Every now and again I google “leather chair” and I GASP as a photo of my past work comes up with a questionable chair, or a suspicious wall color (not here). Generally this is work that I didn’t necessarily forget about, but they were never properly photographed (as you can see) so it was never blogged about, or maybe it was but that blog post has been broken for years (thanks to moving servers and hosts 4 times).
Years ago, when I did the show “Secrets From a Stylist, ” #RIP, we styled two different looks in the same room for the first season. And THREE different looks for the pilot episode (shown here). The first look was always really extreme in one direction, with the idea that the second (or third) look would pull it back into reality (the two looks were based on their personality styles).
So here are four rooms that were only “first looks” and lasted 18 hours. Thank God someone photographed them (albeit terrible photographs) . . . and now they are burned into your (and my) memories.
The first photo was Ian’s house, first look. It was “mantique, ” I think. Then for the second (with the black/white rug) we added “midcentury pop, ” which I liked in different ways. For that one we painted out the back of the shelves. The third look is what you see here, above, which is the obvious favorite, and a mixing of all three of the styles.
Ooh this is fun. Ok, remember this?
This room was the first look of the “Spanish Mod” episode. They wanted super modern, but they lived in an old Spanish style house. So for first look we did it totally old world (mostly for the sake of the viewers). These people FREAKED out when I painted those walls dark green, and it was actually super awkward. We always had the intention of painting it back but man, they were pissed. Sorry, guys. They also hated the lighting, but I personally think that it’s better than what they chose (below). I actually still really like the green room, even though it was meant to look really old world Spanish. I definitely wouldn’t paint the ceilings again – that looks stupid. I think we couldn’t find a break so we didn’t know what to do. Man the final look was so much better. These photos are all super low-res, sorry!!
Here is the second look:
I found one more angle on the internet:
That credenza is still STUNNING.
Ok any of you remember this? This was the first look of the “Industrial Kitch” loft that we did. The first look was meant to be super kitchy and retro (obviously). I still like a lot of the elements but altogether it was cuckoo.
Here’s a link to the 4 minute abridged version of that episode. I found a screenshot of the second look.
Pretty darn fun. It kinda says 2010 all over it, but there are a lot of elements I still like. You can’t tell, but check out that DIY crate room divider. Crazy. 
There was this bachelor, below, who’s fiance was moving in. For the first look we did just his style:
He was extremely attached to that sofa which I have to say we made look REALLY good here. He loved this room so much and was like “please don’t do a second look, please.” But, we did:
He wasn’t as happy. But she was. 
I kinda wish we hadn’t put so many pops of yellow in there, but OOOHHHHWEELLLL.
OOh this is my new favorite game. All I want to do now is go through old SFAS episodes and critique the first version (I can’t really critique the second too much, obviously). Man these bring back memories. I can’t believe HGTV didn’t hire photographers to shoot them. They would hire a “set photographer” who would come in for like 10 minutes and grab a shot of me placing a pillow, but nobody that actually knew how to shoot interiors. So I started hiring my own for the blog, but I was so busy shooting the show that I couldn’t be there to style them. Such missed opportunities all the time. But now I get to dredge them up from the past and show them off to you.
If you are bored this weekend check out some of the old episodes or videos here. It’s not my best work, but man it’s super fun to revisit that life. I’ve never really talked about what happened to the show – but as you could probably tell HGTV went to a real estate/renovate formula that has worked very well for them. “The Property Brothers” first blew it up, Then” Love it or List it, ” and now my favorite “Fixer Upper.” People ask all the time if I’d like to have my own show again.
It’s a complicated answer: YES. I would love to have my own show that is really, really, good. You’d think that’s obvious but there are a lot of bad/cliche/generic show ideas out there. Over the years I have been pitched or asked to do a variety of them, but to give up that much time (which makes my family life and this blog suffer GREATLY) it has to be a really awesome show, with a ton of creative/design control, and a large enough budget to make the space look good. Anyway, I tell my agents that when both kids are in school I might be less picky, but to miss so much of their childhood to host a mediocre show, that edits out my personality, and insists on mainstream design for the masses, is certainly not worth it. So that’s the deal with the show. I loved that show. I still love that show. Watching it now feels dated, sure, but every week was so different, and you could tell we were having fun. Hosting-wise I’m leaps and bounds better than I was then, but it’s still fun to watch my 30 year old self chat about style to my (still) good friend, Orlando.
Not sure how I got onto this rant. I guess watching a few of those old episodes made me nostalgic, and realize that I never fully told you why the show was cancelled. Despite it’s good ratings and big following, those real estate/renovate shows killed it. Props to Joanna Gaines for bringing some design game back to the channel – I love that family (who doesn’t?).
Quick Q – what shows do you guys watch on HGTV, if any, and what shows WOULD you watch? The makeover show formula feels done, but there has to be something that is more style oriented that could be fun to do and watch, right?
I LOVED SFAS! I also really enjoy Fixer Upper, however Joanna tends to style each house the exact same way. It’s beautiful but gets a little boring. That’s where your show was different and more interesting. While you may have your style preferences, you really varied how you styled each home based on the client. This was way more fun to watch. Plus I liked thinking about which item I would choose when you ran the style diagnostics. With all the revivals going on, maybe you can you revive your show once your babies are both in school. 🙂
I really enjoyed the Sarah’s House shows with Sarah Richardson where over the course of a season she designs a whole house. Obviously a huge undertaking, but that concept with your style would be a killer show.
I agree. Anything Sarah Richardson. Sarah’s House was my favorite. And Tommy.
yes!! Sarah’s house was a fave of mine… she had additional seasons on HGTV Canada that never aired here, which gave me the sads. And Genevieve Gorder’s shows were wonderful. HGTV has so little design on it now; much like the Food Network and its overall lack of instructional cooking shows now that the network is dominated by weird cake competitions and shows in which dumb dumbs travel around and we have to watch them stuff their faces with diner food.
So true. I got rid of cable a year ago, and if I’m wanting a design show fix, i pretty much watch Genevieve on Netflix. I’ve seen those shows so many times, but they’re still good. She lets us in to her actual design process, and I appreciate that.
I agree with Katie, Sarah’s House, was hands down the best design show on HGTV. Seeing the design process unfold for a whole house was really great. Plus the dynamic between Sarah and Tommy was priceless. Love Tommy. I enjoy watching Fixer Upper, but style wise, I feel that Sarah Richardson has a) more range and b) explains her design process decisions more thoroughly. In all fairness, Joanna can’t go into as much depth given that she does a whole house in 1 episode, rather than 1 season.
I also enjoy Fixer Upper, but I always wish there was more insight into the design process and the back and forth with the clients (the way the Property Brothers bring clients to choose countertops, etc.). While there is always a budget catastrophe with the Property Brothers, nothing ever seems to go truly wrong on Fixer Upper?? I’d like to see a show that combines interesting real estate (love seeing how much properties go for in different cities) + good and transparent design process (timeline, issues, feedback from clients) + satisfying ending. All with good design, obviously 😉 I also liked Genevieve’s makeover show… feel-good and more thought to design, plus she shares some design tips I find interesting. Except for that neon green kitchen. Pain to the eyes!
On Fixer Upper the furniture/design does not stay with the house. It is only used for staging.
Haha! There was a huge online kerfuddle about Fixer Upper the other day. People writing about being disillusioned because the furniture wasn’t included and not every single room was redone and oh, the horror, a few people have SOLD the houses or WORSE have put them up for rent. Some said they though the Gaines were phonies for not posting disclaimers about their profiting from the show. I put in a “get a grip” comment and left.
I loved your show! I would still be loyally watching if it was on today. If you did a new show, I’d definitely want the style diagnostic to be the first step. People seem to have a hard time bringing their personality and personal style into their homes so I’d want you to keep helping people crack that code. I know I’m basically describing your original show but it’s still what I want to see. Maybe with one design that really dives into those early stages of the design process.
Amazing to see the evolution of your design aesthetic!
www.shopthecoconutroom.com
I loved your show! Now the only hgtv show I watch with any regularity is house hunters international. I also have really liked design shows on other channels that are actually reality show-esque, like the Novogratz show that was on Bravo, and Million Dollar Whatever it was called, also on Bravo.
Don’t laugh, but Trading Spaces. Who hasn’t gone into their neighbor’s house and thought, “Man, I’d decorate this room completely differently than they have”? It was so hokey, but it was really the first DIY/budget home redesign show of its time. I always loved Vern.
Me too! I often felt really bad for the homeowners (straw on the wall–yikes!), but it sure was entertaining.
Yes! This a thousand times. The first time I had ever heard of an interior designer was on trading spaces. Vern is awesome. And that straw Hildy put on the walls of that living room, wha?
I’m so over all the buy and sell, flip shows. Although I do love fixer upper. I wish HGTV would go back to actual design shows. Show me how to mix patterns or look for undertones please. I can’t stand all the drama and staged conversations. Please HGTV, let’s have some real design shows that show step by step design.
I second (third) the love for SFAS and Sarah Richardson. I really appreciate the instruction on developing an overall aesthetic and design each room to incorporate that within the function of each room. While I love Fixer Upper, I’d rather eliminate the houses they don’t choose from the show and focus more on the design process for the whole house and see the WHOLE house, even the not so fun rooms, like mushrooms, laundry, closets that can really affect the functionality of a home.
Edit to make it clear I meant MUDRooms, not mushrooms.
Ditto. And I still remember something you said on SFAS, when a sconce was broken. “It’s a sconce, not a baby.” Yes! No manufactured drama or misplaced priorities.
I really like Fixer Upper and her style is great but I do feel like the houses are all done very similar. I’d love to see some different approaches.
Sara Richardson is amazing! I miss her shows very much.
I totally remember your first episode and the Spanish modern one on SFAS. As for HGTV now, I only watch Fixer Upper on a regular basis. It’s not about the design/reno aspects anymore, but for Chip, JoJo and the family life at the farm that make it fun. I really miss anything Sarah Richardson did. I loved Sarah’s House and Sarah’s Cottage (on the island). I also loved Candice Olson and Design on a Dime. I sometimes catch Yard Crashers on DIY, which is fun too. Who wouldn’t want to bring a hot contractor home from Lowes and get a free backyard?
I loved this post. I’ve been dying to know why you weren’t on HGTV anymore. Your season was the first season of Design Star that I watched, and you were my all time favorite. Then when I found out Secrets of a Stylist wasn’t airing anymore, I was super confused why they let you go. But then I found your blog! Jackpot!
I do like Fixer Upper because I pretty much want to live next to the Gaines, because they are awesome and real estate prices in Texas are unbelievable.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one day you do a show again! That would be amazing!
Your show was so much fun. I loved it!
I, too, love Sarah Richardson, but her most recently aired (in the U.S.) show was a real disappointment. She goes around with the client looking at 3 properties and they finally pick one and, boom, in the last minute you get to see — but not really absorb — the one room she decorates. And where the f–k is Tommy?!
Genevieve Gorder’s shows were always interesting too.
I used to like the show Freestyle (even though people always seemed to have a suspiciously plentiful stash of unused drapes or fabric remnants). You didn’t get quite the rush you do from a of a full-blown Emily Henderson or Sarah Richardson makeover, but it was always interesting to see how the designers reworked rooms using only already existing in the space stuff.
I rarely watch HGTV, unless my DVR picks up a repeat of some long-dead design show airing at 6:00 in the morning.
I agree that Fixer Upper has finally brought some design elements (and realistic budgets!) back into these shows. We used to watch HGTV religiously when they had Design on a Dime, Candace Olsen, etc but now it’s all “We have $1 million to buy and completely renovate” and that is not AT ALL appealing or relatable for me. They feel so scripted too. I love Fixer Upper and loved Rehab Addict too.
Amen to the realistic budget comment! I don’t mind it as much, but the groaning from my husband makes watching much less enjoyable. 😉
I would really like to see a show where they designed homes for lower income families. Not in an “Extreme Home Makeover” way, but maybe something more subtle. I get sick of seeing people wirh means get free stuff when there are obviously a lot of people out there who could use it more.
I would also like to see a show for apartment dwellers. I am a homeowner myself, but would still find it interesing, as I like affordable clever solutions. I think it would appeal to many since we all like to change our spaces at an ever growing rapid pace.
I still miss Secrets of a Stylist. That show was fantastic! I’m in general not a fan of the direction HGTV has gone. I watch it some, but not nearly the way I used to. Nothing against the shows now (except maybe Love It or List It; they go too far with the fake drama, and it is obnoxious); I just prefer actual decorating shows, especially those that help people who don’t have insane budgets. You mentioned Joanna Gaines, but if your taste isn’t modern farmhouse/ALL THE SHIPLAP, it gets old really fast.
My daughter and I watch Love It or List It together sometimes and make fun of it. It’s so darn predictable. I really only enjoy the first few and last few minutes.
Love the yellow in the last room! Definitely 100% better than that old black couch.
Also, love the built ins in that first room. #Shelfies for days.
We get asked frequently to do a show (not interested), but at one time we did go pretty far in the process because we felt like going around fixing up B&B’s (kind of like Kitchen Nightmares except less mean and more fun and style, obviously) would be such a fun show! I still think it would be an excellent show–maybe when the kids are in school. 😉
I was googling around over the weekend to see if you had ever designed a room with a very large map. Not a playroom; a living room or dining room. I couldn’t find anything. Given the state of the world and two ever-growing children, a map seems like something we should have and reference daily. But, how to do it? Most maps have colors that are “meh.” Are there companies that make custom maps? I want a legit political map, maybe with some geographic references but in colors I choose. And a large (custom) size. Is that possible?
I feel like I’m constantly playing this game with my own house! Or, past apartments we had. A picture will pop up in my “memories” Facebook feed of my kids doing something, and I’m analyzing the background. Why did we arrange the chairs like that? What was up with that paint color? I should probably let sleeping dogs lie, but I guess I’ve learned from my past mistakes?
Do you remember who the artist of those two watercolor pics is (the two that are side by side above the amazing credenza)?! I didn’t realize that was your interior when I first saw the image on Pinterest and I feel like I’ve been searching and searching for the source for those pieces for years; I love them.
Ally
I could not agree with you more! But it’s so hard to get a show formula right. HGTV wants to appeal to the masses so that ratings stay up, and that means unrealistic, fake and watered down design content. Unfortunately, the kind of shows that we (aka your blog audience and other designers) would like is more of a niche market, and hard to put into a show format. As a TV producer who has produced a lot of design shows in the past, I am desperate to work on shows that are inspirational and show off great spaces that I can be proud of. Unfortunately, that’s not what networks want. Naturally, they want audiences to be hooked at commercial breaks but that means everything is so sadly scripted and formulaic now. But if and when the time comes that you are ready for your next TV challenge, feel free to give me a call 🙂
I am sooo bored with House Hunters and Love It or List It. I much prefer a good design makeover show. I love Fixer Upper too, and Property Brothers. I used to love Candace Olson too. I think the lineup needs freshened up a bit!
YES, I loved SFAS! I think it would be fun to do a show that incorporates higher-end design aspects with budget DIYs. For instance, I’d be willing to splurge on a great sofa but probably wouldn’t buy any “fancy” art/wall decor. It’d be fun to see how the two can mesh!
I would totally watch a show that is you decorating women’s shelters and homeless shelters. You could get some great corporate sponsors (although that would totally have to be someone’s whole job to coordinate) and the people who run the shelters would probably let you have total creative control. It could be awesome!
Does anyone remember the midcentury modern design Joanna ( Fixer Upper) did on the show? Like many of you, I admire that show even though the rustic farmhouse style may not always fit my preference. But that particular episode gave me even more respect for her talent and showed how a good designer can get into your head to bring YOUR dream design to reality. This is the talent you possess Emily. Plus, like Joanna, you have an insanely adorable family and you never seem fake. How could anyone not love to watch that??!!!
YES! I almost wrote about that episode in my previous post. I was shocked at how well she was able to transition to a completely different style like that. Shows just how talented she really is.
My favorite HGTV show is Fixer Upper. I love Joanna’s style and maybe even more so watching her and Chip interact. It’s like watching a 1 hour romantic comedy.
The show I’d want to see is either:
1) A show that takes a couple that has two different design styles and mixes it together so they are both happy. For example (my husband = traditional antique/hunting cabin and mine = mid century modern)
2) A show that shows how you can put personality into 1990s master planned homes that are everywhere in AZ/Vegas. What to do with those cutouts for tv and books (in which no tv fits in anymore), the stupid plant shelves, the rounded corners and too texturized wall.
Those would be great!
Oh I would love a show dealing with the NV/AZ houses…
As new home owners in Las Vegas my husband and I are trying to personalize our ’94 house and make it stand out. It’s hard with so many cookie cutter houses + honestly design in Vegas does not seem to be a priority to home owners… I see the same beige and brown couches with beige walls (and maybe a brown accent wall thrown in for “fun” *cringe*) and green curtains and wall to wall beige carpet and beige tile…. I could go on and on… So yeah, I would watch closely if someone takes on houses like that. Or maybe I should pitch that idea to HGTV LOL
I loved your show! And I totally wish HGTV still had style/design shows. Bc seriously how many episodes of house hunters does anyone need to watch? And all those dumb “I want a mansion on a tropical island!” shows. I don’t have cable anymore which means I can only watch hgtv at my boyfriend’s (good thing he loves the property brothers. Hahahaha) but it does bum me out that all the great shows that got me hooked on that channel are basically gone. So please keep sharing these old pics!
Also I miss Color Splash! David Bromstad was just the cutest. His stuff was often way over the top but fun. And yeah totally miss Genevieve…
You are so right about there being a lot of bad shows out there. The only time I watch HGTV is weekend mornings, bleary-eyed, coffee in hand, trying to psych myself up to get off my butt and do something. I am so over the renovation shows with their manufactured drama/budget crises. (Not that remodels and renovations don’t have big budget surprises IRL, just in the show format it’s so lame.) I’d say Fixer Upper is my favorite though I really only like the first few minutes when they’re checking out all the houses. I’m a voyeur and I like seeing the inside of all the houses in various states of disrepair. After that it’s like meh because it’s all the same. I love Desperate Landscapes but I haven’t seen it on in forever. It’s so down to earth. I also quite like Income Property. Not a fan of Property Brothers as it’s not my style, I don’t normally care for the couples involved, and their cheekbones freak me out a little. As others have mentioned Sarah Richardson’s show was great where she fixed up her old farmhouse. That was some real design content. I also loved the first few… Read more »
Oh yeah and I generally dig Rehab Addict too. Mostly because it’s just different enough from the other shows. Although yeah ok Nicole I get it. You can use tools and equipment.
I actually wandered over to your blog based on a bathroom gutting and never actually knew you hosted an HGTV show! I’m definitely going to check out a few episodes.
I’ll admit it, I’ve always loved House Hunters International and Love it or List It, but I’ve recently become an HGTV junkie after buying my own house. Chances are if it is on, I’ll watch it. Although Fixer Upper and Property Brothers are big hitters for them, I can’t help but find them really bland. Many of the stylings are the same, and I wish Fixer Upper’s host had a more complete knowledge base (filigree is not a doohickie). I tend to skip those two.
I can only agree with what others have said: yes, Chip and JoJo are fun to watch but after a while – it all turns into Modern Farmhouse. Enough. In all honesty, I love watching House Hunters and usually will watch the end of Love it or List it Too (with the sound off – it’s too cheesy) if it’s on but mostly because I wish I lived in BC. And finally, this is way old school HGTV – but I used to love watching that one show where a couple wanted to remodel a room in their house and got to choose from 3 different designers. What was that show called?! I think Chris Harrison was the host/narrator? Or maybe I’m confused?
Oh, and finally, finally – I loved Secrets from a Stylist!
I had to go look him up and see if that was him on the show! It was Designer’s Challenge, and I loved it too!
THANK YOU! I guess it would look pretty outdated now but I loved the whole concept and (of course) enjoyed fantasizing about having the same options.
Have loved you since Design Star and miss Secrets! I think the formula for a good design show lies within the “realistic” component that viewers get. I am a huge fan of HGTV, have always been, but their shows are getting way too formulaic. There is enough excitement in the process without having the drama/resolution plot plugged into every episode. I find my favorite shows are directly correlated with the creativity and authenticity of the designers. You (obv.), Genevieve, Sarah/Tommy, Nate, Nicole Curtis, Joanna/Chip, you all have very genuine qualities. From your last post’s comments section, you mentioned being edited into a generic outcome and I couldn’t agree more. The more you try to please everyone, the more you sacrifice what makes you unique and quite wonderful. Stay true. I think people’s expectations of never getting offended/thinking every word written needs to fit in everyone’s vision is completely unrealistic. We need to look within ourselves for validation, not expect it from media. Keep being you, sweet Emily, and when the time is right I hope we can see you televised again. I would love to see your show include your family, work family and of course, Orlando!
I love the room in the third picture! I think that couch really ties the room together and I’m obsessed with the built in shelves, they’re amazing.
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I loved SFAS so much and I remember all of these rooms! HGTV is my comfort TV, especially Rehab Addict and Fixer Upper. I grew up watching This Old House and still love that too. A combination of rehab/renovation and styling is great. Ooh I would also love a show on HGTV that educated viewers on the Secretary of the Interior’s standards on restoration versus rehabilitation!
LOVED sfas. I love a good make-over, so I’m into property brothers and fixer upper (not as much Joanna’s style but she and Chip are so nice/adorable that I’m still addicted). I also liked Dear Genevieve and For Renters (I’m still in school so renting is my foreseeable future and therefore my interesting to me personally).
Unrelated, but I’m about to graduate law school and start working for a law firm that mostly employs men so I’d love anything about how to decorate an office space in a way to reflect my minimalistic/feminine style without making the very traditional, middle-aged white guys who I work for uncomfortable.
I LOVE fixer upper and I HATE Flip or Flop. I LOVED your show Emily. I would watch you do fixer upper-southern California or Oregon version with you. And you’d have to keep the Style Diagnostic Quiz! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that I wish Emily would bring back her show so there would be more than one show on HGTV worth watching.
I totally hate-watch flip or flop! They’re doing such horrible things to old homes! There’s an even worse show called Flipping Vegas which makes me barf.
I love Fixer Upper especially this season with Joanna breaking out of her same shabby chic style and creating some more modern spaces. I also love Caribbean Life just to fantasize a little bit just imagining living the island lifestyle….ahhh.
I would absolutely love a more style oriented show to show home owners actual personalities a little more. I get really tired of watching these renovation shows where they style the house to be so generic (bleh). I hope you get to do a show again! I know I’ll watch.
SFAS was my fav and I didn’t even see your season of Design Star. I started reading this blog to find out what happened to SFAS, years ago! I used to like another short-lived show called Fun Shui.
I watched a season or two of Fixer Upper. It got too repetitive– pooled drapes, wood chandeliers, giant clocks, white subway tile with black grout…
Now I don’t watch any HGTV. I can’t sit through the phony walkthroughs. Obviously, the people owned one house when they were cast and then these shows fake walkthroughs of two others. It was fun for a while on House Hunters but ENOUGH. lol
I don’t subscribe to HGTV magazine anymore, either.
Would only watch if you were on it.
I lived overseas for 10 years until 2 years ago and I completely missed your stint on HGTV. I so wish I could watch the season of Design Star you were on, but I am glad you dug up links to SFAS for me to binge on now! My husband and I both enjoy Fixer Upper but agree that the formula is getting old – the obviously set up scenes with their kids, the faked issues with their clients that are always resolved magically in a matter of seconds, etc. But really we are losing interest because the more we watch it, the more the end results blur together because Joanna’s style never varies. Which is great if her clients come to her knowing that THAT is what they want, but pretty boring for TV. It also annoys me that for a lot of the shows (Property Brothers, Love It or List It) they’re coy about what city they’re in. So annoying!
Have you ever thought of doing your own internet-based show? You’d have more control and I imagine have plenty of viewers even if it wasn’t on network tv.
love to hear you analyze tv hosting and decorating for the tube. i haven’t watched hgtv since you and the designers left. i hate all those flippers. just binge watched “fixer upper” and if i see one more recently distressed farm table, space filling wall thing made of old shop letters, and what i think of as texas sorority girl decor, i’m going to scream.
I think it’s time for the pendulum to swing back the other way on HGTV — the real estate shows are awesome but we need some more style in our lives! Emily, you’d be the perfect person to lead the style revolution.
I loved (and still love) SFAS. The best one on HGTV right now is totally Fixer Upper. I really liked Genevieve’s Renovation– the format on that one was good. What happened to the Junk Gypsies? I liked the episodes that I saw from them, though it’s not my style.
I love SFAS! The style diagnostic was such a fun way to figure out what people liked, since so few are able to articulate it. I don’t watch any HGTV anymore – those Prop Bros are obnoxious, and I’m generally not that interested in reno disasters. I like This Old House 😉
I hope you come up with a great new concept for a design show… if not, I’d still HAPPILY watch a makeover show hosted by you.
I miss your show! There are very little design centered shows on HGTV now. I watch Flip or Flop and Fixer Upper, but get bored with them because they get too formulaic. The budgets for the renovations are ridiculous too! HGTV needs a refresher. I get all my inspiration from blogs and magazines now. Thank you!!
SFAS was sort of like the end of an era for great design content on HGTV. I loved your show and it was on my DVR for so long until we had to move. 🙁
The content on HGTV is so blah and redundant. Without you, Sarah or Candice HGTV isn’t the same. I generally turn it on when I need background noise that isn’t politics. They really missed out by not keeping you around longer.
I stopped watching HGTV after they started replacing your show and other design shows with all those real estate shows….my thought at the time is they, the station, stopped producing shows like yours because the real estate shows were cheaper to do.
I never saw you on ‘Design Star’, but I fell in love with your work and your personality on your pilot….when a light bulb (vintage I believe) was broken and after just a moment of an ‘oh damn, but you had it tuned to oh, darn’ you said well it isn’t like it’s was a baby.
Actually, I miss the old HGTV. I loved you and Candice Olson and Sarah Richardson. I loved seeing creative and original design. I also miss Designed to Sell – I learned a lot about the impact of making small changes to a space or layout. My cable package is changing and the only channel that I would want in the next tier is HGTV, but I have just decided to go with the less expensive package and not worry about losing HGTV, because I realized that I have gotten tired of seeing the same fairly generic slick design over and over. I do like Fixer Upper, and think Joanna Gaines’ style is great, much better than the other flipper shows, and she and her husband are fun to watch, but I could never own white upholstered furniture.
I miss your show! You and Genevieve were my faves, and Income Property, but I never got the Property Brothers. Or most of that whole genre really. Will keep my fingers crossed that you do do another show but it’s definitely worth waiting for the right thing. Off to watch old SFAS now! 🙂
I would watch you or Genevieve because you guys are so fun and relatable. And you both give a lot of information and instruction and share the reasons you do things.
I also really enjoyed Design Star.
I loved SFAS. Seriously, it was a dream show. I can’t believe they canceled it, and seeing all these photos makes me miss it even more. I learned so much from you and, like others, really enjoyed the variety of looks you and your team created. I still like Fixer Upper and anything Genevieve Gorder does. The real estate and house hunter shows have taken over HGTV, so I find myself watching less and less (which is probably good for my productivity level). My design inspiration is almost exclusively blogs now, and yours is my favorite. I think you’re right to hold out for the perfect show– but if they ever approach you about a SFAS reboot, pleasepleaseplease say yes.
I loved watching Fixer Upper when they weren’t as well-known. I still watch because they are a beautiful family but I fear as with all popular things, that the show will become contrived. I also watch Rehab Addict. I would like to see a show that focuses on design on a realistic budget, I love HGTV but it can get depressing thinking that you’d have to take out a loan or hawk your house to get it looking good. Something like the High/Low Project on a larger whole house scale maybe.