Before and after dreams: TV shows give homeowners big ideas

Published: Friday, Jan. 24, 2014, 8:57p.m. Updated 13 hours ago

Fans of home-remodeling shows know the satisfaction that comes with seeing the finished product.

The big reveal of a decor nightmare turned homeowner's dream can be gratifying and inspiring. But designers and contractors urge anyone envisioning similar results in their own homes to be realistic about projects that will take much longer than a half-hour.

You have to remember it's a TV show, says Dave Seymour, co-host of A&E's Flipping Boston, with a laugh. If we showed you every single step, nobody would watch. You can only film somebody putting in a nail so many times.

The popularity of shows like Seymour's have more people thinking about home-remodeling projects, say local contractors and designers. That trend has pros and cons, depending on how realistic homeowners' expectations are, they say.

It educates them about the possibilities of creative spaces, says Liz Murphy, a Sewickley-based interior designer. All the shows have made the whole idea of interior design so much more approachable.

These days, more programs show both the ups and downs of home remodeling, which give audiences a truer sense of what the jobs can entail, Murphy says.

In some respects, the majority of the shows do educate viewers to the realities of renovations, she says. Now, we're seeing more that don't just tear down walls, and there's no glitches. The newer shows always have issues that arise. People are more conscious that things can go wrong. Budgets need to change. You have to plan for the unexpected.

Particularly when it comes to the time remodeling jobs take, some shows can be way off, Murphy says. Those shows often have sponsors who provide all the materials necessary to eliminate the usual weeks of waiting.

The ridiculous ones are the shows that concentrate on speed, she says. They drive me crazy. You can't force people to work that fast and guarantee it's going to be well-done.

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Before and after dreams: TV shows give homeowners big ideas