Isn’t it nice to have the McGee’s on your side?
We have a soft spot for lifestyle programs, and Netflix’s latest lifestyle show is ‘Dream Home Makeover’ with Shea and Syd McGee- Founders of Studio McGee!
Shea is an Interior Designer and through 6 episodes of the home improvement program we watch her, and her team transform 6 homes- from kitchen makeovers to fitting out an entire new home. We watch already serviceable homes transformed into the owner’s Dream home!
And not only is it a Lifestyle program, but it’s just as much as a reality TV show- following the McGee’s both in their work and their personal lives. At first, I was wondering why they were showing so much of their private lives e.g. their two young daughters and general child rearing (often times highlighting how goofy Syd the dad is). But by the end of the series, I quite enjoyed the out-of-the-ordinary format, making the show more personal and real.
The homes being made over are close to being mansions, huge homes which makes most viewers envious, so in most respects it’s difficult to relate to what we were watching. And when it came to the creation of a young professional’s home cinema set-up, if I remember correctly the dude had a $30K budget! That’s $30K US, that’s like $41K Australian! Wouldn’t that be nice, to have that much cash to throw at a single room makeover!?
And parts of the series, I was wondering who was paying whom for the privilege of featuring the McGee’s on their very own Netflix series? Sure, their giving up their time and inviting us into their private world. However, it’s a 6-episode advertisement for their interior design company- Studio McGee. Imagine the up-tick in visits to their company website, and the increase demand in requests for free, no-obligation measure and quotes after the series airs? Shea would be one busy bee after it all! But imagine how devastated you’ll be, when it turns out that one of her minion’s rock-up with a tape measure, rather than Shea herself!? Booo!
All in all, it was a fun watch- you can’t really get any real practical hints nor tips from the show for your own DIYs, but what it does leave you with is a sense of how the other half live- the cashed up North American yuppies.
If you love Lifestyle programming, and you have a spare 3 hours on the couch this weekend? Check out Dream Home Makeover ! It’ll leave you wishing that you lived in suburban Salt Lake City!
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