The This Old House hour just went off. It had the usual cast of characters on it. I don’t live in a big palace like the houses here, I don’t hire decorators and landscape designers, and I kind of do everything here myself whether or not I know what I’m doing. But, ignoring the megabytes of Norm bashing and Norm loving on this forum, I really like the this old house hour.
I was wondering why this so. It certainly doesn’t reflect my life style or my station in life in the use of paid professionals and the best of everything, damn the cost. I decided that I like the show because Tom and Norm and Rich and Roger and all the other workers are real people that you wouldn’t be unlikely to meet on the job site. I’ve worked with people like them and, their individual quirks aside, I pretty much like them.
This is a huge contrast with the image manufactured glitterati that we see all over the other 87 channels of drivel. What do you think?
Replies
They are ok.with me as well, even though I honestly have only seen the show a couple of times. Anything that is dignified, is good, I thought the show would make people think about the trades, and think about maybe doing it a little better each time , this is a good thing,
I was once asked what I considered success, In a word "Progress"
telemike,
I have been a devotee of the show since its beginning with the house in Dorchester and Bob Villa. I visited many of the work sites and talked with all the cast. They do a high quality job and perhaps a little to high quality. Most of the home owners are quite upset when the show is done with all the cost overruns.
When Villa was on the show they focused more on incorporating new concepts into the projects..converting garages, home gyms, hot tubs, media/living room spaces, etc. Now they have gone to the exoctic homes...and more of the money goes into architectural design. I still like it but can't relate to the projects as much.
This last show on the kitchen replacment in the Chicago area is more of a throw-back to the old days...we'll see..
Before coming back to the Boston area I lived in the Midwest for 13 years. I can tell you the quality of workmanship and materials was much better out there...
By out there do you mean in the Midwest or in Boston? For some reason I would think that Boston, with all it's old historic buildings would have a higher standard. But being a flatlander from just south of the Windy City, I would take pride in our standards being higher. Guess I just don't see much of the really nice stuff around here.
I would have to agree that TOH has changed since Steve Thomas took over. Could it be due in part to the economy booming? I wonder if it'll go back to somewhat more modest homes now that the economy is not doing too well. I do like the ideas on the show. They hire expensive architects and designers, and then I can copy the ideas I like without having to pay all that money ;-) I do like the show, even though I can't afford most of it. It gives me a high standard to shoot for.
When people 100 years from now see my work, they'll know I cared. --Matt Mulka
Matt,
I should have been clearer..by out there I mean the Midwest. Mid-Michigan built beautiful homes: hard wood floors, blue board walls with skim coat..very solid homes. In Northwest IN. the homes were also beautifully built...mine had all Doug Fir and Alaskan white cedar siding...reasonably priced custom cabs, etc. Who built your home in the Midwest is important and the builders carry a reputation.
In the Boston area they don't have the wood...prices are out of this world. Also, the homes are smaller and lots of local constraints on what you can do. A house we lived in here (Boston area) required town approval to have it painted... Don't even try to change the color....
With TOH the one common complaint I would have to all there projects is too much house for the neighborhood. You can't see it on TV but if you visited the finished project I think you would conclude that too much money was spent on the house for that neighborhood. There are exceptions..Mnachester by the Sea is a very fancy place...beautiful setting. Also, last years project in Winchester...very high cost town.
I think of TOH as sort of a televised "wish book" for home owners. Filled with things we find interesting, a lot of things we wish we could afford, a few things we actually can afford to do and have the skill or money to do and will do if (yeah) we ever get around to it, and a few things that are good to learn.
While I still like the old episodes with Bob Vila better, it's still a winner.
Jeff
Edited 3/21/2003 1:43:30 PM ET by Jeff K
I really like Norm,
He admitted that 11 years after finishing his house he still doesn't have the stairs in anything exect plywood plus several bookshelves etc. need to be done yet..
Now there is a man after my own heart, priorities.. and a desire to do it himself rather than hiring others to do what he is capable of. I hate check book remodelers!
I like the show also. They put a fair share of time into identifying problems and then discussing solutions and process. Take that away, and you've got another of all the other "DIY" shows.
I was under the impression the reason Bob Villa is no longer on TOH is because he saw what they were doing was beyond the means of the vast majority of viewers. His new show sure has a different tone to it.
Don
Don
As I understand it, Bob Villa wanted more money for tool endorsement. How ever it's hard to tell. He also did not want to play second fiddle to Norm. Just a rumor.
I love a good rumor
The bohemian
a
Many rumors...few facts. With GBH there tends to be a bit of a cult atmosphere...philanthropic enterprise and all... When Villa left several other regulars disappeared. I don't know how much was coincidence or something else. What surprises me is Villa's new show works fairly well but appears to focus less on quality..kinda wonder why..there is more slap it together kinda.
I like the Norm and TOH for a bunch of different reasons than what I have read here. My wife and I just got back from a 5-year stint in Belgium. It was fun for a while, but it was a 2-year contract that went for 5. Two years is an adventure 5 years is a sentence. Not really "that" bad but by the time we came home we were so homesick it hurt. Especially after 9-11.
Point is we discovered TOH and Normy on Brit sat TV. Everything was about home. We were planning or buying/renovating when we got home so everything was pertinent. I rediscovered a love of woodworking that I had lost as a kid due to the Normy. The love not the loss. I would watch him do something and think, "That's really not that hard". I didn't even know what mortise and tenon meant. I had a table with a 6" circ saw mounted upside down as my table saw, a crosscut/bench combo, a router, jig and a six-inch BS. Made a mess of sawdust. Now I have a PM 64A and am starting on my US workshop. Life be very good for this boy. We bought and older home with some work needed but not too much in the way of remolding ATT. We are just loving being home and just yesterday I got a couple of new books of Brother Norm's. My "infatuation" may wear off someday, but right now I will watch NYWS any time I can. HGTV has TOH most every day but I only get to see Norm at 6:30 AM on the weekends.
And by the by, HI!! I'm Skip Horni another Badger Pond refugee, first time posting here.
Thanks.
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