I was excited about this year’s giveaway because it’s a remodeled 1920s bungalow in Asheville, North Carolina.
Keep scrolling to see how it looks after HGTV gave it a makeover…
HGTV Urban Oasis: A Bungalow Makeover
The Living Room Before:
The Living Room After:
HGTV says: “Preserving the style of a charming bungalow, this home offers a modern twist with bold colors.”
It went a little too modern and bold for me. I tend to prefer more traditional interiors on old houses, so I actually liked the original windows and brick fireplace.
They created a loft space above the living and dining areas that looks a little too modern for this house, too, but I can appreciate the goal of creating more floor space:
The designer assigned to the project was Brian Patrick Flynn.
If you win the 1,300-square-foot bungalow, it comes with a 2016 Acura TLX and a check for $50,000, a prize package they’re valuing at over $500,000.
*Update: It sold in June of 2020 for $597,500. Check the listing to see how it looks now!
(Photography credit: Sarah Dorio.)
Head to HGTV.com to take the full tour and let me know what you think!
Visit my HGTV page to learn more about your favorite home & garden shows.
Are you hooked on houses? More to tour:
HGTV Is Giving Away This Dutch Colonial They Remodeled in Cincinnati
Before & After: A Simply Southern Cottage Makeover in Louisiana
HGTV’s Urban Oasis 2017 Is a Remodeled Bungalow in Knoxville
Finishing a Bungalow Attic to Create a Second Story
Eyesore No More: An Old Cottage in Atlanta Gets a New Look
Sigh. No. I really don’t like this one. Too urban, too bold for this sweet bungalow. The bedroom is very cute–it’s just too bad the rest of the house doesn’t have the same feeling.
We are building a new “old” farmhouse on our horse farm right now. It pains me to see these authentic details, like the charming brick fireplace with those windows, torn out in order to “update.” There is value in those details, and even in the old, less open floor plan. Life doesn’t necessarily need to be lived in an extra-large kitchen, which is what a lot of these open-concept plans turn into.
Not enough appreciation was shown for the philosophy behind the Arts and Crafts Movement. Much of what the designer did is strained and affected, and I do not see any true innovation. Nor did he emphasize to any significant degree the beauty and design integrity of the Movement–too much of this makeover is a travesty.
You hit the nail on the head. The interior designer really does NOT know his art history, color theory or design. And the art work itself is totally hit or miss. There are some fine pieces in the house, but it is coupled with utter garbage. The designer was trying to be “clever” without understand art AT ALL!! Despite the mess made by the interior designer I think the Canadian renovator did high quality work. I was so looking forward to this, but in the end the overall execution was an amatuerish hack job.
The brick fireplace was nice but terribly inefficient as a heat source, not mention polluting. The new gas insert is not as charming but it is definitely better for the environment.
I think gas is fine, but the tile design is gut wrenching.
The brick could have been renovated or updated with a gas insert. It’s done all the time. There are local artists that make gorgeous A&C style custom tiles. There is no excuse for that ugly fireplace. It already looks dated, like bad design from the 1970’s. They completely stripped the charm out of this bungalow.
What happened to the rest of the yard? Did they sell it to the neighbor? It is strangley narrow.
The Arts & Crafts feel of the bungalow is gone (sad), and the lot is now strangely proportioned. The interior design is a travesty — a hack interior design job in a town that knows art.
I hate the front porch curtain rods, it looks like shower curtains and no cabinets in the kitchen. Where to put the dishes? On the bottom, that just doesn’t make sense and if you have a bad back forget about it 🙂 The beautiful fireplace 🙁 Tears to my eyes I love a old bungalow farm house interior.
Our local news channel has been running the story on this house. One of the neighbors said he didn’t even know who HGTV was, but glad to see they fixed it up. Its in a great up and coming trendy area too. I wish they had retained more of the Arts and Crafts feel of the house. Little too modern for my taste.
I like some things but not others – like you, I don’t like the new fireplace in that space at all. I’m still going to enter, though, because I’d love to have a place in Asheville!
I think that, in just a few years, the winner will regret that unfortunate fireplace re-do. One of the rooms had periwinkle walls, ceilings + even upholstered furniture! Is that a ‘thing’ now?!
I do like it but I kind of liked the before pictures, too! Sadly, if I won it I would just have to sell it anyway!
They took my favorite style of house and ruined it. It is so sad what they did to this beautiful little house.
I know – it made me sad too. 🙁
Me too! 🙁
I agree. The redo is horrible. They got rid of the beautiful old windows, created an ugly fireplace, original (I think) wood floors are gone. Where is Nicole Curtis when HGTV needs her?! I can’t even believe they would do this to a beautiful old house.
I agree – just broke my heart when I saw the photos.
Sadly not my favorite. The bedroom IMHO is the best room – the rest I’ll take a pass. Too modern and that fire place just doesn’t go with this house.
No, no, noooo. *banging head on desk*
Why did they replace the beautiful 4-over-1 paned windows in the front with the giant picture window??? And then breaking up the adorable windows that flanked the fireplace…replacing one with another nonbungaow-style picture window. *breathing into paper bag*
That horrible new window was the first thing I noticed!
So did I! I thought “Whahhhaaaaa!?!!? That was most definitely a style-correct window before. Now the picture window makes the front look like some bad 70’s window…..icky poo!
I so agree. I hate the new fireplace and miss the small windows above it. I liked the cozy feel of the living room with the lower ceilings. The only thing I do like is the back porch area, otherwise, they should of left it alone!
Huge mistake on the window choice!
The outside isn’t horrible–although the curtains are a bit strange–but the inside is AWFUL. If I won this house, I would take the $50,000 to gut it and restore it so that it is worthy of the kind of house it is. This looks like a random modern house, not a sweet little bungalow. The only OK room is the master with the ship lap, but that doesn’t go with the hideous purple and black rooms at all.
I love everything about it except the bedroom colors!
I have been following HGTV’s Dream Homes, Green Homes, and Urban Oases for a long time, but am really disappointed with this. Forget that the concept is an “urban oasis” i.e. dwelling in a cityscape — the results from the makeover and interior design alone fail on so many levels for me. I hate that they tried to turn a cute little house into some kind of modern hybrid (a loft space in the living room–are you kidding me?) To me, it looks like a teenager’s idea of what to do with an old house to make it cool.
By the way, HGTV is also not offering a cash option to the winner in lieu of the house with this one, which is a departure from previous years.
Yes I noticed that as well. I think most people must be opting for the cash prize instead. I know that I could not afford to keep up two houses even with it being paid off, so sadly I would have to sell it like others mentioned.
Unfortunately, there is no cash option this year. It’s the house or nothing. There is no chance this house will get anywhere near the estimated value in the current Asheville market. Not to mention the value of the house has likely decreased after the disastrous renovation. The winner will be lucky to sell it and break even after paying out over $200,000 in taxes.
Not so. Lots of folks I know would snap it up.
Just. NO. Loved the bedroom though. Particularly disliked the backyard fence. Way too dark, and I confess I loathe what they did to the fireplace…Sometimes updates are fabulous, but not this time…Sigh.
Some I like, like the exterior colors but I do not care for the fireplace nor all the curtains that they have hanging on the front and back porch. Plus the colors are little too bold for my taste. The opening of the top of the front porch was a good touch, too.
HI, Julia! I forgot to add that I think the curtains on the porches are SUPER IRRITATING…there is zero historic precedence for hanging outside curtains, especially on the front porch, in vintage bungalow design.
And my hostility knows no end because the architect TRASHED those charming windows in the living room. I find piano windows to be particularly enchanting, so I am not happy!
But, hello, the loft bed in the living room…WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? And, yes, I hate the paint colors…Epic fail…Double sigh.
I felt like going more into detail about my dislike for this, but you did the job–and very well. Kudos!
Ditto for me, I am truly taken aback at the sheer audacity of the transformation ~from something that was darling into something that makes you sad!
It’s OK. I kinda like the inside except for that weird loft thing. However, looking at the foundation in the ‘before’ photos plus the glimpses of the neighborhood… uhhhh, no thanks.
Liked the before WAY better. I wish they would have restored it instead of “remuddeling” it. Very sad…
The master bedroom is pretty and the kitchen is not bad, but the rest, IMO, is awful. I like blue, but this is just too much blue! What a shame. If they wanted to do modern, why didn’t they build new, or at least find a mid-century place to tinker with?
…oh my…I liked the before much better than the after…all the charm was lost…but then…I am old…and I like old!…blessings laney
I’m old too. After seeing the original I was looking forward to a restored Arts and Crafts style bungalow, and to put it mildly, I was sadly disappointed in the ‘new’ remodel. The fireplace tile is just awful and doesn’t go. I’m not crazy about the floor to ceiling subway tiles in the operating room, um, I mean the kitchen. I’m not fond of the metal cabinets or the industrial metal railings… and who the heck even thinks to put a rake on a bedroom wall? Or those metal helmet things in an Arts and crafts bungalow? There’s way too much blue paint… stair backs, ceiling and every wall. I could go on but it only depresses me. I do like the wood floors though, although personally, I would have kept the originals. Did anyone notice that right in front of that ‘industrial’ metal railing leading downstairs there are what appears to be 2 outlets on the floor badly covered? What a hack job they did on that house.
I love love love the new exterior….so fun. I also really like the kitchen surprisingly since I normally am not a fan of dark cabinets. The fireplace though is horrible….so big and bulkly. It’s too overpowering and busy for the small space.
I’m glad to see that I am not alone in thinking that what they did to that sweet house is an awful shame! I agree with Vanessa. I would take the $50,000 and turn it back into something nice. Love the bedroom! I guess it takes all kinds, but, as far as I am concerned, they blew it with this one!
Okay, so the house needed some work, but oh dear….. they killed it. How do you cover over nice brick work inside and out with that hideous pebble stuff and even hideous-er chevron paneling?? Yeccchh! The back deck was ugly but now it’s just ridiculous, and those curtains! Sunbrella or not, in steamy Asheville, NC those things are going to be mildewed in no time. I would not mind the kitchen too much if it was in a new house, but the nice homey feeling of the old kitchen has been lost forever. Has there ever been an HGTV house I’ve really liked? I don’t think so.
I agree. I did notice that the finishing on the outside foundation is a weird rocky concrete texture. Almost like those cottage cheese ceilings everybody is taking out, but on the foundation of the house. I live in the South and drive to Asheville every year for vacation. Having curtains outside on the front and the back of the house is extremely impractical. It rains on and off all the time and is very humid. Those curtains and outside furniture on the back deck will be ruined in a year, unless you screened it in. I made the mistake of buying cushioned furniture when I first moved to the Atlanta area. I would try to bring in the cushions when it rained, but quickly found out that it rains all the time, almost everyday in the summer time. That expensive outdoor furniture was ruined. It was too wet to use it most days. Love the location and the house is very nice. Seriously would love to live in a home with smaller square footage.
I live in Asheville and the first thing I said was that those porches will be a moldy, stinky mess after one rainy season. Gross and ugly as circus hell.
Yikes! I LOVE blue — but NOT that much of it! I agree with most others who have commented that this house lost all of its charm in this unfortunate re-do. The fireplace is ghastly. The windows in the front and either side of the fireplace need black bars over their eyes because they are completely wrong for the house — the original windows in both places were perfect! The shot from the living room into the dining area looks just overpowering — too much of everything (especially the oversized Sputnik lights on either side of the fireplace — one was wrong, two are ridiculous). Wrong designer(s) for this sweet, once-charming cottage.
Well … it is different.
Not someplace I’d want to live but an interesting change of pace to look at online.
This is awful. They completely ruined a beautiful old home. Hope they stay out of my town.
LOL
Call this the bungled bungalow. Personally, I think they ruined its charm with an ugly, overly trendy design that has no lasting power. All this beauty in the rough needed was some TLC and updates that didn’t try to destroy its roots. Ugh.
That precious little house only needed a bit of tlc. It is ruined!
Gee, how sad. They had they money and the manpower to do something marvelous – and they ruined this sweet little home. Ruined it.
Hard to decide what the worst feature is….but the picture window is a front-runner, along with the fireplace and those corny outside curtains.
What a shame.
agree with posters disagreement with modern look of home and ruining the sense of the historical house. improvements should have been more in keeping the home’s age. although it does look better than the “before” photos.
I commented once, but just had another thought about this. I do realize that this is “Urban Oasis” makeover. I think what most of us see as upsetting is the house was such a charming COTTAGE and should have kept that persona. Find another more non-descript box to URBAN-ize for projects like this instead of slaying charmers like this bungalow. This was a travesty.
I am NOT impressed with this designer. He had no respect for the bungalow essence of this house. And his color sense is horrific. Not only that but he overcrowded the house with junk that just looks like clutter. I don’t mind the kitchen and master, and I’d take it if I won. But all in all an epic fail! The first thing I’d do is rip out the fireplace tile and repaint!
I know! They modernized the house, painted the inside all sorts of ugly colors, and then suddenly realized that they needed the house to look “old,” so they filled it with yard sale junk to cover up the modern elements. I would like to have a house in Asheville, but I’d have to declutter before I could stay a single night there. And that front bedroom, the purple one? It’s just creepy.
I’d declutter, paint, and add upper cabinets in the kitchen. Then I’d remove the exterior curtains and the weird sign on the back deck.
The designer needs more training, more taste and less free rein.
No, overall I’m not a fan. There are elements that I appreciate: the kitchen is good, although it seems like overkill compared to the size of the house, the entryway display is well done and I like the seating area right off the master bedroom (unsure about the curtains though). I really do not like the colors in the master bedroom, that is way too much Americana for me. I’m gutted about the fireplace.
Too. Blue.
It is sad that they ruined this house, in a couple of years all the updating they did will look dated.
It already looks dated.
If you don’t WANT a bungalow, why BUY a bungalow and change it into some other THING? All bungalow charm GONE.
Hideous.
Agree!
Truly tragic! HGTV has lost it. This could have been a winner but it is weird.
Sorry HGTV, you need to go back to square one.
Hmmm….nice “after” but I kinda liked the “before” front elevation better. It had more personal style that didn’t say “LOOK some big name designer made me over!” And why use that blue in front and red in back for accent colors?
The interiors certainly have been upgraded to a much newer look, but truth be told that look is going to look dated faster than the original “before” look…in my opinon. The kitchen probably needed some new fixes but it was actually a very sweet room. Now it looks like a NY loft….nice but so wrong for this style of home. There is something to be said about having interiors work with the exteriors. These madeover interiors fight with the exterior….well, especially with the original exterior.
This isn’t a grand home but bungalow style is a nice style. Sorry….the “after” just looks too contrived to me. Nice…but not really keeping in harmony with the original idea of the house.
Bottom line: Listen to the house, Mr Designer. You did what you wanted but didn’t seem to take the house’s roots into consideration . Win? Not so much 🙁
Anybody else wish that Sarah Richardson or even Kitty Bartholomew could have come out from around the corner and ripped the paint brushes and upholstery samples right out of their hands?! I live in a 1929 brick cottage just a few hours from there, and I can’t imagine coming home to this “transformation.” And I agree with the poster who mentioned the climate and mildew on the fabrics outside – that will happen in the first month. I don’t think they were thinking beyond the first set of pictures.
I read the designer’s bio for this project (see the link near the top of the story for Brian Patrick Flynn) and it seems a little more “self-appointed” than fans begging for him to take on this project. Not impressed.
Don’t like it at all. The charm has been ruined. The bedroom was the nicest of the whole house. They can have it!
Ugh, no… actually I liked several things better in the ‘before’ variant. 🙂
Deeply dislike.
No better than the hoards of flippers out there destroying all the charm of our older era homes as fast as they can.
I cannot condone this massacre! Looks like a fish out of water both inside and out!
Do you think this designer will ever see all our comments? Hope so. Maybe he’ll rethink his work next time. The look in and of itself isn’t so bad and I’m sure he followed some HGTV guidelines set up for this project. However…..as a designer he should know this look in no way, shape or form, fits either house’s architectural design and probably sticks out like a sore thumb in the neighborhood too!
As others have stated: EPIC FAIL! Two thumbs down!
(Julia…..please send our comments to someone, anyone at HGTV and/or the desiger himself.!!)
Hi! I am upset at this designer and his bad bad decisions. Don’t take a cute, historic bungalow that belongs just where it is and waste precious time, money and resources on giving it a jarring misplaced “urban” identity crisis! In addition to the porch curtains, the interior paint colors, the fireplace, the windows, the misplaced “open-concept” kitchen, and the fence, I have one more thing to add. I am puzzled why they put the address numbers “17” waaayyyyy off to the side of the house, may I point out, literally behind the unnecessary awkward porch curtains? Is he trying to hide the address? They tried way too hard on this one and missed by a century. DISAPPOINTING!
All those dark colors would be depressing in the winter 🙁
They took away it’s charm, it’s character, and it’s history. They ruined that house. Enough said.
Awful. Ruined a darling bungalow, totally agree with everyone on the fireplace and the windows, ruined the kitchen… wonder what they did to the downstairs…
No. Just no.
I’ll join the chorus with my dislike of what they’ve done to this poor house. Stripped of any of it’s bungalow charm it’s just another house. An ugly one at that!
There’s a way to modernize a bungalow and still retain the charm. Ask me, I know. Our bungalow was built in 1926 by my husbands great grandfather. We started renovating and modernizing in the 90’s. It still retains every bit of it’s charm and then some.
It’s nice they fixed it up, but wondering if the houses around would do justice to the amount of money they must of spent remodeling the bungalow..
I have to say, it gives me anxiety just to look at it.. I couldn’t imagine living in it.. But not in any danger of that, because I would be completely embarrassed to own something that screamed for attention the way this house does.
Good initiative… Bad judgement.
The black kitchen cabinets are so forbidding looking – this is a regrettable vogue that too many people are embracing. Those
cabinets are in a kitchen painted gray, with only the white tiles
to relive all that gloom. The “before” photo of the old yellow
kitchen is pure sunshine ! Why on earth not keep the yellow and
white scheme for the new improvements? The black and gray
are merely fashionable and have no real esthetic and emotional
value at all.
I totally agree with you, this one is a bust for me too…I HATE it! HGTV ruined it in my opinion. My grandparents had a bungalow just like this, same footprint a a matter of fact, when I was growing up in Asheville, probably why I was so shocked to see the “afters”. Ugh. Nothing like the old fashioned touches of a charming home!
I think some designers just want to shock people..to get a huge reaction. I think they made mistakes in the living room & with such bold color choices. I do like how things were opened up but most of the design doesn’t look right with the style of the house.
Hi again- I commented earlier but I looked through the designers (Brian) other projects and he does other delightful projects with charming use of colors and patterns. Maybe he took risks with this HGTV project? Risks mean it could be a total flop or it could be a total “wow”. This home missed the mark but he has done many many cute porches/vignettes/rooms/ homes!
Oh dear . . . . everything SO much better in the ‘before’ pictures. Don’t like at all:(
I live just outside of Asheville and my son used to live in this neighborhood. For one, I think they have over-improved the house for the neighborhood, even though prices have been going crazy. I agree with many here that I wish they had kept more of the original Craftsman features. I hate the fireplace and the new windows. With walls, ceilings, and trim all painted blue, it’s just way too much, and I’m a blue person. A neutral background with the blue upholstery and accents would have been preferable. I don’t mind the kitchen or bedrooms, but the loft is ridiculous – an adult can’t stand up in it. Asheville has a lot of Arts and Crafts houses and buildings and there is a real appreciation for the period style, so it’s surprising to me that the designer didn’t recognize that, though they did use a local architect. I am entering to win it – it would be nice to have a house in town and for the kids to have a place to stay, if I could afford the taxes! But I’d want to make some changes. For the most part I like the exterior spaces, but can take or leave the curtains. They’re also subdividing the lot, which I hate. That will make the yard tiny and the new house next to it really close, not to mention they’ll lose some trees. This could have been so much better.
Yes, I was wondering that myself?? Why is the lot so narrow now? Can’t find the original lot size anywhere? I’ve tried to find it but cannot. Maybe they just fenced a narrow part of it to frame it. Can’t imagine they subdivided it?? Also can’t find out what the neighborhood is like, can it support a $500,000 dollar house? Also the winner must come up with over 200,000 dollars to even get to become the grand prize winner. Not many of us have $200,000 dollars lying around in our bank accounts. Really confused how this would work for an average person to actually win this prize.
When they announced the location, the host of the show said that the great thing about it was the large lot, then HGTV cut the lot in half.
If there were two choices to be made on any decision while designing (destroying) this house, they chose wrong, every single time. Boggles the mind.
Ron- No, that house will not be worth $ 500,000 in that neighbor at present. (I live down the road.)
If you don’t mind my asking.. How much do houses like that typically go for in that neighborhood? To the person who said they subdivided the lot.. can I ask how you know this? I see a gate on the side of the house. I wonder where that goes to.
Prices for similar (non-massacred) houses in the area go for mid $200’s to 300,000, esp. with a small lot. No where near what they claim the value is, esp. after such a negative remodel. This house will not bring in higher prices, people here really value the history and craftsmanship of the original cottages.
This was before remodel and I’m clueless about property size so I don’t know if this includes the extra lot or not.
https://www.zillow.com/homes/5607411_zpid/?hdpRedirected=true&3col=true
I think this house was destroyed.
One word: sacrilege. The heart of that beautiful little cottage has been ripped out.
Agreed!
The cloth banners/curtains really kill the house.
Those curtains look out of place and imagine what they will look like in a week’s time…soiled and bedraggled.
Those shower curtains hanging on plumbing pipe look like something poor country folks might hang on their shack because they had no other materials they could afford as a way of shading a porch. There is nothing sophisticated about them at all. At least they’d be easy to remove. The hideous 70’s style fireplace which overwhelms the interior of the house… that will be expensive to tear out. Re-painting will take care of the blue explosion.
I disagree…the home has a vibrancy about it full of life and colour while still retaining intimate spaces. I love it!!!!!
I really love it. It’s old but new too. I think it is really cool & my husband and I would really love to win this house. We would only change small things to make it our’s with our personalities. I think too many people have no imaginations, are too critical. No 2 people would do the same things and everyone thinks their an expert. They should think again.
I liked the before better ! the fire place is dreadful ..It could have been a lovely makeover !
It looks like the designer just tried TOO HARD to be trendy. The style of the house was totally ruined. It could have been adorable and classic. It won’t age well, that’s for sure.
Yuck, I hate it. Nothing memorable at all about this; the house is a hot, ugly mess, full of tacky and cheap looking furnishings and accessories. It is a very disjointed, cramped space. Glad there are two outdoor areas to escape from the claustrophobic, dark and gloomy interiors. I agree with a previous poster: “Bungled bungalow”
I think someone had fun furniture shopping at tag sales and junk yards and went way overboard. The small house looks cluttered with mismatched pieces.
And the so called art work… a few pieces are interesting, but I think many will go back to the charity shops or into a tag sale.
Oh, my goodness, no! The only thing I like are the porches. They murdered the quaint charm of this old house.
i don’t like this at all! They took a charming Craftsman bungalow and took all of its charm away. Those outdoor curtains are horrible, and the interior is too modern. Why take a classic and overdo it? This might work for someone else, but it’s Just not my style.
I’m noticing another trend I don’t believe anyone mentioned, that is quite another travesty of these recent hgtv remodels…they ripped out the original hardwoods and replaced with those same gunmetal engineered floors they’re using in all the renos. I’ve been watching the “house hunters renovation” episodes, and most of those houses come out a hot mess, which is especially disheartening when the house is a charming historic home. Not every house needs an open floor plan.
I think they install those “engineered” floors because the show and network is heavily sponsored by a flooring company. A true renovation would have just redone the originals back to their former glory. Same with the windows.
I usually at least sort of like HGTV’s houses. But, they ruined that poor, poor bungalow. It would have been better to tear it down and start from scratch with the (imho) bizarre design choices that were made. Would not want this house, even if they paid me to live there—and paid all the taxes and fees, too! Blgh.
I hate it. It lost all it’s character. The windows are totally out of character. It made me cry!!! ICK!!! I am so surprised you published this!
HGTV houses always generate some interesting discussions with this group, and I was curious to hear what everyone thought of this one since I wasn’t crazy about some of the changes they made myself. This was more discussion than I anticipated, though!
This is the first time I’ve seen the designers actually ruin the character of a house. The bungalow style is so clean and beautiful, I don’t understand why they had to “modernize” it. What were they thinking?
Hot. Mess.
Well Said!
Julia, I cannot tell you how much I love this house…has to be my favorite of all the Urban Oasis’ homes…the transformation is truly magnificent. Love how they transformed both the exterior and interior with beautiful updates and yet not compromising the integrity of the historic value of the home.
Don’t like it! Departs too much from classic bungalow and arts and crafts design.
I don’t either!
I can’t express my love for the exterior of this home enough! The front porch and back patios are great for entertaining. The curtains are perfect for added privacy which I think is a must! The kitchen and fireplace were also favorites of mine.
Hello Julia,
Love your blog!
Call me old fashioned, but I think you respect the homes architecture when renovating. I would have NEVER removed the original windows and the fireplace. I would have lightened the home, not darkened it. White beams would have been a much better choice for the kitchen instead of the industrial loft design. The design is too modern and doesn’t blend with the home. I love a Craftsman, but not this one. Too designed and needs to be edited to calm the environment. I’m with you – Shiplap walls would have been a much better choice. Great house, great bones. It needs another renovation to make it shine again- as a true Craftsman home.
I have to agree with you and everyone else; horrible makeover on the front of the house outside. The designer did away with the charm. The inside of the house wd have been wonderful for a new little cottage and that’s what they shd have done – just built a new little cottage.
From the looks of the whole redo, they spent tons of money so I’m betting they COULD HAVE purchased a lot and built a huge, two story home on what they paid to redo this little bungalow. Someone else shd have salvaged this cutie and for probably 1/20th of what HGTV put out….and the designer RUINED THE CHARM!
Well, I live in Asheville so the thought of winning this home should be an intriguing one. But it’s not. The first mistake is that they picked Asheville as their location. We are about as non-urban a place that is classified as a “city” can be. This is Appalachia, after all, and we hold on to our mountain roots with fierce determination. The word urban is practically a swear word here. Yet, there is a prevailing spirit of adventure here and we are accepting of (most) changes taking place. But this is one of the more glaring examples of what we natives hope will stop, as we lobby for better neighborhood preservation sanctions as more and more people “discover” us and buy up property. We are a fiercely open-minded batch of folks. We embrace the weird with gusto. We’re exceptionally tolerant of the unusual and unexpected. But this once darling cottage lost its soul (I agree with everyone that those windows are the most heart breaking travesty) and as much as I adore my beloved Asheville, I don’t think I could love this house. And the porch curtains? Um, it ain’t California, folks! I hope that the winner has the resources to restore its charm and let the history of this entire neighborhood – a truly fabulous neighborhood, by the way, and if you don’t get the allure of this neighborhood then you don’t get Asheville – shine through. PS Julia, your blog is amazing and it is my number one favorite blog to share with anyone who doesn’t already know about it. You do such a fantastic job covering such an incredibly diverse range of houses. Thank you for providing us this feast!
I keep coming back to this post partly because I loathe what they did to this house, but also because I lived in Asheville for a couple of years. You’re dead on as far as your description of the area and it’s people. At the time, I seem to remember an article in a local paper that featured some historic properties in the downtown area that were being converted in loft spaces, while retaining the original deco exteriors. That to me falls more into the “urban oasis” category than this travesty (and about as urban as Asheville gets.) I’m still totally perplexed as to why they didn’t go that route instead of a residential bungalow. It makes no sense.
Thank you for your posting about Asheville as I wondered about it. I think people need to embrace their specific area & preserve what’s unique to that place, it’s own identity & not change it into that homogenous soup.
Like If your house is a 1800s New England sea cottage don’t turn it into a freaky stucco faux Tuscany thing. People need to stop following these awful trends & design shows where every room & house looks just like the one they did on the last show & the one coming up next and all the same. Bet it will be another cavernous room with a granite kitchen island and 50 shades of gray. It’s like all you see driving anywhere now are the same 8 fast food places..I could be 2000 miles away & I wouldn’t know it..that’s how it’s becoming with design..sad.
um… I was born and raised in California, and i have never seen porch curtains… i do agree they are horrid though.. looks like some 5yr old designed the place.. “fort bungalow” paint colors are horrid.. and i love those colors.. just.. not so dark and so much of them.. and they shrank the lot. wtf? and what garage sales/thrift store did they get their “art” from..? i was describing the antlers in the bathroom to roommate…and she said “welcome to the south”..- is that normal around there? lol
No, nothing they did is normal to the area or the south. It’s as if the designer had never seen any craftsman houses or design before. Just get as much loud, mismatched stuff and cram it into the poor house. Stay in school kids or this could happen to your career.
Ho-hum before. Fugly after.
I like the way the house is now opened up to let in more light, but I don’t like what was done to the fireplace and I think there is way too much blue. Blue, blue everywhere I look, no thank you on that blue.
OMG! This was a huge mistake in stripping away all the bungalows character. It looks more like a loft for a single unmarried guy who wants to live in the big city especially using that dark and dreary color palette. Hate the pretentious exterior curtains that are going to look worn and weary after a few short years and the cheap looking fireplace already says “what we’re you thinking!”
The only room I liked was the master bedroom that would be more at home in a country style house.
Poor little house, I feel sad for it 🙁
I hate this so much that I suspect that any commenters who say they like it are friends of the designer. Or they work for HGTV… Bedroom is cute but that’s it.
I agree with others, – it was much cuter and looked arts and crafts before they hacked it. One of those times that less is more.
That living room is simply hideous and overdone. If I win it, the horrid color, that herringbone fireplace, and the color are gone. Oh, and those damn little plates and wretched furniture. And I’d put the porch railing back up. I could live with the black cabinets in the kitchen, and I actually liked most of the things in the bedrooms and bathroom. Except stupid redone furniture…. give me a simple bureau or dresser and let’s not try to repurpose junk. And agree with the outdoor curtain/drape/shower accessory as a total fail. This interior designer did not impress me.
I’m with you 100%. At least a good professional re-painting isn’t too expensive. And getting rid of the clutter they added just means a little driving to a re-sale shop. But that awful fireplace! Unfortunately, there’s no way to recover the old one, so the new monstrosity must be torn down and the whole wall area re-designed. And the loft … well, I suppose it can be torn out, or enclosed as a storage room… and an actual fold down stairway built in. I mean, I had one in an old house of mine, which took us into our attic. It looked nice and was safe to use unlike the ladder they have for the loft.
it can definitely be redone, its just tile.. knock the tile off put up new stone or a different pattern tile or ive seen a brick looking tile like thing, thats about 1/3 the weight of actual bricks.. i do also agree with that lader. im a big person and it sure doesnt look like it would hold me… i doubt the loft would ever be used as is..
I’m printing up pictures of the BEFORE. I want the BEFORE porch. I want the molding around the windows on the BEFORE fireplace picture.
I wonder what the designer thought of all these negative comments.
Blew it big time!
Sometimes I hear from designers who get negative comments on my blog and I feel horrible when it hurts their feelings. I kind of hope he doesn’t see these!
Maybe if this designer reads the comments, he’ll think a bit harder about the best way to preserve the character of a classic home on a future project. Perhaps the architect shares some of the blame here too, as surely he/she was involved in the window changes and loft space. Or shall we blame HGTV for eschewing a classic bungalow restoration in favor of something more dramatic for TV? There’s blame to be spread around… design by committee, is my thinking.
You shouldn’t feel bad about us expressing our opinions..that’s freedom of speech. If these designers read the comments than, “hey, constructive criticism…it’s what we had to learn in art class…give and take.”
On the HGTV site, all the commenters seem to absolutely love the re-do. Different esthetics for different folks, I guess.
Ok, so I’m a little confused. This is in an historic area of Asheville and is an historic 1920’s bungalow but there was no requirement to retain the historic elements of the house? I dislike the new window to the left of the fireplace. The fireplace treatment is overwhelming in that small room, as is the paint color. Not fond of the loft; despise subway tile because originally being from NY I immediately smell urine when I see them; can’t believe they removed the claw foot tub; and most of the interior colors are hideous. I’d love to know what size the lot is because adding that fence was a major mistake in my opinion – makes the yard appear to be microscopic. That said, I’m still entering with visions of repainting the entire interior and making additional revisions. First thing to go will be the pee tiles….
I commented before, but forgot to mention the claw foot tub. Why didn’t they keep it? What were they thinking?? Even IF it was crappy they could have had it reglazed at probably a fraction of the price of the new bathtub. I would have loved a claw foot tub.
It’s hideous what they did to this historic bungalow. But, why should I be surprised it’s HGTV..ugh! I believe in preservation of great architecture & craftsmanship and HGTV does not, they like to sledgehammer everything & replace it with inferior stuff. A real talented designer/decorator would let the house speak & work with it..this is just another bad Botox job wiping out all character & history. The Sputnik lamps are cool but really look out of place in this place & they look crammed in there as an afterthought to make it “modern”. The fireplace & windows were ruined. I suppose Americana bedroom is probably the best room out of it all & I would take that cute entry table but the rest just pains me..those new floors over the original oak & stucco over brick?! I have a headache.
I am so pleased to read so many comment confirming my opinion that the ‘style’ of this renovation was a disaster, from start to finish. The only well-done item in the entire show was by the workme who rebuilt the front porch using mortise and tenon technique, rather than nails. But then the interior designer hung those curtains (gag)!
First thing I hated was the fireplace, not that it is ugly itself, but because it does not fit a bungalow! Also, sad to see the windows go because that was part of the charm. I wouldn’t mind if they kept the sweet fireplace and put in a herringbone carrera marble surround, but kept the wooden mantle. I hate all the blue…too much!!! And no white trim for contrast? Yuck, even the doors matched the wall color. I like blue, but I hate any color that dominates an entire house. I agree with another poster who said this house looks like what a teenagers idea of “cool” is.
This is a head to toe fail. They completely lost the architectural charm of the Arts and Cratfs home, destroyed the windows, the fireplace is hideous now (hello- A & C tile work anyone?) The paint colors overpower the tiny space, useless loft is non-functional, outdoor curtain in a town that can get 60 inched of rain a year would be disastrous. The furnishings are an overcrowded hodge-podge of styles. It’s a damn mess and a bigger shame. No way anyone could live in this or sell it in the condition it’s in now. HGTV needs to admit they screwed up and redo this nightmare into the charming house it once was.
Does anyone know what the room dimensions are? Not a fan of what they did to this house, but the footprint looks like it would work on a narrow lot if you didn’t have the garage — DEPENDING on the room dimensions…
Check the HGTV site for the house, Cheryl. They should have more detailed information like that.
I’ve looked for the dimensions too but couldn’t find any thing on the size of the rooms. If you do find out the room sizes, let me know please. Judging by the before photo’s.. those rooms look very small but it’s hard to judge online.
I’m surprised they don’t have them but yeah, I think the rooms are probably pretty small!
First thing I’d do is get rid of all the outside “curtains”. They look ridiculous. Oh, who am I kidding? They destroyed a house and turned it into god knows what. I’d spend a huge amount of money giving the house back the beauty they destroyed. This is horrible. Hopefully it’s a joke and they really didn’t do this to a beautiful, character filled house. Don’t get me started on the horrible kitchen “renovation”. This is a reno-job gone bad. The whole thing should be scrapped and started over with someone who actually understands keeping the good parts. Which this renovation crew didn’t understand at all. Wow. That’s horrible.
So obviously no one knows the room dimensions so I shall step OUT of this conversation. Hope you all find a happy place. This is a darling floorplan, regardless of the decorating decisions.
What neighborhood is this in Asheville? Does anyone know the actual address? I am visiting some friends there this weekend and would love to do a drive by to see the ‘hood.
I’m wondering how much say the designer had with so many big sponsors….he is an Atlanta guy that does some super cute stuff down here. He def was trying to go for the farm look in certain areas with the multiple farm animal pics, etc. I think it is funky but agree with most that the curtains should come down and the colors a bit wild. $ponsor$’ money talks!
This is an awesome blog. Adding to my favorites.
Thanks y’all!
I wondered about that myself. Most of the major furniture came from Overstock, so I’m sure the designer was limited in what he could choose. A window company was another big sponsor so I’m sure they wanted to showcase their windows. As much as I dislike what was done to the house I don’t think we can lay the entire blame on the designer. I think he was limited in his choices. According to one of the videos where Scott McGillivrey checks out the completed project, he said that the designer was originally going to keep the fireplace with the mantel but the designer changed his mind. Maybe it’s just my imagination but I got the impression that Scott wasn’t too pleased. I posted the address here somewhere.. I’m pretty sure it was 17 Russel st. Asheville, NC. Google it and you can cyberly walk down the street.
Most of the other neighbors have fairly large lots… this Urban Oasis is one of the smaller ones.
I will do a drive by and give you all an update on Monday. West Asheville is super on trend with all of the breweries etc. but I question the valuation, as other commenters have.
Thank you all for the info….I can’t wait to see this little diddy.
As a side note, I just bought a house in a suburb of Atlanta and am in the process of doing a major reno now. It is a 1959 farm house and I’m trying to keep the character while modernizing/updating. I’m most excited about the vintage farmhouse kitchen update. Would love to share pics once we are complete. It does seem like an unending process. Current pics are on my Pinterest under house reno. Link is above.
Ooh, I’d love to see how it turns out! Thanks, Stacie. 🙂
i hate that it says “you’re within walking distance to cafes and other locally-owned establishments. ” .. i went and looked at the location on maps followed the roads.. not i suppose if your one of those people that can walk 5 miles plus in a day, its within walking distance sure.. to someone disabled who cant walk far however.. this is 4 tenths of a mile.. might not sound like a great distance, until you are in the body of a person who takes a good 40 minutes to walk it.. the nearest bus stop to get anywhere is same distance, so i suppose its great they offer a car.. since youll want to get out of that house whenever you can.. its HIDEOUS.. my other major question.. how far away exactly is it to the nearest place to kayak? i wasnt seeing a place on the map…
For the person asking about kayaking; the French Broad River runs very close to that side of town. The Swannanoa River is also nearby and runs into the FBR at the Biltmore Estate. By car perhaps 10 minutes to a place you can put your kayak in. I do agree that shopping is a little more than right around the corner.
I think you’re right about the sponsors, Stacie. I’ve been “behind the scenes” on show houses before and there are always certain edicts that designers get that they have to work with whether they like them or not. It can be tricky keeping everyone happy when so many fingers are in the same pie!
17 Russell St., west Asheville.
The neighbors were actually on our local news station here in Asheville begging for the traffic to slow down. Its a very narrow street and the neighborhood was stating cars would block the road or park in peoples yard and stuff like that. All they ask is that visitors please slow down, watch for children, don’t block driveways, just be respectful. They also said they will be glad to see the traffic and contest over. I got the impression they are sick of it all LOL
Hi John,
My neighbors are sick of the early and late pounding and all of the vehicles coming and going. I can’t wait until the dumpster is gone so that the dumpster divers will not be tempted with these antique windows and all of the other things that junkers like myself love!
I will be very respectful when driving by this home. I am so in love with Asheville and visit as often as possible. Have been plotting and planning to relocate there since our best friends moved to Black Mountain a few years back. It is a lovely area with such kind people and there is little crime and traffic like I deal with here in Atlanta.
Ok everyone…I did the drive by on Friday afternoon. May I first say that the curtains were not there…thankfully! It appears much prettier in person than on the web. The lot is very deep and I feel that the pics online are deceptive. The color is very gray and the house is in a great neighborhood. I would Uber and not walk to the shopping and dining but I am lazy and get hot super easily. If you are comfy walking a mile, plus or minus, it would be fine. I ate at so many fun restaurants in the area this weekend….hot chicken and waffles, delicious breakfast, unbelievable food. It is a super hipster, tatted and pierced, pink hair, mohawk kinda place. I loved the area and think the home would be great for a young family with a young child and maybe a dog or two.
Wish I could have seen the inside in person!
I love getting reports from the ground about these houses. Interesting that the curtains are gone. Thanks, Stacie!! 🙂
Oh, this poor little house. It had so much potential, and it was completely ruined. If I won I’d need the $50K (and maybe more) to rip out and start all over again.
I love this place! Glad to see many haters here. This will increase my odds of winning!
Tacky, tacky, tacky. They took a simple little house with good bones and turned it into a faddish nightmare. This is going to be one of those remodels that people who see it in ten years laugh about, and can’t wait to tear it out…
I loved this house before they messed with it. Now it looks like a bachelor pad. You can tell that two guys designed it with all the blacks and greys. Yuck!
Wow!!! This makes me sad. They removed all the original charm. And what were they thinking by putting in a contemporary fireplace ?!?! What is with all the out door curtains… this is just horrible. I’m sure the house would be crying if it could. :'(
I own and live in a chalet-style 1918 Bungalow. I also have watched HGTV for about 20 years. I agree with almost all the above postings above, but feel I must comment for myself. Yes, the house has been essentially ruined as a Bungalow. I saw the last show on the makeover on HGTV, and was rather horrified. The folks at HGTV evidently do not read This Old House or Old House Journal which make it clear that there are standards to maintain when renovating a Bungalow. One of the most important: KEEP the original windows intact, rebuilding them piece-by-piece if necessary. There are many forms of storm windows designed to be used to insulate period windows nowadays, and HGTV should have done their homework. Next, it is not OK to rip out walls! The kitchen actually looked better BEFORE the “remuddle”. I must comment that I found the changes to the back of the house an improvement because to me, in the before picture it looked like there had been a remodel that did not measure up to Bungalow design at all. I wish there were some way of getting through to the public in general, and HGTV in particular, about how to renovate house in a responsible manner.