An old HGTV show is going viral on social media thanks to its ‘horrendous’ home makeovers and ‘criminal’ interior design work.
Decorating Cents, hosted by Joan Steffend, aired from 1997 to 2007 on HGTV.
The popular series saw interior designers attempt to redecorate a room in just a few hours on a paltry $500 budget.
The series has now resurfaced on TikTok thanks to comedian Rob Anderson, with many users shocked by some of the flamboyant and garish design choices.
In one episode, a colorful medicine cabinet is creatively repurposed to showcase a collection of Beanie Babies and figurines from Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
In another segment, colorful plates are smashed into small sharp pieces and then glued onto a coffee table.
‘Yes, who doesn’t want jagged pieces glued to the table,’ Anderson said sarcastically in a viral TikTok video.
‘Look how boring it used to be. Now it’s difficult to clean and a little dangerous and you can’t even put your drinking glass down!’
HGTV’s Decorating Cents, hosted by Joan Steffend, is going viral on TikTok thanks to its ‘horrendous’ designs
Social media users called some of the designs on the show ‘criminal’
In another episode, a wooden kitchen is haphazardly whitewashed over to create a ‘farmhouse’ look.
One notably controversial design involved a decorator using ‘sacred Indian prayers’ to decoupage a wall unit, treating them with tea and tearing them to achieve an ‘aged look.’
Anderson called the series ‘the most horrendous decorating you’ll ever see’ and said some of the redecorating deserved a ‘prison sentence.’
Social media users are buzzing about the show, with one person commenting, ‘$500 budget to cause $5,000 worth of damage to any room they transform.’
Another commented, ‘You know what? Maybe millennial gray was a trauma response.’
A third wrote, ‘I would press charges if someone did this to my house.’
Steffend, who hosted the series until it went off the air in 2007, has now spoken out following its resurgence on TikTok in an interview with Entertainment Now.
‘I mean, it’s from the late 90s, early 2000s, and the designer’s job was to be as wildly creative as they could be,’ she explained of the show’s questionable design work.
The popular series saw interior designers attempt to redecorate a room in just a few hours on a paltry $500 budget
A bizarre doll with curly red hair is pictured in an Autumn-themed design space
A couple’s back porch was made over to feature a blue door and mismatched plates on the wall
‘There were hits and there were misses. And it didn’t matter to HGTV.
‘If it didn’t look quite like we all thought it was going to, it didn’t matter — I still needed to be encouraging. It was still gonna air.’
She also said that the beauty of the show was allowing people to be creative and to enjoy their weird and wacky design work without judgement.
‘We’ve gotta stop pointing and laughing at what people think is pretty, what people love at that moment in their life,’ she said.
She added, ‘We did the best we could at the time.’
Since Decorating Cents went viral, HGTV fans are now calling for its revival on Reddit.
‘We are all clamoring for it. It’s so hilariously bad that it deserves a revival. Gone too soon,’ wrote one viewer.
A kitchen makeover involved painting floor dark blue and sticking tin on the cupboards
Social media users can’t stop talking about the show, with one writing, ‘$500 budget to do $5,000 worth of damage to any room they step into’
‘Oh lord no lol. I’ve been watching Rob Anderson’s recaps on social media and those women were criminal,’ another commented.
A third wrote, ‘Joan Steffend’s voice is so calming. I completely understand how she hypnotized homeowners not to riot after her interior decorators destroyed their homes.’
A fourth commented, ‘Those shows were hilarious for the viewers, but devastating for the poor souls who sacrificed their homes on the altar.’
Since Decorating Cents wrapped in 2007, former host Steffend has turned her attention to projects outside of design.
Now 70-years-old, Steffend is focused on being a grandmother to her four grandchildren.
She’s also a published author with two inspirational self-help books under her belt.
Decorating Cents is currently available to stream on Discovery+.
