HGTV’s The Flip Off: Pleather, Pergolas and a Fabulous Finale

HGTV’s The Flip Off wrapped up with leather, landscaping, and low-key shade—just the way we like it. Christina’s curb appeal had us swooning, Tarek and Heather’s pergola made us question everything, and Jeff Lewis brought the perfect amount of petty to the judging table.

We’re breaking down the design drama, the behind-the-scenes relationship realness, and whether anyone actually won in a house under a flight path.  Plus, what would Season 2 look like with Real Housewives as guest judges? We have ideas. Too many. 

🛑 Spoiler alert: this is the very first episode we ever recorded—back when we were still figuring out our intro, outro, and how to use a microphone, edit audio, and politely critique pleather pants. We saved it for a lazy Monday or vacation week, and besties, today is that day.

🎧 Come for the flip talk, stay for the snark. And if you're currently Googling “motion-activated Miami Vice toilet music,” you’re in the right place. Find all our episodes at https://designingbesties.buzzsprout.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Love and Kisses,

Rhonda and Shari

Find us at https://designingbesties.buzzsprout.com, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

Transcript

013 FINAL - The Flip Off S1 Finale

[00:00:01] Shari: Hi there, I'm Shari and this is my BFF Rhonda, 

[00:00:04] Rhonda: And welcome to Designing Bitches This podcast for women 

[00:00:08] Shari: and brave men. 

[00:00:09] Rhonda: who eat, sleep, and breathe interior design and recognize their addiction to HGTV.

[00:00:14] Shari: whether you're rearranging your living room for the 12th time or here to justify another Homegoods spree. You're in the right place. 

[00:00:21] Rhonda: Let's talk. Design disasters, and all the beautiful chaos in between.

[00:00:25] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Starting with our can't miss show of the week: The Flip Off.

[00:00:28] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: I am obsessed with most of the competition shows on HGTV, as you know...

[00:00:33] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Okay.

[00:00:33] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: The Flip Off has been a reality love fest for me with Heather Dubrow from Real Housewives, Jeff Lewis from Flipping Out, and Heather Rae Young- now El Moussa- and Amanza Smith from Selling Sunset. When my HGTV and Bravo worlds collide, it's pure magic.

 I was totally hooked on the game and the players.

[00:00:51] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: So I don't watch any of those shows and I feel a little bit like it's a circus of crazy people and crazy clothes. Every time I watch this show I have this what are you wearing kind of 

[00:01:06] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: response to almost every scene.

[00:01:09] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: You know, they go out to look at the neighborhood and Heather's wearing pleather pants.

I will say this week, the judge Jeff, is that his name? 

[00:01:17] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Mm-hmm. 

[00:01:18] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: And he he showed up I thought, okay, well this guy at least looks somewhat normal like comfortable. Comfortable

[00:01:23] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Yeah.

[00:01:24] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: clothes.

Meanwhile, Christina comes out wearing a leather all I can think is sweat. That's sweaty. That's so sweaty.

[00:01:32] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Well, it's Southern California though maybe it's not as hot as it is for you in Vegas. I'm so used to seeing the ladies from Selling Sunset just strut around in their six inch heels and their really overdressed look that I don't even bat an eye at that. 

 It never distracted me. I never questioned it. I was just so into it 'cause I love seeing some of those other people. 

[00:01:54] Shari: I was thinking, I wanna get my nails done like Christina's and oh my God. I would love them to be walking around my neighborhood.

 I will say if I showed up to one of my design consultations in a pink bustier and black pleather pants, the husband might hire me, but the wife definitely is not going to.

[00:02:12] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: You know, the other competition shows have designers come they're the judges.

[00:02:17] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yes.

[00:02:17] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: And while that's interesting, and there's certainly some designers I love. Yay when I see someone like Egypt Sherrod, but...

[00:02:24] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: mm-hmm.

[00:02:24] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: This knowing that the weekly winner was not really the winner. I loved it. And Heather Dubrow, who is into designing her own houses, and then when she says, oh, but I'm not gonna include the dining room, and nobody would ever question Heather Dubrow.

I just feel like it brought a different flavor to it. It's also one of the first times you've seen that crossover on HGTV. If you remember, and maybe you don't, for the longest time when Tarek was dating Heather, she couldn't even appear on HGTV.

[00:02:57] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Oh, I didn't know that.

[00:02:58] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: And vice versa. Netflix didn't really want him appearing on Selling Sunset. So they were talking about each other, but you weren't seeing them in either reality show.

[00:03:07] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Oh, I just remember there was a little know, tidbit that flew across my feed that said she was being kicked off of Selling Sunset and she she didn't even know.

But it was because she was gonna do the HGTV thing with her husband, her now husband.

[00:03:22] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: . It's interesting how these networks compete with each other , but as a fan of reality TV, I am absolutely here for it when they do allow those crossovers to happen. I actually wish they would do it more often.

[00:03:36] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah, I'm sure. If it's at all profitable, you'll be seeing the Down Below makeover show.

[00:03:42] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: The other thing that's been really interesting about all of this is that HGTV has been very active on their Instagram with everything related to The Flip Off.

And HGTV has been acting just like a reality network when it comes to making memes of Heather and Christina and Tarek. They're, funny, and Christina actually said, I think it was today I saw on Instagram where she actually said, I'm so glad the show is over 'cause you won't have any more memes of me, or something along those lines.

It was really pretty funny.

[00:04:13] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: I actually thought about that. I was thinking that there is no other show that has quite this level of drama. Can you think of any other, I cannot think of any that had an ex-wife and a wife. I think, because is there a show where somebody left under, you know, unpleasant circumstances.

[00:04:29] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: I feel like there was one duo where it was a, uh, they were exes, but they were on good terms. There was nothing to this level, and I think you and I both know

[00:04:40] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah, the Atlanta lady was there with her, with her ex. She has her own show now. I cannot think of her name off the top of my

[00:04:45] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Oh, Page.

[00:04:46] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Head.

Page, that's right, Page Turner.

She did a show with her where they used to be a couple, but they're not anymore, but that, yeah, that didn't include any, any of this stuff. And again, Christina her little, you know, her ugly cry on tv and

[00:05:00] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Mm-hmm.

[00:05:01] Rhonda: That scene was just so real and so honest. Before, I never really liked Christina all that much. She seems all image and kind of a little bad actress in some cases. But I have to admit I liked her a thousand percent more after that scene. I was uncomfortable because it didn't really fit into what I consider a normal HGTV show.

You know, a little bit of this, what is happening kind of feeling. But I will confess to you, we had a team building at work, and I had to say when I last cried and. I had to admit it was watching Christina confess to Tarek that her worst part of her divorce was that she couldn't be a full-time mom anymore.

I mean, it just, it broke my heart for her and, uh, you're clearly not worried about image so much when you ugly cry on television.

[00:05:47] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: I completely agree with that. As you know, I haven't always been the biggest fan of Christina's. I watch her shows religiously because I'm addicted to reality design shows and I can appreciate before this show her growth from Flipper to designer. But my feeling was always that there was this kind of toxic positivity in how she presented her life and her world and everything was all hunky dory until the day she dumped Ant and everything's hunky dory until the day she dumped Josh. We read about the breakup with Josh well before we actually saw what happened on this reality show. And I, through this show, have developed a new girl crush.

[00:06:25] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah.

[00:06:26] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Just like, just like Jeff Lewis did on Christina and a design crush on her. It was almost like I got to know the real Christina and when she talked about her need to be with someone,

[00:06:37] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah.

[00:06:37] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: it was so real though when Jeff Lewis said, do we have to marry them all? I was right there with him as well.

[00:06:44] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: But I also, when she was talking and confessing with Tarek, she says, when they split up, it blew up her idea of being a full-time mom, something about that. And again, that was another thing where I, again, I'm I'm not a fulltime mom, but I felt that tug at my heart. Like, oh, god yes. Like I got her a lot more at that point that yeah, this horrible divorce and all this, you know, all this paparazzi and cover of People Magazine and at its heart, she's really just sad that she can't be a stay home mom anymore, right? She's got, they're splitting up.

[00:07:17] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: And like she said, she knows that she had her own stuff coming into this and she's part of the problem. But you also don't need to have that pasted all over social media and all over magazines, like People Magazine, that isn't helpful.

[00:07:31] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: I can't even imagine. And that's why

[00:07:33] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: I can't either.

[00:07:33] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: I am so shocked that HGTV was so open about Josh, right? Like snarky comments and you know, she's basically accusing him of stealing things and I just isn't there. I I guess you know, we saw with, you know, Windy City Rehab with Allison and...

[00:07:53] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Donovan.

[00:07:54] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Donovan, right? Like I think that actually did go to court. and I think, I think he lost, 

[00:08:00] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Mm-hmm.

[00:08:00] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Hmm. Well, this week's show I didn't get much out of the design. You could tell they were sort of at the end of it. They were obviously, not outta money, but trying not to spend any more than the minimum that they had to for the outdoor spaces.

So I saw nothing in the outdoor spaces that made me go, oh, that's interesting, or, oh, that's clever, or, oh, that's new, right? Even to the point where I looked at Tarek and Heather's and I thought, eh, I didn't see anything with theirs that I was impressed with.

[00:08:30] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: I'll tell you, Christina's overall curb appeal was so much more appealing to me. 

[00:08:35] Shari: The proportions, the exterior elements, the landscaping, and it was also a corner lot on a cul-de-sac, which usually sells for more.

[00:08:42] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: And I can only assume that there's a huge difference in the value of properties between these two neighborhoods. I don't know LA neighborhoods, but there's gotta be some distinction. 

[00:08:52] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah. 

Yeah

[00:08:52] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: where When you looked at Heather's and Tarek's, the scale of that little house on the big prairie look was a little like what?

[00:09:00] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: At least from the front.

[00:09:01] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: And even Jeff Lewis makes a comment about it. And I just think that house, when you look at that exterior, just the front, it just looks like that house is tiny.

[00:09:13] Rhonda: Yeah, I don't understand. On the original house they had like these beautiful day lilies up a up a pathway to the front door, and they ripped all that out.

[00:09:21] Shari: Yeah, I felt like that proportion looked much better than what they ended up with,

[00:09:26] Rhonda: Yeah, looked inviting,

[00:09:27] Shari: yeah. But at least he didn't overuse Moussa's Mulch. 

[00:09:30] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: And I expect Laura Ingles Wilder to come running out of the 

cabin and, 

[00:09:35] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: 1.5 Million Million 

[00:09:37] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: the pre-made pergola would never work for you and I in our windy cities. I remember buying one for my house in Vegas and tying it to the outdoor water spigots so it wouldn't blow away.

And then paying the plumber to repair the spigot the stucco guy to repair the outside wall after the first big wind. But I'll tell you what, with the constant plane noise at Tarek and Heather's, I'm pretty sure I just wouldn't be outside anyway. So no pergola would've been needed.

[00:10:01] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: I really don't. believe that sold for 1.5 million.

[00:10:05] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: No.

[00:10:05] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: I would love to interview that person and say, did you, did you buy this Because it was an HGTV home? Is there something there?

[00:10:13] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: You'd have to call 'em when they're in the house with the doors and windows shut, or they would never hear your phone call. I can't imagine.

I honestly wanted Christina to have a win with everything that had been going on. She had lost four of the weekly competitions I really admired how she stayed in there

[00:10:30] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Mm-hmm.

[00:10:30] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: and just kept getting stronger despite the weekly losses and turmoil in her personal life.

[00:10:35] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah. She clearly didn't spend as much, right? Like that's a big part of it.

[00:10:39] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: No, well, she couldn't. She couldn't.

[00:10:41] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: If you spend a hundred grand on a kitchen and somebody else spends 50 grand, the hundred grand kitchen wins each time. 

[00:10:46] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: What's crazy though is that Tarek on and, and I know we're gonna see this on Flipping 101, what he tells his clients is everything he did not do in this home with Heather and he still made a huge profit-- more than they expected. Did they just get lucky or were they really watching the market and they knew what they could do? Also, the deal that they got with that finished carpenter who does beautiful work,

[00:11:15] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yes.

[00:11:15] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: That level of customization that went into that house that they got, and all Heather described was that it was some deal. That almost felt unfair and I thought about what I'd wanna see going forward, and that would be one of those things like, you can't have a steal. Level the playing field By not allowing these priced under market labor deals. As many homes as Heather and Tarek Flip, they can probably get great deals by promising subcontractors a significant amount of future work.

[00:11:43] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah.

[00:11:44] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: where Christina can get them on some of the design, but maybe not to that same level. She doesn't flip to the same level that they do. So I'd wanna see a little more even playing field in that and a shopping helper. I am hoping that in the flip off they'll adopt something like that. Help me understand where I can buy it. 

[00:12:01] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: I would love that for sure.

[00:12:02] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Because I would really love it. 

[00:12:03] Rhonda: Agree. So as far as Christina, you keep talking about her design, but remember she did have that blonde partner, I think her name was Kylie.

[00:12:11] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: True.

[00:12:12] Shari: I thought they were partners in business, not just design, but she worked a lot with her in designing those disastrous primary bedrooms and bathrooms where she designed with her mom in mind. As Christina called it Grandma Chic 

[00:12:24] Rhonda: Yeah, that just doesn't even even sound good, does it? 

[00:12:26] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: And I'll tell you, like I, I go back and look at those and I just think one that's really not Christina, and she talks about that like she really should have done her own design.

And two, it feels like the first house I bought long time ago, like those old fashioned checkerboard tiles on the shower.

[00:12:46] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yes.

[00:12:46] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: And also, I don't know if you noticed this, but when the moms go through. And they've been in the bedroom and you know, there's that big bolster pillow on the bed

[00:12:55] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Mm-hmm.

[00:12:55] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: when they go through to the bathroom, there's a shot back into the bedroom and it's a different bolster pillow on the bed in that shot looking back at the bedroom.

Oh wow.

[00:13:05] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: That's good.

[00:13:05] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: and that bolstered pillow, this black and white one actually ends up in the last room that Christina does. And I just thought, you know, Christina and I are the same. We futz with these things over and over. We move pillows

[00:13:19] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah. Move em 10 times.

[00:13:20] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: So often from place to place. But anyway, that's just kind of an aside.

[00:13:25] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: No, I didn't notice that.

[00:13:26] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Yeah. But then the, even Christina said like the over design and the busyness of the wallpaper

[00:13:33] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah.

[00:13:33] Shari: And the woven wall hanging.

[00:13:35] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: A bohemian bohemian type.

Yeah. 

[00:13:36] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: it was so over-designed that I started to question am I overdesigning my office, like I have so much pattern on pattern. And I think, no, I didn't. But they definitely did. That was just, that was a lot.

[00:13:49] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: I think there is a moment in every room you do where you're worried that you over-designed,

[00:13:54] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Yeah, or under design. For me, under design.

[00:13:56] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Uh, for me it's definitely over.

[00:13:57] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Like, could I do more here?

[00:13:59] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: It's, it's over. I had another swing and a miss. I, I did buy the flamingo wallpaper that you said was gonna look like a tossed salad.

[00:14:06] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Mm.

[00:14:07] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: it

[00:14:08] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: it for the, was it for the laundry room?

[00:14:09] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: No, it's a powder room.

[00:14:10] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Mm.

[00:14:10] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: It looks terrible, it go. The flamingo is black and pink, and, you know, gold. And I have a white sink and a white toilet in there.

[00:14:19] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Yeah.

[00:14:20] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: It, it does not, no, it's a mess.

[00:14:22] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: What would be really funny is if you got one of those motion activated sound things that started playing the theme song to Miami Vice when you walk in there, or some Miami Marengo, like something,

it

oh,

[00:14:39] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: It looks more Asian. Hello? It does not look like Golden Girls or Miami Vice. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I could have thank you for being a friend playing every time you go in there. No.

[00:14:50] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Well, thank God, so I bought the wallpaper from my office from one that I saw on Brother vs. Brother 'cause they had a shopping little helper. And it is right, like the brothers did the work for me on vetting the wallpaper.

[00:15:02] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: helpful. Yes. So helpful.

[00:15:05] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: While Tarek and Heather got the title and the belt, well really, Tarek got that. They both won with the profits on their houses, their improved relationships, and the bag they got from HGTV.

[00:15:15] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Agree.

[00:15:15] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: And probably a second season. But what I love even more is that they all describe how this helped the whole family dynamic. And Tarek even described it as healing and life changing in terms of their relationships overall. And I just feel like when you can come home with that...

[00:15:31] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Oh, absolutely!,

[00:15:32] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Did they have a great profit from the house? Yes, but that is, that's really awesome.

[00:15:37] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: And he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that uses words like that very often. Right.

So that's definitely a step in the right direction for him, maturity wise.

[00:15:46] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Yeah.

[00:15:47] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Maybe Josh will have a life changing event, hearing himself.

[00:15:51] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Who cares? Who cares?

[00:15:52] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Seeing himself like that.

[00:15:53] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Bye Josh, didn't know you when you showed up in Christina's life, didn't care about you then, you just failed in every flip that you tried to do with Christina. Remember she talks about that like Josh just seemed to fail over and over. Like, I don't ever wanna know anything about Josh.

Especially learning how he belittled her and talked to her and even her kids had noticed it. Yeah, I'm just not interested him at all. I am super excited for a Season 2 though, and I don't remember being this excited for a Season 2 from HGTV, since Rock the Block and Windy City Rehab premiered.

[00:16:24] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: I'm definitely with you there. And again, as I was watching the whole time, I thought, I I wonder if they'll do a Season 2. I wonder if they'll do a Season 2.

[00:16:31] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: True. But the other thing I would like to see going forward

[00:16:35] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yes..

[00:16:36] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: with Season 2, which I'm just, I'm wishing that into existence,

are more reality stars who aren't designers as judges. I would love an Erica Jane/ Dorit Kemsley from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills collab, who are a fabulous dressers on their worst day. And to see them come in and be the judges.

I love this idea that they had several people who weren't just traditional designers and not necessarily on HGTV... I love that. But there are a couple of things I also think they should keep. One is there's that whole discussion about the imbalance with the houses themselves,

[00:17:14] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah,

[00:17:15] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: and I find myself agreeing with Tarek that that's part of the competition.

Flipping is all about finding the right house for the right price and in the right neighborhood. That needs to stay as part of the competition. Remember, Christina had a different house and lost it

[00:17:31] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah.

[00:17:31] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: at the last minute, so it might have been a different competition then.

[00:17:34] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Josh's by the way.

[00:17:35] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Yes, and... they struggled to initially find the house. Christina found one right away,

[00:17:41] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: But was that real?

[00:17:41] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: but that house fell through. Well, it's reality tv. I don't know. I, I do think they have the advantage in that regard.

The other thing that I think they should keep is that one of them picks the room and the other picks the judge. I really like that.

[00:17:56] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Me too. Me too. Although every week Christina's gonna pick Ant now because he's always gonna side with her.

[00:18:02] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: That's funny. Uh, yeah. Tarek's gonna be, Tarek's gonna probably have in next season's contract that Ant cannot be a judge

[00:18:09] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yes.

[00:18:11] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: because he is not gonna be actually objective. He's just gonna pick the mother of his child.

[00:18:16] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: To be fair, when Ant was the judge they they were really I don't know how you would pick which one you liked better.

[00:18:22] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: True. True. I agree. 

[00:18:24] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Remember at the end of that episode, he pulls Christina aside and he says, Hey, their house is way better.

[00:18:29] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Yeahhhhhh...

[00:18:30] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: But she never acted that.

She never acted on that.

[00:18:33] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: I think at that point, what could she do? All that was left was the exterior.

[00:18:38] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah. Part of me thought she would like, come and like blow it out in the backyard. Right? Movie theater and you know, the whole nine yards. But again, I don't know what the return in that neighborhood for ...

[00:18:49] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Well, remember, they were super hopeful, maybe a 1.2, but that was really pushing it

[00:18:55] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Mm-hmm.

[00:18:55] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: and that the offer she ended up getting was like $1.125 and that set a record?

[00:19:01] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Yeah.

[00:19:02] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: I think she was really like, she was the Tarek in this show. She was very conscious and, and she was kind of stuck in the house that she had.

And whoever this buyer was that Heather and Tarek found, who would pay 1.5 million to listen to planes go overhead and be in, you never wanna be in the most expensive home in the neighborhood. Whoever bought that house, they are. And I don't know, but they found a buyer. I don't know. It's interesting. I felt like we would see on social media if it closed. I feel like somewhere we would see something if something fell through with that. I feel like we would.

[00:19:39] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Told you with the Rock the Blocks, whenever I saw the 

[00:19:43] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Colorado 

[00:19:43] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: houses, the actual sales price and what the winner was, did not match. They did not match.

[00:19:50] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Yeah.

[00:19:50] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Then the same with the Georgia houses, I think Nate and Jeremiah sold the highest, but they weren't the ones that won. it was, Micah and, 

Brian. 

[00:19:58] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: What's interesting is that with Rock the Block, I feel like prices are gonna be influenced by the designer

[00:20:07] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: Well,

[00:20:07] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: some of those designers are really well-known, well thought of designers. I. And I don't wanna put Christina and Heather down, but they're not in the same league of Leanne Ford.

[00:20:17] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: No, I

I would buy,

Nate and Jeremiah house. Um,

[00:20:20] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: yes, 

[00:20:21] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: pretty much I overpay. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

probably close to a hundred if I had the money. Of

[00:20:26] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: Yeah.

[00:20:26] rhonda_2_03-08-2025_144030: is Dream World, but I don't know that I'd go out on my way to buy a Christina or a Tarek and Heather house.

[00:20:32] shari--she-her-_2_03-08-2025_144033: like I, well, I feel like I could design that 'cause I feel like I could design anything, but I couldn't design a Leanne Ford or a Nate and Jeremiah house.

[00:20:38] Rhonda: I just look at Nate and Jeremiah and it's just like when they did that Georgia House on Rock the Block, when they did that front room with all the marble floors, I, I was honestly transported. I was so in love with that room. I see myself in that room. I see myself loving that house. I hope the people that bought that house love that front room as much as I would.

[00:20:58] Shari: Back to the flip off. 

[00:20:59] shari--she-her-_2_03-16-2025_104231: There you go guys. Just let us know what you think of the Flip Off finale, also called the pleather Off.

[00:21:05] Rhonda: We loved the flip off finale. Jeff Lewis was the judge for both the exteriors and the vibe he brought was perfect for the final episode.

Both Christina and Tarek were challenged with what they had left in their budgets, and we agree with Jeff that both the exteriors could have been a little better. We also agree that Christina is much better off without Josh, and we hope to never see him again.

[00:21:28] Shari: Never.

[00:21:29] Rhonda: In the end, sorry, Josh. In the end, Heather and Tark took the overall win for the return on investment, which is crazy because the house is in a flight path.

Um, but what do we know about the Los Angeles market?

[00:21:41] Shari: Clearly nothing.

[00:21:42] Rhonda: Mm-hmm. We both hope there's a season two and we both have a few thoughts about what they should keep and what we'd like to see. 

Let me know if I'm the only one who fixates on these ridiculous outfits Christina, Heather, and Tarek are wearing instead of fixating on their home designs. Am I wrong? Am I wrong about it being strange to walk around a neighborhood in pleather pants?

I wanna apologize to women and men who wear pleather. I'm sure you look fabulous And to anyone who buys a home in the flight path of LAX airport. 

[00:22:12] Shari: I'd also like to apologize to all those Little House on the Prairie fans out there and to people who bought prefab pergolas. Hope you didn't have to call a plumber.

If you are vibing with us and your brain is basically made of HGTV at this point, you need to catch up on all of our episodes at designingbitches.com. We're literally everywhere you listen to podcasts, so hit that follow, like, star or whatever button your app throws at you. We're not picky. We're just needy.

Well, until next time, besties. Bye.

[00:22:42] Rhonda: Bye. See you soon.

[00:22:44] Shari: Want to hear the whole theme song? Go to designingbitches.com