Why home makeover shows feel icky

Today, I get into what makes home renovation shows work and how they make us feel. I get into my own experience with the channel and then dive into a makeover show that generally makes people feel good, Big Dreams, Small Spaces with Monty Don.
Highly recommend Lindah Tran's article on The Brassy to see more behind the scenes on the HGTV process: www.thebrassy....
This article from the Journal of Consumer Research entitled "Dysplacement and the Professionalization of the Home" was a huge part of this research: academic.oup.c...
Abbie's perspective on her time on Big Dreams Small Spaces from the blog One Day Design: onedaydesignbl...
Info on HGTV shows length of time: www.hgtv.com/s...
And a Swedish IKEA catalog from 2008: ikeamuseum.com...
Join my Patreon here: / kendragaylord

[@Liusila]

It’s so depressing when people NEVER dare to even decorate their home because it will “decrease its value”. Life is more than grey-white neutral colour schemes.

[@QuickQuips]

Midwest Cleaning Solutions had a good series bringing back a home to usable condition where they explicitly told the owners to pick what they liked and it was bright orange. A house should be personal and for you.

[@jaylynn8630]

Fr. Like, if you want to live in a bland, sterile space, go check yourself into a hospital. Your home should be a place that YOU enjoy living in.

[@nuvotion-live]

My friend has incredible murals by local artists painted directly on her walls

[@nonamenoname1133]

I once had an agent trying to sell me on houses based on the value of the home to future buyers when they were outside my preference. Brother, I'm not a waiting room for someone else's life.

[@StubbyPhillips]

What about people who are afraid to hang anything on their walls? I guess they feel the need to preserve the walls for the next occupant (even though nail/screw holes are so easily repaired.) It's like keeping the plastic on a lamp shade or leaving the "feature" stickers and plastic film on products. If it's a landlord thing, you have a LOUSY, small-minded, lazy, selfish landlord.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

As someone who lives in a place with a lot of beautiful victorian town houses I hate this thinking of it as an asset first and home second. They see original stained glass, sash windows, wood carved fascia boards, elegant fire places and stunning hand made plaster work and rip it all out to be replaced with the cheapest plastic windows and plastic board, they'll paint everything white, then replace a nice garden with asphalt and fake grass, split it into flats and then just sell it for a extra 100,000 and therefore locals can not afford anywehere in the town.

[@josephcarreon2341]

"... an asset first and home second." Sometimes it feels like it's just asset now and home isn't even a thought. It gets worse when you start going to city meetings. So many people want their government to be an HOA not understanding how that imposes so many freedoms. Some people have so much hate nowadays that they will go out of their way making sure you can't do anything they don't like to your own property. It's very sad.

[@LeticiaAGentil]

I would suffer a lot watching people destroy historical houses. I live in a brutalist city built in the 60's, everything here is new, all the buildings look the same. Sometimes, I wish I could live in the cotswolds

[@elmohead]

Welcome to capitalism 101. If you don't like it, you have the power of one vote every 4 years.

[@rg1649]

KZbin response template: As a ____, who has ____, I can confirm ____.

[@clemdane]

That's what the historical register is for. My Aunt paid $100,000 to get her home listed on an historic registry that would prevent the next buyer from destroying her home's character. It also took a lot longer for her to sell her house.

[@TJ-bu9zk]

I had just moved into a new build home. My home was so new the builders were still coming in to finish work, even after closing. The first thing I did was paint the dining room a deep, royal red. I thought it was so grand and stunning. The building site supervisor walks in and mouth wide makes some comment that this bold colour would make resell difficult.... sir I am not even a month into my new home! Why should I care about resell value?!

[@scarlb12]

Paint is easy to change so it's silly to think this way about it. Hard finishes are what actually would be expensive and wasteful to change.

[@roxycocksey]

I can’t help but think of how stupid people are when they say things like that. Have they not even thought of the fact that it can be painted over?! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ it’s PAINT. And btw that color sounds like it’s stunning! ❤

[@melissak8892]

Also, it's just paint. Why are people so boring

[@JackdawJane3]

We bought our first house in southern Arizona, and I painted some interior walls in warm, bold southwestern colors. Really had fun with it. When we unexpectedly found ourselves selling it a few years later, our realtor told me to repaint everything white or I’d have a hard time selling it. I laughed and declined to repaint. Within one week, we sold our house to a buyer - for our asking price - who LOVED the colors, and told us how boring all the other white-walled houses she’d looked at were. Paint is the cheapest, easiest way to personalize your house, go for it!

[@twigcollins8785]

@@JackdawJane3 For people who aren't good at interior decorating it can be a relief to see a home already painted with a style loved by the previous owner, instead of just sterile white walls they're never going to figure out anything to do with.

[@l.5832]

After leaving an abusive marriage, I bought a small condo and had it renovated. The way I wanted. I told the contractors what I wanted and the 'professionals' shuddered when I went with cork backed vinyl laminate EXCEPT in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry rooms which I did in SHEET VINYL. Yup, folks, SHEET VINYL. That's what I wanted. And white appliances. I don't want to spend my life battling finger prints. Seven years later, I still love my place. I don't give a flying f*** what other people think. This is MY space.

[@lsamoa]

Right on!

[@FiercelyGold]

Sheet Vinyl is in limited options but hot damn is it easy to clean and protects your subfloor from water damage better than most flooring. The previous owners cheaply flipped with vinyl planks and when we ripped them out they stunk because of the numerous gaps. So gross.

[@mitchjohnson4714]

@@l.5832 awesome!

[@mitchjohnson4714]

@@l.5832 I'm not sure is this factors into your thinking, but one thing that is sad about everything being planks is that it significantly limits the design. The seventies had some really cool linoleum sheet designs that you cant do with planks.

[@Geronimo2Fly]

I just Googled images of sheet vinyl flooring. Some of that stuff is really nice looking! Good for you for doing what you wanted!

[@cass_p]

The idea of homes as professional spaces really speaks to a phenomenon that I noticed in the early days of lockdown - so many people *hated* being in their own homes. I couldn't understand how so many people could be so fundamentally uncomfortable in spaces that, presumably, they had significant say in creating, but this really adds some needed context. Such a shame.

[@viviennehayes2856]

And so ungrateful for having a home to live in!!!

[@capuchinosofia4771]

Talking about uncomfy homes: small flats with no outside windows/no sunlight or barely any sunlight is a thing. I was uncomfortable at home in the pandemic, but because of that. If i had had a balcony filled with plants or garden i would have felt better... alas...

[@ALNizhoni]

@cass_p I noticed that, too!!!!! It was baffling! My home is such a comfortable sanctuary - truly my happy place. So I have such a hard time figuring out people who don't like spending time in their own homes. Now, I put effort into it and I actually enjoy enhancing my environment and changing things up every now and then, and I know not everyone has a sense of style, but shouldn't you enjoy something about it?

[@shadowmoon1982]

A lot of people don't get a say when they rent. My place def doesn't feel like a home and I've been here over a year. It's depressing

[@natashadavies9569]

I was grateful the pandemic happened when I was in my current stage of life rather than twenty years before but found the aspect of being mostly home alone for months (with a cat, personal library, viewing options and my own belongings) pretty glorious. I did have somewhere to take walks admittedly. I always assumed those who had trouble where extroverts or those who didn't like who they lived with. My house is tiny but I get the 'its very you' comment lots when people see it

[@stephgreen3070]

I love that you and your friends played Barbie until you were “too old”. I think this is a much more universal experience than we think it is! We all think everyone else is so much more cool and mature than we are, but we’re all 17 year olds secretly playing Barbies thinking we’re too old.

[@countcain]

I never watched the Barbie movies when I was a child. I started watching them together with my dad on sunday reruns when I was 15-16 years old 😂

[@missdenisebee]

I remember being SO EMBARRASSED that I still kinda wanted to play with dolls as a teenager! Like, the lengths I went to to hide it from even my parents, who never ever would’ve shamed me for it😭 My mom had told me years before that one reason she was stoked to have a daughter was because she had a reason to play with Barbies again, so like, I definitely didn’t need to be that shady about it lol

[@sniperfity2327]

My grandma kept all her toys from when she was little and I played with those things when I was a kid. Happy memories are in those little plastic figured

[@bloodmooncomics2249]

If I had friends at 17 I know I would have loved to still play with them. The stories little girls make are crazy so I think teenager would be even crazier (in a fun way).

[@usehername1]

I watched "kid shows" to that age but I never felt the desire to play with dolls past 10 years old. Maybe drawing was the substitute?

[@Deamonslayer576]

As a lover of historical homes it breaks my heart every time I see an "expert renovator" come in and destroy beautiful antique woodwork, tiles, mouldings, etc. or paint over everything to sanitise it down. One show that I actually like is Rehab Addict with Nicole Curtis because she has a love for these old houses and wants to bring back the history and keep the charm. I hope someday when I have my own home that I can fill it with all the character that I want.

[@dittohead7044]

Especially now that “open concept” is considered an old tired trend. Tell that to everyone who sacrificed their house for that mess 😢

[@Serena-or7sl]

My 1890s house was definitely flipped (more than once). It's grey and white, so depressing. The old wallpaper that we are uncovering with our reno is definitely better than the new one. I wish I could see the house in its former glory, but I can't unfortunately.

[@fnsmike]

I much preferred HGTV when it was more focused on that kind of renovation, like Nicole Curtis or This Old House, and also the actually achievable DIY shows that went through projects that a non-expert could legitimately do in a weekend or two.

[@MeepChangeling]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may like it, I don't. If I had my way for my house, it would look like a set from Star Trek the Next Generation. Sleek, matalic, darker colors, cool geometry instead of "a stack of boxes", intigrated tech everywhere, and no windows to speak of. (Screw those massive security flaws that let people see into my house and make my heating bill WAY higher.)

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

One of my big issues with HGTV is that they talk about "forever homes" but don't include basics like grab bars in the showers to make it a place someone can live in to age in place. Apparently, no one ever breaks a leg skiing, or gets sick and needs solid banisters to make it downstairs. It drives me batty.

[@kitty_s23456]

I hear you. In many vids that I've watched, the owners were seniors (either couples or single) and they didn't put those grab bars but put slippery tile floors, etc. Another pet peeve is when they smash & trash cabinets & floors which are still OK.

[@stanleyhape8427]

​@kitty_s23456 I have an old house and the cabinets are solid wood very well constructed. If you were to rip them out the cost to replace them with like quality would be astronomical.

[@Serena-or7sl]

@@kitty_s23456 We had to destroy the furniture the old owners left us (ammonia and mold on cheap mdf and board). I really hoped I could save them.

[@Elia-DCrea]

good point. And kid grow up and leave the house, that are you gonna do with all this unused space ?

[@brovold72]

"Gardens are not about plants; gardens are about people." 😭 ❤

[@Little_Sidhe]

​@@Yidhra23I feel this ☺️🌷🪻

[@cosh5]

True. To my mind, a garden must have plants, but it is the involvement of people in creating it, and their enjoyment of it, that makes it a garden rather just an outdoor space.

[@ewe392]

Me when gardens are about the plants

[@chrisfarmer6893]

"Is that a problem just being a rose garden? Would you put other plants there?" "I would if it was my garden. This is YOUR garden" 🥺

[@mglouise97]

Two years ago I hired a native/perennial landscape gardener to turn my lawn into a beautiful garden. I don't weed much because I love to see what kinds of things grow. Does it look messy? Yes, but I watch the birds and the insects that love it and I cant imagine it any other way. Best decision ever

[@DanDanDoe]

I’m growing some vegetables on my balcony and I noticed my broccoli plants were getting ravaged, so every night I went out looking for slugs, as I do have all kinds of insects and slugs on my balcony. Turns out it’s caterpillars! Will I lose my broccoli? Probably. Will I help local biodiversity? Definitely! There’s sadly been record lows of butterflies and bees in my area, so I’m glad I can at least do my part to support local populations.

[@winrawrisyou]

​@@DanDanDoe If you're in the Americas they are an exotic pest. They're plentiful even where they're native, given brassicas are everywhere. So, if you ARE in the Americas, good news: you don't need to feel bad at all saving your broccoli. Bad news: leaving the caterpillars isn't helping anything. You can always try to look for volunteer opportunities! Such as, community efforts to create pollinator gardens, or associations that maintain natural areas in a park, etc.

[@elsa_g]

@@winrawrisyou how is leaving caterpillars not helping? Caterpillars not only can grow into butterflies or moths and pollinate things, but they are a primary food source for baby birds. Genuinely confused by your comment, I feel like I might be misreading something.

[@winrawrisyou]

@@elsa_g Birds aren't going to apartment balconies to forage for insects. And sure, they play a role in pollination, but I'd argue that's outweighed by the fact that they are a significant crop pest. If food is grown but isn't eaten, the resources to grow it are wasted. Of course, DanDanDoe's case is tiny in scale. But, say we're talking about balancing environment and food production in general. It'd be better to grow food more efficiently (killing/preventing caterpillars on crops) so that more space could be conserved for nature. For those who own land, a garden like mglouise97's is amazing to help (even if they're small, they still greatly allow species to move across the land). I'm not sure if apartment dwellers have many similar options but for anybody looking to make a significant impact, things like volunteering to help maintain a natural area, or encouraging your city to set up pollinator gardens with native plants are huge wins.

[@zellalaing5439]

I love gardens that look a little wild, reminds me of the hedgerows and wild fields here in the UK that you pass on walks. Plus, nettles are super healthy and theyre an easy free weed for soups and teas.

[@She_Wont_Focus]

“I wasn’t making a space for me, I was making a space for what I thought a teen’s bedroom should be. How it could avoid criticism. Keep in mind I was the only one in this room.” This floored me. I can relate. So panopticon-y. 😖

[@lsamoa]

100% haha

[@ameliorated]

Interesting

[@_oaktree_]

I think the issue is that these people say "home", but they mean "house". More than that, they mean "property", they mean "fungible asset". Everyone who lives anywhere has a home, but not everyone owns property. And it's sad to think about people buying property with the intention of living there and making it their home, only to get the firm message that it needs to be saleable first, so that it can appreciate - actually making your life there is an afterthought.

[@disklamer]

In the real estate world, life is an afterthought

[@chrisamies2141]

It does irk me that people refer to houses and flats as 'properties.' And don't see anything wrong with this.

[@lsamoa]

Ikr? What is the point of buying a house in the first place if it's not going to be done the way you like it? A lot of money spent to feel uncomfortable in your own home.

[@heatherwade2373]

Yeah the whole point of buying a house for me was to have a place to live. Not to have a place to sell. Everyone keeps asking it’s worth now, when I plan to sell it. Well, then where will I go? I live here, LOL! With that in mind, things are fixed and renovated to my taste, and decorated like a home, not like a hotel.

[@disklamer]

@@chrisamies2141 the materialism is everything if you have no soul

[@ulla.umlaut]

The best part of Monty Don based shows, is that the only pressure on the homeowners is "I don't want to disappoint Monty." Truth is, Monty always tells them they did a great job as long as they like the results. Key moment in each visit: Monty takes off his jacket and/or rolls up his sleeves to help.

[@johnracine4589]

My wife pointed out that at the end of each episode Monty gives his closing remark and then does a little dash off screen. Every time! He even does it in the clip she shows in this video. Once you notice it it’s all you see!

[@danielleroy9861]

I have this cheap floral tapestry that I got in college for like 5 bucks that I still love and use as decoration. I had this dream where one day I'd own property and then I'd be able to paint an entire wall like this tapestry. I told my dad this dream once and he made a face and talked about how hard it would be to paint over when I sell. After that, I kinda let go of that dream. After watching this video, I think if I ever get to a point where I can do this I will.

[@Helga-fe5xl]

Some people might see it as a feature if and when you sell!

[@lydiasalerno2320]

Yes! Enjoy it! ❤

[@epicnamepwns1242]

Paint can always be painted over. It might take more preparation, more coats, and more costly and effective primer and paint, but it's doable. A little research could probably identify a few things to do in the mural process that will minimize some of the difficulties of a possible future repaint. Or if you find a wallpaper similar to the tapestry the hardest part is then only proper paper hanging. I hope you get that wall someday soon.

[@asarishepard8171]

Do it, paint can be....painted over 😂

[@Serena-or7sl]

I would buy your house so fast you'd be amazed. The house we bought caught my attention for the decorated, "old style" tiles in the bathroom. If it weren't for those, I would have had less interest in seeing the house itself.

[@Danicalip8]

My favorite show is called Restored. He goes to these historic homes and brings them back to their former glory. As well as the input of the homeowners. It’s so beautiful and really brings the historic architecture to life! It brings me so much joy.

[@looloo4029]

I love that show too.

[@lindyasimus]

It's one of the few that actually restore the homes in keeping with the period. There are some terrible crimes committed in the name of "renovating". Particularly one couple that do some hideous "transformations" that are supposed to be restoring but are just awful and not at all in keeping with the period.

[@Danicalip8]

@@lindyasimus yes!! I love learning the history of the homes too.

Where can I watch the show?

[@Danicalip8]

HBO Max has the episodes. I think Amazon prime too but I’m not sure.

[@allisonc.-jt4rc]

The most distinct difference to me is that HGTV talks down to the homeowner, while Monty strives to empower them. What a gem. Thank you for showing us. I love this channel!

[@meaganadwyer]

We just recently bought our first home, and it was a house that had sat on the market for a while for the same reason we fell in love with it - it was a one owner home and the owner had kept exquisite care of the entire home, but everything (except the brand new bathrooms) was over 20 years old. When our Gen Z realtor walked in, she made a face of disgust, but my husband and I were delighted. The light greens, emerald carpet, and rich wood tones of the 80's were perfect for our eclectic vintage decorating style. Everyone talks about how cozy our house is and is shocked to find out the only things I want to change are the old vinyl floors in the kitchen, new quartz counters to replace the old laminate, and to add a green tile backsplash in the kitchen to complement the green paint.

[@sofia_c_1]

Your house sounds lovely! My only question as an internet stranger would be: did you get all the green stuff/mirrors checked for arsenic compounds and the like? Whenever I hear green and vintage I immediately think about accidental poisonings but that might just be me 😅

[@DanDanDoe]

⁠@@sofia_c_1There’s not much to worry about if it’s from the 20th century, especially second half. By the late 1800s the arsenic-based paints were already falling in disuse, but I’ve read advice that you need to be wary with green dye up to the 1920s, just to be sure. From the sound of it the house is post-ww2 so that should be fine.

[@sofia_c_1]

@@DanDanDoe I agre with you, although I generally think someone cool enough to resist the pull of the current housing market is also cool enough to have owned or protected true vintage (or even older) wallpapers/carpets/mirrors and the like and while some people do it from a place of love of knowledge and history other people do it because they are wonderful eccentric souls but eccentricity often comes with certain add ons like distrust of modern science or reluctance to follow governmental regulation, health included. And again I am just a green (and Mercury in mirrors) paranoid internet stranger so I wouldn't know. I have seen some people buy stuff online that falls in the "beautiful and vintage but objectively unsafe" category unknowingly so that's probably why.

[@meaganadwyer]

@sofia_c_1 That is such a good question! The house was built in 1980, so it is not old enough to really be concerned about that. We did, however, check everything for asbestos and also got the house radon tested, which I highly recommend everyone do!

[@meaganadwyer]

Our inspector said it was the best house he had ever inspected - and when we moved in, the son of the owner who had passed provided us a giant stack of papers. She had every manual (dated down to the year, month, and day!) of everything she had ever added to the house, including lighting fixtures. And the hand drawn blueprints from when the house was built! I was so shocked to discover the spotless appliances that I had thought were brand new, just retro styled, were actually retro!

[@katebowers8107]

They say “awful” and “embarrassing,” but they mean “perfectly fine and serviceable” and “just like every place I’ve ever lived.”

[@fnsmike]

and "I've never seen anything this hideous before!" about a kitchen identical to every single builder grade kitchen in the past 40 years

[@kathaai]

​@@fnsmikeexactly like.... if you've never seen a kitchen with brown cabinets and white appliances that sounds to me like you were institutionalised for 90% of your life because that's insane

[@MeepChangeling]

@@kathaai To be fair, I never saw that till I was 25. I grew up in rural Alaska, and light stained wood was all the rage there. So I saw tan cabinets and usually black appliances.

[@frequentfrenzied]

I did some work years ago for a couple that were doing very well financially. The work involved me spending quite a bit of time walking through their 120 year old mansion of a home. The house was impressive, with large rooms, high ceilings, and grand open staircases, but I was always sort-of uncomfortable while I was there. I could tell that the first two floors were definitely decorated by professional interior designers, and were meticulously cleaned every day by housekeepers. Everything felt so cold and sterile, and the rooms were always spotless. It was like I was in the home where all of the pictures that you see in interior design magazines are taken. There were absolutely no personal touches to be found. No bookshelves housing a collection of worn novels. No wedding photos set out on end tables. No yearbook photos of their children hanging on the walls. No postcards from friends and family stuck to the refrigerator with magnets. No clutter whatsoever. It didn't feel like anyone actually lived there until you got up to the third floor, where you found a family room in a general state of disarray, with a television screen on the wall and a well worn sofa across from it, and kids toys scattered around the floor. I'm guessing that the family spends most of their time in that room while they are home together, and they try to stay away from the creepy magazine rooms that make up the rest of their house.

[@ah5721]

Thats so sad! I'm a interior designer and I design for comfort and use .

[@contessa.adella]

Yeah, I have been a visitor in clinical houses like that, where the woman plumps up the sofa back cushions as soon as you get up. Naturally no shoes or finger foods allowed and you have to hold your drink the whole time…it is extremely uncomfortable. Everything is protected for its resale value….These types treat their cars the same way and their passengers have to sit on plastic bags. It says a lot about the people…awful.

[@edgarallenhoe3518]

​@contessa.adella wow, coasters aren't even good enough anymore??

[@gigglesmurf2004]

@@contessa.adellaSit on plastic bags? Umm no. I’ll take my clearly lived with 12 yr old car with almost 190k miles that always needs something. Buy it new, drive it and maintain it until it dies of old age. After you’ve passed it on to your child.

[@philipfrancis2728]

Every house in my area had fashionable deep pile shag carpeting in the late 1960’s to 70’s…No one was ever allowed in the rooms with shag because you had to rake it (literally, with a wide plastic rake!). My parents furniture lasted for 45 years because no one ever used those rooms for the 25 years they had the shag carpeting! 😊

[@anthropomorphicpeanut6160]

I've only had one chance for a room makeover in my life. I decided to have fun, made all the walls violet, put shelves in random places, and it has a tiny window that I decided not to remove. My family disagreed on all my decisions but after it was done they all agree it's the best room in the house. The violet changes colour with the natural light and the small window allows for more variation in the lighting. Plus small birds like to hang out in it :) we didn't have a large budget so the furniture was all from ikea but I'm very happy with the results

[@jennymunday7913]

My living room is blue, and during the day, it's a bright sky blue, but at night it's more like being at the bottom of an aquarium. I love it, and I totally get why you love your purple room, too. My bland white/beige mom was so scandalized, but surprise, surprise, surprise, she has painted all her rooms in bold colors (of beige!) now. XD

[@anthropomorphicpeanut6160]

@@jennymunday7913 that sounds so cool! I'm a sucker for colours

[@SMorales851]

What? Ikea is supposed to be cheap?! They arrived ik my country only very recently, and my first impression was: "expensive!"

[@Arissiah]

​@@SMorales851 at least in the US ikea is WAAY cheaper than buying from any furniture store. It would still be cheaper to buy used from someone though

[@anthropomorphicpeanut6160]

@@SMorales851 good quality furniture is unbelievably expensive. The only cheaper option I've found is second hand furniture but my parents didn't let me

[@yeshummingbird]

My Husband and I were given a house for our wedding gift. Nothing special. They bought it off a friend for 5k; only 600 sqft, 1 bedroom, 30's build, and utterly falling apart to the point it was barely even livable. But we loved it, and it was ours. the first thing I did was paint my kitchen a bright blue, the cabinets white, and each drawer a different shade of pastel color (the counters were this beautiful pale butter yellow mica, original from the 30's. I wanted to compliment them). Had various people describe it as "looking like the Easter Bunny exploded in my kitchen". Can't wait for the day I get to do it again in a new house. "Resell value" be utterly damned.

[@Sashazur]

Plus it’s just paint, it’s the easiest and cheapest thing to change!

[@pressme71nz]

@@SashazurHaha, until there are 8 layers of enamel paint and nowhere left to go except back down through them with a heat gun and scraper!

[@RogueB]

I worked in a tile and countertop store for over a decade, and I did thousands of design consultations in that time. Every time someone said, "But what about resale value?" I died a little inside. I started asking, "When are you planning to sell the house?" If they said, "Oh, not for 3 or more years," I'd tell them that trends will change in that time, so designing for what's 'neutral' now is not practical, so why not do something you'll love seeing every day instead? If they said within the next 3 years, I'd ask, "If your house is the same gray and white inoffensive neutral as every other house, what's going to make it special and interesting for potential homebuyers? Give them something to fall in love with." The only bit of my own personal taste that I pushed was staying true to the character of the home. Don't gut a Victorian or 1930's Tudor-style and fill it with the same contemporary blandness as a hotel built last year. Work WITH the style of the house, not against it. What do you like about the house? Let's enhance that!

[@Elia-DCrea]

You found the right answer :) Some don't have personnal taste sadly so they go for the generic social acceptable one sadly. If they're happy with it good for them, if they hate their house it's just sad.

[@JuliHoffman]

This rings so true! This week, I was at a friend's house. She had HGTV on her television. The people on TV were taking on a gorgeous kitchen, with real wood cabinets, and green accents on the tile backsplash. This kitchen was my dream kitchen. The hosts debated which shade of "greige" they should use and took every bit of personality from the homeowner's place. It was sad. And you're right! Monty Don is so different. I love his show.

[@zellalaing5439]

What I really hate is when the cabinents are in great condition and they just smash it to pieces, like, excuse me, ill take that perfectly great second hand kitchen please.

[@vaderladyl]

@@zellalaing5439 what a way to support unnecessary waste and consumerism. I hate these shows just for that.

[@taleef1760]

When we viewed our current rental townhome it had nice simple wood cabinets. Before we moved in they painted them grey. Everything is grey. Walls. Painted laminate grey counters. I used to like grey until we moved in here and now I absolutely HATE it.

[@redwitch12]

After my mother passed, we spent some time emptying out the house and cleaning it up for sale. My whole life, it had been a warm, comfortable space, with beautiful golden hardwood floors and rooms painted in actual colors--blue in Mom's, soft yellow in mine, green in my brother's. The wallpaper in the living/dining room was a subtle floral pattern in gentle, subdued shades, and one wall had diagonal paneling of actual wood slats. The house was eventually sold to someone who basically FLIPPED IT and re-sold it for twice what he paid six months later, and the pictures I saw just tore my heart out. The beautiful floors were covered with vinyl fake wood, every wall was was painted flat white or grey, and it just had all of its liveliness and welcoming warmth utterly destroyed. It was gut-wrenching. My childhood home was gone, replaced by a soulless blank canvas.

[@briemme]

yes!!! Slow accumulation of special objects is like the antidote to fast fashion/fast home decor. May we *all* take this video as a sign to instead use HDTV for it's intended purpose: comparing the two brothers in the property brothers.

[@viviennehayes2856]

🤣

[@madi7178]

Preach!

[@Hannah_Becton]

Drew and Jonathan were always my faves (outside of Nicole Curtis and some of the older shows and hosts), and my favorite shows of theirs were the ones where they faced off head-to-head in design challenges. The NOLA shotgun house is a particular standout to me.

[@jennimurray4980]

super privileged to own my own home, but after 15 years of renting i am SO happy to be able to decorate in a way that makes ME happy, regardless of what some future buyer might think. taste is so subjective, for all the future buyers who might hate your home, there is someone who might love it? and thinking of your home in terms of who might live there after you sucks up a lot of the joy that comes from trying things out and playing around with your space. editing to add: holy heck i am motivated to both watch this show, and also make my garden as glorious as the inside of my house!

[@literallyanythingelseother]

Do it. Monty is the goat

[@haleymist09]

For sure. Im super lucky to buy my second house (sold the first, i dont have 2 lol). I fell into the next-buyer thinking, a little, because i didnt expect to stay forever. No timeline, just not forever. Now ive moved into my forever home because the buying process and moving are terrible experiences and never again lol! Im definitely feel freer to paint and decorate to my moody heart's delight!

[@jennimurray4980]

@@haleymist09 oh my gosh i hope you have the MOST fun! painting my entire dining room daaaaark navy upset a bunch of people, but the moment the saw it they stfu.

[@xSaraxMxNeffx]

man im so with you on all of this. im still renting, and were very limited on our budget so i get that im not gonna have my dream place, but my husband is tired of moving and like...i dont know if i wanna live in a beige box with a pink tile countertop and no laundry room for another four years

[@katie7748]

Stop apologizing for where you are in life. Seriously. Stop it. "Super privileged" No. Even if you inherited it, that's a *blessing.* And *even if* that's the case, you almost certainly work so you can earn money to maintain it. Don't apologize. And yes, absolutely decorate how YOU see fit!! Future people can always change it if they don't like it.

[@CHoustonify]

This video is giving me a (positive) existential crisis. I've always perceived myself as liking the sterile hotel aesthetic, and have tried to set my home up as such, to the extent where I've self identified as a lover of McMansions (environmental and other socialpolitical impacts aside). But this has me wondering, do I *actually* enjoy those things, or have I just been buying into the HGTVification of interior design? Have I not seen the actual breadth of what a home can look like? How does one even determine the aesthetic they like? Am I just soulless? Do I have bad taste? These are all positive questions to ask myself, so thank you.

[@zellalaing5439]

I would start with what external environments do you enjoy and make you feel how you want to feel at home and take inspo from there. For me, I love standing under yellow-leaved trees in autumn and seeing fields of dandelions or rapeseed fields, so knew I want to incorporate natural looking yellows, the woods, metals and art in my room all lean that way. Some people would hate it, but yellow is my happy colour.

[@calibby85]

I think it's much just a matter of what we are used to seeing amd what's been pushed on us. Im not the most naturally creative person so I have to go out of my way to expose myself to unique places and aesthetics and vibes. But it's fun and inspiring to explore. You may just need a little more exploration to see what interests you!😊

[@edgarallenhoe3518]

Nothing wrong with having a more mainstream taste, but if you're looking to branch out I'd strongly recommend looking secondhand! Not only is it cheaper to go to a thrift store or a flea market, that's where you're going to have the most fun experimenting with things that appeal to you but may not be in fashion at the moment. And when it comes to decorations, there are things you can do without spending anything at all-- old letters and postcards can be hung on the wall, fresh wildflowers can go in a tall cup if you don't have a vase (or look up how to dry flowers!), books can be rearranged by subject, author, height, or color. And that's just assuming you aren't crafty! It's easy to go from one prescribed aesthetic to another; thoughtless consumerism is the problem, not the solution. So go slow, go cheap, and have fun!

[@lydiasalerno2320]

Sounds like an exciting opportunity! Enjoy x

[@Elia-DCrea]

It take time to discover what you like. One thing you can do is going to second hand stores or garage sales and see if you see some fourniture or trinknets you like. And also, you can find elements of home decor or a room beautiful and still say to yourself "but not for my home"

[@elizabethdowney3412]

It wasnt untill I had my last 2 children (who have autism) that I realized my home only needs to be functional for my family and welcoming. That looks different for everyone. I tossed the perfect idea of the home and began making the home cater to us, not society.

[@central_scrutinizr]

I know just what you mean. Do you have a sensory room/area? That’s my dream for my son 😊

[@elizabethdowney3412]

@@central_scrutinizr We have a sensory swing in my 4-year-olds' room. My kids LOVE it. The best $50 I've spent. They wills swing for the longest time. My next purchase will be the spinning seat and maybe a mini trampoline. The 4-year-old won't stop jumping off of things 🥴 soo.

[@cs4849]

I bought a small house on a couple acres to let my son rent-to-own it from me. He painted the walls bright primary colors - yellow living room, blue kitchen, red bedroom, and green guest room. Definitely not what anyone would recommend for resale value or what I’d personally choose but he says the colors make him happy. And that makes ME happy.

[@cosh5]

Many years ago, I read of a person who recommended carrying a small piece of bright yellow card with you. If you found yourself feeling a bit low or grumpy, because your train was late, or the weather was bad or whatever, you got the card out and stared at it for a couple of minutes. Apparently, bright yellow cheers you up! Obviously, very different for depression or other health conditions, but this was just for those brief episodes of gloom we all get from time to time.

[@LuicaHanton]

I did not expect this to turn into a Monty Don feature but certainly not mad. The HGTV effect reminds me of going to a boys high school where if you wore anything with flare or personality that stood out that was something to be ridiculed. That resulted everyone wearing bland clothing with no room for expression

[@interruptingPreempt]

_where if you wore anything with flare or personality that stood out that was something to be ridiculed_ Juuuust needed to do a pullout quote of what you said to say: A good deal of the internet makes me feel this way. When all's said and done, be weird and slay.

[@herobrinenoch3522]

@@interruptingPreempt Let your freak flag fly!

[@whateverchannel22]

Yeah, the video was not as advertised....

[@taylor-]

My pet peeve with these shows: in the reveal, owners gasping and saying "it looks like a *hotel*" like a stab through the heart I wish they would dream weirder, but to each their own. If that is what they want, I suppose it is fine for everyone involved

[@carmena6678]

So true! They probably are thinking "luxurious," but it ends up being cold and devoid of any personality & looks like no one lives there.

[@HomeFromFarAway]

"dream weirder" is going to be a pereonal motto for me from now on❤

[@zellalaing5439]

There is an opposite of this show in tge UK where they let two totally inexperienced decorators (who are up them selves and think theyre great) do whatever in someones home and its always bonkers.

[@oki288]

@@zellalaing5439 Do you recall the name of that show, by any chance?

[@3mwa]

This is why I love @taybeepboop - she and her clients are leaning into their weird tastes and I am here for it

[@mariaraquelfs]

I grewn up and still live in an absolutely mess of a house that my dad build himself (literally) for 40 years. Since 2019 we've been renovating ourselves and it's finally feeling like a home. It's so functional. I don't think I could ever leave now, there's been too much sweat and tears put into it, and it is now, after 40 years, a place so cozy and resting.

[@splendidcolors]

A friend of mine lives in the handmade adobe house her family built when she was a kid in the 1960s. It's full of bookshelves, art she's collected or made, and the coziest place I've ever visited. The whole house has oak floors salvaged when the high school gym was renovated, and cedar beams with scorch marks from the forest fire that killed the trees on their property. (Yes, the kids helped make the adobe bricks from clay on the ranch! these are not purchased from a supplier somewhere)

[@jenniferwells2291]

Back in the 90s and early 2000s HGTV and the DIY channel used to have wonderful programs that showed you experts either helping people redo their homes the way they wanted them or gardens or teaching you how to do it yourself. My mother and I used to watch them a lot. Sadly, it turned into what you see today and nothing was meant to be learned anymore, the DIY channel was swallowed up and destroyed by HGTV eventually. You also had shows like This Old House on PBS. I learned a lot of the Latin names for plants from one show which came in handy at gardening centers to be sure I got the right plants. I remember how fantastic it was to see a show where a woman was the host showing you how to do all sorts of repairs and renovations yourself as she was helping homeowners do the work. We used to wish she would come to our house. I still remember the episode of her installing a Solatube. Of course it all turned into someone coming in and telling you that you needed to paint everything grey, toss everything you own or like, and not showing anyone how to do anything for themselves. You basically were conned into thinking you needed to pay a designer and crew to ignore how you wanted your house because of resale value. Monty Don is a wonderful example of what those kinds of shows used to be.

[@h0rriphic]

“…even though I will never see this garden in my life, I am so happy that it exists.” Well said Kendra. 💖

[@ethansloan]

That Monty dude sounds so delightful! I wish we had more hosts like that on American TV.

[@zellalaing5439]

Truly, he's been a host of Garden's World for years in the UK and is considered a national treasure to many. He's got the most calming presences, just hearing him say "hello, welcome, to gardeners world" just puts you at ease on a friday night.

[@herobrinenoch3522]

You can find some of his shows here on You Tube.

[@Arissiah]

My bedroom at my grandparents house as a kid was my FAVORITE. The wall was painted blue first and then my entire family and I spent hours putting handprints all over the upper half of the wall with a rainbow of fingerpaints. Even my brother put one despite his hatred of getting anything on his hands. I got a wonderful memory and I loved the result

[@curious_416]

I think part is the story American home shows want to tell, and part is the impermanence of homes today. For those who can’t afford it, homes have become a tiered ladder. You start with a starter home, buying to stay in for a few years, or make money on to trade up however many times. You expand the square footage as your family expands. And when you think of ownership as a temporary situation, it’s not too different from renting. So you keep your style for the general public..and this collides with minimalism and purging and design influencers and hgtv, and style becomes barren. Then add to that the environment and construction waste and temporary use and we lose sight of individualism.

[@cdw2468]

i think you really hit the nail on the head, i think **everything** feels so temporary these days bc it’s the most profitable for companies. our clothes fall apart or go off trend every year, our appliances all break after a couple years, our electronics need upgrading every few years because the amount of useless stuff that’s stuffed into them slows them down, our relationships feel more transactional, and our jobs don’t reward loyalty and getting a raise or promotion requires moving companies (partially contributing to the impermanence of our living spaces). nothing feels like it’s good enough for forever anymore

[@bardnightingale]

I started redoing the house to get it sellable. Then realized that, in today's market, I would only be able to buy a lower quality house for twice what we paid for ours. So we decided to stay and I did the last few rooms to MY taste. The livingroom, kitchen, dining room look exactly like ME and people love it and ask me to redo theirs. Most importantly, I love it. I am proud of it. It is decorated like nothing on TV or pinterest. Granted, we now plan to die in this house.

[@Fuzzmom903]

Yes!!!!

[@gabrielrioux2470]

HGTV needs to learn from all these British shows : grand designs, restorations home, big dream small space, etc.

[@bewilderbeastie8899]

Grand Designs is the complete opposite end of the scale from HGTV: these people have been given *too much* freedom and they are making insane choices that will cost millions for no reason. It's all like "Sue is a professional guinea pig therapist from Herefordshire and her husband Tim is a freelance ghost whisperer, and they have 5 million pounds to turn this 17th century farmhouse into an open-plan concrete bunker with anti-tank turret" and they go overbudget by 7 million (also they're all annoyingly upper middle class).

[@katybeaumont]

I wonder also if British attitudes to home are very different in general. Also it always makes me laugh when american home show hosts comment in how small rooms are when they are usually average or quite spacious for the UK.

[@kellyphx]

Monty Don is a UK national treasure! And I stopped watching HGTV after the 100th time I watched Joanna Gaines hang rusty farm implements on white shiplap walls. Turned it off in disgust and years later still have not watched any show on HGTV.

[@lukesnyder5637]

Ever since discovering Monte Don I've never pronounced "COMPOST" the same way. Delightful man.

[@kendragaylord]

the king of com post!

[@ShawnQuinlan]

I heard a host once say "You just need more pillowing". I don't know why, but it always cracks me up.

[@disklamer]

There is a pillowing diet that makes your entire body nice and cushy

[@viviennehayes2856]

@@disklamer mine is too cushy!

[@nimmieamee1988]

I was OBSESSED with Big Dreams, Small Spaces. I loved the emphasis on work, the way each garden was individualized, and Monty Don’s whole deal. Perhaps the only person in the world who can wield garden shears with megawatt charisma.

[@whylal]

one of my favourite home renovations happening on youtube right now is Ariel Bissett's! She's renovating a 150(?) year old house in the maritimes of Canada largely by herself over the span of several years, following her joy and style inspirations, adding vibrant paint colours on both the walls and trim, light blue kitchen appliances and board and batton among so many other incredible features across the house. She talks about the house being her lifelong house and not caring about resale value, and her house project(s) is deeply inspiring to me in terms of seeing colour use in a house (and seeing her learn all those new skills)

[@amymullen296]

Love her joy in her space and in the process.

[@amberbydreamsart5467]

I'm living that apartment life still, but my decorating faux pas that I absolutely *love* is that I have 130 posters ranging from postcard size to 11x17in taped bare all along the walls. I've been collecting the posters for 11 years, and they've been put up in every place I've lived since my first college dorm. They immediately make a room feel like *my* room, even though I've moved every 2 years max for a while. I couldn't give a single damn if having unframed posters everywhere makes it look childish, I think it's fun and cool and more people should take this philosophy to their space

[@kendragaylord]

That sounds like a perfect room! It's so great when I have a few thing that instantly make a space feel like mine, especially in the renting universe.

[@michelleward-chang6970]

I'm a professional commercial interior designer. When asked to help on a home project, it is 100% giving choices, informing with options, and encouraging the person to get what they want from the space. They have to live with it, not me. You have permission. Have fun.

[@marylut6077]

Commercial like hotel, or residential?

[@ItzBIULD]

​@@marylut6077probably referring to commercial spaces, but accepts residential projects too

[@hoppinghessien]

My husband and bought a gorgeous 1912 house that has incredible original woodwork and built ins. It also has beautiful French doors between the dining room, foyer, and living room. Another couple bid on the house the same time we did. They told the owners they wanted to rip out all the doors and downstairs walls to make it open concept. And that’s why the owners sold us the house.

[@bartz0rt928]

I remember an interview with a real estate agent on a news item about rising costs of real estate that was probably self-serving in context, but it's stuck with me as being quite profound. He said your house is not an investment, it's an appliance. A very expensive appliance, yes, but you should primarily think of it as something you _use_ rather than as something you own so you can sell it one day.

[@catiesheridan8110]

Can I recommend the show Grand Designs to you? It has a very similar vibe to Big dreams, small spaces but is about people’s wild build houses and they have extra seasons where the come back and check on them. Grand designs is all about building homes with insane amounts of personal character. Also if you want a show about home renovation where the team comes in with a to presenter who is honest about not really doing any of the work himself and who really highlights the contractors DIY SOS is the show for it, plus a lot of their big builds have them building adaptive measures into houses for people with disabilities, it’s incredibly amazing to watch 😊

[@HigherQualityUploads]

"Wow! Oh, this is terrible." is simply hilarious I'll definitely be using that line IRL someday

[@NyanyiC]

My studio apartment is a hodgepodge of what I could get second hand (in my tiny town), whatever was cheap , upcycled, random art and souvenirs. In other words absolut chaos but I love it

[@bitnewt]

I moved into my first house with a garden this year and slowly shifting it from what worked for the previous tenants to what works for my life has been a joy - it's comforting that the pace is so slow I can take weeks to make decisions and pull the weeds out later, and that it will all grow back so the landlord won't care when I'm a bit haphazard pruning the hedges. I spent the pandemic watching every episode of Grand Designs I could and while there are definitely things to criticise about that show, at least all of the decisions are driven by the people who are going to live in the house. It seems like a cruel joke to have some random people come into your home, condescend to you about what you want or need, tear out the real wooden features and paint it all beige!

[@Ladygrev]

MONTY DON IS STOMPING UP THE LANE!! My wife and I love Monty, and also your videos, so this video is like Christmas

[@notme7090]

In the early 00s HGTV had some great shows. They were about how to update your space on a dime and be creative about it. They also had actual gardening shows on. Then the Gaines' turned everything "flipper-core" (sorry couldn't help it😂). But I'm not a flipper and my home is actually a double wide manufactured home. I love KZbin for filling the void HGTV created.

[@EMSpdx]

I found this show during lock down and my garden completely transformed. Monty Don really helped me embrace what I needed and wanted.

[@masroor]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You put into words what I feel in my gut about these styles. Somehow the gods of design decide that granite is out, and quartz is in, or "dark and cozy" is out and "white and bright" are where it’s at. Open concept is 11th commandment and somehow, I'm supposed to be ok with my stove cooking spicy food being 12 feet from my primary couch without a wall in the middle. One never thinks about how an innocent show on HGTV can breed compliance to a standard, but that’s what we as a society are doing now. HomeGoods to IKEA to HGTV, it’s all about “this is what’s good for you”. Funny enough for a little while I used to subscribe to Architectural Digest (yes, the actual paper kind - and yes I’m old), and it turns out all that magazine does is to show off celebrities and sell stuff. There is very little “Architectural” in it. In a bougie way, AD is HGTV for vapid rich people and aspirational vapid rich people. It just feels good that I’m not alone in this.

[@l.5832]

One t eason I bought the condo I did was that it was NOT open floor plan. Many people renovating the units knocked out walls to make it open. Not be. To further emphasize the differentiation of rooms, I did not run the same flooring throughout. The kitchen, bath and laundry rooms share flooring that is different to the rest of the condo. I live alone so don't need separate rooms for privacy, but I like a different vibe in each room, in keeping with that room. My bedroom has a relaxing vibe, my kitchen feels different to my living room (different paint and flooring) It keeps a small space interesting.

[@gabrielles4630]

Finished this video immediately watched big dreams small spaces. I'm not really a crier with media but the first episode made me tear up multiple times. The love and care in that show 😭😭

[@ddogg14]

Thanks for putting me onto Big Dreams, Small Spaces. For those unfamiliar with U.S. public tv, I recommend "This Old House" as a better American alternative to HGTV stuff. Plenty of episodes here on youtube

[@obi-wan-pierogi]

This old house is a great show! They also were really good at updating older homes but still keeping the soul and charm of a old Victorian there ya know?

[@kendragaylord]

I really like This Old House. Love that they are so focused on teaching!

[@splendidcolors]

@@kendragaylord I grew up watching This Old House--which is why I am willing to DIY stuff.

[@noelc2]

@@kendragaylordit was one of my favorite shows as a kid! My 11 yr old son loves watching it with me now 😊

[@aoifebrowne2302]

I love Monty! He got me through the pandemmy and I made my own huge vegetable garden with his help. The BBC makes some amazing programming if you can access it.

[@auggiedoggiesmommy1734]

I lived in a very expensive home in Utah where people redid their kitchens regularly. We couldn’t do that. I can’t tell you how many time I thought I needed to update the kitchen or get rid of the colors I had and furniture that I had because my house wouldn’t sell. Well, we couldn’t afford that. Our location was HIGHLY desirable. We sold the house for full market value …. Our home was immaculate and had been very well cared for. The people who bought it, ripped out the floors,, redid the kitchen, painted (everything gray) and actually chopped down stunning flowering trees worth thousands and hid our views of the Rockies with plantation shutters on every window. It’s their house now. Live with what you love!

[@h3llie]

I adore Monty Don and genuinely perked up when you first mentioned him. His documentaries on visiting gardens in foreign countries are also lovely, he comes across as so genuinely interested in people. I can’t get enough of him and his joyful perusing of gardens.

[@kristawhalen3528]

I love the Big Dreams Small Spaces show! Totally agree that it’s so much fun to see unique dreams come to life, with budgets that are large and also nonexistent! The sensory garden was one of my favorite epidsodes.

[@Pollicina_db]

Since you liked Monty I have another british reccomend: “Interior Design Masters” its a best british bake off but interior design duh. Each contastant has a unique style and you can see how much they love decorating Ps OMG I didn’t expect the Monty Don section I love him 😭😭😭 can’t believe others watched his show.

[@lynnaround]

I kinda feel this way about home blogs/websites, like Apartment Therapy and House & Garden UK. it's good to remember that I gotta focus on what I like, not what I think places SHOULD look like.

[@skellymom]

From a creative person who does unorthodox things with their garden and home (happily eccentric weird style): This video is a GEM! People are happier when they tap into their creativity. And I want to see MORE of this!!!

[@saraa3418]

Monty Don did two amazing series about visiting the gardens of Italy and France explaining the designs of them and their places in history as well as talking with the head gardeners and people with plots in a public gardens with the same enthusiasm. I would happily watch that man visit every country in the world and explain the gardens to me

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I do find it a bit ironic that on the other side on house buying shows often unique styles are more likely to get a purchase and have bidding wars over them. I remember one was an interior designers house in Scotland and it was just a normal bungalow from the outside but inside was amazing. Even though it wasn't were the couple wanted to be tey loved it and went for it straight away and I belive they had to pay above asking price. Another terraced house I remember had 1 less bedroom than the couple wanted, yet the interior was so brilliantly quirky, they got into a bidding war and payed a price that was the same as that of a 3 bed rather than 2 bed on that street. Moral of the story if you have good taste being unique will be finite and actually you can get exactly want you want and if it does come time to sell up you will get more than the bland corporate look.

[@Everywhere2]

Your videos are always so informative and - odd word maybe, but the only one I can come up with - gentle. And THIS video's made me teary eyed listening to Monty Don in the mudhead garden. Your larger point, about designing for your life at home rather than for some unknown expert's opinion of what sells, is fundamental and wise. It also speaks to my problem with "The American Dream" being expressed purely in materialistic terms. The dream is not a home of your own, but rather a house you can sell to buy a bigger house - if you just never make your house a home.

[@KattKirsch]

Kendra, I am literally begging you to watch Grand Designs. BBC show, Kevin McCloud assists people in their (usually) ultra-unique, one off homes. The show's been going for 25 years now, and every episode is an absolute triumph. Even better, sometimes they fail! Sometimes, people just can't do it, and sharing in that misery makes the majesty of these homes all the sweeter. A whole mess of the episodes are on youtube now. It's a breathtaking rabbit hole.

[@jekalambert9412]

I HATE Grand Designs. It's always about the architect convincing the owners of his or her vision, then running over budget by 10s if not 100s of thousands of pounds with the end result looking like something the architect designed instead of a comfy home that reflects the homeowners vision.

[@wendyamsterdam8482]

It is a Channel4 show and not BBC, and almost all episode's I have seen are people designing their own houses (and then going over budget on everything)

[@herobrinenoch3522]

@@jekalambert9412 Not always. There have been some great shows. One was a forester, who built an amazing cottage in the woods he tended, another was a huge cob house. One house had a build which went on for 10 years ( & still counting) where it's all lovingly crafted by one man on no budget. Over the years Kevin McCloud has leaned more an more towards unusual and unique designs. He even built a couple of tiny places from reclaimed materials himself.

[@KattKirsch]

@@wendyamsterdam8482 right, exactly

[@zellalaing5439]

Monty Don is a literal national treasure. He's got the chillest presences, love him on Gardener's World. Tbf though UK garden reno shows tend to be pretty great - some of the UK home ones are pretty good too. Personally love both Your Home Made Perfect and Love It Or List It.

[@elsa_g]

My favorite US home reno show is Restored hosted by Brett Waterman. He's truly knowledgable about architectural styles and genuinely excited to explore what is original to the vision of a home.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

my flat is a beautiful Edwardian brick property and I even have a turret, where I can sit and watch the world go by. However, it's had the landlord special, all the Fireplaces have been removed, the plaster work has been covered over by Wood chip, there is no garden anymore. I can see a slither of the original plaster work between a banister and it is gorgeous it has these panels with Greek style vases and Beeding made of plaster flowers along the edge. They haven't bothered to remove anything from past so I have 3 different plug types going back to the 1930s. Random wires all of the place and the taps have been put on backwards and the cheapest doors I have ever seen. The staircase is luckily original however has random paint marks and lots of scuff marks. The wood fascia boards, with beautiful detailing are also original but falling apart but I don't want to say anything as I'm too scared they'll take them off and replace then with plastic.

[@ambirb]

My husband and I watched all of Monty Don's shows during lockdown. After, we were able to buy our own house, and when making decisions we ALWAYS reference the mudhead. Always build the mudhead.

[@AmyRaeVee]

I was just watching some investor videos that flip homes. I can't stop thinking about the people who lost their homes, or hit hard times and had to leave so someone else could make a ton of money. I also hate seeing that the real workers are in the background and all the glory goes to the hosts. Just think if the regular folks could make enough money to keep their own homes nice. Huge statement on our society these days.

[@ADuchessInside]

Monty Don is dishy. 😍 I love that show for all the same reasons you do. It, and Monty as the host, have respect for the wishes and tastes of the gardens’ owners. The personality and quirkiness they bring to their gardens are lots of fun. HGTV shows are soulless in comparison. Really enjoyed this video!

[@eldestmillennial3136]

I remember when HGTV came on the scene, and a lot of it was like, "how to decorate using thrift store finds" and "cheap ways to make your first place not look like your college dorm" and some gardening stuff. It was kinda neat, then. The house I have now - my first and probably only - would never pass muster for the TV. And I love it, because I get to do with it what *I* want to, and don't need to think about resale. My nieces and nephews are going to have a nightmare to deal with when I die.

[@jocelyntrishell]

Paint can be expensive, but it’s the easiest thing for anyone to change in a home relatively fast! I didn’t like the blue hallway so I painted it brown, but I just painted our living room a deep peacock blue and we are in love with it haha! If you don’t like it when you move in, you can change it. What’s harder to change per your style is flooring and cabinetry. Tired of all the white and grey.

[@winddancer613]

3:56 reminds me of the recent Twitter thread where an artist had to sell her beautifully and lovingly decorated, pink/ orange/ Memphis design-y house and people were worried it’d get remodelled. 😢

[@Geronimo2Fly]

I watched the Property Brothers a few times. In one show I remember distinctly, the wife was adamant that she absolutely despised a particular curtain design that was one of the options. That was the one they went with. The utter lack of respect and consideration for the homeowner astounded me, and really turned me off to the show. I haven't watched HGTV since then.

[@erinshear8026]

Sooo excited to find out that half of this episode was about Big Dreams Small Spaces. I loved that show so much, wish they'd made more seasons!

[@feralnerd5]

this is why i like watching youtube creators renovate their homes. theyre always doing some wacky shit, and even if i personally hate it, im still glad theyre being true to themselves and treating their home as a *home,* not just an asset ❤ also, the mudhead is amazing and gave me so much joy to see, so thank you so much for sharing that. loved the “controversial” backsplash, too. it was so… sweet? friendly? homey? idk, i just really liked it. i thought it was better than the inspiration. i think “professionalization” is a good word for the greige trend in real estate. personally, though, i do not want my home to look like an office space. idk. maybe thats just me : P

[@Zephyrs]

My mom’s a huge HGTV fan, which’s always been odd to me because her style is so not what’s on HGTV. My childhood home’s walls are yellow with a strange number of globes in the living room, there’s a bright red couch with a cow skin rug, all the kitchen cabinets have different handles, the kitchens white and teal, there’s a bright green lamp she made out of a weird owl statue from goodwill, etcetera. I’ve always wondered how she could binge all of “fixer upper” or whatever and still have such a strange and eclectic home.

[@kendragaylord]

I honestly love that for your mom! She's getting the entertainment and leaving it at that, lol.

[@Reverend_Salem]

my mom and i both watch HGTV, and watch while we critisize everything like Statler and Waldorf, and say what we would rather do. we also have very different styles, she is fairly modern, but colorful, and loves red, and rustic decor. im more vintage (MCM/Artdeco) and love jewel & earth tones. one thing we both agree on is neither of us like gold/brass (specifically that shiny brass) in interior decorating, love old photos (we have several old pictures of people that we have found over the years, we know none of them, but jokingy call them our aunts/uncles) my dad has no real sense of style, and if given the option, he would probably decorate the house like a Cabellas (not discouraging you from doing the same, if done well can look great. my dad dosn't really care about style and would just pick things he liked from a Cabella's catalog.)

[@ebrothen]

I love when people merge Monty Don's advice with their own desires. The gardens they created on that show were absolutely amazing and also very unique!

[@professionaldaydreamer]

Love that you talked about Big Dreams, Small Spaces probably the only helpful 'home' makeover show I ever watched. I wish they would use this approach for interior makeover shows too. Monty Don is a treasure.

[@RachaelTheBlonde]

When I got my house I was so excited to do whatever the heck I wanted. My step dad said "you'd better keep up with this lawn and landscaping or the neighbors will get mad." Buddy, I picked a home with no HOA on purpose. I don't care what the neighbors want! As for the inside, things were painted, removed, built; all manner of adjustments for MY home. There is one interior designer I keep getting recommended videos from. Julie Jones. I think she is everything those people on HGTV wish they were! She makes brilliant choices while actually keeping what the homeowner wants as the main focus

[@Octorawk]

I had no idea who Monty Don was before this video, but I love him.

[@katy8161]

There's an entire channel on Roku that's just like, Monty Don shows (or similar). My dad's converted me into a complete fan, and I was delighted to see you talk about Big Dreams, Small Spaces. I love that man.

[@nf3959]

Ever since I was a kid I've imagined that "mouse cartoon" inspired furniture that looks like everyday objects would be awesome kids room furniture. I still hope someday I'll be able to make some. It's nice to hear from a kindred spirit.

[@kendragaylord]

a stool made out of a thread spool. it will be mine some day!

[@stacytompkins9274]

@@kendragaylord @nf3959 You GUYS! When I was small, our backyard table was a repurposed industrial cable spool!!! You could cute-ify something like that!!!

[@cindystuder9090]

I ❤️ Monty Don! He's so genuine. Growing up I watched thr Christopher Lowell show on the Discoery Channel. He was all about showing you how to put together a room using what you already had or making what you needed. He used what you had and rearranged it all to show you what you could do. Loved is show. He really showed how much he enjoyed making over spaces and Shari g his knowledge of designs. The home makeover shows need more people like him and Monty. They actually care about the people and their spaces.

[@katebowers8107]

I know a pair of real estate agents (who are not a couple) who played “the couple” on an HGTV show. Was not surprised that this was the show’s typical practice.

[@1049662]

My yellow feature wall... I did it because I love it, I call it orange but others call it yellow, I didn't want the whole house to be cream as found. Every time I look at it I am split between "This makes me feel warm and cosy." And "If I was anyone else I would think this looks terrible." I enjoyed this video!

[@JubeiKibagamiFez]

17:57 And that's the thing about creativity, it's boundless. There is no right or wrong in pure creativity. The HGTV shows and such are trying to standardize creativity, essentially stamping out and stifling, for the purposes of monetary gain.

[@tomaseire]

Monty Don is a gentleman with his love for people and his four legged friends is heartwarming!

[@juanajuana4404]

I love mouse houses where the mice make their furnishings and home with little collected human objects!! My personal home design style may actually be from a storybook mouse’s perspective😃

[@SystemOfStrings]

The Monty Don stuff is making me cry. Absolutely beautiful.

[@SilvrRazorFeather]

I'll never be able to afford to do a full overhaul renovation when we buy a house, and that's fine by me. I genuinely feel like a renovation should be a slow process, the home growing with you over time. I can't imagine a home being finished, never to be altered in the foreseeable future.

[@kristinbytes9615]

I bought a 1930s brick cape that hadn't been touched in decades almost 20 years ago. The first month was a frenzy of necessities ( rewiring, scrubbing, painting, removing carpet so old you would rip it with your hands). The rest of the year was more projects (insulating, new copper pipes). The kitchen didn't get redone for over a decade. The attic bedroom and bath took COVID (although plumbing lines were run upstairs when the wall was open redoing the kitchen. It's better to take your time and wait until you know what you want. And recover from the last project. Plus it's never done. Rooms get repainted and you can change up the color. One you want.

[@christalcavanaugh]

I’ve never seen that show or heard of it before now, but hearing clips of that lovely gentleman talking made me tear up! Somehow, across space and time, he said something I needed so badly to hear

[@l.baughman1445]

Back in the 1990’s I used to watch HGTV. It had Sew Perfect, paper craft shows, room makeover shows for real budgets, cooking, other craft shows, home dec and DIY shows. All gone. Parent company started the DIY channel, Carol Duval Show (paper crafts) ended after she declined in health, and the sewing shows were ditched. HGTV went fake “reality” and didn’t look back.

[@kendragaylord]

That sounds like so much fun. Had no idea they had so many crafting shows before!

[@marissabulso6439]

I LOVE MONTY!! He is a precious gem of a man. Haven’t watched it in ages, but Home Town seemed like a decent HGTV show. Much more color and individuality, to my recollection.

[@iTzDritte]

5:14 Nice editing. This was the most fun progress bar that I’ve seen in a while.

[@browneyedguitargirl]

I am a massive fan of “Big Dreams, Small Spaces!” It is exactly the kind of show I want that documents a renovation. The producers and Monty don’t sterilize the people or spaces, and instead highlight the eccentricities and beauty of them. One of my favorite episodes highlights a family that incorporates model trains into their garden- it was so much fun! This show was so healing for me to watch after seeing so much sterilization and nastiness on HGTV. Thank you for this video!