Tuesday night saw the return of Sarah's House, an HGTV series featuring much loved (and my favourite)Canadian designer Sarah Richardson buying, renovating, and tricking out (Design Inc. style) a previously loved, but seen better days home in her native Ontario. This season finds her traipsing through the mud in her designer Wellies with her talented, trusty sidekick, Tommy. Ever the city boy, Tommy can barely hide his disdain for the country setting of the pad Sarah picked up for the bargain price of $500,000. Not to worry, she is merely sinking another $600,000 to bring it up to a standard even (adorable city slicker)Tommy could appreciate.
Now, lest you think I am slamming the show, I can assure you watching Sarah and Tommy work their incredible design magic on such a charming old farm house is a guilty pleasure I won't soon give up. Sarah is the BEST, hands down! But that said, with a value of 1.1 million before realtor fees and star power is added in, Sarah's house has a price tag that surely alienates the average viewer. Sarah's Houses just aren't homes any of us common peasants can even begin to dream about. So sad...
Indeed, as her brilliant star burns brighter, Sarah's House is clear evidence that not only is her talent out of the stratosphere, but also that she, herself, is living in a completely different world than the rest of her viewers.
Think Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous meets The Simple Life.
It's that kind of reality TV show, with a whole lot of pretty thrown in.
~Sigh~
Kinda makes me want to do a High/Low post about how to get a similar look on a real person's budget.
Hmmmm.......
Wanna watch the first episode?
You know you do!
Click here to be inspired, and a little depressed...
(And here is the schedule of episodes)
Linda, your comments are very interesting. I'm a big fan of Sarah, however, you're right that she does have a bigger budget than most! Some of her ideas are quite budget conscious though, such as using Ikea kitchen cabinets in a laundry. It inspired my new laundry design and saved me at least $4,000. Saying that, I'll be watching with interest (when it finally gets to Australia) to see how $600,000 is spent on a $500,000 purchase! Rachaelx
ReplyDeleteHi Linda!
ReplyDeleteI was so excited to see your post about the lovely Sarah...I didn't realize she had a new show until I was searching channels the other night and yea!
I totally love her and look forward to what she and Tommy will be doing. Even though they will have a much higher budget than my client's normally do, I sure like seeing the fun she has pulling it all together.
Thanks for sharing your love for her as well!
Creating beauty day by day...
Erica
You're right - $1.1 million for a property 2 hours outside of Toronto in the middle of nowhere seems a bit steep for the average person. It is a beautiful property though with the long driveway and apple orchard. I'm looking forward to seeing the transformation. She's really good at this modern country aesthetic - colour, great fabrics and vintage finds. I loved the red closet doors and the drapery fabric - actually everything!
ReplyDeleteI DVR her shows every week and have thought the same as you! I would love to see that kind of style working on a normal budget...that doesn't go over budget also!!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog!
Have a delightful day!
Jenn {redberrybarn.blogspot.com}
I too love everything that Sarah does, but I am the same as Rachael Im in Australia and have to wait until the new show gets here.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree - What Sarah considers a bargain, would require winning the lottery for most of us. That being said, I think many of her design ideas could be adapted to a much more modest budget. The entry / powder room shown on the first episode of her new show left me drooling, as do most rooms she does and my head spinning with ways I could incorporate some of those details into my own design scheme.
ReplyDeleteI love Sarah! While pregnant and doing her last season, I called her my favorite pregnant Canadian:) I would agree that her price tag is higher than most of us could handle, but I'm more interested in what she does inside the house. It however bothers me to no end that she almost always goes over budget for each room...proving that it's impossible to stick with one?! I will be watching with a pang of envy and much love for her and Tommy!!
ReplyDeleteYou should do that, Linda! You could do one after each of her episodes! It would be AWESOME and you're the perfect person to do it!!!!
ReplyDeleteCome on!!!!!
OMG! Really? Spending 600,000 on a 500,000 house? That seems crazy! I would love to see a version of her rooms done on a "peasant" budget. :)
ReplyDeleteFor me it left a bad taste , and your commentors are right , to go OVER extremely generous budget WHY , I can stick to a budget , when she says "it was only $600.00" for that replica adorable dresser puke, I could find something comparable for $200.00 I am sure of it .
ReplyDeleteWho would fund our realistic remodel ????
but sindicated tv shows do pay well what do we know .
I love her show and her style! However, you are right on! I remember when I was watching the backyard redo and she ended up with a pool. Not many of us can just come up with $30K because we out of the blue decide a pool would be nice. All that aside, I love the show and love watching her pull it all together. I guess we can all dream :)
ReplyDeleteI saw the episode about the bathrooms and I was really impressed!
ReplyDeleteI have watched many of Sarah's shows...and you are right. However, that is not the part of your post that got my attention. The phrase "Kinda makes me want to do a High/Low post about how to get a similar look on a real person's budget." sent happy chills up back. Please do a high/low post...it would be so helpful and inspirational to the rest of us lowly peasants who have a small budget and have no room to go over that budget!! Because honestly, I don’t see myself winning the lottery any time soon! :)
ReplyDeleteSigh.
ReplyDeleteWe have to wait for it to go on HGTV here. I tried to access the show by hgtv.ca and it won't let me.
PLEASE do a post of how to do a makeover on a realistic budget.
Thanks!
Your Texas fan!
I agree Linda. Sarah is our "one of a kind". She started so small and simple and has really grown over the years as her reputation and her talent have risen. Tommy always makes me smile!
ReplyDeleteWhat Sarah does with design is out of the reach of just about all of us. We know that going in, but it can be on the depressing side!!
I remember reading Hello months ago and there was a spread of Sarah's cottage up north. A cottage?? More like the McMansion of cottages...something many of us can't aspire to...and I wonder...obviously there is an audience but I wish she would design things that the rest of us "plebes" could manage to do!
Great post!
Oh I adore Sarah's House. It's the only show I watch alone. No kids, no husband. Just me, a cup of hot tea, a blanket and my dreams. I do adore her, but you're right. It is another world entirely. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh and P.S. I would love for you to do a high/low post. LOVE!! ;)
ReplyDeleteI also love Sarah and find her design aesthetic enviable. However, I don't think the price of the house should have any bearing on the decorating or our opinion. I am just thrilled she has another project to take us through! You have to consider land value, too. I would bet that $600,000 isn't being spent only on fabric and furniture. I haven't seen this show/episode, but I imagine she will have to spend a hefty chunk of change just getting the house to livable condition. I look forward to seeing the house transformed room by room. Thanks for this post! I also didn't know she was back!!
ReplyDeleteI would love you to do a high/low on how to get her design. I always have her in the back of my mind when I'm decorating, as I love what she does as well.
ReplyDeleteI know ... when she said you get so much more for your money when you are outside of the city I thought it wouldl be a much cheaper house .... and then to add $600,000 to decorate/renovate ... my max would be $6000 !!! :-)) we aren't even in the same ball park. But I do find her decorating inspirational and I never miss a show.
ReplyDeleteBut isn't it nice to see her decorate her house with no limits on what she can spend (to me $600K might as well be $600MM)? But I bet that a large part of the $600K is going to be spent on labor (I doubt she's going to buy a $40,000 toilet). And we can all steal her ideas to do on the cheap -- I'd rather knock off a $100k room than try to copy a $100 room.
ReplyDeleteI was re-reading all the comments ... and it is true... Sarah is inspirational no matter what she spends. Look at the red doors in that entry way ... they completely made that space. And it would only cost a gallon of paint!! I could do that :-)
ReplyDeleteI love Sarah! I don't care what she spends, it's her money after all. She is an inspiration because she built up her business from nothing and we can all do our low cost version if we like her style. A high/low post would be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI love Sarah... but alas, I live in the US and we JUST got to see Sarah's House 2 on US HGTV!!! HGTV Canada also won't let us state-siders watch episodes online.... BOOOOOO. I guess I'll have to live vicariously through other bloggers???
ReplyDeleteI agree, she does get to spend and spend and SPEND way more than most of us "normal" folk. But I do find a lot of her ideas to be things I can use in my own home. I just have to choose less expensive fabric and maybe upholster some things myself!
Thanks for sharing :)
Depression I don't need. Guess that I'll pass, but I'd love to see you do a knock-off look for less...FAR less. Ha!
ReplyDeleteHow stupid am I? For a while, I thought she was moving into that funky split-level and then I realized, she just flips them. Correct? When she put the marble in the laundry room, she lost me. But, as a Single Nester, I have to say her construction crew makes for very nice eye candy.
ReplyDeleteGreat, dead-on post Linda. But I love Sarah, her design esthetic and Tommy too much to complain. Okay... I DO raise my eyebrows and make wee comments to my husband about $600 replica dressers!
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify for your readers - Sarah's $600K budget also includes a large addition with 2 bedrooms a bathroom (maybe 2? I can't remember) and a living room. So yes... a lot of money. But she'll be taking a 2 bedroom house and making it into a 3 or 4 bedroom house (3 bedrooms if she makes a master suite out of the 2 in the old part of the house... time will tell us what she does!!)
It would be great to see high/low posts...
Victoria @ DesignTies
I did a Sarah's House post too. Love her. I saw something called "Sarah's Cottage" on HGTV Canada's site. Don't think it's hit the US airwaves yet??? I also thought she was moving in to these houses... took me awhile to figure it out.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Necel from the Old House in Texas
oh I love Sarah and Tommy and I don't mind that things are out of reach at all. To me that is part of the fun of it, just watching and relaxing and enjoying. Like watching Project Runway or a show like Mama Mia. It is just fun because it is - but I know you know that! Of course I will have to wait another year or so for the new season to start showing here. Drat!
ReplyDeleteI am a huge HGTV fan but, I have been frustrated with the direction of the shows. I am tired of the buying and selling houses shows and all the decorating shows have bugets that are not realistic for DIYers like me. I love Sarah she is truly gifted but please, her budget is more than my home cost.
ReplyDeleteI adore Sarah and Tommy. If you look back on Room Service she was accomplishing designs that most of us can relate to or afford and I think it is easy to take her all ideas and incorporate them with a small budget, it just takes more time and effort to find the deals. I just want to know if I go to the lighting shop she used will they give me an incredible deal too! She got the hall light which is an original antique, welding and wiring for $150.00, Geez, I was quoted by someone else $100.00 just to rewire a light.
ReplyDeleteIf you do the high/low Linda, I would love to see a version of a large durable rubber backed nice looking inexpensive back door matt. All the rubber backed ones I see are ugly or nice ones are too expensive and not durable.
Have a great weekend!
Hi Linda, I love Sarah, too. I'm so glad she is back in any form...and while I can't afford her dreamy designs, it's a blast to watch her pull them together! I loved Design, Inc. and I hope this new show is just as good!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog, too! Great work on the magazine...I'm reading & re-reading it with awe!!
Beth
I have never heard of this show, but I check the viewing scheduled and will be tuning in.. I hate when renovation show do that, spend more that the average folk can spend.. I would love to see someone who literally did it on a budget like... well, mine... But I guess that would take money away from their sponsors... LOL!!
ReplyDeleteThanks again for sharing!
Nicole
www.sobeautifullyinspired.blogspot.com
Hi Linda, I so agree...I love Sarah too but it si so far away from her original show years ago when she would just do over a room in a person's home, long before Tommy was even in the picture. i love watching but it does make you a tad depressed at the same time, cheers Katherine
ReplyDeleteI love the show...but this is where I am confused! Is Sarah doing the house for her and her family...or is she "flipping it?" She'll never make her money back! No one will buy a tiny tricked out cottage in the middle of no where.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy watching Sarah and looking forward to the new episodes. I have tapped all the others as her design ideas can definitely be duplicated on a "frugal" budget! Candice Olson is my fave and she also has an unlimited budget but they both have more talent in their little finger than I will ever have!! I want to see your high/low version!!! I also enjoy your blog!...Bonnie
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Sarah Richardson shows are when she used to do "Room Service". I love her sense of style and her designs, and she has great talent, but many people could put together lovely rooms if they have huge budgets. Room Service was mostly done on small budgets using a mix of thrifted and new items. Much more real world.
ReplyDeleteHere in the states I am watching Season 2 of Sarah's House. Love this house so much better than the 50's multilevel she did last time. I'm a sucker for an old house. Looking forward to seeing season 3.
Does anyone know where I can view her old episodes of Room Service? It's not on anymore over here and they got deleted from my DVR!!
Sheila
Sarah inspired me to use tiles in a different way and that I am grateful for.. she has some great ideas and color combos...I just started watching her and tommy do up the farm(im in aussie and watch her on austar) when she said her budget for the dining room was 20 thousand dollars I was shocked and those spotted stolls where either 1200 or 1600 i can't remeber..that is insane...
ReplyDeleteI know she's not realistic in real people money terms, but if she was, it wouldn't be a show. She inspires me, and I get ideas, that I interpret on my 'Target' budget :) happyathomeinamherstnh
ReplyDelete