I want the micro tips!
I feel like HGTV HomeTown is actually the one show that’s not doing this. Erin Napier is practically the only designer on the channel that isn’t afraid of color and uniqueness.
Yeah I like Erin’s style- I really wish they would stop accepting clients looking for vacation homes just to be on the show though, considering it’s already a pretty poor area.
I have to go to the hospital a lot for checkups and tests and they ALWAYS have HGTV playing in the waiting rooms. It feels like groundhog day every time I'm there.
I have a very 90’s house, and I don’t have the money to un-90’s it. Your channel has helped me realize that I can embrace it rather than fight it. There are affordable changes I can do that will enhance what’s already there and make it more timeless. Love your channel, keep it up! Video idea: Going over the different design styles (art deco, modern, traditional, etc) and showing items that reflect those styles. Maybe advice on how to mix styles. If you already did this, my bad - haven’t watched all of your videos yet.
I have a very 90s house too and I don’t have a lot of money either. I’ve done some very small upgrades so far and Im embracing a lot of the 90s feel too. I feel like my home is very well built and that’s probably more important than having an all new home.
Exactly. Most ppl aren’t rich to be able to change everything they want. Just do what you can, small upgrades here and there go a long way :) definitely takes time to upgrade it all how you would want it.
You’re so right!!! We bought our first home earlier this year and wanted something with character that wasn’t generic. I think there’s a huge difference between making a place more functional and just destroying it. I think it’s important to lean into the architecture a house already has and pull design influence from there
My mom loves home makeover shows and has attempted to get me into some of them, but she knows I hate matchey-matchey decor and tearing down old architectural details. She suggested I watch Restored with Brett Waterman and I love it. He is a preservationist and helps people restore old homes to their former glory by using old building permits, design history, etc. It's part home renovation, part history lesson.
wow and love! I saw a few comments talking about the green and pink bathrooms from the 50s. When I was in high school my family moved into a Tudor-style house with all these spiff cubby spaces, a rug shaking balcony (for real! I would hide out there on this tiny thing reading), a pink bathroom that had the most amazing tile throughout and a large cast iron tub that KEPT THE WATER WARM when taking a bath. Started my love for old and unique houses. I live in a 90s creation detached townhouse now, yet I've embraced some of the weirdness from the 90s. Got a bit of flack about it too. Chic C'est La Vie!
We had our 1974 family room painted (not white! Gasp!) and I told the contractor I didn’t want to paint the brick fireplace at all. He was appalled. His reasoning for why we should do it- “all the people on HGTV paint the fireplaces” 🙄
Omg a friend of mine painted over the 100+ year old tiles on her fireplace in a rental unit because she wanted them to tie in to her color scheme. She painted them TEAL! It looked nice in her space, but I am still scandalized by it! I often wonder what the landlady said when she moved out.
We bought a mostly untouched mid-70s ranch. When showing us the house for the first time, our real estate agent just assumed we would want to rip out all the walls and paint the fireplace. Heck, no! We kept every wall and door, and are so happy with the cozy spaces they create.
OMG!! I hate that. All I see on HGTV are painted brick exteriors and fireplaces. I inherited my father's house last year and there is a beautiful reddish brown brick fireplace in the family room. The outside is also brick. I will never paint it. I wonder how painted brick is going to look 5-10 years from now, expecially on the exterior. Maintenance, anyone?@@Parcha64
The design shows around the early 2000s were SO much more interesting and fun. There was VARIETY, there was COLOR, there was UNIQUENESS. There was architecture from cottage to loft to contractor-basic apartments, styles from Victorian to modern to ‘70s retro, aesthetics from beach to boho to art deco, designers like Genevieve Gorder and Christopher Lowell and Vern Yip. It was a smorgasbord of inspiration and ideas. I miss those shows so badly! I moved into my current house in 2012 and this shift to all the HGTV sameness was well underway. I kept thinking it was so weird that I was always creative in my spaces until I moved here, and now I’m stressed trying to choose paint colors and terrified to put a lick of paint on any walls despite having bought (and ultimately recycled) many, many gallons of expensive paint I never even opened. While I’ve spent the past decade bemoaning the fact that all the design I kept seeing over the past decade+ was the same, it never occurred to me it was because of the HGTV shows, but you’re absolutely right, because it was when I moved here almost 12 years ago that I started watching them a lot! That’s exactly what did it to everyone, including me, making me afraid to make my house MINE. I HAVE spent all these years thinking, “But what if I want to sell?” every time I think about doing ANYTHING. It’s been crippling and depressing. And I after more than a decade of this, it feels like I’ve been controlled by that fear for so long, I can’t just snap back to the way I used to be because I’ve been conditioned to be bland. To illustrate how extreme it is, I was the person who spent my whole life saying, “I will NEVER paint a wall white. Life is too short to live with no color,” but I’ve spent the past five years looking at paint chip after paint chip to figure out which white I should use on these walls here to “brighten the space” and being scared of choosing the wrong one. OMG, NOOOOO, MAKE IT STOP!!! 😬😳
Being in my 60s it is what it is for me. I still love to play around with decorating. You are right on!!!!!! Love love love seeing different houses with personality!!!! My Son once made a comment to someone making suggestions “Don’t H G TV my house!” Loved that response.
Good on your son. When I was redoing the floor in my kitchen I wanted vintage looking linoleum because the house was built in the 40’s. Everyone kept telling me to get tile because that’s what everyone gets on HGTV. We had paver tiles in my childhood home. I hated it, even as a kid I hated doing chores in there. I am glad I stuck to my guns.
I love unique properties! My personal house was built in the 1880’s to house brewery workers. I restored the original floors and kept most of the layout the same. I added two bathrooms, put modern kitchen appliances and cabinets/countertops into the existing kitchen (it was mostly empty with a sink and an old range when we bought it) & moved laundry from the basement to upstairs (because the old stone basement gets too many spiders). A home can get updates to include modern things that we want to use without tearing the house apart and redoing everything.
I bought my home entirely because it had not been "updated". I'm so happy that i did, we enjoy the quirks and older details all day everyday and are working to restore more of that sense of time and place
Came across this video thanks to the RU-vid algorithms. You are a breath of fresh air and spot on! I am so irritated when the designer destroys a perfectly good layout with an open floor plan. And adds a bathroom that is as big as my total first floor. You have made my day.
I have grown to hate the all white thing, the black windows, the rattan lampshades. I wouldn’t want to live in Joanna Gaines’s idea of the perfect house. It’s boring. Thanks for saying this Paige. You’re the voice of reason and also *good taste.*
I have watched your garage to office makeover at least 5x. It's almost impossible to find inspiration like this where someone gathers unique and meaningful things over time and assembles them in a way that is functional and pretty.
It was so nice! I’d swap out the appliances for probably stainless steel and add a moveable island maybe. Also can’t believe they painted the wood beams!
I actually sobbed when I saw someone on fb marketplace selling multiple Victorian houses they flipped. They stripped all of the character and craftsmanship out of these homes and made them soulless boxes.
Thank you! I hate the bland results of those shows ugh. My house had original 1950s pink and blue bathrooms and I think that’s why the sellers had to drop the price. But I loved them so it was perfect.
My mom's1950's house had a tiny pink bathroom with burgundy trim and a tile mosaic floor. My niece bought it and tore all that out and made it white. It was heartbreaking.
OMG THANK YOU!!!! I'm now subscribed. I can't stand this boring trends been trying so hard to find shows and channels that are different and unique and not boring!!!
Totally agree , there’s a show here in the UK called Scotlands Home of the Year on BBC Scotland . They visit homes looking for ones that are unique and actually show the owner’s personality. Exactly what every home should strive to do .
I almost bought an HGTV-esque house from a flipping company cause it was the only one in an area I loved. It appraised for $40K under the asking price so I backed out of the deal. Another one built in 1932 came onto the market shortly after and I just got the keys to it. So excited to let its existing character take over the design.
The only show I admired was Rehab Addict with Nicole Curtis. She took old homes and restored them, she did not reimagine them. So agree with you, Paige!
YES! This is so true, and something I've been talking about with my husband and friends. And if I hear one more show talk about a ridiculously unrealistic budget where they can demo and renovate a kitchen, I could scream! I wish HGTV (or another network) could create a realistic makeover/remodeling show. But the network would probably argue that this concept would be too dull and uninspiring. Well, the network has become dull and uninspiring.
I thought it was just me, I used to love these shows before I found a home and even after I did. But I cannot stand these shows anymore, the absolute worst. Dull and uninspiring = perfect description
My hope for the last several years has been to start seeing unique homes with unique decor. I've wanted this to become the "trend" for so long! I hope it catches on. I'm tired of all the cookie-cutter black and white exteriors with copycat decor from Target!
As an elder millennial born and raised in L.A, I'm fortunate to not know anyone who prefers these boring spaces 😂. I grew up surrounded by Spanish revival bungalows and beautiful Craftsman homes, we will not settle for bland 💁🏻♀️
I remember some shows where the designers did not ask the couples what colors they wanted, what was a priority? and I thought how could they know what to do. Also I hate it when people organize books by colors or turn the pages to the front.
In Sweden we have a lovely show called ”Det sitter i väggarna”, literally translated to ”It sits in the walls”. The premise of the show is that they showcase old, unique houses all over Sweden and they have a historian go through national and local archives to find out the specific history of the house and the people who lived in it. It can be houses from the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th century and the houses always have beautiful old features that the owners cherish and take care of. And they always have beautiful interior design that compliment the house. Then there is also a person who helps the owners with a specific task they need to fix with the house (NOT upgrade). So, if they for example have an old chimney that needs some new brick, she restores it and she does it in a way the chimney was originally constructed and historically correct. It's a lovely show and I usually cry because they find so many beautiful stories of the old inhabitants and talk about how they renovated or constructed the house, and the current owners always cherish their historical houses.
I'm a boomer and agree. I have been looking to sell my house and buy smaller. I haven't made any updates towards the latest trends since I figure buyers can do that on their own. The place looks clean and has a lot of color, and a lot of original features. The houses I have been attracted to are what you described. My realtor thought I was crazy because I love this 30's house with the original kitchen with metal cabinets and large one piece ceramic sink.
That's why I've started watching a lot of Alexandra Gater's youtube reno videos, she does different styles in most episodes depending on what the person likes, so some are really colorful and eclectic others are more scandi or industrial or boho or modernist etc. it's generally on a budget too, so it's small upgrades that turn a space from drab and dysfunctional to a function, aesthetic nice place to live.
Thank you for shedding lights on this HGTV definitely play a major part in people’s lives. I definitely enjoy having a home that’s unique with personality
I bought an art deco apartment in Melbourne, which was built in 1938. I love how it looks a bit old and out of style. My living room has these rounded corners. I refuse to paint over all the walnut wood skirting boards. I have respect for these older features.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. We bought our first house 35 years ago and we were so proud and happy with the improvements we made. It was all about working within the space and reimagining. Seems imagination is lacking now. Paige keep doing realistic renovations, your followers have the vision to appreciate it. ❤
Honestly, since ive been watching you, probably over a year ago now, you have given me the confidence to have fun and shop second hand, buy things are are over the top or garish and take the time to find the perfect piece! You have influenced my style so much and I really enjoy my home now, I have sold almost everything mass produced on facebook market place and I kind of love my old 60's kitchen now! We appreciate you!!!!
You are on point! I always say my husband decorates 5 years before a trend. We were thinking of selling our house and called a stager and the first thing she said was to paint our deep teal walls to white. I told her to remember us in 6 months when she sees this color everywhere. It is everywhere now. I actually like white walls but they cannot be without trim/millwork/character, etc. I am so completely bored watching HGTV. Thank you for this video! There is a designer in Chicago I follow--Summer Thornton--and even though it's not my exact style, I absolutely love the character and inspiration.
You are so right! Because of Chip and Joanna Gaines, SO many people have decided to paint their brick homes! They now have to keep painting a house exterior that was virtually no maintenance. I stopped watching these shows so long ago. It did make me laugh to see how they all had coiled sink faucets...LOL!
I think it just comes down to taste 🤷🏽♀️. I personally love modern, contemporary, and Scandinavian design. I love calming neutral colors and texture. I hate farmhouse style... but a lot of people love it. One criticism I have of HGTV is that a lot of the renovations seem way overpriced. I was watching Christina on the Coast she charged nearly 200k for a master bathroom and closet. That's ridiculous even for wealthy people and definitely will not add 200k to the home value.
I agree with you. Ona smaller scale, I have never understood why in these shows but also on many homemaking YT vlogs, people style their bookshelves with random stuff and books to get a certain aesthetic. To me, a bookshelf is an opportunity to showcase the books one loves and actually reads and trinkets that have personal value. One can still style it with these things but it becomes more personal and a reflection of who you are. Otherwise it just doesn’t really seem to have a purpose other than catching dust, IMO.
Oh yes. And in addition to showing what you love, books with titles facing forward make finding the book accessible. Does anyone with backward facing books every actually read them? You could just as easily take a can of paint and paint all the fronts of your books if they are only objects to look at and never get taken down from the shelves.
Growing up in a cluttered old home was not fun. I find the white, clean aesthetic calming. I'm guessing many others do too for the same reason. Older homes were dark and nothing was ever clean or new. I think the current trend with some added unique touches is the best of both worlds. I have white walls but also a stained glass interior window. Subway tile in my kitchen but vintage paintings and antique chairs. The Magnolia network has added some really great shows lately using lots of color and vintage finds.
One thing I've learned from you is to look at a space and ask myself what I do and don't like, and to be specific. Even though I don't exactly have the same style. The last shown house is infuriating though! The original terracotta tiles should have been kept! Here in the Netherlands we have laws that monumental buildings (including houses people live in) that are simply forbidden from being demolished. Even though people can change things on the inside... But it's a good reminder of the value of old things that are not easily replaced.
Super interesting - and well-researched - video. As a person from Denmark living in the US today, I've always been so baffled by the desire for hotel aesthetics. "I want my bedroom to feel like being in a hotel", I've never understood why that is appealing. Danish interior design is very white and boring, but I've never heard anyone say they aspire to hotel vibes.
Believe me, that one confuses many Americans too. Why would anyone want a home that feels like a hotel? (I remember when saying a house felt like a hotel was a deadly insult.)
The people I bought my house from tastefully decorated it for themselves. But it was "unique" according to my realator because they showed the house as is, lived in with plants everywhere, blue walls, (and one ceiling painted blue) and all. Turns out I LOVE the color and the house was turn-key for me. It is so much more cozy than the plain grey walls that the other houses had. I'm of the opinion that I can undo whatever damage I do to my home when I get ready to sell it, but for now I'm going to decorate it for me.
There used to be a designer on HGTV who only had a show for one season probably 15-20 years ago or something. He was literally the coolest designer I had ever seen. When I was a kid, I was fascinated by his designs. I had never seen anything like it before or since to be honest. So uniqueness sadly gets canceled after only one season.
I completely agree with this assessment! Thanks to the housing market blowing up the last few years, I've been on the hunt to buy a nice unique house for 2 years now. Lots of corporations in my area bought up a big amount of the homes and did these boring ass flips with grey "wood" floors, extremely white kitchens, etc. Every time I walk into a house, I have to estimate in my budget how much it will cost me to convert it from the grey/white/modern farmhouse to something with life and character.
I agree 1000%. Only show occasionally look at is No Demo Reno because she doesn’t believe in ripping out everything or doing large Reno. My husband and I own a 1929 home and it is so beautiful. It does not fit the trend because we still have our large “outdated” unpainted wood trim and windows.
Every time I see a makeover show I remember one with a reveal with their kid there. The kid hated it and said, „paint it again, paint it again“, hilarious and I’m surprised it made it to the final edit.
I remember one where the woman came in and actually cried and said "I hate it." The show had told them if they didn't like it, they would put it all back like it was, and that's exactly what they had to do.
I love HGTV’s Houses With History because they truly try to not only restore but preserve the history of the homes they renovate/save. Sadly HGTV may not be picking up the show next season. They have worked on homes that were built in the 1600’s to the early 1900’s!
Great vid Paige! What a stressful/wasteful cycle trying to stay so modern. The focus on market gaze might be a generational thing - my parents call real-estate agents to advise them on renovations/decor. Where as I, a millennial watch your channel and follow my heart (heart = MORE GREEN, MORE STRIPES, MORE VINTAGE)
Wow. This is so timely! We bought an older house, side split. It’s cozy and has lots of character. Needs some love. Family keep telling me to decorate and reno with future sales in mind. So boring. We are planning to raise our kids here - it’s our HOME. Not just a house. Now I know where they get this mindset from!
Im gen z and we just bought a house and it was EXTREMELY difficult to find a house that wasn’t modern farmhouse. I cant imagine most of gen z or maybe any generation now would want a boring home. People want unique clothes, social media posts furniture etc so i cant imagine future generations would want a basic no character home
@@celinar.8670 thanks! we got a really good interest rate because we shopped around and big banks do price matching for a helpful tip! 5.5 and no pmi with only 5% down in May
Congratulations on your home🎉. It happens with every generation. The generation after comes in and is like nope! Lol. My gen x mom dislikes her boomer moms style, I’m not into my moms gen x 90s style (as a millennial), and while I dislike modern farmhouse so much, a younger generation would probably not like my eclectic tastes lol.
@@meh5069 the thing i dont understand is how style in the 2010s started to become so bland, lacking color and bad quality. White kitchens have always existed but I feel like all white, clean modern lines, grey, stainless steel, chrome and black have become so pervasive in most of design that almost every manufacturer is producing the cheapest quality furniture and products. Maybe it’s better for the environment to not be using real wood or hardwoods anymore but it’s still sad seeing how much even expensive retailers can charge for cheap feeling products. At least in older generations style like a tuscan kitchen, shabby chic had more ornate and colorful styles of design that just seemed more fun and interesting than the nowadays modern super clean looking spaces.
This is so true..when my husband and I gutted and re-did our kitchen I wanted a unique look to my taste, but everyone was in my ear saying “you need to go simple for when you sell”. I was influenced by this and chose plain, white shaker cabinets and grey and white stone counters. I regret it so much.
Totally agree. Back in the day, I used to be an HGTV fanatic, it has been years I haven’t bothered because of they are all the same. Plus it caters to those who have the budget to make renovations. I live in a one bedroom rental and would need more renter friendly ideas.
Well said! I stopped watching HGTV because of the huge budgets - not only for the purchase price, but the subsequent renovations. It's like, I don't want to work 4 jobs to afford that sort of bank loan, stop it. There'd be no peace to enjoy the end result.
I always say the only thing I want updated is the HVAC system and appliances. Even then, I prefer older-looking appliances or older-functioning appliances (ie. gas stove vs electric). Looking to rent in the winter and I love finding the old little gems still in town.
THANK YOU! I am a woman who was born in the last year of the baby-boomers and moved a LOT as a child (my Dad was a Padré in the Canadian Navy), so have seen houses from one end of this country to the other. Growing up - especially when he transitioned to a land-based church, one house/manse looked pretty much like the other, until the year I went to University. That year, Dad moved the family to a little town that had an old, hand-built home for a manse. Wow! My eyes for architecture and interior design were blown wide open! Everywhere you looked, there were little details that the original homeowner had built in for either his wife’s enjoyment or to make the house function in some clever way, i.e., the flour bin instead of one cupboard in the kitchen, etc. I couldn’t wait until we could afford to buy our first home once I was married so we could look for something like that. To my everlasting heartbreak, I learned that most homes like this have had all of that character ripped out for one reason or another. I’ll never understand that; why buy a historical home just to turn it into a non-descript white box? Go buy one of those! You can’t ruin it any further.
Yes! I just bought an old farmhouse from 1908 and everybody wants me to rip down walls and paint the walls and wood white. When what I did was add a closet and paint my kitchen a deep blue to bring out the red in the wood.
Thank you, thank you!!! I'm a baby boomer and I was starting to get sucked into this soulless generic design. And yes, feeling the pressure to have abstract art! which is fine if you like it, but I don't! I'm completely inspired by your aesthetic, and vision. Thanks for waking me up!! I'm decorating with my soul now. And what is unique to me. You are a breath of fresh air!!
I grew up in a house with wood paneling and my mom always said she rather have the wood paneling than an HGTV home renovation😂 she did get to redo her house and she did a great job!
Page you are Absolutely correct. HGTV is not about decorating but selling and marketing paint. Pay attention, majority of the commercials are for paint.
The fact that I saw a few rooms in the before scenes that looked absolutely gorgeous and became bland and boring in the after scenes, breaks my heart to pieces.
I recently built my own cabin in the forest and my house looks and feels like a mountian cabin!! I love it , my mother in law wanted white black and marble , HECK NO
I love it that you are exposing the fact that TV watchers are hypnotized by the home design industry, the key word being industry. As you say, in another 10-20 years all this will have to be changed again. Every year a new paint color comes out, paint again; each decade people will have to buy all new furniture. I have been told that I make a "lovely home" and I would love to make a RU-vid channel about how you can make your home beautiful with "what you've got." Believe me, I have fixed up many "dumps" into cute, comfortable, cozy places to hang your hat.
I'm building a custom home right now in a mountain town where every house on the market was a teardown built in the 1950s by lower middle-class coal miner families. Horrible layouts, cheap interiors etc. I hired an architect, a project manager for my build etc. And let me just say, I had to fight so hard to sway my architect and builder away from conventional, builder-grade interiors. This was so hard to do as well since I came in with no design background, thinking that my opinions on things were wrong. For anyone out there building a custom home or doing a big renovation project, listen to your gut and be prepared to fight back. I remember giving in on getting an insane amount of pot lights and now when I look up at my beautiful wood beam ceilings, i can't help but think i'd be better off with less ceiling acne and more floor lamps!
Used to be married to a builder and they want to builder-grade interiors because they can get them cheap and mark up the prices PHENOMENALLY. You'd be shocked at how cheap they get that stuff.
Thanks so much for this! The two words most said on HGTV the past 10 yers have been "It's so dayyyyted, " (with a sneer).I remember when HGTV shows featured using what you have, or thrift store finds, to create unique spaces. The last time I watched HGTV showed a couple who had bought a 1960s, mint condition mid-century designed home. Especially delightful was the bathroom, that had an indoor/outdoor shower - partly in the bathroom (which could be closed off in winter) but with part on the deck, surrounded by huge, mature trees. The woman was petrified that someone could see into the shower (simple cure: frosted window sticker plastic). The kitchen was equally unique. Both were destroyed.
OMG! Finally someone that is saying exactly what I have been thinking! Thank you thank you thank you. I 100% agree with you. I too love older homes that aren’t perfect. I love the character of older homes have that is impossible to recreate with new stuff. The scuffs on the floor boards and old brick walls, metal pressed ceilings that are slightly warped from age. Bathrooms that have old tiles (as long as they’re clean) with old taps (faucets) etc. Not every wall needs to be knocked down. Not having every room open plan. Being able to shut doors to keep out noise or simply to cool or heat a small area rather than a whole house. Thank you for being a voice for quirky homes.
I'm SOOO in agreement with your opinion in this regard. My local "dream house", which I've mooned over for years, recently went on the market for sale and I COULDN'T WAIT to see inside... but I was so disappointed when I did. The 1970's vibe had been completely farmhoused out of every room. It was and I was very sad.
It was a little sad to see my sister ruin the home my Mom designed when my Dad decided to sell it after she passed. My sister 'opened' the kitchen which meant removing large amounts of storage near the dishwasher. She ruined the functionality of the kitchen. $300,000 was spent. The home has not sold starting from $2.8M and now down to $2.3M. They remodelled all the wrong things while leaving things that were worn out and flawed and needed to be fixed. Huge waste of money.
Loved this video, Paige! Interesting thoughts on 'small' changes and how you felt about your office before/after (which is still one of my all time favorites btw). It's one of my favorite things about yours and Caroline Winklers videos, though! Most of us can't afford to do these huge updates (let alone the small ones!), so it makes me feel more sane to see someone else doing the small stuff and how impactful it can truly be. I feel like a prisoner to my own interior design visions sometimes because it's hard to appreciate the baby steps to get there. Plus, those small things are what can sometimes completely change a space IMO.
Omgoddess! My obsession with HGTV acted like a dang paralytic until I retired and downsized! It was then when I finally did what I wanted...again.my kitchen cabinets are hot pink, the main bath is navy and carribean blue, my living area is so maximalist my friends politely call it cozy. This fall I plan on finishing the outside with a beautiful mermaid teal paint to pair perfectly with my purple shutters,pink door and and electric lime trim! You get one life..live it!
Thanks for this. I like to look at our local Zillow listings and everything looks the same. It ends up looking boring and feels like no one lives there. The grey wood floors are especially bad since it would take a lot of money to fix or replace them.
I am so glad I am not the only one that feels this way. I have been looking at homes and decorating on u-tube because I want to redecorate my kitchen and looking for inspiration. When I see boring white and HGTV type homes I quickly click out.
You really nailed it! I'm an old carpenter and have been saying the same thing. Why do people build or renovate for the next resident? It's crazy. I just finished my own 1 bedroom 1 bath 1000 sq ft home designed by myself for myself. Nobody seems to like it but I don't care. Realtors would say I'm stupid to build a 1 bedroom house, everyone wants a 3/2. Baloney! Great video, I will go back and view your other videos.
Different styles is why we all loved trading spaces back in the day. Now sometimes they went off the rail but most the time it was good creative designs that viewers could duplicate w/o spending a fortune. But that’s why they’ve all been replaced with these shows that show huge homes completely gutted only using most expensive materials, big corporations want people spending more money and being house poor. House poor then both parents have to work and you’re a lot more compliant so you don’t lose everything.
Yes! Those shows make me crazy! When Fixer Upper was first on, the aesthetic was more varied from home to home. And open floor plans suck. No place to hide the dishes when you’re entertaining and no walls to hang art!! (And such a lack of cozy spaces) I love weird nooks and crannies and I especially love living in a space that feels interesting and feels like my own. Where my weird paper mache rooster and odd funky pieces have found a home. ❤
There’s nothing inherently wrong with open floor plans. It’s just that typically the people that like them, like them for the wrong reasons: it’s trendy, or it gives the illusion of a bigger space, which again helps for resale value. But with an open floor you can have a smaller house and it will feel bigger because there's not a bunch of unnecessary walls in the way. Especially if you have low ceilings, closed floor plans can make a room feel like a prison cell. And you can still create dedicated nooks in the house. They have bathrooms, don’t they? I also enjoy hosting and cooking and don’t want to be isolated in the kitchen while everyone else parties in the living room. A lot of advantages to both floor plans, I don’t think it’s necessary to be so closed-minded.
Paige, Paige, Paige Thank God for your honesty. I can't watch HGTV for a long time now. I bought a Spanish/Mediterranean home 20 years ago and rennovated it to its soul including a mexican travertine floor, that sets the heart and soul of my home. I've had people talk about pulling it our for a LRV floor.....makes me cry. In my town, when I sell my home; they may tear it down to build a monument to their ego. Love your honesty and push for uniqueness in design. Who wants to look cookie cutter anyway?
I've never watched one of your videos before and I must say, your perspective is refreshing! I feel all the HGTV shows and many youtubers are completely promoting consumerism,spending, and DEBT!! (I guess you don't get sponsored unless you can sell something!) The elephant in the room is: think of all the trash and waste this creates! And where does it go? The dump/landfill! I grew up living in government housing and then when I married, military housing so the "norm" for me was always you work with what you've got! I never considered tearing out cabinets etc. (You couldn't!) You simply made the most of it and decorated your home according to your tastes. Thank you for speaking out, I am confident many people feel as you do. Thank you for giving them the encouragement to actually"live" in their homes instead of prepping it for sale. My daughter and her husband recently moved into an urban area and she hated all the rentals that were decorated modern farmhouse or like a hotel room. She physically couldn't stand to be in that type of home. She ended up in a 1960's concrete block home with travertine floors and original wood paneling and she loves it! It had not been renovated so rent was even a little less! She loves the quirky mid-century style and is just" going with it!" She was able to reuse her grandparents mid-century modern furnishings and it looks great! Her brother told her that her home looked and felt like the living embodiment of a Fleetwood Mac song and she said that was the nicest thing anyone ever told her! Keep up the good work! You are a voice of reason in a crazy redecorating world!
