This week on HGTV Obsessed, Kat and Mike chat with a powerful dynamic duo - Loren Ruch, SVP of Programming at HGTV and Brian Balthazar, executive producer and developer of the top HGTV shows you know and love. Both Loren and Brian are hosts of their new show on discovery+, HGTV House Party, and they open up about what it was like to sit down and get real with the network’s top talent in a way no one has seen before. Then, we hear about some pretty insane show idea pitches, and Kat and Mike have to guess which ones actually happened. Loren and Brian also share their thoughts about tile on Defend the Trend, and Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt advise on how to renovate in a relationship.
This week on HGTV Obsessed, Kat and Mike chat with a powerful dynamic duo - Loren Ruch, SVP of Programming at HGTV and Brian Balthazar, executive producer and developer of the top HGTV shows you know and love. Both Loren and Brian are hosts of their new show on discovery+, HGTV House Party, and they open up about what it was like to sit down and get real with the network’s top talent in a way no one has seen before. Then, we hear about some pretty insane show idea pitches, and Kat and Mike have to guess which ones actually happened. Loren and Brian also share their thoughts about tile on Defend the Trend, and Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt advise on how to renovate in a relationship.
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Find episode transcript here: https://hgtv-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/hgtv-execs-on-what-makes-a-great-show-hgtv-house-party-launches-on-discovery
KAT STICKLER: Hey, what did sushi A say to sushi B? What's up, B?
[LAUGHTER]
MIKE STICKLER: It's silly.
[LAUGHTER]
KAT STICKLER: I think that's the funniest show ever.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hi, guys, and welcome. I'm Kat.
MIKE STICKLER: And I'm Mike.
KAT STICKLER: This is HGTV, Obsessed.
MIKE STICKLER: Hey, Kat.
KAT STICKLER: Hello, Michael.
MIKE STICKLER: That's not my name.
KAT STICKLER: That's definitely your name, and your middle name is Glenn. I remember I found that out when we were dating. It's like why am I slightly turned off by this?
[LAUGHTER]
MIKE STICKLER: You're a freaking jerk. You know.
KAT STICKLER: We have to be professionals right now.
MIKE STICKLER: All right, you ready?
KAT STICKLER: Yeah.
MIKE STICKLER: How are you french fries?
KAT STICKLER: Subpar, not very good.
MIKE STICKLER: Oh, God. I'm sorry. You want me to get you some new ones?
KAT STICKLER: No, I [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER]
MIKE STICKLER: So they weren't that subpar.
KAT STICKLER: I mean--
MIKE STICKLER: You salt addict.
KAT STICKLER: You put so much salt in my fries.
MIKE STICKLER: This woman eats salt every single day, guys. Like she pours it into her mouth. I'm not even kidding.
KAT STICKLER: I do. I'm dramatic. When I was pregnant, I actually almost passed out. Not really, but I was pretending to. And I needed salt and vinegar chips, and I opened them in the store, and Michael was so embarrassed.
MIKE STICKLER: I can't believe that you pretended to pass out. I didn't know that. I thought you--
KAT STICKLER: I mean, I was a little hand on the head and like-- I wasn't really.
MIKE STICKLER: Oh, my goodness. Well, listen, let's get started.
KAT STICKLER: All right, Michael. Let's do that. First off, I want to say thank you for being here Mike. It's really great having you. OK.
[LAUGHTER]
So we have some serious heavy hitters on the pod today. Coming in hot we have Lauren Rush and Brian Balthazar, which is basically me if I was split in two men.
[LAUGHTER]
That came out wrong.
MIKE STICKLER: Anyways, these guys make a ton of shows on HGTV. They're literal pros at making shows.
KAT STICKLER: Loren Ruch, is group SVP of HGTV, and Brian Balthazar is president of Balthazar Entertainment. And between the two of them, they have a hand in practically everything on HGTV. It's awesome.
MIKE STICKLER: Bougie.
KAT STICKLER: Yeah. They're like the popular girls. You want to get invited to that table. They wear pink on Wednesday.
MIKE STICKLER: Do I get invited to the party?
KAT STICKLER: Sharp. If you're with me, you can come in anywhere.
[LAUGHTER]
MIKE STICKLER: There's that ego again. Anyways, now, they have their own show on Discovery Plus called HGTV House Party.
KAT STICKLER: This show seriously shows us a new side of all the HGTV stars that you've never seen before.
MIKE STICKLER: Yeah. The hot, juicy, raunchy gossip.
KAT STICKLER: Well, yeah. I mean, maybe because I'm a star, I appreciate people looking at me in a normal light.
MIKE STICKLER: Babe, we can't even go anywhere anymore.
KAT STICKLER: Just kidding. I hated that. I told you guys this, right? Someone was taking a picture of a sunset behind me, and I thought they were taking a picture of me. And I'm smiling, but they're trying to get me out of the way because the--
MIKE STICKLER: She's like-- you're like forcing your way into the picture. No, I'm right here. I'm right here. That's so funny. Anyways, these guys are super nice. They're so funny.
KAT STICKLER: Yeah, I was there, and I'm still excited to listen, so let's go. Roll the clip.
MIKE STICKLER: Roll that tape.
KAT STICKLER: Roll that stitch.
[LAUGHTER]
So Loren Ruch and Brian Balthazar, welcome to HGTV Obsessed.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Thank you.
LOREN RUCH: Thank you.
KAT STICKLER: I feel like I basically think that you guys could host this show better than Mike and I--
MIKE STICKLER: You guys--
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Stop it.
KAT STICKLER: You know way more about HGTV than--
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: It's more fun for us to hear it from you guys because we're just-- we've been so close to it for so long that it's nice to hear what you guys have to say and what resonates. Because don't you think, Loren, that we were like almost too close to the sausage? Does that make sense?
MIKE STICKLER: That's awesome.
LOREN RUCH: Well, and some of the stuff that we take for granted, we don't realize that other people actually find super interesting, so we're happy to answer anything you might want to know about HGTV.
KAT STICKLER: Well, yeah. Can you tell us, well, first, a little bit about yourselves, and then how you both got started on HGTV?
LOREN RUCH: This is Loren. Everybody, hi. I am what's called the Group SVP of Production and Development for HGTV. Which means that I basically oversee the programming team. So all the hundreds of hours of television that you watch all-year round on HGTV come from our department, who develops it sometimes internally, sometimes with outside partners. And then we oversee all of the shows that you see on television. So it's a really amazing job because we get to work on a lot of different shows, but they're all within the home genre, and they're all stuff that we're really proud of for HGTV.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: So actually Loren and I started basically in this particular job. Well, we were both directors of programming at HGTV. We started on the same day. He started in Knoxville, and I started in New York. And the fun story is that the gentleman who hired us couldn't decide which one of us to hire, so he hired us both in two different cities. And we got on the phone together, and we were like, wow, we're really like alike.
LOREN RUCH: This guy must have had a type because Brian and I are so similar. It's funny that he couldn't decide between which of us--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Not that kind of a type. Like the--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Not that kind of time just to be clear. Yeah, a professional just so we clear up any ambiguity there. But Loren and I both worked in live morning television for a long time-- him in LA. Me in New York. And obviously, we both like the same music and the same-- that doesn't have anything to do with anything.
But in any case, we both started the same day. I was a director of programming for a number of years. And then I left and decided to take on some other things. And then I was like, I want to be back on HGTV. So I called him, like, hey, got any positions open? So I came back to HGTV and worked alongside Loren for a couple more years.
And I since then started a production company of my own because I still want to work for HGTV. I just want to be on the ground making the shows a little bit closer to the shows than I was when Loren and I worked together. So Loren and I are constantly working together in this capacity but also in the production side in different ways than before.
MIKE STICKLER: That's so cool. I love that.
KAT STICKLER: So now, you guys have your own show, and it's called HGTV House Party. It's on Discovery Plus. This-- first off, it's a really exciting show. It's engaging, and I loved watching you guys. I feel like you're like this perfect blend of me as a man.
[LAUGHTER]
LOREN RUCH: Give yourself a little more credit, Kat.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: I know. Aim higher.
MIKE STICKLER: No, but your camaraderie is so-- I mean, it's just-- it's contagious. I felt like--
LOREN RUCH: That's a perfect word.
KAT STICKLER: --I wanted to grab a glass of wine and drink with you guys, and it was just a really nice change with COVID, everything happening. It just felt very friendly and wholesome and like a family. It was very cool. I loved it.
LOREN RUCH: Thank you. I think one of the reasons why it works is because what you're seeing is what you get. And the thing that Brian and I joke about all the time is whether or not there were cameras rolling, we're doing the same shenanigans. We're laughing at the same jokes. We're talking about the same things. And so I think for us, it was like what you guys get with this podcast. You get to do something that you're passionate about and that you love. And when you get to do that combined with a career, it feels like you're the luckiest person in the world.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Well, we just had so much fun. It really did feel like a party for us because it just was like a wonderful opportunity. And we got amazing guests. Like I have to say, we had wonderful people stop by-- what you can't tell when you're watching. So it was really hot the days that we were there. So it was super hot, so we're like shvitzing and sweating and wearing sport coats. And everyone's like, what are you-- you're going to really wear that? We're like, yeah, yeah. It was part of the look. We planned it.
We shot it in LA when we're new Yorkers, and it was already cold. So we were like bundling up. And we come to LA, and we're like, we're here. And it was like-- so we're like sweating, and we didn't care. We just had such a great time, so many fun guests. I mean, Loren, where do we begin? Twitch and Alison Hulker, Derek Hough-- the names go on. We had so many-- Maureen McCormick. It's just we had a great time, and we were just-- felt like we were having a party in real life. So that's I think why it feels that way.
MIKE STICKLER: And I think it's cool, and I'll just add real quick-- you guys obviously are so passionate about what you do. It shines through and like-- just in this conversation. And I think that in entertainment what we're learning already is you're going to get burn-out, unless you're passionate about what you're doing. So it's really cool to see the two of you are seriously so passionate, and it's just like a game. It's fun.
KAT STICKLER: And just like you are on the show. It's like I feel like we're on another show right now.
MIKE STICKLER: Literally, yeah.
LOREN RUCH: We live our life as if we're on a show. It's one of those things I do in my normal life too. If I wanted to go to dinner with Brian, I can't just say, do you want to go to this restaurant? I'll make flashcards. I'll have to choose the right hand or the left hand. You'll end up picking the restaurant based on that.
MIKE STICKLER: Oh, I love it.
LOREN RUCH: I think part of what makes this show so fun is, hopefully, giving the guests the vibe that they really are hanging out with us. That they're hanging in a fun loft. They're drinking maybe a little bit too much, laughing a little bit too much, and forgetting the worries of the world. And we always said that the one thing that we won't talk about is politics, and it's nothing serious. It's a show about houses and fun and dancing and games, and it's really a way of getting to know your favorite HGTV talent and other stars but in a place that is just safe and light and like an escape from the craziness of the world that we're in right now.
MIKE STICKLER: That's what we need.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Totally. And we loosen these people up. Like Alison Victoria from Windy City Rehab, I mean, she is like you've never heard her before. You know that she's fun when you're watching the show, but we happen to-- a lot of these people, Loren and I have had the great pleasure of having friendships and relationships within the past. So when they come-- they already come in ready to have fun and really open up. Like Alison, Victoria, like she-- my jaw dropped.
And I mean Tarek Moussa talking about his life. Jasmine Roth-- like all of these HGTV stars that are just like real people with real problems and real funny stories and real experiences. They're just really fun to be around. And then they double down on all that fun and party-type atmosphere. It's like you're sitting-- really like you're sitting with them at a bar or a restaurant.
MIKE STICKLER: I love that.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Just like, I'm going to tell you guys this, but don't tell anybody. And unfortunately, we all get to hear it.
KAT STICKLER: Well, OK. So Discovery Plus literally launched this week, so it's fairly new. And I don't think people really understand how amazing it is yet, so what can you tell us about Discovery Plus?
LOREN RUCH: Oh, I could tell you a lot about Discovery Plus. So Discovery Plus is basically what I would consider the home for all things unscripted. So if you are a fan of anything in home, food, science, animals, discovery, documentaries-- basically anything that is in an unscripted world. If you are a junkie in that world, this is the place for you. And so there's everything from original new shows-- like HGTV House Party. There's the full library of all the shows that you've already seen on HGTV and Food Network and TLC and all these other all these other networks as well.
And I think that what makes it just so much fun is you can go down that rabbit hole and watch all of your favorite stuff at one time and hopefully starting with HGTV House Party [LAUGHS] and then moving on to all the other great stuff that's available out there.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Right. And the nice thing is if your HGTV obsessed, as you guys are, so many people, there are ways to see new sides of the people that you already love on HGTV, which is really fun. Christina Anstead has a four-part series that I was fortunate enough to work on, where she really opens up about some things. Tarek Moussa has a series where he shares more of his life, and then you have original programming like Maureen McCormick from Very Brady Renovation.
She has her own show called Frozen In Time, where she goes into homes that are stuck in the '50s, '60s or '70s, and she and designer Dan Vickery give them a whole new look while still honoring that original decade but just completely giving them a whole new life. So all the things you love about HGTV are amplified in a new way on the Discovery Plus streaming service, so it's exciting.
LOREN RUCH: There's a show you guys would love that's called House Hunters, Comedians on couches unfiltered. And we have some of the biggest comedians in the world. Seth Rogen is in the show. Margaret Cho is in the show. It's hosted by Dan Levy and Natasha Leggero, and they're sitting in there watching House Hunters episodes and making fun of them. It's just-- it's a fun environment. It's to your point, Kat, earlier-- it's like we want people to just like grab that drink, hang out on their couch, and just like chill out.
People are craving a warm hug right now. They're craving escape. They're craving friends. And I think that there's nothing more comforting than your home. There's nothing more aspirational than maybe thinking of buying a house in a foreign land. There's something about our programming that just makes you feel protected and safe in a time that doesn't necessarily feel that way.
And so I feel, of course, we'd rather not be in this state of the world, but at least if we are going to be in this place, it's nice that we're able to provide a place for people just to forget their stresses, to forget the worries, and to dive into the friendships and comfort that we're all craving right now.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Yeah. And also like it or not, we're spending a lot of time at home, and we're all looking at the same four walls. And like maybe these walls will look better beige. Maybe they'd look better like chartreuse. So I'm completely obsessed with my house right now and making it fun and nice. And like, I'm taking far more risks in my house than I would have maybe two years ago. I'm like, you know what? I'm to put up that crazy wallpaper. Why not? So I think that HGTV is always inspiring, but I think right now is we're all into our homes. I think it's a really great place to be.
KAT STICKLER: I think what I notice is I've felt like I've never been able to design stuff, or I didn't have that kind of-- it was like a bone in my body. I just didn't have it.
MIKE STICKLER: Sure.
KAT STICKLER: But--
[LAUGHTER]
Yeah, he knows. I'll do something. He'll be like, that looks the worst. I'm so sorry.
MIKE STICKLER: We should definitely hire someone.
KAT STICKLER: But after watching shows like this, HGTV, I mean, I feel like I-- makes you feel empowered. Like, yeah, I can do this. I can make my space something of my own. I don't need to be-- I can learn from these shows and figure it out, so that was nice.
LOREN RUCH: And we're also doing a lot of stuff on smaller scales now. So like you may not want to build an entire house from scratch, but maybe, you'll learn how to organize your closet better. Maybe you'll learn how to set up a guest bedroom better. It's like-- I think part of the fun is the micro stuff too. Not everything has to be so much larger than life.
MIKE STICKLER: Yeah.
KAT STICKLER: I totally agree. So House Party is filled with--
MIKE STICKLER: Crazy games.
KAT STICKLER: Crazy fun games. They were super fun when we watched these preview trailers.
MIKE STICKLER: Yeah. I heard you have a game for us.
[LAUGHTER]
LOREN RUCH: We do have a game for you.
MIKE STICKLER: Let's go.
KAT STICKLER: Michael only plays Call of Duty, so this is, like, I'll probably win this for sure.
LOREN RUCH: Well, we will see. So this game is very interesting because this is based on some of the interesting pitches that we receive at HGTV. So we are constantly having different producers and production companies pitch us show ideas. Some of them are fabulous and they end up on the air. Some of them are a little bit more random and may not. Everything that we're about to pitch you now are real with the exception of one. So it's called-- What is it Brian?
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: It's Four Truths and a Lie.
LOREN RUCH: We're going to read you a title and a show idea. We're going to go through all five of them, and you have to guess which one is not the real HGTV pitch.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Right now, I will say I do feel somewhat compelled as a production company myself to issue a compassionate disclaimer to all those people who have pitched us and maybe been a little off track, just a little. So sometimes you'll go to a meeting, and they'll pitch you something that you're like, do you even watch HGTV? Are you watching? And so sometimes it's dead on, and sometimes it's dead wrong.
MIKE STICKLER: I love it.
LOREN RUCH: Just because these are real pitches and we did not opt to produce them doesn't mean they're bad ideas. We just want to show you the variety of stuff that comes through our door.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Oh, no, Loren. Some of them are bad ideas.
[LAUGHTER]
OK, maybe--
LOREN RUCH: I was going to say you were really saving that right there.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: OK. Without further ado, remember, you're going to listen to five pitches. Four of them are truths, and one is a lie. Loren, would you like to kick off with our first pitch?
LOREN RUCH: The first show is called Catnap. And this was an entire show about creating clever places for cats to sleep, complete with the designer that would crawl through the cat cages to determine what the space should be like for her feline clients.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: OK, so consider that one.
KAT STICKLER: I feel like that's true. Oh, wait. Are we supposed to--
MIKE STICKLER: We answer at the end, right?
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: You can-- I think you should weigh in now and then ultimately like what your gut feeling tells you now, and then at the end you'll have to decide.
MIKE STICKLER: I would honestly probably make fun of that show if it was real. I'm not going to lie.
KAT STICKLER: But I would also watch it as well.
MIKE STICKLER: But I tend to make fun of every show that I see just--
KAT STICKLER: I would watch that.
MIKE STICKLER: Yeah?
KAT STICKLER: I'd watch it.
MIKE STICKLER: You would?
KAT STICKLER: Yeah.
MIKE STICKLER: OK.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: OK, good. So I think this is also playing who wants to be a network executive because these are all the same discussions that we have. So all right, there's one down. Four more to go. The next one is called Sawdust and Sparks. It's not a crime drama. It sounds like a good crime drama-- Sawdust and Sparks. OK. Setting up single women with hot contractors to find a date and a renovator at the same time.
MIKE STICKLER: I have to pause for a second.
KAT STICKLER: I'll be on the show.
LOREN RUCH: Brian, you do voiceovers for the network?
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: No, but in my head I do. I've gotten called up. I've gotten calls for some voice overs auditions, but I never get the job. And then I just get to see who got it, which is always a delight, so yeah.
MIKE STICKLER: I love it. I love it. That one sounds fun. That could be a good one.
LOREN RUCH: OK. The next one, Scene of the Crime-- a real estate and crime show about people who get huge discounts on home purchases if there was a crime committed at the house.
KAT STICKLER: That's real. That has to be real.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: I'm not going to say it. You just have to--
KAT STICKLER: I think you can make a show about it. What was the crime?
MIKE STICKLER: I never even thought about that.
KAT STICKLER: Where are they now?
MIKE STICKLER: That's a real thing, I'm sure.
KAT STICKLER: Is it haunted?
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Right. I mean, there's that chemical they spray on rugs to see if there's all sorts of nastiness on them, and that would be a great scene in the show if that was-- OK, moving on.
MIKE STICKLER: Just grab a black light.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Right, exactly. Haunt my House-- paranormal experts show three homes to would-be haunted house dwellers and help them choose their future undead roommates.
MIKE STICKLER: I love these descriptions. I'm sorry. This is so good.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: I'm starting to think that maybe some of these should be shows, though, as I say.
KAT STICKLER: I think Brian-- I think it's the way you're saying it that makes it feel real.
MIKE STICKLER: Yeah. Every time you say it, I'm like, wow. Oh, coming when?
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Very enthusiastic.
KAT STICKLER: When does it air?
[LAUGHTER]
MIKE STICKLER: Starring who?
[LAUGHTER]
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: And then the final one is Gay Acres-- a group of gay men who take over a vineyard to learn how to make wine with the winner receiving the vineyard as his prize.
MIKE STICKLER: That's a hit.
KAT STICKLER: That's a hit.
MIKE STICKLER: That's a freaking hit.
KAT STICKLER: That's a gold mine right there. You got season one, season two, season three. I mean, it's a lineup right there.
MIKE STICKLER: Maybe even four if you're lucky. I mean--
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Right, right.
LOREN RUCH: So to recap the titles, Four Truths and a Lie-- you have Catnap.
MIKE STICKLER: OK.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Is it Sawdust and Sparks?
LOREN RUCH: Scene of the Crime.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Is it Haunt my House?
LOREN RUCH: Or Gay Acres.
[LAUGHTER]
MIKE STICKLER: I think it's Catnap.
KAT STICKLER: Catnap?
MIKE STICKLER: Yeah, I really think it might be Catnap.
KAT STICKLER: People are really passionate about their cats.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: What's your guess, again?
MIKE STICKLER: I think it's Catnap, personally.
LOREN RUCH: Catnap was a real pitch. Brian, didn't you take that pitch?
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: I did actually get that pitch. And the funny thing was it was quirky, but it was really just a cage. Like every single time she was crawling through a cage outside, and it just felt a little [INAUDIBLE]. I don't know. The big reveal was a little underwhelming. And the cats-- cats are like remarkably indifferent a lot of the time. They're just like, yeah, yeah, all right. Thanks. It was just all kinds of wrong. But you're very polite when you take the pitch. You're like, oh, yeah, well, you know what? We're going to circle back and discuss.
LOREN RUCH: The one show I will take full credit for, because it was my own internal pitch, was Gay Acres, so I'm glad that you like that one because that one was--
KAT STICKLER: Oh, gosh. That one hyped me up. I was like--
MIKE STICKLER: I don't know. I would have watched it.
KAT STICKLER: I'll host it. I'll be the host, Gay Acres.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: You'd be an excellent host.
LOREN RUCH: So that would move us forward. We know who to talk to, but the fake show in the mix was Haunt my House. That was not a real pitch.
MIKE STICKLER: Oh, shoot. You guys masked that one good.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Right?
LOREN RUCH: Well, we actually are working on a show called House Hunters because there really is something in the works with that name.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Yes, so we did get the-- like that one where there's contractors trying to meet the love of their lives. That was a pitch. Sawdust and Sparks came to us.
LOREN RUCH: Scene of a Crime was real. We actually shot that, but it was so depressing that we never moved forward with it.
[LAUGHTER]
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Yeah, it was a little sad.
LOREN RUCH: It was actually a very fascinating pitch to be honest because they were saying that you could buy a house for significantly discounted price, but the disclosure has to be put out there when you're looking at the house that something took place there. And so we covered a real open house, and people looked at the house and thought it was beautiful but really well priced. You then have that thought like, is it enough to get a good deal or could you not live with the history of the house? So it was interesting. It just felt a little too deep for our audience.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Yeah, you do have to tell. If you find out that something grisly happened, you can-- you're supposed to know by law before you buy it. So it's nice a little-- it's part of the seller's disclosure.
MIKE STICKLER: Right, right. What a tricky scenario there.
KAT STICKLER: Would you buy a house? Would you?
MIKE STICKLER: Would I buy a house where something gruesome happened in it?
KAT STICKLER: Yeah.
MIKE STICKLER: I don't think I could. I really don't think I could.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: If you put the nature of the crime. How bad was it?
MIKE STICKLER: The nature of the crime-- maybe, you're right, yeah. If it's like loan sharking, fine, sure.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Right, yeah. Like gambling [INAUDIBLE].
LOREN RUCH: White collar--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
MIKE STICKLER: White collar--
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
LOREN RUCH: --horrible.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Yeah. I mean, also, did they replace the rugs? Like that's an important link.
[LAUGHTER]
MIKE STICKLER: That's good. I love it.
KAT STICKLER: OK. So Loren and Brian, this has really been so fun.
MIKE STICKLER: So fun.
KAT STICKLER: I love talking with you guys. Before you go, we have one more thing that we need from you guys.
MIKE STICKLER: It's time for Defend the Trend. I'm going to give a voiceover. Ready? Defend the Trend.
[LAUGHTER]
So sexy.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
It's time for Defend the Trend, where our expert guests defend a design trend, and they say why they think it's on its way out.
KAT STICKLER: Or not on its way out.
MIKE STICKLER: Or on it's way to stay.
KAT STICKLER: Yeah. I don't know if that makes sense, but we're going to go with it. So you guys have been working for HDV for a bunch of years, and you guys have probably seen every design trend come and go and come and go. So today, we wanted to hear your thoughts on the over-the-top tile trend. And--
MIKE STICKLER: People are seriously going tile-crazy out there.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: That's absolutely true. Do you want to go first, Loren? Do you want me to go?
LOREN RUCH: I could go first. It's funny. I love a beautiful tile, but I think that the really, really busy floor tiles, although they're really pretty right now, I'm afraid that five years from now, people may start questioning them because I think you may get a little sick of the busyness of the pattern. So although I don't mind some beautiful tile and a backsplash, I don't mind maybe part of a floor in the mosaic or something like that, I don't know if the really super busy tile is going to be something that people are going to love five years from now.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: I agree. I think interestingly-- well, now, not only that. They're not just doing the floor anymore. It's going up the walls. So you have this statement wall, but someday that statement's going to be like, ooh, bad decision. Like anything-- if something super trendy, eventually it's not going to be on trend anymore. And I think there was that whole time a couple of generations ago where everyone was like weathering their walls, their sheetrock walls to look like they're like-- they've got this Mediterranean Villa.
But you don't have a Mediterranean Villa. So I think sometimes if you get something that's really specific, it might be in retrospect a mistake. So I like to go and do my crazy pops of things with things that are much easier to remove. Wallpaper is much easier to remove than tile. Or fabrics are much easier to remove than tile. Or pillows or bedding-- that kind of thing. So that's where I like to make my slightly more offbeat statements.
KAT STICKLER: What do you think is [INAUDIBLE]? What do you guys think about tiles in the pool?
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: In the pool? Love them.
LOREN RUCH: I love a tile in the pool. I love a mosaic from top to bottom in a pool and just that glistening bright pool in the backyard. I think that's super happy, and I like that.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Yeah. I like something catching the light. I think in a pool, you can get away with a little bit more because it evokes a tropical feeling or a dazzle-- the dazzle of the reflection of the water, so yeah. I think so there we go.
LOREN RUCH: It could be your disco ball of your backyard.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Ooh, oh, see.
MIKE STICKLER: That was good.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: He was saving that one up, Loren. Have you been saving that disco ball line up?
LOREN RUCH: Saving it.
[LAUGHTER]
KAT STICKLER: I'm glad we talked about this. That was really cool. I didn't know I could have--
MIKE STICKLER: That's good.
KAT STICKLER: --so many feelings about tiles, but I definitely resonated with everything you guys said.
MIKE STICKLER: And it's been so great to have you on the podcast. We're seriously so excited to check out more of your new show on Discovery Plus, HGTV House Party.
KAT STICKLER: And really, you don't understand how fun it was to interview both of you. You're amazing.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: Oh, thank you.
LOREN RUCH: You guys are awesome. It's so time for a podcast like this, and we're so happy that you guys are the ones at the helm. So this has been an awesome opportunity, and thank you for having us on your show.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR: So much fun. Thank you guys.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MIKE STICKLER: What just happened? Just the greatest experience ever.
KAT STICKLER: Wow.
MIKE STICKLER: That was-- I'm sorry. I really loved that interview.
KAT STICKLER: [LAUGHS] That was actually really great.
MIKE STICKLER: It was so good.
KAT STICKLER: OK. So it is time for HGTV Coming to the Rescue baby.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
You're not supposed to join with me. It's my song.
MIKE STICKLER: This is literally my favorite time of the week, where HGTV stars answer your burning questions about design, decorating, renovations, the whole nine yards-- just anything you see on HGTV.
KAT STICKLER: Honestly, I think they cover 10 yards because that's how we do it here in HGTV. Nine just isn't enough. So this week we have Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt from 100 Day Dream Home answering a question from Danielle. And Danielle asked, "Hi, Mika and Brian. I love your show. My husband and I are in the process of building our dream home together. We have a great architect and builder, but the stress is already getting to us. How do you guys work so closely together with a crazy timeline of 100 days and keep your relationship intact? Share your secrets, please.
MIKA KLEINSCHMIDT: Oh, man. Danielle, so I think just knowing where your limits are. When I get to a point where I'm just like before blowing up or getting into a fight or anything like that, just take a minute to breathe, and just remember that there's two types of stress. There is good stress, and there's bad stress. And by that, I mean, building a house and making all these decisions, that's a good stress because at the end of that process, the end product is going to be worth it.
And so I think you just got to keep reminding yourself-- and in our case, I think, it's more like when we're getting to the point where it's crunch time, we think about the families. We think about the reaction we're going to get from them, and it makes it worth it. So just keep in mind that you know what? Nothing great in life comes easily. The journey is always going to be a challenge, but getting to that finish line, it's going to pay off in the end.
BRIAN KLEINSCHMIDT: And just know, Danielle, that there are going to be problems. I mean, we've been doing this for a long time, and every single house we work on, we don't plan for them, but the problems always arise, and yes, it's going to cause delays in the timeline.
But keep in mind that in three, five, seven, 10 years from now when you're living in your dream home, that three-day delay that you're waiting on tile to come in all of a sudden becomes really small and shouldn't be something to stress about. Now, when you're going through it, I can see why it's stressful, but just keep the long picture in mind, and I think you'd be much happier with your house and your future.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
KAT STICKLER: I love the kind Kleinschmidts. I feel like they're couple goals like we're couple goals to some people.
MIKE STICKLER: Kat, do you think that we would argue?
KAT STICKLER: Yes.
MIKE STICKLER: Wow, I didn't even finish it. Do you think--
KAT STICKLER: If we were going to build a house?
MIKE STICKLER: Yeah.
KAT STICKLER: Yeah.
MIKE STICKLER: I mean, you might find me in the cement.
KAT STICKLER: No, why do you take jokes so far?
[LAUGHTER]
I would never kill you. I could never follow through with it, babe.
[LAUGHTER]
MIKE STICKLER: We would find a way to get along. We would.
KAT STICKLER: Yeah, I think we would. Well, we were talking--
MIKE STICKLER: Definitely, where they have a counselor on standby, maybe.
KAT STICKLER: Yeah. They should have an HGTV show with like a marriage counselor as part of the renovation. But we were talking about this earlier. We were just filming a tick, and we were not in a good mood. We were not getting along, and the quality of the video was so bad.
MIKE STICKLER: Tanked.
KAT STICKLER: I mean, we looked so miserable and upset at each other. We were trying to sabotage each other's take on the video. Could be like, look, you messed up. And like, no, we messed them up.
MIKE STICKLER: You're jammy.
KAT STICKLER: But I think it's just really important to get along with your person, especially in important things like making--
MIKE STICKLER: Building a house.
[LAUGHTER]
KAT STICKLER: Building the house you're going to live in.
MIKE STICKLER: You really can't nail something wrong then.
KAT STICKLER: You want to be on the same page. If you guys want to submit a question to HGTV to the Rescue, hit us up on the HGTV Instagram post for this episode.
MIKE STICKLER: Yeah. That's a wrap on another great episode of HGTV Obsessed.
KAT STICKLER: And we wanted to give a huge thanks to Loren Ruch and Brian Balthazar as well as Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt for being our guests this week. It was awesome having you guys.
MIKE STICKLER: Yeah. And if you guys haven't signed up for Discovery Plus yet, I'm telling you what-- do not wait. This app is amazing. You need it in your life. There's a seven-day free trial, so you can check it out for free. Head over to discoveryplus.com to sign up, or look for the app on your smart TV.
KAT STICKLER: And don't forget to subscribe to HGTV Obsessed, wherever you listen to podcasts. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. We got Spotify. We got Stitcher. Wherever you listen to them, I read every single review. It really means the world to me Michael, his love language is words of affirmation you guys.
MIKE STICKLER: You guys don't understand. I usually pull up the reviews and sit there and just reread them for about an hour a day.
KAT STICKLER: Yeah. You guys fill up his love tank for me. I mean, I just-- I don't have to do anything. So we'll see you back here next week when we are talking about mansions.
MIKE STICKLER: Mansions?
KAT STICKLER: Mansions.
MIKE STICKLER: Oh, my God.
KAT STICKLER: What is this life? All right, anyway, we will see you next Thursday. Thank you so much, guys.
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
- Hey, there. I'm Brian Balthazar.
- And I'm Loren Ruch.
- Welcome to the place where we take a seat and a sit with your favorite celebrities on HGTV star.
- And we find out all the juicy scoop you've been wanting to know.
- Here's what the network doesn't know.
- Oh.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- Let's party. This is for our favorite sassy [INAUDIBLE].
- This is fabulous.
- The sweet and salty dog.
- Love it.
- Oh, I also had a gincident.
- What gincident?
- Hand-muddled some peaches.
- I'm going to flip this table right now if you don't change this.
- We are so excited for you to hang out with us, and get to even more about these cool people.
[LAUGHTER]
- Am I funny enough? Do you like me, mommy?
- I'm going to steal something from here.
- I'm going to be sitting in the corner though.
- Oh, this reminds me of college.
- [INAUDIBLE] working right now.
[LAUGHTER]
- No, I'm going down.
- [BLEEP] Can we say that on here?
- Why not?
- You just did.
- House Party. If you've got a house--
- --we got the party.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[END PLAYBACK]