Hometime Shocker

[sudsmaster]

I was watching a kitchen renovation on the PBS show "Hometime" and was a bit shocked at what they did with the microwave...

It was a minty heavily chromed gen-u-ine countertop Radar Range... just sitting on the countertop looking inoffensive. It was pointed out as being "too 70's" so it was replaced by some generic (maybe Maypool) wall mounted unit integrated with a convection oven. Not bad looking in brushed stainless, but I bet it doesn't last the 40 some years that the Radar Range lasted.

They showed the old wall oven being unceremoniously tossed into a dumpster. I didn't see what they did with the Radar Range. Hopefully it went to someone who appreciates its look and value. I almost felt like writing the show and offering to take it off their hands, but I'm sure it's long-gone by now.

Oh, and the remodel was otherwise OK, but I didn't really care for the peel-and stick wood veneer they put on all the cabinetry... dark walnut, looked... drab and FAKE!

 

[maytagbear]

All too typical

of tv renovation shows. Cheap product placement for manufacturers, and no regard for reusability of appliances or cabinets.

That is a large reason why I have stopped watching such shows. That, and how This Old House canned Bob (yummilicious) Vila.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[autowasherfreak]

They do the same thing on TLC's Spice Up My Kitchen. I can't stand to watch those programs because of the cabinets and appliances that they just throw away.

 

[sudsmaster]

Of course nothing was quite as bad as TLC's "Trading Spaces".

The worst I remember was how they ruined a classic Craftsman Oakland living room by gluing straw to the walls, and sticking bits of broken colored glass to the fireplace screen (in a home with children, no less!).

 

[supremewhirlpol]

The HGTV channel is bad too. I've seen remodelers destroy and throw into dumpsters older 1970's model Kitchenaids that only needed rust spots on the racks to be fixed, or other simple little things. But of course by time you see the show, there is a very high chance that the old appliances have already been crushed. What is also bad is when the home designers redo the kitchens, and replace the perfectly working older appliances with something Stainless Steel in which the name brands used require the service tech from the company to come out and fix them when they break. What the home owner does not realize as they are being shown their new kitchen is the very high repair bill of the $5,000 SS stove that they will get a few years down the road. Boy will they be in for a rude awakening!!

 

[autowasherfreak]

I can't stand it when they take real wood and paint it a solid color. I would like to bright up my bedroom it has all knotty pine paneling, but I absolutely refuse to paint it.

 

[jeffg]

HGTV used to be one of our favorite channels, before Scripps decided to turn it into the Nice Carpenter Ass Network.

Not that that's a totally bad thing. But it was better when their shows had real designers instead of wannabe TV stars. My personal biggest gripe are the "Curb Appeal" clowns who immediately tear out all of a property's mature landscaping, leaving it looking ten times worse than it did before.

 

[whirlcool]

In our subdivision a lot of the dens have very nice block paneling on the walls. It's not cheap quality, either. I love the look of it. Lots of our neighbors have painted it over. They say it brightens up the room. I think they just destroyed it!

 

[matchboxpaul]

Was watching an episode of 'How Clean is Your House, a UK show on Channel 4.

The lady, whose house was cleaned, had a chrome door/black facia Creda 10700 type machine, from the early 1980s.

These machines are rarer than hens teeth in the UK and I hadnt seen one, till the show, for 20 odd years.

Suffice to say, they bulldozed it!

I was gutted!

Beware home improvement shows. They can make for very upsetting viewing, as they do appalling things to old machines.

Paul

 

[dubstar85]

I saw that not too long ago. They replaced it with a Beko! Shameful viewing! There was another episode when a woman had a Phillips series 90 stacked set and that got tossed out for a BOL Whirlpool and a BOL Hotpoint Tumble dryer! Mind you, i wouldn't have used the dryer because she was using it for food hehe. The episodes on 4od the now

David

 

[rp2813]

HGTV, DIY, et al

What I want to see from these networks are something they'd never want people to see.

Titles like "Curb Appeal Revisited," "Yard Crashers Revisited," and in particular, "Desperate Landscapes Revisited," all of them checking in on what things look like a year later in the yards they worked on during the prior season with no regard for irrigation needs or maintenance requirements or the fact that the people who own the homes never had or will have the inclination to maintain the landscaping.

 

[kqkenmore]

Has anyone written or contacted the Home and Garden channel to discuss this with them because I to have decided not to watch these shows or the House and Garden channel because of the waste.also they have lost touch with the common man not everybody can or will ever afford a million dollar house.

 

[norgeway]

When I see!!!!

When I see some fish eyed fool take out a set of Youngstown steel cabinets in mint shape, to put in some abomnible monstrosities from Lowes,I change the channel!!

 

[oldhouseman]

This Old House

paid us a visit to see the restoration of our 1797 house. They told us since we were not going to add a "media room" and put in a huge kitchen and baths we did not "make the cut" for their standards.

The house has been restored to look as it did in the early part of the 19th century. And I stopped looking at "this old house" on PBS a very long time ago. Sad really when you realize that even PBS has sold out to mass media and marketing.

 

[qsd-dan]

"They told us since we were not going to add a "media room" and put in a huge kitchen and baths we did not "make the cut" for their standards."

What a bunch of assholes! I personally applaud you for restoring the house back to its ORIGINAL glory and not some idiots take on the "flavor of the month" type modern creation that we all know will quickly change and become so called "outdated" in the near future.

 

[tolivac]

Interesting solution for the Home show garbage on TV-After they have put in their new trashy appliances and cabinets-go to the dumpster and take out the old ones and put aside-next get your Sawzall out and promply cut out the new trash cabinets-all of this shown on TV of course.Now call the trash company and have them bring out the EZ Pack Goliath RL trash truck.Now put the TRASHY new cabinets in the truck and pull the lever!the camera shows the crappy cabinets being crushed to splinters and shards.Now its the crappy appliances turn--in they go!!The lever is pulled and they are crunched into compact delightful plastic and tin pancakes.EZ packs have such powerful crushers-go to Youtube and look up Classic Refuse Trucks and you can see what they can crunch!.After the crushing session the old cabinets and appliances are fixed up and reinstalled.!I also HATE these shows-so unrealistic!So trashy!quit watching them years ago.And the householder DOESN'T get to pick the new appliances and cabinets.And these cretins aren't going to touch the wood cabinets in my early 70's kitchen-drather have them then the new particleboard crap.

 

[runematic]

It's funny that this subject came up. I was at home the other day and I had the TV on in the background while I was preparing a pork loin for the smoker. I couldn't change the channel because my hands were "porky" and Spice Up Your Kitchen was on. These folks had an older kitchen and it didn't have a dishwasher. They really wanted one. They "only" had a budget of $35-45K for the redo. So the designer takes the woman appliance shopping. She talked them right into stainless KA dishdrawer. The designer poo pooed the bol & mol models. Then she talked them into a KA cooktop without the "analog" controls. That's the one with the touch controls for the burners. They thought it would be easy to maintain since there were no controls. I hope nothing ever goes wrong on that one. They also bought a TOL KA wall oven & micro combo & a KA SS bottom mount. So on a $38K redo, they spent over $9K on appliances! I just thought that those folks were nuts.

 

[estatesale_gary]

Beauty and the Beholder

Look at the renovation of this 50's/60's rec room. Cut down and stained the wainscoating to look more "mission". Covered up a linoleum floor that most enthusiasts would kill to have. The result is pretty sterile (and sad).

http://kitschdesigns.com/post/DIY--Den-of-A-1960s-Tri-Level.aspx

 

[toggleswitch2]

Dont get cheeky with me, dear.

~Was watching an episode of 'How Clean is Your House, a UK show on Channel 4.

We see this on BBC America. LOVE THOSE LADIES! Homes in the UK and un the USA are featured. It is a wonderfual chance to see British appliances! Soem of their clenaing tips are amazing!

anyhoo....

There was a classic front-loading Hotpoint with a brown fascia panel off to the side (in the UK) and something more modern acutally working and connected.

I am proud to say, I just knew it was a classic from following this website. Off to the krusher it went. :-(

http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/100/index.jsp

 

[rp2813]

Belated

Happy Birthday to you, Greg, and welcome back to the board! You were sorely missed!

Ralph

 

[MikeS]

Some Shows Recycle

I think I've pointed this out before, but the only renovation show that seems to make an attempt at recycling old appliances and furniture is "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." I don't know whether Ty Pennington and company do it for every home, but they do try to give usable items to Habitat For Humanity or other groups, and use recycled/environmently friendly products where possible. It's not a perfect solution, but at least it's a start. Have other shows followed suit?

 

[danemodsandy]

Oldhouseman:

Greg:

Glad to see you back. You were missed. I'm in Iowa now; moved up here last month. Hope all is well with you.

 

[bugsyjones]

estatesale_gary

I have to say that the room DID need a little work. But just a little. I don't like the greenish wall color they did or the BEIGE CARPET! I also don't like the flat-screen monstrosity that they mounted by the fireplace.

The author said about the linoleum: "After I saw these I imagined that the original owners, the people that built the house, were probably really into Bonanza and had a country western motif in their den. Can't you just see a wagon wheel coffee table and horseshoe wall sconces? I am sure they looked great with the naugahyde couch sporting wooden arms. Eecchhh!"

My sitting room is southwestern style, bi*@h.

I've got the tacky 70's wooden furniture, and other vintage 'touches' such as two-tier lampshades and a covered wagon TV light. A wagon wheel coffee table would complete it perfectly.

I say "Eecchhh!" to HER new room...that bi*@h.

~Tim

 

[mattl]

Come on, that basement was a dump, no way around it. The update is OK, but I hate the dark stain. If it was me I'd have ripped out all the paneling and simply done dry wall.

That is exactly what I'm going to do this winter with my basement. It's truly a blast from the 70's. REAL oak paneling, I remember my mother labeling each sheet as to where it should go so the graining was correct. Good quality Mediterranean style cabinets that will get a coat of paint and new hardware, and an alcove with red velvet Naugahyde on the upper portion of the wall. Plus it's furnished with a full set of black Naugahyde furniture -sofa, love-seat, rocker/recliner and chair with ottoman. The floor is a dark brown Armstrong Corlon in the Mediterranean tile motif.

I'm planning on drywall over all the walls, going a soft green and cream look. Not much I can do with the floor, but large area rugs will help. I'm sure some here will not agree with my plans, but there is nothing truly special about dated looking spaces.

 

[tolivac]

I am glad that the Extreme Makeover folks now recycle-I have some of their shows on DVD and they show the Extreme Makeover team BLATANLY trashing the old appliances on one of the jobs-lets see throwing a dishwasher thru some sliding glass doors-guess they were to be demolished anyway-and some good overhead sledgehammer shots on a vintage stove.Thats a show I quit watching after seeing those DVD recordings of their show-their renovations are just too EXTREME for me.And a suit was filed against them when one of their makeovers boosted the homeowner into a higher tax bracket on the home after the Extreme Job was completed and tax apprased.

 

[mayguy]

I saw that Hometime show, and I was wondering how many of you guys were cyring/scream when the oven got chucked into the dumpster.

I agree, the new cabinet results did not have a "WOW" look.. it still had the dark 70's brown! Only wow for me was better lighting, and new counter top.

 

[sudsmaster]

I didn't get a good look at the oven before they dumped it. Did you? If it was a GE, then shame on them.

 

[bajaespuma]

Thank you for this thread; I so agree

I want to figure out how to get in touch with these TV production companies so we can have a chance to save these appliances. .

...and, by the way, whoever uttered "Fish-eyed Fool", bless you. You made my morning.

 

[cadman]

Responsibility

This really gets my dander up. Unfortunately, most people are pretty short-sighted when "updating" a room. All they see is a dated space and don't realize their renovation of $6 per sheet drywall over original wood paneling is the bigger date stamp. Once it's done, there's no going back; those vintage materials simply do not exist anymore.

As collectors, recyclers and enthusiasts of appliances, we tend to have an eye towards preservation, but I'd wager the general public buying a unique used home doesn't see themselves as stewards. Instead of living with the home, getting to know its bones and making evolutionary changes to align with their personalities and lifestyles, they set forth to turn it into something it's not. There's more individual character in a row of thousand square foot ranches than in today's vinyl clad, drywall boxes, differentiated exclusively by what appliances you have (and maybe the shade of your granite countertops). At least in the 50's when rec rooms were springing up and VCT or VAT was going down the end results were uniquely individual.

Thankfully, there are those dutifully keeping blogs on how they're restoring interior spaces such as these back to original spec- I whole-hearted applaud their efforts and dedication.

Yes, that room needed some work, and yes, it's entirely the owners' right to change the house as they see fit, but some of these renovations are akin to taking a classic car and chopping, hacking and customizing until the vehicle is no longer recognizable...and they aren't building any more '58 Buicks. -Cory

 

[toggleswitch2]

There is no accounting for taste, now is there?

oooh honey the only taste she has is in her mouth!

Honest to G-d, I'm goona go learn Fung Shui so that any room I "do over" will have that comfortable feel to it that just reeks of good asethetics.

Then I can take whatever I have to work with (of any era) and make if *FABULOUS!*

Momma always said the fucntion of all human beings is to maximize their talents and charms and work within their given limitations. This is good advice for everything in life, I'd say.

And BTW not everyting OLD is an "antique" or worth saving. SOem of it is jsut CRAP! We also have to look at how much of "preervation" that is acutally just those of us who are againg and desperately trying to hold on to the past. Nessflash: The future is coming, like it or not!