HGTV vs. Reality

Are you an HGTV fan?

Before I became a kitchen and bath designer, I watched the Home & Garden Television channel all the time. It was on my remote control favorites list. I still catch an occasional House Hunters International episode and will confess to being a Design Star reality show fan. I just no longer spend hours on end watching redesign and remodeling shows.

This is not true for many of my clients, especially when I was starting out my career at the Home Depot. Dreamy-eyed women would quote HGTV details to me all the time, some applicable to their kitchen or bath, most not.

Kitchen designed by Candice Olson, one of HGTV's most popular and talented designer-hosts as seen on HGTV.com.

You see, the actual process of completing those projects is so fundamentally different than what you see on television, which can only show a sliver of the project. Making a complete room redesign or remodel fit into a compelling 30-minute show has to gut the perception or no one would watch! This truncated vision conveys a ridiculously simplistic and distorted impression of the complexities of these projects. I salute those designer-hosts who make it look quick and easy. It's not, even in the best cases.

After several seasons of disastrous Design Star kitchen competition botch-ups, the show producers wisely went to a catalog shoot challenge this season.

As a designer who works strictly in the off-screen realm right now, I feel compelled to share some of the contrasts between real life and HGTV that are essential to consider if you're planning a kitchen or bath remodel.


HGTV:

A full-scale kitchen or bath remodel is completed in 30 minutes, often timed perfectly to accommodate a huge family Christmas dinner or other special occasion shown in the final moments of the show.

REAL LIFE:

A full-scale, full-service kitchen or bath remodel is typically completed in 30 days or longer. Much longer, in many cases. Yes, I know there are one-week bath firms out there, but their scope is limited.

The few seconds of demolition, construction and installation shown on remodeling shows, often in fast-forward motion, can be days or weeks of work in your home, in your life, in your face.

And here's something I tell all of my clients on every single project: Never, never, never plan a major event around a remodel or new construction project. Murphy (of Murphy's Law fame) will most likely Kick Your Butt if you fail to heed this advice.


HGTV:

The happy homeowners see their remodeled room for the first time at the 25th minute of the show.

REAL LIFE:

In most remodeling projects, the homeowners are living on the job site the entire time and see their room at all phases of the project. These include the scary "there's no sink or floor in here" phase, the dust-everywhere construction phase, and the touch-ups at the end phase long before my personal favorite "everybody hugs each other" phase.


HGTV:

A brilliant designer magically appears when you need one and knows all of your wants and needs after a five-minute meeting. You heed his or her every word, even those gleaned by reading your mind because you just get that they're all-knowing.

REAL LIFE:

You spend significant amounts of your free time looking for a designer and interviewing designers. If you're fortunate enough to find a real pro, (and using the National Kitchen & Bath Association Find a Pro search can help greatly in this regard), you're going to spend hours sharing your preferences and needs with an experienced designer who will factor them into your plans. He or she will also check in with you on ideas they have as questions arise, and on the sometimes-shifting dynamics of a project. There's no mind-reading involved in this process.


HGTV:

Budgets are rarely discussed. When they are, they typically don't include the dollars that cover labor, as the host's team is doing the work. Occasionally, the narrator will say that the budget was increased to include x, y or z that didn't get factored in from the start, or that the client paid for a, b, or c out of their own pockets, a favorite of the house-selling shows.

REAL LIFE:

You're dealing in real dollars -- your hard-earned dollars -- and the professionals you hire need to respect your budget and advise you if a product choice you make impacts it. My pro colleagues and I ask about your preferred investment level at our first appointment, as it impacts the cabinetry, appliance, countertop, fixture, faucet, hardware and flooring options that we will recommend for your project.

We also factor in labor charged by the contractors, installers, plumbers, electricians and other qualified trades who will turn your dream kitchen or bath into a wonderful reality for you.

Otherwise, you're in for one of those nightmare remodels that have made Holmes on Homes a household name.

Mike Holmes, contractor and host of Holmes on Homes, fixes bad remodeling projects.

And that's just reality, not TV.

City of Angels: Keynote Panels at the PDC

My trip to LA was primarily to attend the Keynote Panel discussions being held at the Pacific Design Center. The first Panel was moderated by Margaret Russell of Elle Decor. The Panelists:

• Mayer Rus, Design and Culture Editor of the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Mr. Rus was formerly the Design Editor of House and Garden where he was also known as The Testy Tastemaker. He is also the author of the blog From Rus with Love.
• Patricia Shackelford, whom we all know and love as Mrs. Blandings.
• Michael Bruno, founder and president of 1stdibs.com, leading online resource for high-end antiques.
• Vicente Wolf, Top designer for the last 35 years, and more recently blogging on his Vicente Wolf Blog.

The discussion centered on the rise of Social Media and was titled: Giving Design a Voice in the Digital Age, Navigating the New Media Landscape.

As you can imagine, bloggers are at the forefront of the social media phenom along with Facebook and Twitter. Designers are being told by the powers that be that they need in interactive internet presence, whether a blog or a Facebook connection or both. The panelists discussed the merits and drawbacks of each and all, how to start, why to start.

The reasons stated were as personal as the personalities. Patricia was looking for a community, or as she so aptly put it, her "people". She shares anecdotes about her adventures in decorating her own home as well sharing lots of design information and resources.

Vicente Wolf started his blog to share information, especially about the challenges of doing the business of design. Interestingly, Mr. Wolf admitted a real lack of interest and know-how regarding his use of computers. He let us in on the fact that he tapes his posts which are then transcribed by a staffer to his blog. His view is that computer use can stifle the creativity of a designer to a degree...in this instance he was referring to CAD.

Mayer Rus' enthusiasm for computers was less than one might think as well. He was as entertaining as you would expect if you were familiar with his Testy Tastemaker column, boldly stating mind altering substances were his way of coping with email. I have to say, he was hilarious. Do check out his blog as you will be able to get your own fix of his irreverent humor....something I have sorely missed since the passing of HG.

Michael Bruno was the only panelist without a blog, but his website, 1st dibs has become not just an online antique resource. It is also an internet magazine. There are stories about who's who in the design industry regularly updated on the 1st dibs site in the Introspective Magazine.

All of the panelists agreed that blogging has had an affect on print media and that the way print and online media work together is still in it's infancy. There are many people working hard to try and find a path that leads to prosperity for everyone. The rules are changing constantly. And Margaret brought up the very important point that it is crucial to keep up. Elle Decor has launched their new website, which will act as Elle Decor's online presence and will be offering many more interactive features than what is available through their print magazine. It is a much more immediate form of communication and can be updated accordingly.

The panel discussion was recorded, and Vicente Wolf mentioned on his blog that he is trying to get ahold of it for everyone to see. I will let you know as soon as it is available!

The afternoon panel was moderated by Editor at Large's Sophie Danielson. Panelists included:

• Michael Bruno of 1st dibs.
• Ronda Carmen, Founder of All the Best blog.
• Vanessa de Vargas, Interior Designer and blogger for her blog Turquoise and Apartment Therapy.
• Brian Patrick Flynn, Designer and Founder of Decor Demon.
• Brad Ford, Designer and Founder of Design Therapy.
• Jillian St. Charles, Vice President and Site Director of HGTV.com.

This Panel discussion revolved around essentially the same theme: How does one navigate social media to enhance one's business and brand identity. These panelists have all taken on the internet to create a more interactive forum with the hope that this forum will result in more design business, more sales, and more information for existing and potential clients. The bonus for us? We get a lot of ideas, information, inspiration and entertainment that is immediate!

Ronda Carmen is spinning her popular blog off into a new business called All the Best Portfolio which specializes in brand building and marketing for the design industry.

Vanessa de Vargas offers online design services (a new design phenomenon for many designers!) for those clients that have a restrictive budget or who live anywhere in the world.

Former television producer turned designer, Brian Patrick Flynn has taken his skills with the camera and turned his sights to creating "Webisodes" of design How-tos soon to be found on his blog Decor Demon.

Top designer Brad Ford shares his passion for design and insider information on his blog Design Therapy.

And Jillian St. Charles shared with us the differences between the HGTV television channel and the features from the website. There is a lot of info on there...so check it out!

Great discussion and food for thought from both panels.

The main thing I took away is that it is a good idea to get involved online. But not necessarily in the expected ways. Many are using social media in new and creative ways to enhance their primary business' or to create a new business altogether. Social Media is a primordial soup and it is going to evolve exponentially in the coming years. It's a good idea to evolve with it!

Chic City Living

While there may be a dearth of American Shelter magazines, the foreign options just keep getting better and better. I was very excited to receive my new subscription to Canadian House & Home magazine this week and also to see Thomas Smyth's home featured in their City Living section. If you happen to watch Design, Inc. on HGTV, then you might have seen Thomas who is one of Sarah Richardson's design assistants. He is is a hoot and his home is a great mix of interesting art and found treasures. I wish there more high caliber design shows like Design, Inc. and Divine Design on HGTV! If you haven't picked up Canadian House & Home yet, I highly recommend you do so you can see more of this chic city home!