Where the money went (selected items): Hutch: $800 Ceiling lights: $400 each Light over sink: $99 Stove: $5,000 Stools: $325 each Teak column: $800 Cabinets, stove vent, sink, faucet: $4,100 Drinking water filter and faucet: $270 Marble countertop: $850 Marble fabrication and installation: $1,500 Cork flooring and installation: $1,800 Subway tile: $350 Tile installation: $600…
Ha ha ha! No “spoiler alert” needed here! You want to hear an awful coincidence? I’m flying to New Orleans during the very hours this last episode airs (I’m blogging Sunday afternoon from a Starbucks at LAX). What kind of twisted fate is that? So, while I’m in the air, catching up on my reading,…
Reader Mary Kay Ulsamer writes in about her great experience having one of the “inspiration rooms” on Rate My Space, Angelo Surmelis’ new show. (You see above the kitchen Angelo redid.) On Rate My Space, Angelo makes over some room that really needs help. And here’s what I found out from Angelo: the show pays…
God, I love this show! This could be an Olympic sport, don’t you think? Imagine a design challenge with “athletes” from all over the world — China, Korea, Australia, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Sweden, and so on. They would each get some wood and paint and tools and have at it. Or, it could be like…
I’ve got my own paparazzo working down in New Orleans (AKA my husband, Bill) and he swung by the house Mike Holmes of “Holmes on Homes” is helping to build. This project is part of the Brad Pitt-founded Make It Right Foundation. You can see Mike on the right giving direction to his team members.…
Last night, on HGTV’s “Design Star,” the three judges agreed this was the strongest group of finalists they’d seen yet. I agree. And I wondered if they might just give all three finalists — Matt, Trish and Jennifer (seen here) — each their own show and be done with it. But the competition must continue,…
Now don’t hate me for this, but last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Angelo Surmelis, host of HGTV’s “Rate My Space,” at his Los Angeles home. You can see Angelo and his doggie Baxter in the photo above. I’m reflected in a mirror taking this picture, and I notice with some pride that…
I’ve watched several episodes of “Rate My Space” with Angelo Surmelis on HGTV and I’m quite impressed. Here’s how it works: The homeowners who are the subjects of each episode have gone onto the Rate My Space website, posted photos of a room that needs help, and made a plea for help. Typically they can’t…
Isn’t this a lovely garden room? The owner calls it a teahouse and may not visit for months on end because of a busy schedule. The garden was designed by Dan Bifano, who has also designed gardens for such high-profile clients as Barbra Streisand. The garden is filled with roses, wisteria, hydrangeas and plants like…
