Restored

What I liked about this show: 1) His commitment to restoring old homes to their former glory when so many are being bulldozed for some ugly new building, with their exteriors and interiors either being sent to the dump, or hopefully sold in reclaimed shops, 2) Using items from reclaimed shops to bring back design elements lost in past renovations, 4) The beautiful woodwork that is sometimes added.

What bothered me somewhat about the show: 1) Constantly using the same design ideas, like the apron sink and the ugly Fort Knox refrigerators, 2) Brett's seeming dislike for microwaves, hiding or removing them whenever possible, 3) When unstackable washers and dryers are stacked on top of one another so the control knobs are so high you'll need a step-stool to reach them.

What I very much disliked about the show: 1) His ridiculous love of the colour grey - his goal seems to be to paint and roof most houses he renovates some ugly shade of grey, obscuring their beauty, lines and details, turning them into ugly bunkers. 2) His complete and utter disregard for plants and trees, ripping out beautiful and in some cases, flowering items, to replace them with barren moonscapes with plants that won't survive long in California weather. We referred to the "landscaper" he worked with as Daisy Cutter. 3) The excessive stenciling. I hate stenciling - in 90% of cases, it cheapens the look of a room.

Real cowboys do not wear a hat indoors. The hat looks really stupid on him. The show is interesting but not near as good as Maine Cabin Masters or Home Town. Personality makes a big difference and this guy is irritating at times. The houses he chooses are great. Can't believe there are that many old houses in that area. I wish some of his workers would get some attention. Most of the workers there are Hispanic and should get more attention. But most of all lose that stupid cowboy hat. If you go on the Internet almost all say it's rude to wear a hat indoors. C'mon you don't work indoors with that type of hat.

I'm obsessed with this series! What sets this apart from all the rest is its genuine focus on preserving rather than a modern renovation that doesn't stand the test of time.

It's so refreshing to watch a preservation show where you actually learn a lot about different architectural styles. Brett has a great eye for sensing what the house had and more often than not, he's exactly right. In one episode, he guessed where a sconce once may have been and with a hammer, he found it in just one try!

I love that this show now airs on both DIY and HGTV. The renovations are fun to watch and the more viewers get introduced to traditional design, the better.

We've been a fan of this show since it started and really enjoy watching Brett Waterman restore classic homes to their original grandeur. The show is a great blend of home renovation and architectural history lesson. Brett does a great job of explaining the look and character he's trying to capture as he works through the renovation.

My only critique comes from the most recent season (2023). In previous seasons, the reno projects featured on the show were generally modest homes in quiet middle-class residential neighborhoods. This latest season seems to have taken the show in a new direction, as it almost exclusively features massive homes and huge restoration budgets. The effect for a viewer like myself is that the show suddenly feels out of touch and thus less interesting.

I hope the the show runners remember their audience and return to restoring homes that more of us could see ourselves living in in upcoming seasons. It's one of the aspects of the show that make it stand out from it's competitors, and frankly why I enjoy watching.

You know that in every episode that Brett will insert 'pony walls', pocket doors, a mud room and an island bench in the kitchen.

He will also laugh like a drain and bear hug the wife.