Joanna just has free reign over each renovation without much input from the buyer. I don't understand how people think that. Then they complain that all her designs are the same. Maybe most of her designs are similar because that's what most of their clients want??? Last I checked, anytime you hire an interior designer, don't they have to run their ideas by you before they proceed?
Then people complain when she does something "different." Just goes to show, people are never satisfied
My answer would be two-fold:
1. The houses the clients pick are often at great variance with the style of the design Joanna chooses. You simply cannot convince me that every single client in Waco Texas WANTS French Country design. Example: foster Mom chose a darling 40's cottage presumably because she felt at home there. If I had been her designer, not only would I have designed the reno accordingly, but I would have left the 40's cottage elements in place and designed around them. Joanna did neither. She destroyed the fireplace surround and took out the built-ins, both of which were major elements of the original architecture. Do you REALLY believe the client wanted her to do that? Another example: Shotgun house. The clients specifically stated they wanted to preserve a piece of history yet Joanna, in one of the few departures from her usual design, wiped out all the historical details of the tiny house and added ultra modern elements like a metal porch railing!!!
2. You never see a single scene with Joanna consulting with the client on how to design their house. This is something that should be done at the outset of the project. She shows them
her design
after it is completed, with no indication the clients had any input, and gives them a multiple choice quiz of her own design on how to spend the remaining $2500 or so. Have you ever seen a client say "Well, those are pretty good choices but how about _________ instead?" Nope. How hard would it be to cut the scenes with the kids and show us a snippet of Joanna meeting with clients to work out a design based on their needs and wants? Not hard at all, yet this is the one thing missing.
I think it's missing because it doesn't happen. Have you seen how snippy she gets with her husband Chip when he suggests a slight change in her design plans? Yeah.
Another example: The couple who bought the 'Barndaminium' or whatever. Do you REALLY think they wanted or needed that giant Medieval dining table right inside their front door? Had they been consulted I feel sure they could have come up with a better use for that space based on the needs of their family.
Basically, I'm saying there is no proof in fact or in deed that Joanna consults the clients as to their wishes for their home design. The evidence suggests the opposite. Perhaps in small matters such as hanging the clients' guitars [If I'm not mistaken, some of which he had to sell in order to complete the project] she will incorporate their personal items but I doubt she asks them how they want her to utilize them in her design.
EDIT:
Homeowners are under strict orders to stay away from the houses while they’re being renovated so the results will be a complete surprise. Doug McNamee, whose house was featured during the first season, says, “It took discipline not to sneak a look.” (I bet!)
http://hookedonhouses.net/2015/03/23/hgtv-behind-the-scenes-chip-joanna-on-fixer-upper/
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gladiatorinasuit
8 years ago
I see what you're saying, but just because it's not shown doesn't mean it didn't occur in real life. Not only that, but remember there are producers and directors who want the show filmed in a certain way with specific elements. So, most of what we see may not have anything to do with the actual process, but the nice and pretty snapshot of arguably a grueling, unenjoyable expensive venture. It's more the illusion of what HGTV wants us to believe is reality (even though most of us are smarter than that).
At the end of the day, they are business owners. And as such, they want more business. And, I'm sure they have business managers, publicists and a whole entourage of lawyers and such. I don't think they want to put any of that at risk, which could destroy their family and everything they worked for. They worked hard for the reputation they have and people look up to them (hell, some aspire to be like them). Shiplap is hardly a reason to throw all that away. So, I'm sure if the owner wants highlighter yellow walls with green flowers painted on them, she'd oblige.
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LadyMarysHat
8 years ago
I see what you're saying, but just because it's not shown doesn't mean it didn't occur in real life. ....So, I'm sure if the owner wants highlighter yellow walls with green flowers painted on them, she'd oblige.
Except you can't really point to any proof that she consults the clients on the color of their walls or anything else. Forget never seeing the consultation meeting, what about a simple line of dialogue? "Oh, this tile you chose is just perfect" or "This wall color you chose works beautifully with the light in this room"...nothing like that, ever. Because it makes sense and because that is how it usually works, you are
assuming Joanna's designs are the result of her collaborating with the client. But in point of fact, in my comment above I quoted a former client who said the results are a complete surprise. How can that be if the client consulted with Joanna throughout the process? As for her business reputation, some designers feel their reputation is put in jeopardy by allowing amateur clients to make design decisions. It's all about the finished product..
EDIT: Don't get me wrong, I think most of Joanna's designs turn out beautifully, but she
has made some serious missteps that most likely come down to her unwillingness to consult the client. (And maybe the fact that she is not a professionally trained designer)
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libby2130
8 years ago
maybe the would be owners fill out a form asking them their favorite and things they would hate, as a guide line, and they can't see the house until the reno is totally done
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LadyMarysHat
8 years ago
maybe the would be owners fill out a form asking them their favorite and things they would hate, as a guide line, and they can't see the house until the reno is totally done
More likely they sign a contract agreeing 1. to allow Joanna a free hand in designing the reno [and any choices they may have are the choices Joanna allows them to have] and 2. not to disclose if they are unhappy with the design.
In any case, if they
do sign such a document just to get on television any unhappiness they feel about their reno is their own fault anyway.
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hungryhungryhypocrite
8 years ago
There have been a bunch of couples that she brings over to the farm to show them things and get their input. One guy hated her kitchen and made sure she knew it. Another episode shows the woman picking out the countertops. It happens all the time.
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greenegg
8 years ago
Great post, LadyMarysHat! There have been some articles about all the HGTV design shows that discuss how scripted they are, as well as how many people are dissatisfied with the results. Love It or List It faces a lawsuit, while other shows have faced complaints for misrepresenting situations and not following clients' wishes. One of my friends knew people who had to completely refurbish their house after one of the HGTV designers made a mess of the renovation. I read another article that admitted the Gaines stage the properties they renovate, and that many clients do not keep the furniture from Joanna's shop. I find her taste and designs rather one-note and cookie-cutter.
Put puppy mills out of business: never buy dogs from pet shops!
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Low_Rent
8 years ago
Have you seen how snippy she gets with her husband Chip when he suggests a slight change in her design plans?
Oh yes I have!! LOL. I have seen an episode that she snapped at Chip when he mentioned the paint of the house. She picked a color that turned out looking pretty bad on the house after Chip had painted the entire exterior. She ended up picking a different color and Chip had to paint it again. Later in the episode Chip tried to give her a compliment on the color she picked and she immediately cut him off and told him not to mention the color because she was real sensitive about it. And of course, Chip became obsequious, not wanting to anger her royal highness. lol
I have also noticed that Joanna drives the SUV most of the time. She probably "drives all the time". LMAO
Kiss my Converse! - Sho'nuff: The Shogun of Harlem.
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liscarkat (16768)
2 years ago
"And of course, Chip became obsequious, not wanting to anger her royal highness."
Poor dude wants to keep getting laid.
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