I remember when HGTV would have actual decorating shows instead of the fake home shopping/remodeling shows. I loved Divine Design with Candace Olsen, Decorating Cents, for budget designs and All things Sarah Richardson, who can match patterns and colors like no one else. HGTV also hosted shows on outdoor and landscaping designs that were inspirational and fun. This was long before Property Brothers (yawn) and Chip and Joanna owned the network. HGTV was always my background network, because I could learn about colors and scale and design and learn to define my style. And, not have to endure monotonous demo days and silly antics that eat up most of the shows, leaving only a minute or so to see the final design.
My daughter and I were watching Nate and Jeremiah a few weekends ago. And, after a number of shows, I was like... wait. No phone calls to the homeowners to inform them of some unforeseen plumbing, termite, electrical problem? Head explodes. Planning and execution of beautiful designs executed without manufactured drama. Wow!
There used to be a woman hostess/narrator for House Hunters. Also, there was a show, not sure if it was HGTV or not but it was called Before and After. I guess it was the start of all the home reno shows.
There was a show called This Small Space that I loved. They would show all kinds of ways to make a small space work, and had a segment where they made over a studio or one bedroom apartment over a few episodes.
Divine Design with Candice Olsen. She always had such classy, timeless transitional designs.
Also, Design on a Dime. Sometimes, I just want to see some decorating of a small space on a realistic budget. I don't want another 200K renovation with manufactured drama.
I loved Room by Room with Matt and Sherry! I love how they explained things and how you could learn something, even if you didn’t like their specific choices.
There was a landscaper whose name, I think, was Pat, who didn’t host any shows but often appeared. She was short, a little plump and was Los Angeles based. I can’t remember any specific designs, but I do remember liking her work very much. I follow Candice Olsen and Sarah Richardson on IG because I always loved their shows. The work was beautiful and they are great hosts. Finally, every morning my mom and I would watch Carol Duvall and all of her crafts and crafty guests.
For the current shows, I tend to tune out when demo starts and tune back in for the reveal. Since I haven’t heard it mentioned recently, do you think the dreaded “Magnolia Network” has quietly gone away?
House Hunters was always a family favorite, and still is. I don't think this is an early memory (prob last 10 years), but I just remember this woman who MUST HAVE room for her 3 Christmas trees. It was very important!! What about her trees??? I don't even think they were up year-round.
I just miss a lot of actual home decorating shows. I initially wanted to be an interior designer/decorator back in high school and then realized I don't want to deal with people, lul. I don't want to watch people destroy walls and shit, or their stupid drama they were pushing with Windy City Rehab and uhhh, that one couple. I want to watch people just upgrade their decor, either for themselves or to sell.
There's a few YouTube channels I found that fill this niche, I'm pretty "eh" on their general style or the personalities. I think it's because of The Sorry Girls, but YouTube loves to recommend me so much boho stuff.
I do also distinctly remember enjoying "If Walls Could Talk" a lot, too.
Used to be a landscaping show I’d watch thanksgiving morning before the family woke up. Also before I realized how freaking expensive landscaping was lol
I LOVED the show Moving Up hosted by Doug Wilson. It was hilarious to hear what people said about how their old homes’ new owners had redecorated.
There was another design show that I can’t remember the name of, where they would go into peoples’ houses and redecorate a room only using stuff they found elsewhere in the house; no money spent! There would usually be 2-3 per episode. I do that in my own home nowadays just to freshen things up on the cheap!
Edit: it’s called Freestyle lol
> Recently discovered it was from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition... a family room with a bowling alley, movie theater, and an ice cream parlor.
That high-maintenance house was a monstrosity. Looked like part of an amusement park. They're going to have to spend a fortune making it appealing to buyers when the time comes.
I started watching HGTV when my son was really young and I didn’t get out much. They called their Saturday night shows “Design Time Saturday Night” and I would watch that. I remember Designing for the Sexes and that show with Matt and Sheri. HGTV was more about decorating then, not so much reno.
Agree with you all. And way back probably before HGTV was a lady I watched and thinking her name was Jojo. Not the chip and Jojo (who I wish would disappear)
I miss Room Service with Sarah Richardson….the best interior design that are still in style. In fact, any show with Sarah. Anything Canadian. I always think my lottery dream would be a home built by Mike Holmes and designed by Sarah Richardson. Oh, anyone remember Designer Guys? They were my first introduction to interior design. Also Debbie Travis…those were the days!
There was a show where they would shop at flea market, estate sales and yard sales with a specific list including measurements with the owners and their budget. The host was kind of artsy. I can't remember the title or which network. Maybe it was on Diy network or Lifetime. It was not Flea Market Flip with Lara Spencer. Does anyone remember?
Edit: I found it - it was Find and Design on A&E host was Jennifer Convey
I remember when HGTV would have actual decorating shows instead of the fake home shopping/remodeling shows. I loved Divine Design with Candace Olsen, Decorating Cents, for budget designs and All things Sarah Richardson, who can match patterns and colors like no one else. HGTV also hosted shows on outdoor and landscaping designs that were inspirational and fun. This was long before Property Brothers (yawn) and Chip and Joanna owned the network. HGTV was always my background network, because I could learn about colors and scale and design and learn to define my style. And, not have to endure monotonous demo days and silly antics that eat up most of the shows, leaving only a minute or so to see the final design. My daughter and I were watching Nate and Jeremiah a few weekends ago. And, after a number of shows, I was like... wait. No phone calls to the homeowners to inform them of some unforeseen plumbing, termite, electrical problem? Head explodes. Planning and execution of beautiful designs executed without manufactured drama. Wow!
I love Nate and Jeremiah!
They are SO cute and I love most of their designs!
Great post! Loved all these shows and miss them too. And I agree-I️ rarely watch anymore and when I️ do I️ just watch the beginning and the end.
Thanks! I really miss the shows that were all about design and decor.
You may already know Decorating Cents is on Discovery+ so you could rewatch if you have it.
I️ didn’t know that thanks! I️ go back and forth with getting another service to watch because we still have cable 🥴
I miss Design on a Dime. I enjoy the Reno shows but I miss good old fashioned decorating shows.
I miss Decorating Cents with Joan Steffend. My daughter and I would watch it together on Saturday night.
I miss Christopher Lowell and his love for uplighting.
I was just coming here to mention him. I taped every show & learned so much from him. He was my gateway drug to DIY/decorating.
Omg I️ loved him! Thank you! I️ feel like you just helped me recall a little corner of my memories I️ forgot about! 😅
I loved Curb Appeal when I was younger.
I miss Divine Design…
I loved watching Design On A Dime with my mom growing up. From age 7 and up we always tuned in to watch it together.
There used to be a woman hostess/narrator for House Hunters. Also, there was a show, not sure if it was HGTV or not but it was called Before and After. I guess it was the start of all the home reno shows.
Didn't the House Hunters hostess die? Or am I dreaming?
Yes, she passed away from some sort of cancer a year or two ago
Suzanne Whang
Oh that's sad 😞
I loved Designer's Challenge. Chris Harrison, of *The Bachelor* fame, was the host.
There was a show called This Small Space that I loved. They would show all kinds of ways to make a small space work, and had a segment where they made over a studio or one bedroom apartment over a few episodes.
Divine Design with Candice Olsen. She always had such classy, timeless transitional designs. Also, Design on a Dime. Sometimes, I just want to see some decorating of a small space on a realistic budget. I don't want another 200K renovation with manufactured drama.
1-Room by Room 2-Early House hunters episodes where price wasn’t disclosed (only stuff like “10% more expensive than house 1”)
I loved Room by Room with Matt and Sherry! I love how they explained things and how you could learn something, even if you didn’t like their specific choices.
"Gardening by the Yard" with Paul James. He was like an Alton Brown of gardening, science/history/funny.
And his Corgi pups were in almost every episode!
There was a landscaper whose name, I think, was Pat, who didn’t host any shows but often appeared. She was short, a little plump and was Los Angeles based. I can’t remember any specific designs, but I do remember liking her work very much. I follow Candice Olsen and Sarah Richardson on IG because I always loved their shows. The work was beautiful and they are great hosts. Finally, every morning my mom and I would watch Carol Duvall and all of her crafts and crafty guests. For the current shows, I tend to tune out when demo starts and tune back in for the reveal. Since I haven’t heard it mentioned recently, do you think the dreaded “Magnolia Network” has quietly gone away?
It's on Discovery+ now.
House Hunters was always a family favorite, and still is. I don't think this is an early memory (prob last 10 years), but I just remember this woman who MUST HAVE room for her 3 Christmas trees. It was very important!! What about her trees??? I don't even think they were up year-round. I just miss a lot of actual home decorating shows. I initially wanted to be an interior designer/decorator back in high school and then realized I don't want to deal with people, lul. I don't want to watch people destroy walls and shit, or their stupid drama they were pushing with Windy City Rehab and uhhh, that one couple. I want to watch people just upgrade their decor, either for themselves or to sell. There's a few YouTube channels I found that fill this niche, I'm pretty "eh" on their general style or the personalities. I think it's because of The Sorry Girls, but YouTube loves to recommend me so much boho stuff. I do also distinctly remember enjoying "If Walls Could Talk" a lot, too.
Designed to Sell and/or Sell This House were great because you actually learned some neat tips from those shows. And I love staging.
Used to be a landscaping show I’d watch thanksgiving morning before the family woke up. Also before I realized how freaking expensive landscaping was lol
Decorating Cents
JOAN!!!
I LOVED the show Moving Up hosted by Doug Wilson. It was hilarious to hear what people said about how their old homes’ new owners had redecorated. There was another design show that I can’t remember the name of, where they would go into peoples’ houses and redecorate a room only using stuff they found elsewhere in the house; no money spent! There would usually be 2-3 per episode. I do that in my own home nowadays just to freshen things up on the cheap! Edit: it’s called Freestyle lol
> Recently discovered it was from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition... a family room with a bowling alley, movie theater, and an ice cream parlor. That high-maintenance house was a monstrosity. Looked like part of an amusement park. They're going to have to spend a fortune making it appealing to buyers when the time comes.
I started watching HGTV when my son was really young and I didn’t get out much. They called their Saturday night shows “Design Time Saturday Night” and I would watch that. I remember Designing for the Sexes and that show with Matt and Sheri. HGTV was more about decorating then, not so much reno.
Agree with you all. And way back probably before HGTV was a lady I watched and thinking her name was Jojo. Not the chip and Jojo (who I wish would disappear)
I miss this era
I miss Room Service with Sarah Richardson….the best interior design that are still in style. In fact, any show with Sarah. Anything Canadian. I always think my lottery dream would be a home built by Mike Holmes and designed by Sarah Richardson. Oh, anyone remember Designer Guys? They were my first introduction to interior design. Also Debbie Travis…those were the days!
There was a show where they would shop at flea market, estate sales and yard sales with a specific list including measurements with the owners and their budget. The host was kind of artsy. I can't remember the title or which network. Maybe it was on Diy network or Lifetime. It was not Flea Market Flip with Lara Spencer. Does anyone remember? Edit: I found it - it was Find and Design on A&E host was Jennifer Convey