HGTV was responsible for bringing in the white cabinet trend so based on the never-ending OTK posts, I'd say the answer is "a great deal."

I get ideas from HGTV, but I have my own style. I don't always go with what's trendy, but I usually like current styles with my own spin. Some of the stuff on HGTV is awful & I would never do it. Some of it isn't functional, therefore I would never do it. You have to look at what makes sense for your family and what styles you like and come up with what works for you. I get ideas from lots of places and I do think HGTV is a good place to gather ideas of what you like & what you don't like. Also it has taught me a few things about DIY. I've avoided some mistakes by watching shows on HGTV and reading this forum.

I watch a lot of tv. I watch a lot of HGTV.

As to the question of its influence on my choices? Zero.

Most of the current shows feature designers who strive only appeal to the masses. I watch them gut beautiful old homes to make them "open concept" and put in kitchens/baths that have no business going into old homes.

As an owner of an older home that is not in an historical preservation zone, I believe in making changes that are in sync of the soul of my house even though they might be of newer materials and functionality. Want an open concept? Buy a newer home.

I could rant some more, but I'm sure I have exceeded my rant allotment as of late.

I watch a ton of HGTV but I can't say that it affects me in any positive way. That is to say, I usually find that I learn what I DON'T want (seriously some of the kitchens they do in various shows are awful), more than what I do want. The exception to this is any Sarah Richardson show, which I find to be very educational. I can't say she has directly influenced my style, but I feel like I've learned a lot more about decorating from her.

Oh, and I couldn't disagree more with the idea that HGTV is responsible for bringing in the white cabinet trend. I rarely see a white kitchen shown on HGTV outside of Candice Olson and Sarah Richardson shows (and Sarah usually does a color, not white). I think we have Christopher Peacock to thank for that (if you even subscribe to the idea that it's a trend, but that's a debate for one of 80 billion other threads!).

I don't watch HGTV. I got tired of watching 20-somethings complaining about the tired kitchens that they might have to settle for instead of being like the rest of us and saving our money for eventually getting a new kitchen.

In my neck of the woods kitchen are supposed to have quartz counters and stained cabinets, I have granite counters and a white kitchen. I don't pay attention to trends. What I do pay attention to is the style of my house (post and beam) , my environs (a suburb that backs onto woods that go on, literally forever, with ski-hills and running trails) , my own decorating style (anti frou-frous) and my weather (grey and dreary 8 months of the year).

"HGTV was responsible for bringing in the white cabinet trend..." I also disagree with this statement. I have had white kitchens for the last 30 years and if I have another kitchen, it too will be a white one. Nothing against stained cabinets - just a personal preference.

Are you not liking the gold because you don't see it on home shows or because you do and it isn't what you really like? Either way, the lesson is to know whether you are buying for trends and will change out more often or buy the things you know you love. For most folks, the best approach is to pick the always loved items for the most expensive or most difficult to replace and do some trendier touches with the items that are more easily replaced and updated from time to time.

Frankly, the plumbing fixtures are not that difficult to change out, generally speaking. They can add up in cost, but if you are really unhappy with them, it's not something you can't change without starting over. The sower may be a bit more difficult, but not impossible. If they can reuse the glass, most of the cost would probably be labor.

BUT -- gold tones are creeping back into the market. I'm seeing them in lighting fixtures, perhaps because that is where I am looking the most right now. Perhaps they are slower to move into other areas, but both designers and manufacturers always need to have something new to sell. As a result, about the time the market gets saturated with one look, another will come back. They tend to start in the higher price points and trendier items and move into the more mainstream.

blfenton, your "environs and weather" sound desirable to me. Are you in Washington state? I've never been a sun worshipper and I'm the only person I know who doesn't like the sun drenching their living room (even with window film, it's glaring).

HGTV, not at all. I love design books and have exhausted my library of its options, but design TV is not my cuppa.

Current trends, I'm not trendy but I'm sure the selections I'm shown at design stores are influenced by trends, so to that extent I'm getting a look at what's hot now. This most came to mind when I was at a kitchen-design showroom a week ago and the designer showed me a lovely gray painted cabinet door, plus the latest Caesarstone/quartz/Silestone counter samples. Don't think there'd be much gray on the showroom floor or those countertop choices five years ago.

I am in the camp that has never seen HGTV. I also have never picked up a design magazine. When I started dreaming about our remodel I went on Houzz and just clicked through all the kitchens to figure out what I wanted. I started seeing a pattern over time.. white inset cabinets, white subway tiles, dark wood look tile floors, light counter tops, ect. I started saving what I loved and that's how I came up with my style. When I told my friends and family what our plan was with the kitchen we got a lot of negative responses because literally everyone I know has stained cabinetry, tile or traverntine floors, and really busy back splashes. I have never in real life seen a kitchen like I want. Of course, I come on garden web and see I'm not the only one out there that loves this style. It's funny to see people on here say "another white kitchen" or how "boring" or "unimaginative" they are. I've always found myself overwhelmed with busier kitchens and decor and loved the clean fresh look but that is just me. I could care less if everyone thinks I copied a trend or not. I'm getting what I want and what makes me happy... even if my family and friends think I'm nuts.

I am probably the most decorating-challenged person on GW. It's hard for me to make decisions because I second guess myself nearly to insanity. I rarely watch TV, except at night when DH and I watch a couple programs we like. I honestly don't care much for what they do on HGTV, or perhaps I just don't appreciate good style when I see it. As for Houzz, I love looking at the pictures, but most of it is way out of my decorating budget, and just too high-end for our modest craftsman style home in the woods. DH and I have very opposite tastes, and we do try to compromise on most things. After nearly 48 years of marriage, he still has that bachelor-pad mentality. Yikes! So I do try to manipulate, if only a bit, to get what I like.

I rarely post anything here, except when I am really looking for an answer. It is rare for me to post pictures just to say "Hey, look what I did"! And our home is so modest compared to the rest here, I fear not getting a response, or being criticized (which has happened during my 12 yrs on GW). I do check out GW now and then, just because I'm nosey, I guess. Love seeing others completed projects, and yes indeed, I have learned alot.

I'm definitely not trendy. My new kitchen will be nice, but not following current trends. I just picked what I liked. I don't care if granite is "out". I like it and I'm putting it in. I'm not doing white cabinets. I love the look for others, but it's not me. So I know I will be happy with my new kitchen, but HGTV isn't going to come take photos because it's the the new trend in kitchens!

I will be honest and say that the construction forum I am on (I am one of the moderators, been there for 7 years) we really roll our eyes when a client says "well, we saw it on Homes on Holmes, or HGTV"

There is ALWAYS something to glean from these types of shows, i just beg anyone to read between the lines when watching those types of shows.

IMO, one of my favorites has always been This Old House, I even had my 15 seconds of fame a few years back being on the show, and I got to met my hero Norm to boot. That show IMO was the best, most realistic version of what happens on jobsites today.

Has anyone seen that Vanilla Ice has his own show? I kid you not. He's actually pretty good believe it or not. Holmes on Holmes...not so much. There are some really wrong things with that show.

"I don't watch HGTV. I got tired of watching 20-somethings complaining about the tired kitchens that they might have to settle for instead of being like the rest of us and saving our money for eventually getting a new kitchen." --agree with you blfenton

I still have an analog(for DVD's) not digital ready T.V(no cable) so HGTV has never influenced me. Most design magazines/sites are useless for me as far as layout/appliances since I have such a small space. I had no idea 36"and up fridge/range were the standard size:)
I chose what I liked for the kitchen and then found out after it was an uptrend(I think but I'm still not sure). Every developer around me is putting in modern styles(vessel sinks !) regardless of the age of the space. My building is prewar so I stuck with a tried & true simple white/black subway tile bathroom, a tiled in 18" deep cast iron tub, and a 1940's "standard" wall mount porcelain sink. The fixtures are updated and as someone stated can be easily changed. If I move the sink comes with me. Another person would rip it out to replace with something shiny and new from Home Destruction(the cross handles are-sigh-scratched).
The kitchen is now cherry & white cabinets with a few open/glass uppers mixed in and Soapstone counters. I know the 20 somethings won't like it so I'll never sell it them. When it's time to sell it goes to a small family who actually cook and like to see...out in the open...rows and rows of mason jars filled with beans and macaroni....

I'm not influenced by trends - in my house, my wardrobe, my cars - I like what I like, not what I think might please others.

I suspect I'm hopelessly out of date about a lot of things - my music choices, my hair style, my values - but it doesn't bother me.

ruthie51 - I'm right across the Canadian border from Washington. Just a couple of hours north of Seattle.

Once on HGTV I saw a show where they ripped out the soffits in a kitchen because they were "dated". On the next show they installed soffits to make the kitchen look "finished".

HGTV lost me long ago.

I agree "this old house" was the best! I never see it anymore. I still remember my very first episode. Bob Villa was showing homeowners how to install tile in a shower. We had just gotten married and lived in an apartment. That didn't matter, I was hooked on the show.

Went to a home show in my area with some very high end homes. I did see gold colored fixtures (I don't know the actual materials). I also saw some bad kitchen designs!

Do you not like the gold because you think its out of style or because its not YOUR style?

We went with the gold shower because we had it in our last house and liked it. But everytime I see a young'un on TV say, "that gold is hideous", I cringe. But when I think about it, I guess a big part of the problem is the tile in our bathroom. We couldn't afford upgrading too much in the master bath and went with the standard builder's tile, which was a 13x13 ceramic. I've since learned that home buyers in my development began complaining, so they switched out that tile for another ceramic that had more of a stone look. Anyway, I hate the ceramic in my bathroom; I think if the tile were nicer, I would like the gold much more. As it is now, it's not worth it to me to switch out the gold for a frameless only to showcase the awful tile. And changing the tile is a much bigger, labor intensive and expensive project. Not in the cards, unfortunately. Sorry, I'm getting the thread off topic.

EATREALFOOD I'm 27 years old and I think your home sounds lovely. It seems other 20somethings on TV are giving us all a bad name it's a good thing I don't watch any of it.

blfenton I agree with you as well. We bought our home three years ago and surprised everyone because it was a real fixer upper. We have four kids and it was real important for us to live in the right neighborhood with the right schools and we loved the bones of the home so we bought it. We have saved and saved and have been fixing it up here and there. A new fence one year, a new garage door the next, ect. It has come a long way and now we are about to remodel the kitchen and I can't wait!

I love hgtv!

Am I influenced, probably but not directly.

I do not watch it and say - oooo let me go get that trendy thing.

I do watch it and say, hmm, I haven't seen that before. Or - ugh, are they crazy? That will never function,, I also say, there is way to much of...., I don't want to go that direction and end up one of the masses. I also get to see some of the trendy stuff that gets talked about here, and decide how much I like it (or not).

I love, love it or list it because it shows the reality of what you find when embarking on a reno, is rarely what you planned and you almost always have to sacrifice to stay on budget.

I like property brothers because they take homeowners with an unrealistic wish list and show them how much it would cost to buy in their market.

I dislike both of those shows because then they show all of this great reno work for way less than it would actually cost.

I haven't had TV since I was 19 or 20, and I've got kitchen magazines from the late 90's, I didn't have the internet until 2 years ago. Looking online hasn't been an inspiration as much as being the only way to show Mr. MM what I want it to look like. I've had white cabinets in probably 50% of the houses I've lived in, all pre-1990's cabinets, the rest had golden oak. This house came with both. I love very traditional styled rooms, Mr. MM likes rustic, and we're living in a turn of the century farmhouse with multiple personalities (wood paneling, original victorian trim that didn't go with the house when built, vinyl siding over aluminum siding, over original wood siding, you see where this is going). Knowing that we could really make it look like the farmhouse it used to be without sacrificing our only bathroom, kitchen, dining room, and laundry room, we just decided to make it work and do things both of us liked. There are some trendy things here, although I didn't know they were trendy, and didn't care if they were. I'm putting in what others are tearing out. But the house is always going to have multiple personalities, but at least it has personality. A lot of people would probably ask when we plan to remodel, but we probably won't at least for the next few decades, and we'll be pretty content with what we've got. But we did what we could with what we had, and we've done it all with a lot of hard work and very little money, and recycled and reused what we could. I find that far more appealing than the latest trends.

I used to watch HGTV when they had what I thought were better shows. I didn't realize they had many design shows any more because all I ever seemed to have caught were real estate based.

I think the only trends I am influenced by are technological. Quartz is a technological advance, so I will use it for clients. LED lighting has more options, so I will use it.

I was thinking of using brushed brass or brushed gold as a bathroom hardware finish in one of my upcoming bathroom renovations (and probably polished chrome in the other). I think it will be appropriate for what's going on in the house. I don't really care what somebody else thinks of it, let alone some random buyer on TV who doesn't live in my city and is not my age or overall demographic.

I'm enjoying all your responses. Now that I look back, we mainly selected what we liked that wasn't necessarily the latest...the gold shower, for example. Also, most everyone in our development has dark floors; we selected a natural maple. So, I guess I'm not as influenced by trends as I thought. But I'm the queen of second guessing myself and many times if I see a house with dark wood floors, I start getting that feeling of regret........

None at all. But, This Old House was my favorite show growing up and that influenced me a great deal.

The Brooklyn Brownstone series of This Old House influenced me to choose green painted cabinets for our kitchen reno. And the hexagon tile designs they used for their bathrooms will influence our eventual bathroom reno (and whatever Art Deco designs on Houzz I can find).

Try playing a drinking game while watching HGTV...everyone takes a drink when someone says "open concept". You'll get drunk in no time.

Nixit71, you made me laugh. I just watched a "Property Virgins" episode and the wife was saying what she wanted in her first home and "open concept" was on her list. It made me think of all the renovation shows I've seen where walls are knocked down in old houses in order to get the "open concept" that apparently is so desirable today.

I also don't have cable or broadcast TV. I do read design mags, and am certainly not immune from the influence of trends--they creep into everything from TV to mags to Houzz to GW. I like to think that I am not trendy. I'm certainly not in my clothing, as I patiently wait for my preferred length of skirt to come back in because maxis are driving me up the frickin' wall at work (rolling desk chair: my long skirts all have holes in them).

The kitchen that I want but haven't been able to afford has been on trend for a few years--yes, the white inset kitchen. In my defense, even Marcolo (the anti-OTK crusader) might concede it is a good fit for my 1911 Edwardian house with its maybe-original Shaker inset cabs, cabinet latches, and random bakelite art deco pulls (which I don't think can possibly be original).

To the extent that I have changed my kichen, it is now chartreuse and has counters in the form of stainless commercial tables. I doubt either of those things will ever be trendy.

"But I'm the queen of second guessing myself and many times if I see a house with dark wood floors, I start getting that feeling of regret........"

ruthie: this is so NORMAL, so normal. We all have to make compromises when doing any project. We all second guess ourselves to some extent. I'm sure there are plenty of lights, sinks, BS tile in people's basements that didn't quite go with the final kitchen.(can you say e---bay) Just because some scripted show says EEEK, I would never put THAT in my kitchen, bath, bedroom...is no reason for you to think you made a terrible design flaw.
Even people who have much more $$$$$ than me might have a spouse who denies them what they want or who hates what they love so they could be more limited in their choices.

I must say that if you really want it to be chrome and it's now a plated brass just put vinegar on it and it will strip it. I found this out the hard way when we first moved in and I was using vinegar and water to clean the shower and it ate off the finish!!! Maybe something like that of a professional quality is out there that would take the finish off and then problem solved!!!

I would say to a point, trend is somewhat important if you are going to be selling soon, but otherwise not so much. We replaced our shower enclosure with frameless because it needed it after several years. So when your's wears out or starts looking pretty bad maybe you could do it then. Ours was very etched from water and soap no matter how much I scrubbed it, it had become cloudy. I thought it was soap scum but couldn't figure out how that could be since I cleaned it often but when the glass people came they said no matter how much I cleaned it it wouldn't matter because it was etched from soap and hard water.

I can't say that I am influenced, although I do occasionally watch. I like to see what people do. But, my design preferences seem to be rooted in the turn of the century -- last century-- so white cabinets, stainless, marble, black, simple stone.

I would like to say not at all. I only get to see HGTV when I'm visiting my parents up north. But I am, like everyone, susceptible to group think, and I'm sure some HGTV has snuck in. I also think HGTV influences what is available from manufacturers, which of course impacts what I buy. It's not just HGTV, though - it's everything, including Houzz, Pinterest, blogs, etc. Inescapable!

I don't watch HGTV, but have to laugh at my husband - he's designing our master bath, which isn't large but has been enlarged since buying the house. It's a mid-grey, black sink, toilet and bathtub, black granite counter, and all gold fixtures. OMG, then he picked maroon towels to go with this all. But hey, we agreed that he would design this, so whatever he wants is fine with me! I think I'll just stick to the guest bath, which I get to design...

they synthesize through the process..the endpoints they reach are just more quickly obtained...sometimes a year or two planning for ordinary folks is presented in a ten minute segment:.that can be valuable. How to use a space,rather than the details,can be discerned and may apply to one's own plan, in some version.

I watch HGTV. My favorite show is House Hunters International. I just love seeing the tiny apartments in Paris, or the modern ones in Amsterdam, or some great places in Germany!!!

They don't influence my style though. And when I watch a renovation show I laugh, because they completely redo a house in 4 weeks and for $40 k.

The main thing from HGTV on the DVR is House Hunters International. That is recorded as much for the lifestyle and culture, as the real estate. Having lived in Europe as an expat, it is fun to relive old times and to dream about future ones. Real estate shows and real estate listings give me more ideas of what not to do, rather than inspire me on things I should desire.

Of the design shows? Not so much, anymore. At one point, they had some interesting, talented designers with distinct viewpoints. Now, they seem to prioritize looks and personality over actual talent. Then again, do they have pure design shows that are not "renovate in a day" anymore or are more reality show than design show?

What used to be in design books and magazines now gives way to blogs, Houzz, AT and this forum.

For the current renovation, I'm drawing clues from the home's past and am modernizing while smoothing away scars from past renovations (i.e, lava rock fireplace is finally gone!). All in all, I'm touching five rooms and a foyer. Inspiration from all of these sources is going into my selections, constrained by the evil budget meister.

What is HGTV - just kidding - I have never seen it, although my DM watches it a lot. She keeps telling me that I need to watch it to get ideas. But I like the ideas I get from GW and started to look at Houzz as well.

I love HGTV. I would say it probably influences my design style as much as GW, Houzz, Blogs, books, and the magazines I peruse. I'm also influenced by nature, art, architecture, my travels, and the people around me. Mostly, however, I love what fits my family. I want our home to be beautiful, comfortable, and tell our story.

I love HGTV. I would say it probably influences my design style as much as GW, Houzz, Blogs, books, and the magazines I peruse. I'm also influenced by nature, art, architecture, my travels, and the people around me. Mostly, however, I love what fits my family. I want our home to be beautiful, comfortable, and tell our story.

When it comes to designing your home, do you do your own thing even if it's considered outdated?

The low-budget re-hab on the current residence is going to suit the rest of the house's style and our lifestyle, not what's in House Beautiful or on HGTV ...

The "dream house" is trendy only in that's it's going to be as "green" as possible and may use some trendy materials because we like them.

Hardly at all, especially over the past several years. A show called Ultimate Kitchens I found to be a tremendous help when we were planning back in early 2000's. don't think that was HGTV though.

For certain however, Sarah Richardson's clever tile designs influenced what we did in guest bath.

Far more influenced by books and magazines over the years.

EATREALFOOD, thank you, you have made me feel better. Ogrose, I'd love to see a pic of your master bath. You are brave...I don't think I could allow my husband to design any room, but that's an entirely other thread.

I think there are still a couple of shows that add value and show something that i didn't know was out there or is a tip/trick that I didn't know before. My company does a lot of work with HGTV and DIY Network (we supply the cabinets for the shows) and you would be surprised by everything that goes on behind the scenes. The process itself is fascinating and what they are able to accomplish in such a short period of time, but they are getting away from showing the how-to and just going for the wow factor.

Here is a link that might be useful: DIY Network

Whether it's HGTV, Pinterest, magazines or other media, they do affect our ideas. Also, the trendy stuff is easiest stuff to find, It's hillarious when people claim they "aren't affected by other people's opinions in the least!" . . . Then turn around and install the colors and patterns that're "flavor of the week" in all the various media formats.

Thanks ruthie.
talking of wood:
I bought a dark wood floor(not the highest
quality but what I could afford) instead of the light one I had wanted. The dark one was in stock, the light one would have taken a few weeks to order. Well the wood was not installed for MONTHS. Isn't that always the way ? So of course that gave me time to ponder if I should have gone with the lighter one(it's a small space). But I went back to the reason that I bought the dark wood 1)I had light wood(veneer narrow planks) previously 2)I can cover up any scratches easier with dark wood(wide plank hand scraped look). As long as it's not W to W carpet I'm happy with my choice.

I'm with kailuamom. I watch it occasionally as brain candy. Something light - maybe it makes me laugh or gives me an idea once in a while...or maybe I roll my eyes. I used to watch Nate Berkus every week. Love him. Wish his show was still on. He brought trends to the show but he also was big on re-purposing furniture etc and making a space meaningful. As for my kitchen, white cabs were always in my mind, way before I paid much attention to design. Soapstone - got that idea from a neighbor and then it was firmly grounded in my brain from GW! Stainless - couldn't afford to panel my appliances and I don't like white or cream.

What's HGTV? :-)

I haven't watched HGTV in years, but I do love my European house porn magazines. And I am certainly influenced by them. The stuff I like isn't mainstream trendy, but I've definitely found great inspiration pictures in those modern European mags. That said, I've always liked a warm and colourful sort of modern, and that hasn't changed, despite the cooler, sleeker modern trends I've seen. I think I've been emboldened by inspiration pictures to embrace what I love though.

I'd also say that everyone is influenced by trends in way or another, you can't prevent it. Anyone spending time here on GW has been influenced to one degree of another. Even is we say we march exclusively to our own drums. It just isn't possible.

Sochi - what european house porn... do tell :)

Honestly, I think GW has influenced my design sense and functionality more than any other source. DH refers to our remodel as Gardenweb House :)

I used to watch it. Some of it's first design shows were OK. But then it degenerated into more TV than design. When I found myself shouting at the screen over some crap they inflicted on someone or they had some self important and indulgent teenagers searching for million dollar homes, I quit watching.

Unfortunately, it does seem to be popular with many of my clients. And I have to disabuse them of the notion that a kitchen can be done on 2K in 2 days. Even on one of the shows that actually does discuss a true kitchen budget, the labor numbers are always way low because they are subsidizing it. In the real world, there is no way that a 50K budget for a redo ends up with only 7K worth of labor costs. And, I think it's a huge disservice to their viewership to present such fiction cloaked as fact. "It's TV entertainment, not real life." is a line that I often have to repeat to people who didn't really do their research before beginning the process.

GWlolo - oh there are so many! My favourites include: Elle Decoration (UK), Livingetc. (UK) and Arts&Decoration (France). I have quite a serious addiction to them! I've tried to love DWELL, and I do buy it from time to time, but I'm usually not terribly inspired by it.