Plenty of people have created feel-good viewing lists now that so many of us are trying to flatten the curve and keep our communities healthy in these unprecedented times. This means that I obviously had to provide my own list of HGTV shows to watch that can replace the House Hunters marathons!
In no particular order, here are the five shows I’m enjoying the most right now.
Home Town is in the vein of long-lived but now ended Fixer Upper with hosts Ben and Erin Napier renovating homes for new owners in and around their small-town of Laurel, Mississippi. One of the only shows that really focuses on creating beautiful and actually livable homes on a budget, Ben and Erin are truly enjoyable to watch and feel way more realistic to me than other couples on HGTV. Plus they highlight the history of the homes that they are helping their clients to purchase and renovate. Their last episode even discussed aging in place!
One of a Kind is just as advertised. Set in Fort Worth, Texas, Grace Mitchell works to create one-of-a-kind renovations specific to her clients utilizing their personal histories, interests, and quirks. One time she glued spoons to the wall! Speaking of walls, she almost always uses wallpaper to create features and her construction team is always ready with one-liners. Living in Grace’s brain would be so much fun because every time the reveal happens, I’m pleasantly surprised at how her wild ideas all come together.
New this year 100 Day Dream Home follows Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt building and designing a home for their clients in 100 days or less! I especially enjoy this show because it reminds me of original HGTV where the viewers could actually learn something about projects in a home. Brian and Mika both explain just how the houses are built that quickly with a lot of parts pre-fabricated, and by using local stores instead of ordering everything online or from catalogs. (Mika is also one of the few designers of color on the network!)
No HGTV recommendation list is complete without at least one Property Brothers series, and my recommendation is for their newest show, Forever Homes. Like Mitchell, in this show Drew and Johnathan focus on renovating their clients’ homes to last, well, forever. A lot of times the families are growing, or they just want to add more usable space. Like all of the Property Brothers shows, the viewers get a lot of tips on how to make their spaces work for them.
Finally, though certainly there are so many shows to pick from, I’ve really enjoyed Nate and Jeremiah Save My House, a re-airing of the show (originally on TLC) where Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent help couples and families in need fix renovations left behind by crappy contractors. The season available on HGTV’s website also follows Nate and Jeremiah looking for a new house with their daughter and son! If you’re into more neutral designs, this is the show for you.
All five of these shows are all very wholesome and feel-good, which is perfect for watching these days, and you’ll actually learn something about home decor! And there are no whiny homeowners either.