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Post by woodiedog on Apr 22, 2021 10:06:59 GMT
Bearcats: The twins were going to list the house for over $500,000 but after the renovation decided to list it for $610,000. They got multiple offers and within 5 days accepted $725,000.
I was shocked at the final sale price. I have heard about some crazy price wars lately, but this takes the cake. It was a little cottage! Ya, it had a view, but it was a far away view. I didn’t even like the renovation that much. The living room and dining room looked crowded and busy. This housing market is nuts. 🏠
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Post by waywyrd on Apr 22, 2021 12:14:11 GMT
I really like that house (and wouldn't mind the Mercedes that comes with it )! Nice colors and I love the spa/hot tub on the deck. I entered the sweepstakes, but so have fifty million other people, I'm sure.
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Post by Kao on Apr 25, 2021 16:27:29 GMT
Rock the Block: In hindsight, I understand why that team won; they were the only people who really made their house a family affair. People moving to the Atlanta area are mostly looking for family homes, and with Corona people are also opting to drop their gym memberships and working out at home. Unlike the other homes I could easily envision a family living there. I loved Alison and Mike's and Nate and Jeremiah's houses but they screamed DINK (Double Income, No Kids) and DINKS are going to look for housing in Atlanta proper, not the burbs generally! I have no idea who the market Dave and Tiffany's house was for but they had a lot of fun, and it was a cute house. I think it would be a better fit in Savannah close to SCAD as the artsy crowd would love it.
Farmhouse Fixer: I watched this during a marathon this week and you guys were right; this is a sweet little show. Those homes are wonderful and I loved what he did with each one. I think I watched 4 episodes in a row!
Good luck to those entering the contest!
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Post by Bearcata on Apr 26, 2021 5:35:25 GMT
Season 5 Episode 15 - Grand Style - April 25, 2021 I liked the theme of French Provincial Country and how Erin translated that from the front porch ceiling and floor, the front door, the foyer, to the living room, to the dining room, to the kitchen. Erin had local artist Adam Trest create wallpaper for the foyer. Adam Trest is the nephew of Miss Cindy the homeowner. His artwork is available on www.laurelmercantile.com/collections/adam-trest-collection?page=5
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Post by Eastcoastmom on Apr 26, 2021 20:44:16 GMT
Season 5 Episode 15 - Grand Style - April 25, 2021 I liked the theme of French Provincial Country and how Erin translated that from the front porch ceiling and floor, the front door, the foyer, to the living room, to the dining room, to the kitchen. Erin had local artist Adam Trest create wallpaper for the foyer. Adam Trest is the nephew of Miss Cindy the homeowner. His artwork is available on www.laurelmercantile.com/collections/adam-trest-collection?page=5 I loved it! Truthfully, the home was in great shape except for the outdated kitchen. I loved the tall celings and the lovely shade of blue on the dining room shiplap walls. I wish we had seen the bathrooms and bedrooms but I guess the budget didn't allow for that even though the homeowner came in $25,000 under budget. Ben's such a wonderful woodworker. The porch swing was fabulous and who would think to use the door for a china cabinet/hutch? One little nit pick I've noticed about Erin. She doesn't let her husband shine. After Ben explained to Miss Cindy about how the china cabinet came to be, Erin rushed her to the kitchen to see her design. I've noticed that she has done this before.
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Post by Bearcata on Apr 26, 2021 22:27:39 GMT
Season 5 Episode 15 - Grand Style - April 25, 2021 I liked the theme of French Provincial Country and how Erin translated that from the front porch ceiling and floor, the front door, the foyer, to the living room, to the dining room, to the kitchen. Erin had local artist Adam Trest create wallpaper for the foyer. Adam Trest is the nephew of Miss Cindy the homeowner. His artwork is available on www.laurelmercantile.com/collections/adam-trest-collection?page=5 I loved it! Truthfully, the home was in great shape except for the outdated kitchen. I loved the tall celings and the lovely shade of blue on the dining room shiplap walls. I wish we had seen the bathrooms and bedrooms but I guess the budget didn't allow for that even though the homeowner came in $25,000 under budget. Ben's such a wonderful woodworker. The porch swing was fabulous and who would think to use the door for a china cabinet/hutch? One little nit pick I've noticed about Erin. She doesn't let her husband shine. After Ben explained to Miss Cindy about how the china cabinet came to be, Erin rushed her to the kitchen to see her design. I've noticed that she has done this before. I have noticed in this episode and the one with Ben's brother that Erin was so excited and rushed the homeowners through the house.
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Post by nennie on Apr 26, 2021 23:12:04 GMT
I loved it! Truthfully, the home was in great shape except for the outdated kitchen. I loved the tall celings and the lovely shade of blue on the dining room shiplap walls. I wish we had seen the bathrooms and bedrooms but I guess the budget didn't allow for that even though the homeowner came in $25,000 under budget. Ben's such a wonderful woodworker. The porch swing was fabulous and who would think to use the door for a china cabinet/hutch? One little nit pick I've noticed about Erin. She doesn't let her husband shine. After Ben explained to Miss Cindy about how the china cabinet came to be, Erin rushed her to the kitchen to see her design. I've noticed that she has done this before. I have noticed in this episode and the one with Ben's brother that Erin was so excited and rushed the homeowners through the house. I think it has to do with filming and time constraint. Trying to get in as much as they can in one episode. Basically the editing of the show.
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Post by waywyrd on Apr 27, 2021 11:49:41 GMT
I caught an episode of No Demo Reno and had to sit down and watch the rest of them. She does a really good job of updating rooms without tearing walls and half the house down.
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Post by Kao on Apr 27, 2021 13:50:43 GMT
I have noticed in this episode and the one with Ben's brother that Erin was so excited and rushed the homeowners through the house. I think it has to do with filming and time constraint. Trying to get in as much as they can in one episode. Basically the editing of the show. I think so as well because there's been other times where he's the one explaining things while she stands there.
I loved the tall ceilings and windows in that house, and while I'm not a huge fan of the French provincial style she did it well. The cabinet Ben made out of the old door was clever and I love his devotion to giving everyone in Laurel a porch swing, lol. And I'm really glad they continued the Southern tradition of having a haint blue porch ceiling; I saw a lot of those in New Orleans.
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Post by Bearcata on Apr 27, 2021 21:12:25 GMT
I caught an episode of No Demo Reno and had to sit down and watch the rest of them. She does a really good job of updating rooms without tearing walls and half the house down. The woman needs to come to my house and renovate it. I do like the amazing transformations and without tearing down walls. Especially like the bathrooms. I have never liked corner tubs. Too big, used it once, took forever to fill and the water does not stay warm. Replacing the corner tub with a standalone also gives back space and the bathroom feels larger.
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Post by Kao on Apr 30, 2021 14:25:33 GMT
I'm looking forward to watching Erin and Ben revitalize another small town on Monday.
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Post by Bearcata on May 3, 2021 16:51:16 GMT
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Post by Bearcata on May 3, 2021 16:55:10 GMT
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Post by Bearcata on May 3, 2021 17:10:25 GMT
Home Town Takeover - Season 1 Episode 1 - "First Hammer Swing" - May 2, 2021
Welcome to Wetumpka, Alabama with Ben and Erin, HGTV, and other show stars help renovate a combination of 12 businesses and homes. They are also using a local general contractor and construction company.
This episode the team helped get a huge wall mural painted with help from the high school art teacher and her class.
Ben and Erin help a local store owner renovate her store TAP 18, Amazing how a new paint color and logo and social media can help.
Help renovate the Moody house, a young couple who foster children. Luv, the simple yet effective changes paint color for the house and front door, wrap some posts in the carport, and new landscaping changes the appearances of the house. They also moved the entrance to the house from the carport and that allowed Erin to move the stove in the kitchen. Luv'ed the kitchen. Liked the green cabinets in the kitchen. Luv'ed the simple changes, of closing off a door, of moving the stove, removing the post, adding a little pony wall and creating a peninsula can transform a kitchen.
They also looked a the Fish House to do a renovation which will probably be in episode two.
1. Wall mural - done 2. TAP18 - business - done 3. Moody - house - done 4. Fish House - will renovate
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Post by Kao on May 4, 2021 0:24:33 GMT
I think the Fish house is going to be an ongoing thing in the series and they will do the unveiling of it during the season finale.
I watched Hometown Takeover last night and I admit to getting choked up. I love it when good things happen to decent people, and seeing how grateful people were that they picked the town, and how happy the people who got picked were...it made me so happy.
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Post by Bearcata on May 4, 2021 3:55:16 GMT
Totally enjoying $50,000 Three Ways and No Demo Reno, both shows feature two renovations and both kept to budgets well under $100,000.
Bargain Block is showing at least three houses an episode and is also showing similar restraints budget wise.
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Post by Kao on May 4, 2021 13:16:36 GMT
I love the fact that 50k 3 Ways is also filmed in Chicago. I watched an episode yesterday and there was an artist on there that I'm familiar with who makes sound waves out of wood and her work is beautiful; I hope she gets a boost from appearing on the show. I also figured out why they teamed Tiffany with David in Rock the Block because she loves color as much as he does.
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Post by waywyrd on May 4, 2021 14:01:27 GMT
Just caught up on the Home Town Takeover - so sweet! The little boutique was beautiful, as was the Moody house they redid. I love to see these older homes get a facelift without ruining their charm (looking at you, Leanne Ford). I wish they'd brought in a few more people for Sheryl's concert, though!
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Post by Kao on May 4, 2021 19:58:54 GMT
I loved that (unlike the horrible woman from that Hometown episode who was running a shelter who wanted everything as cheap as possible) the foster parents main priority was to make their house into a safe space for the children. Unlike some people, they considered these kids like their own, and their room looked fun. I also loved the kitchen.
The store reno was fantastic and I liked that they realized that a complete rebranding in addition to the renovation was necessary. The owner and her daughter were so genuinely happy with the results that it made you happy for them.
Looking forward to the Fish House renovation.
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Post by Bearcata on May 5, 2021 5:14:11 GMT
I loved that (unlike the horrible woman from that Hometown episode who was running a shelter who wanted everything as cheap as possible) the foster parents main priority was to make their house into a safe space for the children. Unlike some people, they considered these kids like their own, and their room looked fun. I also loved the kitchen. The store reno was fantastic and I liked that they realized that a complete rebranding in addition to the renovation was necessary. The owner and her daughter were so genuinely happy with the results that it made you happy for them. Looking forward to the Fish House renovation. I respect that the lady was running a charity and was trying to stretch a dollar which is the responsible thing to do. Also the shelter was not so much for foster kids but for battered or abused women, women going through hard times and trying it get back on their feet with their kids. The "horrible woman" was not a foster mom, she is running a shelter for women and their children and that is a different set of priorities. I also respect the heck out of Erin and Ben that they can stretch a budget until it squeaks, at times I find it highly annoying but I realize they do not live in the most economically rich area of the country and that is obvious from some of the house prices and the budgets folks have. Foster parents on the other hand are being paid by the state to raise children and it looks as if they will have 4 or eventually 6 kids. Different finances, different priorities.
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Post by Kao on May 5, 2021 8:39:56 GMT
True, but there's a difference between saying "I have a limited budget, but please make this place as nice as possible because the women and children who come through our doors have often had a hard time and I want this place to be an oasis" and "LOL it doesn't have to be too nice; do it cheaply." The first statement shows concern for the people you are helping, while the latter does not. Not everyone goes into that line of work do so for altruistic reasons, and her "It doesn't have to be that nice" comment really pissed me off. Thankfully, you have probably never had to go to a shelter but there's a big difference in the places where someone put some...care into the surroundings and those that are basically a hard bed, no bedding, gray walls(ie: cheap and institutional) and it makes a big difference in your mental state and that of your children because they pick up on things like that. Women and children fleeing horrible situations should not have to stay in places that are little better than a jail. I give Erin and Ben all the credit in the world for having their priorities in the right place and made every dollar squeak to create a beautiful, safe place for those women and children.
It also doesn't help that there's an association between the "It doesn't have to be nice, do it cheaply" people with the ones that get funding for shelters that are basically look like FEMA shelters because someone is skimming where I'm at; we've had several places get their licensing revoked and closed because of this.
As I mentioned before, the polar opposite of that was the renovation Chip and Jo did on Fixer Upper for the "Transition House" for girls in the foster system and it was because the Director had decades of experience and her assistant was an ex-foster kid, and I think that made all the difference in the world. Granted, they had more resources because they fundraised money for their reno on top of Jo using her considerable influence to get donations for the home but when Jo sat the director of the house and the assistant and asked what they wanted both of them put a priority on having a safe, beautiful place for the girls that could act as an oasis in the chaos of their lives. Words...mean something.
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Post by nennie on May 5, 2021 14:27:49 GMT
I loved that (unlike the horrible woman from that Hometown episode who was running a shelter who wanted everything as cheap as possible) the foster parents main priority was to make their house into a safe space for the children. Unlike some people, they considered these kids like their own, and their room looked fun. I also loved the kitchen. The store reno was fantastic and I liked that they realized that a complete rebranding in addition to the renovation was necessary. The owner and her daughter were so genuinely happy with the results that it made you happy for them. Looking forward to the Fish House renovation. I respect that the lady was running a charity and was trying to stretch a dollar which is the responsible thing to do. Also the shelter was not so much for foster kids but for battered or abused women, women going through hard times and trying it get back on their feet with their kids. The "horrible woman" was not a foster mom, she is running a shelter for women and their children and that is a different set of priorities. I also respect the heck out of Erin and Ben that they can stretch a budget until it squeaks, at times I find it highly annoying but I realize they do not live in the most economically rich area of the country and that is obvious from some of the house prices and the budgets folks have. Foster parents on the other hand are being paid by the state to raise children and it looks as if they will have 4 or eventually 6 kids. Different finances, different priorities. That horrible woman was making a place for women and children to live that would create a lot of wear and tear on the furniture etc. So to put high dollar items in these houses would be crazy. I would have gladly lived in the house Erin and Ben did for her on the cheap. You also don't have to buy new to find good things for a cheaper price. I have rental properties and you can bet I would never invest top dollar items in them to be torn up by people who do not respect your things. As for structural stuff you do not skimp but for furnishings forget it. Also I am quite sure Ben and Erin didn't cheaply do any structural work.
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Post by nennie on May 5, 2021 20:20:51 GMT
That horrible woman was making a place for women and children to live that would create a lot of wear and tear on the furniture etc. So to put high dollar items in these houses would be crazy. I would have gladly lived in the house Erin and Ben did for her on the cheap. You also don't have to buy new to find good things for a cheaper price. I have rental properties and you can bet I would never invest top dollar items in them to be torn up by people who do not respect your things. As for structural stuff you do not skimp but for furnishings forget it. Also I am quite sure Ben and Erin didn't cheaply do any structural work. I am getting confused as to why you label the charity lady a "horrible woman"? First you said she was too cheap and now you are saying she created wear and tear on furniture. Then you said you would be happy to live in any "cheap" house Ben and Erin would build. Yes, I am confused. Please clarify. I am not labeling her a horrible woman. I was just responding to your quote where you responded to the one who called her a horrible woman. I don't consider her a horrible woman I consider her a hero for doing the work she is doing. I simply was saying I wouldn't put expensive things in a house when it would be used by multiple people on an ongoing basis. Sorry if I confused you. I also again will say Ben and Erin wouldn't skimp on structural IMO. AND again I would have lived in that house that they remodeled for the lady and her husband. If I remember correctly they used their own money to do this as they had been blessed financially in life. Correct me if I am wrong.
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Post by Kao on May 5, 2021 20:56:42 GMT
Thank you Nennie, for giving me another point of view. It's true that you don't want to spend a lot of money in a place that gets a lot of wear and tear. But as you said yourself, getting something nice doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and there's a difference between you being a landlady and this woman being a director of a institution that is taking care of (often) traumatized women and kids. You're also probably getting things that are nice but can withstand a lot of wear and tear for your units. To me, her saying "It doesn't have to be nice, just make it cheap" is....I don't know, pretty crass? Saying that the people you're looking after don't deserve a nice place to stay? Either way, that comment was not a good look for someone in social work. I've watched three different shows now that featured transitional housing/shelters and that lady is the only one who said something like this; everyone else put the welfare, comfort, and having an oasis for their future clients front and center regardless of budget.
Playing Devil's advocate, she could also just be new to this line of work, budget was a major concern, and she stated this less than gracefully. After all, this is the same woman who also thinks it's okay that many families share one bathroom in the house so I don't think she has a lot of experience doing this sort of thing. Either way, I think all of us agree that Ben and Erin made a beautiful place for these women and children to stay that was nice but didn't scream "cheap" and that's important.
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Post by nennie on May 5, 2021 21:06:55 GMT
Thank you Nennie, for giving me another point of view. It's true that you don't want to spend a lot of money in a place that gets a lot of wear and tear. But as you said yourself, getting something nice doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and there's a difference between you being a landlady and this woman being a director of a institution that is taking care of (often) traumatized women and kids. You're also probably getting things that are nice but can withstand a lot of wear and tear for your units. To me, her saying "It doesn't have to be nice, just make it cheap" is....I don't know, pretty crass? Saying that the people you're looking after don't deserve a nice place to stay? Either way, that comment was not a good look for someone in social work. I've watched three different shows now that featured transitional housing/shelters and that lady is the only one who said something like this; everyone else put the welfare, comfort, and having an oasis for their future clients front and center regardless of budget. Playing Devil's advocate, she could also just be new to this line of work, budget was a major concern, and she stated this less than gracefully. After all, this is the same woman who also thinks it's okay that many families share one bathroom in the house so I don't think she has a lot of experience doing this sort of thing. Either way, I think all of us agree that Ben and Erin made a beautiful place for these women and children to stay that was nice but didn't scream "cheap" and that's important. I think they are fairly new to this type of thing. She will learn with time how to state things. Most people would have kept their money and spent it on themselves so I can't imagine that she wouldn't think they didn't deserve nice things since she gave of her resources. Budget was a major concern. Erin is a whiz at making cheap things look expensive. I loved the house when it was done.
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Post by Bearcata on May 5, 2021 22:44:53 GMT
Thank you both nennie and Kao for clarifying.
I understand now why folks revert to having publicists write up statements that basically say nothing. It is amazing how a person's words can be picked apart and all kinds of intent be assigned to those words. I do not have any experience in the batter women needing shelter experience and all I saw was a lady trying to get some decent shelter for some ladies and their kids. It was very obvious that there would be two families sharing the one house and the one bathroom. All I could think of that was a stretch and was surprised that Erin and Ben did not try to add at least a powder room. Overall I liked the design of the kitchen and luv'ed the study desks Ben built for the kids.
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Post by Bearcata on May 5, 2021 22:58:36 GMT
Thank you Nennie, for giving me another point of view. It's true that you don't want to spend a lot of money in a place that gets a lot of wear and tear. But as you said yourself, getting something nice doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and there's a difference between you being a landlady and this woman being a director of a institution that is taking care of (often) traumatized women and kids. You're also probably getting things that are nice but can withstand a lot of wear and tear for your units. To me, her saying "It doesn't have to be nice, just make it cheap" is....I don't know, pretty crass? Saying that the people you're looking after don't deserve a nice place to stay? Either way, that comment was not a good look for someone in social work. I've watched three different shows now that featured transitional housing/shelters and that lady is the only one who said something like this; everyone else put the welfare, comfort, and having an oasis for their future clients front and center regardless of budget. Playing Devil's advocate, she could also just be new to this line of work, budget was a major concern, and she stated this less than gracefully. After all, this is the same woman who also thinks it's okay that many families share one bathroom in the house so I don't think she has a lot of experience doing this sort of thing. Either way, I think all of us agree that Ben and Erin made a beautiful place for these women and children to stay that was nice but didn't scream "cheap" and that's important. Only two grown women and their children would be sharing the bathroom. I will say that I do think people are major spoiled in this country regarding the number of bathrooms and bedrooms needed per person. Many older homes had the one bathroom and it was upstairs and the parents and kids shared it. I grew up in a house like that and so did my cousins. I really appreciated it when we moved to a house that had a powder room on the first floor. As far a multiple families sharing a single bathroom that is more common that you think. My family is from Europe and much housing had been destroyed during WWII, it was very common for families to share any kind of shelter. My grandparents lived in a horse stable with another family at one point for over a year. So I don't see it as a hardship for just two families sharing a home, a kitchen, heat, and a bathroom until they can get on their feet. PS: Visiting my uncle in the UK, the powder room was in the backyard inside his garden shed. He had his rose cuttings in there and of course the top half was glass and the toilet was right there by the back wall and you would sit on it and act as if you were taking care of the plants while you did your business.
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Post by nennie on May 6, 2021 1:49:14 GMT
Thank you both nennie and Kao for clarifying. I understand now why folks revert to having publicists write up statements that basically say nothing. It is amazing how a person's words can be picked apart and all kinds of intent be assigned to those words. I do not have any experience in the batter women needing shelter experience and all I saw was a lady trying to get some decent shelter for some ladies and their kids. It was very obvious that there would be two families sharing the one house and the one bathroom. All I could think of that was a stretch and was surprised that Erin and Ben did not try to add at least a powder room. Overall I liked the design of the kitchen and luv'ed the study desks Ben built for the kids. This is a prime example of how sometime we speak before we think.
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Post by waywyrd on May 7, 2021 12:00:13 GMT
No Demo Reno - the bathroom in that first house had to be one of the weirdest layouts ever. An open tub with a toilet on either side? Not awkward at all. Adding Craftsman trim on the windows and doors was a good idea, and the tile in the kitchen and bathroom was really nice. The second house was a definite improvement also. Flip or Flop - I guess my idea of mid-century modern is nothing like Christina's. And that kitchen was SO dark, I hated it. But of course a hundred people got into a bidding war and they made $160K off that thing. Psh. Thumbs up to the tile guy who cut those patterns in the shower though, I could never.
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Post by nennie on May 7, 2021 13:16:24 GMT
No Demo Reno - the bathroom in that first house had to be one of the weirdest layouts ever. An open tub with a toilet on either side? Not awkward at all. Adding Craftsman trim on the windows and doors was a good idea, and the tile in the kitchen and bathroom was really nice. The second house was a definite improvement also. Flip or Flop - I guess my idea of mid-century modern is nothing like Christina's. And that kitchen was SO dark, I hated it. But of course a hundred people got into a bidding war and they made $160K off that thing. Psh. Thumbs up to the tile guy who cut those patterns in the shower though, I could never. That was horrible. The space was to tight to put those dark cabinets in. I didn't think the outside was mid century. I noticed when they would pan close up on some of the tile work it was not good quality work. The grout was a lousy job.
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