60 minute makeover

[Catherine]

Has anyone watched this programme. I have only watched it once and I really wondered where on earth they get these people from.

How can you paint the skirting boards, wallpaper the walls and lay a carpet in 60 minutes and expect it to look good or last.

The one I watched was some time ago and they were doing up someone's farm house. They had dogs and horses and a son in a wheel chair, and they put a cream sofa and light coloured carpet in the lounge.

They painted the floor black and white check in the son's downstairs bedroom and someone stepped on it and carried the colour over.

I know that if someone in my family put my name forward I would disown them. How can these people make such rubbish programmes I have started reading more than watching tv as I really struggle to find anything interesting on these days.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Catherine, how i agree on all counts.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I had a look at this as I couldn't believe they could do it. I'd just spent three weeks doing three rooms! It takes ages just doing the preparation work before you can start papering or painting, especially in an old house, and as you say you have to wait for plaster etc to dry before doing the next bit.

I imagine everything falls off or drops to bits a couple of weeks after the cameras have gone. Serves them right.

[The Mouse]

Is preparation overrated? If you spill a pot of paint, it doesn't matter how dirty the floor is, you can guarantee that the paint will stick to it for ever more!!!

[PLUMPUDDING]

Hi Mouse,

The preparation in our house isn't to make the paint stick it is to try and smooth out all the lumps and bumps and try and make it a fairly smooth surface in the first place. The house is 100 years old next year and it looks as though it has been painted over lumps of cement and hair etc over the years, and then the walls are in desperate need of re-plastering but just holding together with an extra blob of polyfiller here and there and nice thick wallpaper. But it all looks very nice now I've finished.

I don't have a budget of thousands of pounds like the ones on TV.

[Elaine]

I don't watch these programmes nowadays but when I used to, I always preferred the house/room the way it was before they mucked about with it.

There was one programme, fronted by Carol Smillie...can't remember the name of it....where neighbours "improved" each others homes. They did up a house in Hull somewhere. The result was a total disaster and was absolutely hideous. The dining room looked like something out of a Hammer horror film, all black and red walls, floors and drapes. The Lady of the house promptly burst into tears when they showed her what they had done. I think she tried to sue the makers of the programme and her neighbours even though she had been keen to take part and had agreed etc. There was a right hoo-hah at the time.

I can't imagine why folks want to get involved with something like these programmes....surely it must all be botch jobs , in the time they do them. Absolute tripe!
Cheers.