Sarah’s House
Yes, it’s been some time since Blake last wrote a HGTV related post… one may say he’s participating in a HGTV episode of his own. In the meantime, I’ve taken the opportunity to share a little HGTV favorite of my own. While Blake may prefer the Real Estate shows, I lean more towards the Makeover shows and, occasionally, I’m fortunate enough to catch Sarah’s House—currently one of my favorite HGTV series. This has do mostly with host Sarah Richardson and her aptly named “design sidekick” Tommy Smythe.
Sarah Richardson
The series follows Canadian interior designer Sarah Richardson (left) through the entire process of purchasing a swinging 60s back-split in dire need of an update and renovating it room by room. Each episode is devoted entirely to a particular room—Master Bedroom, Kitchen and Dining Room, Living Room and Front Entry—or other projects like modernizing the exterior by replacing landscaping and color tinting brick. We see her do it all—budgeting, conceptualizing, choosing materials, managing sometimes messy renovations, and often learning something new through the process—while creating, in my mind, some spectacular and highly function spaces. It’s an interesting look into the reality of renovating when timelines are tight, dollars are limited, and style is the mandate. I find myself unable to walk away from the television once it comes on.
Tommy Smythe
Tommy Smythe (right) may be slight in stature, but he is clearly the show’s sleeper… I just want to pick him up and put him in my pocket! He’s equal parts drama, high style, and super-organized site manager. His reactive personality and Sarah’s unwavering focus combine into a magnetic chemistry.
Sarah’s House airs on HGTV Saturdays at 8:30 p.m./7:30 central.
See more photos of the makeover here.
Alastair–that’s a great house. It doesn’t look like it would be all that challenging to remodel it–the bones are solid, and it conforms to the HGTV stylebook of big open-plan great room and large master bed-bath suite. The necessary changes look like they’ll be strictly cosmetic, not structural.
The kitchen and bathroom will need a total rip-out and replace, but that’s what it takes when stuff hasn’t been updated in 40+ years. (It’s better than having to deal with a bad 80s-era slapdash makeover, IMHO).