Harold's Renovation Blog: #41: The Realities (And Not So Realities) Of Those TV Makeovers

In this week’s episode we go behind the scenes of a home makeover show thanks to Old Home Love’s Candis and Andy Meredith, who tell us how they got their HGTV show and what surprised them most about the process. Plus, they share their infectious affection for historic homes and give us their best tips for bringing old character to a house of any age. Sherry also talks about how she has been helping our neighbors stage their house to sell, I reveal how I managed to simplify one of our least favorite chores, and we both share how we recently saved hundreds of dollars (!!!) on a beach house update. Also, why is it SO DANG HARD to cut the cable cord?!

You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos that we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player.

What’s New

Let’s dive right into the before and after pictures of our friends’ house that we helped them stage (it sold within 12 hours!). We’ll start with their master bathroom (which is actually similar in layout to ours). The first pic was taken just as they started to demo out the old green double vanity. The second is after they installed new vanities and added the faux-shiplap look that we described in the episode.

Here are some before & after photos of the kitchen, which got a lot of fresh paint and a new butcher block counter for the island:

They also updated the dining room with paint (after removing the striped wallpaper above the chair rail). Crisp white trim, neutral walls, a simple light fixture, and a large rug paired with a secondhand table made the whole room feel so much bigger and fresher.

Here’s the post about installing board and batten in our hallway, which was our “extra credit” suggestion for them. They did such an awesome job!

Also, here’s the grout paint that we suggested they use on their old dingy grout in the foyer – made all the difference for under $20 (here’s our post about using it in our former foyer floor).
And in other news – if anyone else is a Kroger shopper like us, here’s a link to their Clicklist service.

What’s Not

Here’s that MyDomaine article about The One Thing That Might Be Missing From Your Home.

Old Home Love

You can follow along with Candis and Andy on their website, Facebook, or Instagram.
You can also read more behind-the-scenes details of their HGTV & DIY Network show and watch them on YouTube here
Plus, their new book Old Home Love is now out!

We’re Digging

Here’s the Roku 4 box that we’ve been using to stream some of our TV (namely Netflix and PBS Kids at this point). We’ve been very happy with how it performs, but would love any suggestions/stories about how you cut the cable cord. Specifically, how do you get your Internet and home phone most affordably? Please tweet or message us on Instagram. Thanks!
Also, in case you didn’t know what apple cider vinegar looked like, here’s Sherry’s favorite brand. Just put it on everything and life will be awesome.

Psst- Looking for something we’ve dug in a past episode, but don’t remember which show notes to click into? Well, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from all past episodes.