Tag Archives: HGTV Canada

Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Sarah Richardson builds her forever home in Off the Grid

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I’ve been covering Canadian renovation programming for a long time. How do I know this? Because the folks I’ve interviewed in the past are creating forever homes for themselves and their families.

HGTV Canada’s Sarah Richardson is the latest to follow the trend. Like the network did with Bryan Baeumler and Scott McGillivray, Sarah and her husband, Alex, do the same with Sarah Off the Grid—debuting Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada—as cameras capture the couple’s attempt to construct an abode off the grid for themselves and their children. I’m not much of a handyman and have a horrible eye for design, but you don’t have to be either to watch someone like Sarah. Yes, she oozes skill but she’s also funny as hell as well as relatable. Sarah Off the Grid really showcases her personality and what her family life is like, something fans of longtime hosts like Sarah are hungry for.

Husband Alex and daughters Robin and Fiona jump in with both feet alongside Sarah and collaborator Tommy Smythe in Sunday’s debut, laying the groundwork for a 5,000 square-foot home in Creemore, Ont., to be built from scratch and employing off the grid necessities like solar power, wood burning fireplaces and energy efficient materials. The catch? Sarah and Alex will be their own general contractors; a tall task, especially within the eight-month window Sarah has set. Things begin at a fast clip—the location is chosen, permits are procured and clearing the last commences—and before you know it the concrete foundation is being poured into styrofoam forms that help cut down costs and make hanging drywall easier.

Fellow HGTV Canada superstar Mike Holmes makes the trek out to the site in Episode 1, and he’s got opinions. Mike questions Alex and Sarah’s decision to do be the bosses, building a large home off the power grid, stresses the need for a backup sump pump and perhaps most important of all: advises more solar panels. This, of course, throws the couple for a loop and has them rethinking their plans.

Like her series before, Sarah Off the Grid is educational and entertaining. She’s charming and Tommy is hilarious. The secret weapon in Off the Grid is Alex, who is a natural in front of the camera. Sarah’s husband is charming, knows what he’s talking about and—above all—is positive the job will get done despite the challenges they come across. His upbeat personality is infectious; you just know they’ll be successful in their quest.

Sarah Off the Grid airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus.

 

 

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Worst to First encourages renovation over move-in ready

There is a plethora of renovation programming available on HGTV Canada. There are Holmes’, McGillivrays, Baeumlers … heck, one Corus series, Home to Win, packs around two dozen builders and designers into it. Is there really enough room for one more series?

Yes, says HGTV Canada, with the debut of Worst to First beginning Monday, Sept. 4, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on the specialty network. The channel trumpets “everyone wants a move-in ready dream home, but with soaring real estate prices in a red-hot market, it’s just not possible for most homeowners.” Cue professional contractors Sebastian Sevallo (he’s on the left) and Mickey Fabbiano—business partners, who are also best friends and family—who promise to transform a scuzzy home to the highlight of their Vancouver neighbourhoods.

Monday’s first episode catches up with Alexis and Tyler, who are currently in a one-bedroom condominium and want something more, hopefully in the Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood. That’s where, naturally, Mickey and Sebastian come in. On the couple’s wish list is an open concept, three bedroom, two bathroom abode with hardwood floors, media room, soaker tub and a gas fireplace. Easy, right? Nooooo. Not with just $1.2 million to play with. After showing them two homes way out of their price range as inspiration, Sebastian and Mickey present a fixer-upper with tons of potential.

Thankfully, each episode of Worst to First is 44 minutes long because there is a lot of work to do. After Alexis and Tyler purchase a 1950s-era place enrobed in stucco, Mickey and Sebastian get to work on the two-month job. Mickey and Sebastian are a little rough when it comes to looking and sounding natural on television but you can’t fault their skills in home building and design. The Baeumlers play up their bickering and Mike Holmes oozes knowledge; Mickey and Sebastian are like the drinking buddies you play softball with … and just happen to know the ins and outs of home renovation.

Worst to First airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

Image courtesy of Corus.

 

 

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Home makeover hits light up HGTV Canada’s fall programming slate

From a media release:

HGTV Canada is hammering into fall with a full slate of fan-favourite programming and brand-new Canadian original series, highlighting the connections people have with the places they call home. This fall, HGTV Canada continues to showcase the ups and downs of jaw-dropping transformations, off-the-grid renovations, and intense property pursuits with beloved design, reno and real estate experts guiding homeowners along the way. Aligned with the start of its entertaining fall schedule, HGTV Canada will be available on a national free preview for the month of September.

Anchoring the fall slate is HGTV Canada’s new original series Worst to First, starting Monday, September 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Meet contractors Mickey Fabbiano and Sebastian Sevallo – best friends and family members who help 10 Vancouver families transform the most undesirable homes on the block into the envy of the neighbourhood. These shabby homes come with their challenges, but the handy duo is up for the task, turning each family’s dream into a reality in one of the hottest real estate markets in the world.

HGTV Canada’s fall lineup is filled with new and familiar faces as Canada’s beloved twins, Drew and Jonathan Scott, return with brand-new episodes of Property Brothers: Buying and Selling starting Monday, August 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Then, on Wednesday, August 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the network gives audiences a taste of small-town charm with Home Town, as creative couple and Mississippi locals, Ben and Erin Napier help their community refurbish their homes, ensuring their small town’s future is as bright as its past. Plus, as previously announced, fan-favourite Sarah Richardson returns with her new Canadian original series Sarah Off The Grid and Mike Holmes’ launches his new series Holmes: Buy It Right on Sunday, September 10.

Fans will flip this fall as the Flip or Flop franchise expands in a big way. First, veteran series, Flip or Flop, returns for a new season starting Wednesday, August 30 at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, then on September 27 at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, meet family business owners, Ken and Anita Corsini, as they revitalize metro Atlanta neighbourhoods in the new series Flip or Flop Atlanta. Texas-sized flips will join the network’s schedule later this season with the premiere of Flip or Flop Fort Worth.

October brings returning seasons of makeover mavens, starting with mother-daughter duo, Mina and Karen, in Season 2 of Good Bones on Monday, October 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Restoration specialist, Nicole Curtis, is also back for a new season of rescuing run-down rejects in Rehab Addict, premiering Sunday, October 22 at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Stay tuned for remarkable reveals later this fall with the Scott brothers’ most personal project to date, Property Brothers at Home: Drew’s Honeymoon House, and a new season of Fixer Upper starring Chip and Joanna Gaines.

 

 

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Sarah Off the Grid breaks ground Sept. 10 on HGTV Canada

From a media release:

This fall one of Canada’s top designers, Sarah Richardson, returns to HGTV Canada for her most ambitious project yet: building and designing an off-the-grid family home in the country. Premiering Sunday, September 10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, Sarah Off The Grid follows Sarah and her family – husband Alex and their two young daughters Fiona and Robin – as they build a family home meant to last for generations to come in Creemore, Ontario. Together, they marry off-the-grid living with Sarah’s signature style, resulting in a sustainable dream home filled with the greatest design hits from her 25-plus year career.Offering an unvarnished look at Sarah’s life, the six-part series dives deep into the designer’s day-to-day as she juggles being a mother, a business owner, and now, the unique challenges of sharing the role of

Offering an unvarnished look at Sarah’s life, the six-part series dives deep into the designer’s day-to-day as she juggles being a mother, a business owner, and now, the unique challenges of sharing the role of general contractor with her husband Alex on this latest build. Taking the lead on designing each room, Sarah enlists her co-conspirator and longtime collaborator, Tommy Smythe, for support as she takes on this year long project. Tommy, or as the kids call him “Uncle Tommy,” helps Sarah find design solutions that stand the test of time while staying true to her classic and casually elegant design esthetic. Fellow HGTV Canada stars Mike Holmes, Mike Holmes Jr., and Colin Hunter, also make guest appearances throughout the series providing Sarah and the family with much needed advice to finish their forever home.

Building a home off the main power grid which can service the needs of an entire family requires clever design decisions and innovative materials. Together, Sarah and Alex create the infrastructure to run the home, while leveraging unique sources of heat and lighting throughout, utilize a rebuilt heritage barn to house both the garage and the solar panels to generate electricity, and overcome the challenges of digging a well to pull enough water to service the family’s needs.

Sarah Off The Grid is produced by Alibi Entertainment Inc. in association with Corus Entertainment’s HGTV Canada. Exclusive bonus content including design tips from Sarah, sustainable living and lifestyle content, and extended reveals can be found at hgtv.ca throughout the series run. Episodes of Sarah Off The Grid are available online the day following broadcast.

 

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

The Scott Brothers go behind the camera with Reno, Set, Go!

Drew and Jonathan Scott have built themselves quite the empire thanks to television projects like Property Brothers, Buying and Selling, Brother vs. Brother and Property Brothers: At Home. Now the pair turn the cameras on another duo as they executive-produce Reno, Set, Go!

Debuting on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada, the Scotts have cast designer Cheryl Torrenueva and contactor/model/professional clown Roger Morin as saviors who swoop in and, in just 36 hours, churn out an awesome project for a deserving family. With the Scott name attached to it, expectations were high Reno, Set, Go! would be a slick, entertaining program. But could it break free and be something truly unique from the unending feelgood renovation programs already packing lifestyle television?

In the first episode, Roger and Cheryl come to the rescue of Murray, a professional chef who’s seen his basement refuge turned into makeshift bedroom when his brother-in-law came to stay. Four months later, and Tristram is still sleeping on the couch, altering the dynamic in Murray’s home. As a thank you for letting him crash, Tristram organizes a reno of the master bedroom (Why doesn’t Tristram look for a place and move out, giving Murr the ultimate gift?), with the help of Cheryl, Roger and Murray’s wife Tamarah. What makes Reno, Set, Go! unique is that the homeowners, family members or helpers are involved not only in some of the planning, but construction too. Cheryl and Tamarah combine to make a bench for Murray and, with a small team of eager folks and 36 hours, the bedroom transformation is underway.

Cheryl and Roger are knowledgeable and charismatic, a must for a program like Reno, Set, Go! They also offer information and suggestions in an accessible way viewers can understand. There’s nary a word about struts, cantilevers and fulcrums to confuse folks. No, this isn’t an in-depth renovation series, but it is a light, enjoyable program perfect for some summer inspiration.

Reno, Set, Go! airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.

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