Pat St. Germain
If you’ve lived through a reno without divorcing your spouse or disembowelling your contractor, congratulations — the meds are working.
Even survivors, who should know better, find it hard to resist the escapist fantasy of building and renovation shows. You get all the inspiration, none of the perspiration, and it only takes an hour for the dust to settle.
Dream on when HGTV rolls out a fresh batch of fan favourites starting March 1. We’ve hammered out a primer to help nail down your viewing choices.
If you’re a little bit country, a little bit wrecking ball and you’ve bonded with your calculator …
… You need Masters of Flip (returns March 1)
Transplanted Canucks Kortney and Dave Wilson — she’s from Sudbury and he hails from Ottawa — were both chasing musical careers when they met in Nashville. They flipped for each other, started a family and pulled a showbiz switcheroo, trading in their mics for sledgehammers on Masters of Flip. Dave deals with the nuts-and-bolts on a new fixer-upper each week, while realtor Kortney makes snap design decisions, joins in demolitions and keeps an eye on the budget ball. Kortney’s staging team provides the fabulous final flourishes indoors, while resident weirdo Landscaper Jeff brings a stoner vibe to the yard work. Expect bigger budgets, and potential profit margins, when the third season debuts March 1. Highlights of the first two seasons get a rewind in special The Look Back on March 29.
The cast of Timber Kings [HGTV/Corus]
… You need: Timber Kings (returns March 5)
The chainsaw is family to the crew of Pioneer Log Homes, a team of rough-hewed artisans based in Williams Lake, B.C.
Heavy accents — Swiss and extreme Canuck, eh? — practical jokes and friendly competitions are hallmarks of the series, which opens its fourth season with back-to-back episodes on Sunday, March 5. Whether they’re building an outhouse or a palatial home, these guys give ‘er on every job, bringing woodsy creativity and craftsmanship, along with heavy machinery, awesomely ornate tool belts and mildly salty frickin’ language.
Danger is part of the gig when you’re working with logs that weigh several tonnes. Finishing details are not, but if you can appreciate the splendour of a massive frame house without walls, windows or floors, stay tuned. This season the guys tackle a 50-foot teepee and a 20,000-square-foot mansion in locales from Vancouver Island to Germany.
If you like pina coladas, preppy plaid shirts and GQ stubble beards …
… You need Property Brothers (returns March 6)
It’s easy to tell Vancouver-born twin brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott apart. Realtor Drew sports a suit and natty tie, while contractor Jonathan favours plaid button-downs. The personable duo bring more playful sibling rivalry to the design table on March 6, bonding with a new batch of clients as they help them buy bargain-basement homes and then pull off custom renovations. Jonathan is also a talented illusionist and he brings some of the magic to his renos: Presto-chango, that dump becomes a dream home — on time and, for the most part, on budget.
Bryan Baeumler of Leave it to Bryan [HGTV/Corus]
… You need Leave It to Bryan (returns March 6)
Ubiquitous TV contractor Bryan Baeumler (Disaster DIY, House of Bryan, Bryan Inc.), takes charge, choosing one mystery project from homeowners’ renovation wish lists after they give him control of the budget. Their trust is well-placed. Unflappable, super competent and brimming with good humour, Bryan never fails to deliver with his sensible, stylish solutions. The seventh season kicks off March 6, and viewers can get an extra fix online — Baeumler shares pro tips and helps homeowners address renovation dilemmas in the digital short series Ask Bryan on HGTV.ca
If you shop on Instagram, quaff cocktails al fresco and your conversational style is all banter all the time …
… You need to PVR Love It or List It Vancouver (returns April 24)
Bachelorette-turned-design-diva Jillian Harris and actor/realtor Todd Talbot are precocious, younger versions of original Love It Or List It duo Hilary Farr and David Visentin. Cue the lighthearted bickering as they promise to fulfil homeowners’ must-have lists to stay in their current home or move to a new abode, then fall just short of their goals. Talbot’s hot properties are hit-and-miss, and when he does find the perfect house, it’s a safe bet that it’s over budget. Meanwhile, Harris runs into costly structural problems that force her to cross cherished items off the list. An obligatory homeowner meltdown ensues, but in the end Jillian manages to pull the reno out of the fire and wow clients with high-end finishes and personal flourishes. The new season opens on Monday, April 24, and there’s a very special 100th episode on June 19, when Jillian’s baby son, Leo, and Todd’s two kids join them for a celebratory mocktail.
