Jim and I love to watch HGTV. It's just about always available, and for the most part there is always an interesting show on. It's easy to put on and veg out to at night between putting the kids to bed and falling asleep ourselves. But we started talking this weekend about what it may be doing to the expectations of homeowners in the U.S. (or at least the ones that watch the channel).
We were watching Bang for your Buck, which looks at three similar remodels and decides which homeowner will get the biggest return for their dollar. A designer and local realtor go through the space and give thumbs up or thumbs down to decisions the homeowner made with what they spent their money on. The episode we watched the other night was about $90,000(!) master suite remodels in the Boulder area. This interests us in that we will be looking to do a master suite remodel in the next few years (but hopefully not to the tune of $90K). First thing you notice is that most of the houses - on this show and on many others on the station - are BIG. One of the bathrooms in the houses featured was at least as big as our entire bedroom. One of the complaints made by the realtor was that a beautiful remodeled shower had no seat in it. Am I the only person who still simply gets in the shower, takes my shower (while standing), and then gets back out? Another house elicited the complaint that there was no seperate tub in the bathroom. This same house, which was a smaller, older home in a historic district, also got the thumbs down from the designer for only having about a 4-foot space between the bed and a wall in the bedroom. Luckily the realtor pointed out that people looking to buy a home in a historic district will realize they will not be getting expansive master bedrooms.
This made us start wondering why people feel they need huge houses. And by huge, I mean 4000 sq ft or more, though we have the same feeling with a 3000 sq ft house. Most of these people don't have families any larger than ours. Our current home is slightly smaller than our Dallas home - probably around 2,200 square feet, including the basement space - and we really don't need much more room than this. Oh, the kitchen could be larger, but realistically we should be just fine with what we have.
But are people getting their minds skewed by what they want vs what they need by watching some of these shows? Does everyone really need stainless steel appliances in the kitchen? Do you really need a seperate Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom (don't even get me started on the heebie jeebies the idea of jetted tubs give me with what sort of skin particles, old soap, etc, must be stuck inside them)? Do you really need a media room? A "man cave" to get away to (because god forbid you have to hang out with your family)?
I want to see HGTV produce a show focused on smaller houses. On living with less. On taking what you have and making it beautiful, rather than making it bigger. On the value of living in a smaller, older home rather than needing to mow it down to build a zero-lot line monstrosity. Does this show already exist and I'm not aware of it? Or am I reading too much into the network, and I should realize most people look at these as dream homes vs reality?
6 comments:
I so agree with you. Heck we live in less than 1500 square feet. I need space saving ideas. And while I don't need a seat in my shower (there wouldn't be room for me to stand in my bathroom if there was a seat) I could see its uses when shaving my legs.
Maybe we should do a show on smaller houses. I'm a realtor & how many designers to we know? Can you say TREATMENT. Sell the idea.
I put my leg up on the side of the tub when I shave my legs because I am lame and have no separate shower.
I'm with you, Julie. I want a show that tells me how to take small amounts of money and redo rooms. I need the $25K kitchen ;>
I know they probably don't clean their own house but I could not handle cleaning a house any bigger than the one I have.
I am so with you on this! I think that's why I stopped watching HGTV as much as I had been. I'm hooked on one show, however, Dear Genevieve, where she goes into an already established home and tries to fix whatever problem they have written to her about. Most of the shows have been a pretty low budget, like a kitchen redo for $10K.
I think alot of things on TV have brainwashed us into thinking we need much more than we really do.
The Green Channel has shows like what you're talking about. Not HGTV, obviously, but they do that. This Old House also focuses on taking cool old spaces and fixing them up without making them giant. I often watch those shows for exactly the reasons you outline in our blog. It is absurd.
I think the shows do set up unrealistic expectations and have you ever noticed how most things look exactly the same? All the magazines have very similar designs -- kitchen island, lots of cabinets, a splurge for running water in the island. It infiltrates what people think you NEED. Someone came into my kitchen and said "you really went bare bones didn't you?" Really? An entire wall of bookshelves with cookbooks, mixing bowls, etc. A wall oven, a 36-inch, 6 burner Viking stove and with a large antique butcher block next to it as a prep area isn't exactly barebones.
Anyway, it is disturbing, because it makes you second guess decisions should you ever wish to sell.
i love that show bang for your buck. I too live in a small 1600 sq ft home. I'd love a bigger home bc well, we are growing too big for this place but yeah i don't need a seat in my shower. and I don't need a seperate shower from my tub. I've never had that and don't care if I ever do. I think it's nice having a small cozy home. Design on a Dime is a good show to watch. Gives lots of ideas on a budget.
Post a Comment