Tag Archives: Sarah Off the Grid

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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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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