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Home makeover shows are perhaps some of the more interesting “reality TV” shows on our screens at the moment.  While most other reality based TV involves putting normal people in unlikely situations, home makeover shows have some relevance to our lives.  If we fall in love with the internal oak doors shown in a particular episode, we can buy them.  If we learn something about clashing colours, we can apply it next time we redecorate.

There are lots of home makeover shows to choose from, here are three of our favourites:

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a home makeover show from America.  It originally aired on ABC. Each episode featured a different family.  The show involved a team of designers racing against the clock to complete an extensive home makeover in just seven days.  Each episode, the team would renovate an entire house – redecorating every single room and also remodelling the exterior, and doing landscape work on the garden.

The makeovers were always for families that were deserving in some way – these people appearing on the show were nominated by friends and family, and there was often a heart-warming story behind the nomination.

60 Minute Makeover
Sixty minute makeover is a home makeover show produced by ITV. This show features less extensive makeovers than Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  The show focuses on speedy (but still impressive) makeovers.  Where the “Extreme” makeovers are aspirational, the makeovers on this show are more achievable; showing how you can achieve amazing results with simple changes.

Dear Genevieve
This show is like having an agony aunt for your home.  The host, Genevieve Gorder, asks “What makes you feel like you’re falling out of love with your home”, and then helps the families fix the problem.  Whether you feel like your heavy oak doors are making the room too dark and dull, or your kitchen counters are too small and cramped. Genevieve can help to solve the problem.

Reality TV Isn’t Always Honest
If you watch home makeover shows, it’s important to remember that the shows don’t show everything.  Sometimes, the shows assume that everyone has a full tool kit full of odds and ends that most people are unlikely to own.  If you try to replicate the speedy makeovers, then they may seem far slower, and far more expensive, when you attempt the same task on your own.

In addition, the shows have access to far more workmen.  They never need to wait for an electrician, or have a plumber say “Sorry, I need to order that part in”.  They use huge armies of workmen and have databases of suppliers.  The average person doesn’t have access to such a huge list of resources.

Make over shows are fun to watch, and they can inspire you and help you pick new internal oak doors, cute curtains, or soft carpets.  Don’t expect your make over experience to be exactly like what you saw on TV.

This post was written by Crispin Jones on behalf of UK Oak Doors, specialist door suppliers. For more info on internal oak doors click here. Photo: Justinknabb