The new Netflix home renovation reality series Instant Dream Home is here and the concept has viewers skeptical about the reality portion of the show.
It’s the summer of reality TV on Netflix, and the latest in their new lineup is Instant Dream Home, a home makeover show with an extreme twist; all renovations are completed in 12 hours. If fans thought they had seen the cast before, they would be correct, as almost every one of them has appeared on TV. Host Danielle Brooks starred in the popular Netflix scripted series Orange is the New Black, Adair Curtis was on the popular renovation show Hollywood Styling, Paige Mobly is from America’s Next Top Model, Nick Cutsumpas is from The Big Flower Fight, and lastly is Eric Curtis, the only newcomer.
Home improvement shows are hardly a new concept, but Instant Dream Home breaks all the previous rules of long dragged-out renovation processes with three months of preparation by the team with only one 12-hour day of actual onsite work. Contestants know they have been nominated for the show through a family friend, where they outline their needs. After receiving the needs list, Adair, the interior designer, Nick, the exterior decorator, Eric, the carpenter, and Paige, the special projects, lead all work together to pre-plan the renovation down to the millisecond. Of course, with the extreme levels of planning and a short period of time, many viewers are left wondering how much of the work is actually done one day.
Related: Where Was Netflix's New Reality Show Snowflake Mountain Filmed
Following the fan skepticism upon Instant Dream Home's release, Architectural Digest interviewed interior designer Adair. In his interview, Adair assured readers that all their project planning was based on the homeowners’ videos and pictures, which created some problems for scale. Other concerns from viewers were the prefabricated kitchen (as seen in episode 1) and bathroom (as seen in episode 6) would not hold up well in the new homes, calling into question the effectiveness and quality of all the renovations. According to Adair, this is all a misconception and confirmed that the prefabricated designs are constructed in controlled environments with tools specifically designed for sturdiness. He said, “I highly doubt any of the families we worked with will have any problems.”
Although, this did not seem enough for skeptics who noticed several bad cuts and bad carpentry on Instant Dream Home. On August 13, u/smitrovich started a Reddit thread under the title “Can we talk about how fake Instant Dream Home is?” Among the first comments was an angered viewer who insisted that the renovations would fall apart after six months. Another viewer pointed out that in episode 2, the production team created an issue surrounding a trailer that needed to be craned into the back, but footage after showed several trailers and box trucks in the backyard that seemingly drove in with ease. Another viewer expanded on this saying they created false drama on Instant Dream Home again in episode 7 when the kitchen counter breaks when unloading it from the truck. However, a new piece comes in the nick of time, and it’s half the size of the original one and is perfectly cut to fit the countertop.
Despite the backlash, the cast of Instant Dream Home is reassuring fans on social media that everything on the show is created and completed by them. In two heart-warming Instagram posts, Eric expressed how much he appreciates his team. His first post highlighted Paige, who single-handedly came up with the ideas for the glass balcony, the schoolhouse, and the bathroom addition. His second post highlighted Adair, who he credited with bringing the team together and organizing them under a cohesive idea for each home.
While no show can escape the so-called “movie magic” of editing, some scenes may have been created for drama and suspense. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the team of this show has respect and love for one another. Despite the negative reactions, viewers might see the second season of Instant Dream Home before they know it.
Sources: Architectural Digest, u/smitrovich/ Reddit
Delia Flores is a Reality TV writer for Screen Rant, who writes about all things Below Deck and Housewives. Delia has a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and has worked for several years on the publication of literary journals. Delia loves coming-of-age movies like The Way Way Back and will always be in line to watch the newest Marvel production. Delia is a self-proclaimed trendsetter and enjoys shopping for clothes almost as much as she does eating food. Delia is based out of Texas, where she spends most of her time gorging herself on quesabirria tacos when she's not trying to explore every part of downtown San Antonio.