| Author |
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Sunday, April 11, 2021 - 3:32 pm 
I enjoy this series. I liked last year as well.
Challenge 1: The Kitchen:
I do not care for Alison and pity Mike for having to work with her. I definitely do NOT think they should have won the kitchen challenge. All that brick and those corbels are just dust catchers. It would drive me crazy to have so much brick around where I cook. How would one effectively clean the oil spatters etc that are part of cooking? It looks ok but is not at all practical.
I think David and Hilary should have won the kitchen challenge. It was well designed, practical and pretty and I think really added value to the home. Tarek's fear of green was ridiculous.
Brain and Mika's kitchen was also nice.
Nate and Jeremiah's was over designed and not overly practical with the open shelving and lack of storage, the dining area was nice.
Challenge 2: The Living Rooms/Main Floor:
Loved that David & Hilary won. The colors, the mud room/drop zone, the library nook, a full bath, great idea. The addition of a bedroom that could be an office or anything else one wants was more value added.
Victoria & Mike. I really liked the hunter green color but don't remember much else about what they did, I recall thinking they missed some opportunities but can't think what it was.
Brian & Mika. I don't remember much about their living room either. I think they added an office/bedroom.
Nate & Jerimiah. Once again over designed and oddly fussy. The sink in the half bath that they loved was a big miss for me.
Challenge 3: The Main Bedroom:
Brian & Mika, you should have won this challenge, no ifs, buts or coconuts. The laundry room addition was excellent and the bedroom and bathroom were well done also.
Alison & Mike, are you bribing the judges? Yes, I can see where the bathroom looked cool but you have actually given the home owners a burden. If that tile ever needs fixed or parts replaced that will be quite the project for someone to do and expensive as well. The closet was very nice.
Nate & Jeremiah, the curtain behind the bed was frankly stupid and hiding a patch of your challenge paint behind the closed curtain, childish. The bathroom was ok.
David & Hilary, what? Why did you not enlarge the closet? Why? The little reading nook was nice but that space should have been used for the closet and or laundry. I was quite surprised you made these mistakes.
Challenge 4: The Basement:
Nate & Jeremiah, you deserved the win, your basement apartment was very nice indeed. I am not a big Murphy bed fan, but it worked for you.
Brian & Mika, I thought your bowling alley was a fun idea. Why it was so hard for someone to value it befuddles me.
Victoria & Mike. What I remember from this challenge is the really cool lamp Mike made from the recycled goods for the challenge.
David & Hilary. Your basement game and movie room was fun. I didn't mind the color but it was a bit monochromatic for me. The basement wasn't anything special nor was it bad.
Challenge 5: The Exteriors:
Nate & Jeremiah, well done, you were the only team to make a screened in porch, why didn't you also screen in the back porch?
Alison & Mike, I hated the tiny rock pathway to the house. Who want to walk on all that gravel and then bring it into the house as it is stuck to the bottom of peoples shoes? The retaining wall was nice, the putting green, whatever, some people will like others, not so much.
Brian & Mika, I thought your pergola was a great idea, no idea why the judges dinged you for that. Perhaps they had been in the sun to long. You also make an outside staircase to the lower level.
David & Hilary. What happened? I really wanted your team to win but you have missed the mark entirely on a couple of challenges, especially this one. Ignoring your back porch was a big mistake. I was very surprised and disappointed you did not think the screen in the porches. Were you the only ones not to add an outdoor kitchen?
I really don't want Victoria and Mike to win and don't think they deserved the 2 wins they have.
I also think the Nate and Jeremiah have over designed some rooms but did deserve the basement and exterior wins.
David and Hilary, should have won the kitchen and the living room was a good win. I hope whatever is left for them to do they pull of a miracle but think they made mistakes in the bedroom and exterior.
I almost think that Brian and Mika may win the whole game. They keep saying they don't need to win the challenges to take the prize and they may be right. The main bedroom and basement designs they did were spot on and deserving of more credit.
Looking forward to the finale tomorrow but wish there were still o few weeks of the show left.
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Sunday, April 11, 2021 - 10:17 pm
Excellent recap Sugar. It is funny because I have been thinking that Brian and Mika will win the whole thing since they haven't won any individual comps.
But I will say, I so enjoyed Nate and Jeremiah winning for the first time. They were so funny when they said they had been teaching their kinds that winning isn't everything, and then they won and said it really is, hahahahaha. I was cracking up at how thrilled they were. And it was especially meaningful because they have never been in a competition show so don't really have a clue how that works.
I also did not like that bathroom that Mike and Allison did, but that is how she does stuff in Chicago, is it. I do enjoy those homes she does but they are not for "regular people", and I don't think she is thinking about the people that are in Georgia who would be buying this house.
AND I could not believe that everyone of them didn't make screened porches / the bugs are huge and awful in the summer. What is wrong with them!
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Sadiesmom
Member
03-13-2002
| Sunday, April 11, 2021 - 11:45 pm
I have to finish the exterior show, I forgot that I fell asleep and missed 1/2 .
I do have to disagree with one thing though David and Tiffany? they use busy wall paper, I hate that about all the houses she does and she also uses dust collector lighting fixtures in all those sweepstake houses.
one of the problems with a bowling alley in the home is that not everyone likes bowling or the noise that accompanies it.
As far as Victoria and Mike, the bricks around the kitchen should not get excessively greasy very fast if they put the exhaust fan in correctly. I wash my fireplace brick every couple of years, it can be done.
I missed when they did the other bedrooms, or did they?
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Monday, April 12, 2021 - 1:03 am
No, they haven't done any other bedrooms. I'm guessing that might be part of the finale but who knows.
I love wallpaper! I want some in my house. I have never seen Tiffany's show but do agree that sometimes the wallpaper can be a bit busy.
Granted not everyone likes bowling, but movies and various games can get pretty noisy as well. I think the uniqueness of it could be a plus. Maybe or maybe not. I did think it looked like the pins were held up and reset with a series of strings/rope so that might be difficult but perhaps safer than the machinery of an actual bowling alley.
I think it quite wasteful that the 1st thing they all did was demo the kitchens that had just been built. I understand they want them all to have the same floor plan to start but I think maybe next season let the designers start before that point. Less demo and expensive moving of plumbing and electric. I suppose that would be a different show and I would watch it.
I want to be a judge from a real life not impressed by silliness, interested in practical living not trying to promote my HGTV show perspective. I would be appropriately complimentary and brutally honest.
I myself despise the fully open floor plan. I think I read something about the pandemic making people long for actual rooms for some privacy and separation and disliking their open plan houses.
I dont mind a well designed bit of openness between the kitchen and dining g room.
I also got a kick out of Nate when they won the basement challenge. I think Jeremiah was trying to be a little more gracious about the win and not gloat so much but it was funny.
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Monday, April 12, 2021 - 1:13 pm
Interesting about open floor plans, I don't like them either. I think you need to have the ability to close some rooms off. And I always wonder why these Mom's think they have to have their eyes on their kids AT ALL TIMES in their own homes.
Seems like the kids are safest in your own home so could have the ability to play without someone hovering / spying over them. And then it is would also be nice to close the door on a messy room, JMO.
I remember playing, with my Mom in the other part of the house, and the only time we saw her was if we got too quiet, then she knew something was up and came to check.
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Sadiesmom
Member
03-13-2002
| Monday, April 12, 2021 - 3:31 pm
I think that might have to do with age. Since I had an older sister, I was out of the house a lot and she was tasked with watching me. I know I don't trust the 4 year living here out of sight. She climbs every thing and screams when she falls. She climbed up the radiator and on to my windows a reached for a shade (which would have torn and dropped her) when I raced across the room and grabbed her before she fell. These were in the addition and the windows are 4 feet off the floor. She no longer walks around the coffee table, instead climbs over the couch.
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Monday, April 12, 2021 - 10:32 pm
LOL, as predicted. I would love to see those appraisals to see how they decided because Nate/Jeremiah did add a lot of value with their inlaw apartment and screened porch.
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Vsmart
Member
02-09-2003
| Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - 9:02 am
The real reason open plan is fashionable now is otherwise the rooms would be too small. But in such a large house, that should not be a problem. My office is on the other side of the house and on a different floor than DH's since he plays the TV full blast thru his earphones that I can still hear if he forgets to close his door.
Also we love having the two level sink peninsula because it hides the dishes & pots from the dining area.
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Vsmart
Member
02-09-2003
| Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - 9:05 am
David and Hilary have done the best space planning.
The wallpaper and wild colors can easily be replaced by the new owners.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - 11:34 am
I just watched the finale and was pleased my prediction was right with Brian & Mika winning.
I loved that the one of the judges agreed with me that the Allison & Mike's ombre tile added no real value, although did look cool.
I really want to see David & Tiffany do this again next year and not make the same mistakes such as not making a bigger closet and ignoring the outside at the back of the house.
I wish they had shown the sale appraisals for each home.
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Sadiesmom
Member
03-13-2002
| Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - 12:44 pm
I have to apologize to Sugar, on revisiting the kitchen I realized I thought they had a back splash and they did not they had brick above that stove. not practical. Always have a splash back even with exhaust. I have a backsplash behind all counters but added and heavy stainless steel plate behind the stove.
There were nice touches in several of the houses. only one uncorrectable which was the small, but still larger than my, closet from David and Tiffany, Some things could be added later but others could not be removed.
I live in an old house and people are always suggesting I remove walls and open it up. I do get it about entertaining most people end up in the kitchen trying to help. I will not let people help because then I have to go through the garbage to find the spoons and knives and fabric napkins they throw out so casually.
I have conceded by taking the living room kitchen door off, it is a three door hall way the pantry opposite the bathroom and the living room door al opening to the same space, ugh.
I would have liked a screened in area in the back yard as well. I did like that the property was raised in the back, but I might have done it with a deck (cheaper) or maybe a pool. a flat area in the back is good. does not have to be a putting green.
It would have been nice to see floor plans of the houses before and after. I am still not sure of the layouts. I am trying to figure out where the third garage was.
Do people really need 6 bedrooms in today's family?
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - 1:11 pm
LOL, Sadiesmom, have you ever watched the coupled on HGTV who say, we need our bedroom, then the office, then the game room, then the dedicated guest room (I don't get that unless they have visitors every month for a week), a gym and then they want a bonus room incase they have kids.
I crack up at all the space 2 people want, I have 753 square feet, 1 bedroom/bath and I actually think it is too big, LOL.
I am always amazed that people don't realize entire families grew up in 1000 square feet with only 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, no open floor plan and everyone turned out fine.
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Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - 5:22 pm
Ain't that the truth Dipo!
The house I grew up in had 1 & 1/2 bath, 1 small and 2 decent size bedrooms upstairs. There were 6 kids and 2 parents, my parents had a bedroom downstairs off the dining room. It was a nice house and guess what, the kids shared bedrooms! I did get the small room to myself when I was around 10 maybe.
My house now, just for my husband and me, is 4 bed 2 & 1/2 baths and I have no place to put stuff. The kitchen really lacks storage and yes, there is too much stuff, lol.
I have gotten to the point that although I may find something pretty, if it might require a q-tip to clean it, I'm not interested. I want nothing to do with time consuming and/or intricate cleaning.
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - 6:39 pm
LOL, Sugar, I have been getting rid of stuff since I moved in here and it seems like I keep finding more stuff to get rid of.
I am very particular about what I will purchase for my home, and I have told my sister don't give me something as a gift that will clutter my home, LOL.
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