Watch It
We get lots of questions about which decorating and renovating shows make it into our DVR. And while there are probably enough design shows to circle the earth five times, we’ve whittled things down to a few choice favs. Here are our top five:
1. Design Inc. – This is one of our most recent discoveries since the Fine Living Network was added to our cable bundle… and it’s already on the must-watch list. Each show follows a small team of designers as they redo a space with a budget that ranges from gigantic to tiny (with occasional thrift store shopping which always delights us) and the reveal is always breathtaking.
2. My Big Amazing Renovation - Insane budgets, nighmarish setbacks, and jawdropping transformations are par for the course when homeowners take their tiny homes and turn them into bona fide 6000 square foot mansions while the cameras roll. Drama!
3. Divine Design – Candace Olson is far and away one of our favorite designers. Sure we could do without the skat-inspired theme song or the weird little skits in each episode, but her design sense, use of color, and furniture arranging skills are nothing short of magical.
4. Dear Genevieve – This new show on the block is full of chic transformations that we’ve really enjoyed thus far. Sure, she’s from Trading Spaces, but we can’t hold that against her forever.
5. Dress My Nest – Thom Filicia is a fantastic designer with bold ideas that actually look inviting and livable when he puts them into practice (as opposed to about a million other shows that just look crazy and over the top).
It should be noted that we just got the DIY channel along with the Fine Living Network so we’re still exploring this whole new world of home improvement programming. And of course we’re excited to hear all about what you guys love so we can check them out for ourselves! Do tell.
Check out what Holly over at Decor8 is watching- and read her comments for other suggestions.
Images courtesy of Design Inc., Divine Design, and Dress My Nest.
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Hello Youngsters!
I must note that both Design Inc and Divine Design are both Canadian shows (I’m a Canadian myself living in Texas)…Sarah is one of the top designers in Canada right now…You should also check out a new show called Income Property (again Canadian…you would think we do nothing else but decorate!)…usually renovating basements so they can be rented but the makeovers are usually inspiring.
Candace is my favorite by far! I could also do without the corny-ness but it’s a small price to pay to see her finished rooms! I’ve yet to see a room I don’t like by her.
Design Inc is a great Canadian show! Hopefully you guys will get her other series soon too. Sarah’s House. Where she guts and renovates an old house. They should start airing Sarah’s Cottage soon and I can’t wait.
ha! totally agree about Candace. During the shoe i always think- what is she doing? but the end product is always amazing! love dear genevieve too and basically anything on hgtv.
It might just be me, but on ‘My Big Amazing Renovation’, the voce over guy can’t seem to pronounce the ‘g’ in ‘ing’. It’s always ‘workin’ or ‘seein’–never a ‘g’! I’m from the South, but it is a bit extreme! We still enjoy the show. (Now that I pointed it out to you, you’ll never be able to not hear it–sorry!)
Divine Design – woo hoo! I LOVE Candace! (I love the theme song, but I must admit cringing while I giggle at the skits.)
Devine Design is also one of my favorites. I don’t think she has designed anything that I didn’t like. However, her budgets are always expensive, so you would have to figure out how to create something similar on a budget.
Another I like as well is Dress My Nest. Always young, fresh and fun to watch people on that show!
To stray from reno shows, but still in real estate, The Property Shop, new on HGTV is becoming a favorite. I think it may be a canadian show too. Tatiana is a hoot.
I love Thom and Genevieve..But Thom is my fav..he is so sweet and fun.
Oh, I miss design shows! My husband and I just have basic cable to save some extra cash and to watch less TV. Divine Design is (was) one of my favs too!
I am loving this post – but then it does have a few of my fav things – young house love, television, AND home decor!
(throw in that little Burger and it would be heaven on earth!)
I love design inc. It use to come on HGTV awhile ago but then it disappeared. I was so happy once we got FLN and I saw it in there line up. If you like design inc you should look for Room Service also on FLN and use to be on HGTV. Sarah Richardson host this one too and you can see where it is her before design inc. She has some really good ideas on there and she shows you craft/ building projects for your house. I live in md and it comes on FLN at 8am and 8:30am on Sundays. Those are two I try to never miss, I am not lucky enough to have DVR :)
I gotta give my props to Designed To Sell. I’m partial to the DC crew, but that may also be my local bias. We’re looking to sell our house this year so I’m getting lots of good ideas for what and what not to do, but even if you’re staying put it’s great for sprucing up your house with normal, appealing design on the cheap. I’ve definitely seen them give thrift stores some love and repaint old furniture, and they also turned me on to these faux tin ceiling panels that I’m now dying to put in my sunroom to cover the drop ceiling. If I ever get around to it, I’ll send in the before and after!
I usually just watch Divine Design on mute while I’m playing on the computer. Love the final product, but I find Candace uber-annoying.
If you like Design Inc, hit the internet and try to find “Sarah’s House”, on HGTV.ca
There are two seasons, and the follow Sarah Richardson as she buys a house (one per season) and totally guts them and rebuilds them. It’s awesome, seeing how she trades off saves and splurges, and seeing how she runs into the same issues as a professional designer that all us DIY-ers do!
There is also a show called “Sarah’s Cottage”, where she redoes a cottage in Ontario, but I’m not sure if it’s even airing in Canada yet!
I love love love love Sarah Richardson. Her rooms always strike the balance between clean/uncluttered and comfortable/lived in. LOVE IT!
Haven’t seen Design Inc….definitely need to check it out. I agree that Dear Genevieve and Divine Design are two great decorating shows; much more “design” than most HGTV fare.
I’m also completely loving House Hunters International — it’s amazing how much more fun it is to watch people house hunt in Belgium or Buenos Aires instead of Baltimore or Boston. My husband will even tolerate it!
Isn’t Sarah Richardson amazing? By far one of our best Canadian exports. Just WAIT until Sarah’s House hits the US…AMAZING!
Candace is my hero! How dare you put down the theme song and the skits!! Just kidding, they are corny but just another reason why I love that show. It’s unlike any other.
Another Canadian here- LOVE Sarah Richardson!! Sarah’s house can be found here:
http://www.hgtv.ca/SarahsHouse/
You can watch the shows online- yay!! And this spring in Canada she is about to start Sarah’s cottage.
Divine Design is a favorite of mine. She seems to be a true interior designer, rather than a decorator. I also enjoy color splash with David Bromstad. His color choices and custom artwork always look great!
CourtneyM, I thought I was the only one who noticed how the announcer always says they are “tearin’” and “fixin’” and “renovatin’”!! It gets annoying. But I think the show’s concept is cool.
I love Designed to Sell, Divine Design, Dream House and House Hunters! But I’ll watch pretty much anything on HGTV.
Oh, I should say it gets annoyin’. :)
Wow! Who knew a voice over could ruin a show about insanely over the top home makeovers?! Now that you’ve pointed out the tearin’/fixin’/renovatin’ issue I’m sure we’ll never be able to watch it without pushing mute. We watch it for the drama (and often don’t even appreciate the overdone decor that people introduce on their insane renovating rampage). But for the sheer insanity of turning a cute little ranch into a castle, it’s still worth at least a look or two (even if you’re blasting Britney to drown out the terrible announcer guy).
xo,
Sherry
You guys have got to watch Renovation Realities. This is by far the funniest show ever. They follow a real homeowner trying to do a DIY project and you see the good, the bad and the ugly. I find myself dying of laughter on every single episode. They always underestimate the time, money and effort to complete a project. Most shows make DIY look so easy but this show gives you the true dirt.
If you like Design Inc. and Divine Design, then you should definitely be picking 2 top Canadian home decor mags:
Style at Home…which frequently features Sarah Richardson designs, and Canadian House & Home. I don’t think there are any mags on the US market right now like these 2 mags.
I can’t get enought of Sarah Richardson’s Design, Inc…plus later episodes of Room Service. FLN has only season 1 & 2 airing. i just have to make do with photos from hgtv.ca for completed rooms from the later seasons. I watch DVR’d reruns over and over.
I can’t get access to Sarah’s House online from the states, darn! I did watch a portion on youtube and have seen finished results from photos on the website and canadian shelter mags
Divine Design is definitely amazing! She is so elegant and classy. What about Deserving Design by Vern Yip? I think he is great too. Another Trading Spaces alum, but he and Genevieve were always my favorite.
Divine Design is fabulous, but Candice Olsen drives me nuts! Thankfully, her designs are amazing, which (sort of) makes up for her craziness.
I really can’t stand MBAR. And I agree with everyone on here about the voiceover guy. I’m all about grammar, so maybe that is the reason why his constant slang drives me nuts! What bothers me the most about the show is how much money people are spending. Why COULDN’T create a huge, gorgeous house with hundreds of thousands of dollars??
That is why I love more realistic shows, like Designed to Sell. Their designs are affordable, practical, and gorgeous! Actually, now that I think about it, they’re a lot like YOU guys! :)
I meant to say WHO couldn’t, not WHY couldn’t! Wups :)
‘Pure Design’ on HGTV (in Canada anyways) is one of my favs! I don’t know if it airs in the States. The designer Samantha Pynn has some great ideas.
I agree with Amara…you MUST catch Renovation Realities on DIYnetwork!! Not for the design aspect at all but for the pure comedy. It simultaneously makes me laugh at the pitiful homeowners AND feel better about my DIY skills. The deadlines are always ridiculous (renovating your only working bathroom 6 days before Christmas)…the budgets are always too tiny…and I think my favorite was the girl in Hollywood who wanted a longer measuring tape because she didn’t want to do math.
i feel the EXACT same way about divine design. i could totally do without the cheesiness, but i’ve loved everything she’s ever done so i always tune it when it’s on.
I LOVE Design Inc. and Room Service. I am excited to hear that she will be having new shows. Hopefully they will be aired here in the US!
I love Divine Design too and have noticed that the new shows don’t have any skits in them, thank goodness! I agree with everyone that I haven’t seen a room that Candace does that I don’t like.
I also love Dress My Nest!
Thanks for all the lovely suggestions guys! Keep ‘em comin’. Our DVR will runneth over with great decorating shows. Now to find the time to watch them…
xoxo,
Sherry
My two faves are Design Inc and Devine Design. I would love for Candice to come and decorate my house.
Oh, I remember fondly when Design Inc. was on HGTV back in the day. In fact, I think Sarah had two HGTV shows, Design Inc. and another one, maybe Sarah Richardon or something? They have a nice website with their portfolio as well (the design team), but the images are all too tiny!
I know it is your opposite, but what about This Old House.
Well maybe your opposite is That Old Condo, so you could still like this old house. or…. New Yankee Workshop
Fine living also has another show by Sarah Richardson, “Room Service” I like it because it features do-it-yourself projects in addition to high-end design. I used to love HGTV back in the day (think mid to early 90s) but now I feel like most of their shows are “do it on a budget” or “design for less” and I usually feel like the finished rooms end up looking cheap. I miss hosts like Chris Madden who showcased truely amazing homes. It was easier for me to draw inspiration from a fabulous room than one done on the cheap.
Design Inc. is my absolute favourite! It’s great that they’ve started airing it in the US, but I think they’re a couple seasons behind… Some full episodes are online at: http://www.hgtv.ca/video/
You can also watch episodes of Sarah Richardson’s other show, Sarah’s House, at: http://www.hgtv.ca/sarahshouse/video.aspx
Glad you like Dear Genevieve too! I just posted yesterday about her and the show, and even made a video that I sent to the site because I really like her designs and hope for a response. :)
I like Candace’s designs too, but agree with you on the skits and music.
Canada has the best content: go to HGTV.ca…
But also check out “Designer Guys” (old dua, and new trio); their creations are fabulous chic!
I love Sarah Richardson and Candace Olson too. Sorry, you won’t be able to watch those videos outside of canada (I tried). Some copyright issues I guess.
I love Sarah and Candice! I’m a Canadian too! I saw someone mentioned my new fave, Pure Design with Samantha Pynn. I know you would love her, as she is not only a fabulous designer but she is all about “Green” decorating. She tries to reuse and refashion what the homeowners have or she purchases environmentally friendly products. A really great show!
Wahoo! Thanks again for all the new show suggestions! We can’t wait to hunt down those soon-to-be-favs…
xo,
Sherry
To Angie’s comment about the 2 Canadian shelter mags, Canadian House and Home and Style at Home…both fantastic magazines!!! Hopefully they won’t bite the dust like our other fav…CHAH is available at Barnes & Noble and you really should check it out. Have not seen SAT for sale here in the US but I subscribe to it – worth the money!!!
Where did you get the photo for the Dress My Nest bedroom? I’m working on a similar look for my bedroom… I have lilac walls and am trying to incorporate more grey & some additional color… I’d love to see more photos of this room to get some ideas! Thanks. I love your blog!
Hey Kristen,
There’s a link to the Dress My Nest site where we found that picture on the bottom of the post! Hopefully there’s a bit more info (and maybe even some alternate views for you to check out). Happy hunting…
xo,
Sherry
There are so many shows I like to watch but right now Dear Genevieve and Property Virgins are the only two that are always recorded if I can’t catch them.
I like to watch alot of different shows though some of my faves include Color Splash, Curb Appeal, Deserving Design, Design on a Dime, Devine Design, Get Color, HGTV Showdown, Mission Organization, My first place, House hunters, Miles of Style, Rate my Space, The Stagers, Weekend Warriors. Ok that was several but there are alot more that I like to watch. It drives my husband CRAZY!
I love Design Inc.,Sarah’s House and Pure Design as well. I think that those are my favorite design shows on t.v. right now. I also like The Style Dept. which shows you how they design a room to make it “magazine perfect”. Disaster D.I.Y. is a fun show that helps do-it-yourselfers fix the problems that they have created. It is very informative and shows you how things are supposed to be done the right way. They are also a Canadian shows.
I’m not 100% sure, but I think Samantha Pynn is one of the editors on Canadian House and Home magazinel. I agree with all the comments about the great Canadian design shows and mags.
One show I really like is an American one that we get on HGTV Canada. It’s the one where a couple is looking at houses and the design team shows them ones way below their budget, but shows how the house could be reno’d to fit their needs. (maybe has “Potential” in the title?) I only wish that show had some after shots so we could see if people actually took the advice.
I love this show, but the narrator drives me INSANE! His pronunciation – or lack of – “g” in “ing” words is really hard to listen to. I have a hard time watching the show because of him. Great show otherwise.
I love these shows!! The first image posted looks a bit matchy-matchy though. The colours are all blue and beige with some darker tones.. Would be nice to see something just pop at you, instead of scattering your eye. That being said, the picture is nice regardless.. very stylishly done!
I also wanted to mention that there’s a really good sale on Style at Home subscription: $17.95 for a 12 month subscription to Style at Home Magazine ($66 Value) on http://www.dealticker.ca/vancouver_en_94categ.html
Cheers!
Ejsa