The HGTV Myth
The HGTV Myth has been long standing and has cast a cloud of confusion amongst all watchers! If you’re a designer… you know exactly what I mean. To everyone else - the Myth is this: Rock music ensues, everything gets demolished, and TA-DA a magic wand gets waved and a new room stands before you. This post will be to dispel some of those major misconceptions and to clarify what our role truly looks like… in well… the real world.
The first thing I’d like to address is the illusion of time. Occasionally shows will vaguely mention “x” number of weeks from start to finish but with flashy production and editing it seems to happen overnight. One thing that is commonly asked amongst the design community is how long something will take? Granted, this is not a cookie cutter answer. Of course if you are having any form of structural work done - this adds weeks and potentially months. But let’s pause here for a second. The above mentioned almost seems obvious, right? You’re having your kitchen redone, it’s to be expected that this take months. But let’s say you’re giving your living room a makeover, and you want new furniture. Seems simple. If purchasing custom, this can take months - and months - and well… months. These pieces are usually made from scratch - down to the frame. And, it is our role as designers to communicate the expectations to you early on in the process, so you aren’t expecting some rock song and a miracle.
Secondly, another common - HUGE misconception that HGTV has blessed us designers with is that we swing hammers, and install tile - and boss around the General Contractor. News flash - none of this is true. Well, for a majority of us. Yes we work in tandem with a GC and in some ways will act as a project manager. But we are not their boss. And you won’t see us there on demo day ripping out a counter and kicking down a wall. That’s what the contractor is hired for. Interior Designers have a multitude of things that occupy our day, to ensure your project stays on track and that your home is beautiful.
Lastly, HGTV reveal day! When the client walks in, and they’re in awe of everything - and comment on all the details throughout the home. “OMG - that backsplash is amazing”. Girl, you know you’ve seen that tile before! Yes, I get it… there is probably some level of surprise seeing the finished product all styled with perfect lighting. But HGTV has also done a good job of excluding any meeting or preview (between client and designer) of the items that go into your home. Again a massive misconception. Not only will you get a preview of every furniture piece that will go into your home, but in some cases you will sit on the pieces as well. And you will have visited the stone yard to pick out your counters along with the plumbing fixtures and tile. What I aim to say - is there are no surprises, at least where the finishes are concerned. Yes, depending on your client and the specifications of that project, there still might be a big reveal moment, and your jaw drops. But this is definitely circumstantial.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for ALL the shows on HGTV and have binge watched literally hours of design. But, there are elements that needed clarifying. Things take time - (usually quite a bit of it), and trust me - it’s worth the wait. And, your designer makes sure they navigate the logistics of your room and that you have your OMG moment. And hey, if you want rock music playing in the background, I’ll bring my boombox!
