Designing Besties

HGTV's Lottery Dream Home – S16 E2 – Gold Lady of Lake Mendota takes us to Madison, Wisconsin, where Cathy—an accidental tech millionaire with an eight-figure biotech payday—teams up with her sister Peg and David Bromstad to hunt for a $3–4 million lakefront stunner… and then promptly blows past that budget like it was pocket change, scooping up a $5.2 million resort-style dream home. From sleek modern boxes with putting green...

HGTV's Love It or List It, Season 20, Episode 1 - "A Place to Go or a Place to Grow"

It’s the Season 20 premiere of Love It or List It and the Designing Besties are here to break it all down—shiny brass fireplace and all. Page Turner steps into Hillary Farr’s designer shoes (or tosses them aside entirely) and takes on a cluttered Canadian starter home with no main-floor bath and some serious basement energy.

Rhonda and...

HGTV's Renovation Resort Showdown Season 2, Episode 1 - "1... 2... 3... Go!"

The resort renovations have begun—and chaos has already checked in. In this episode, we recap the Renovation Resort Showdown premiere, where hosts Brian Baeumler and Scott McGillivray kick things off with a tool-grabbing relay, a surprise headboard twist, and their signature mix of side-eye and sarcasm. Four teams take on their first challeng...

In the Season 10 premiere of Celebrity IOU, Rachel Brosnahan trades red carpets for renovation boots to surprise her best friend’s parents with the ultimate kitchen and dining room makeover. Shari and Rhonda break down all the emotional reveals, clever design choices (hello skinny shaker cabinets!), and one awkward cabinet corner that nearly derailed the dream. From doughnuts and demo to induction stoves and chosen family feels, th...

Don’t panic, Besties! — we’ve just had a little makeover.

We’re still your go-to podcast for spicy design opinions and HGTV recaps, but now we’re rocking a new name: Designing Besties 💅✨

Same voices, same snark, same hatred of barn doors in condos. We’re just doing it in a more algorithm-friendly outfit (and yes, the new name looks really cute on a tote).⁠

🛠 PSA: The rename is still in progress — so if you see our old name floating ...

Recapping Magnolia's Mini Reni - Season 1 - Episode 1 "Whimsical Indoor Garden."

In this episode, Shari and Rhonda dive into Mini Reni, the Magnolia Network’s newest design gem starring Joanna Gaines—minus the demo, the drywall dust, or Chip’s cockroach stunts. With just paint, trim, and $15K, Jo transforms three rooms in a 1930s cottage into a whimsical indoor garden dream.

The Besties break down the design details, d...

Nicole Curtis is back, Besties—and she’s not easing into Season 9 of Rehab Addict. In this double-episode recap of “Nicole Goes West” and “Attic Antics,” we’re talking attic bedrooms, squatter drama in Detroit, a hot water heater in the kitchen (WHY), and the Wyoming flip that started as a spontaneous online buy.

We unpack Nicole’s return after a three-year hiatus, her signature flag moment, her monster truck detour, and whether we&...

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...

It’s the season finale of HGTV's Castle Impossible (Season 1, Episode 8), and Daphne and Ian go full Versailles to transform a second-floor bedroom into a royal retreat—complete with wall draping, lavish moldings, a centuries-old fireplace, and a possibly priceless French masterpiece.

In this episode, Shari and Rhonda break down the regal reveal, bid farewell to a too-big bed, fend off wild boars, and debate whether accent wall...

In this episode of Designing Bitches, Shari and Rhonda dive into the Season 3 premiere (and part of Episode 2) of Holmes Family Rescue—because we simply had to stick around for the reveal. From a ghosting contractor who left mid-foundation to questionable wallpaper choices (🐸), we're dishing on everything Nicole and Bill endured to finally get a functioning laundry room—and maybe a little rooftop peace.

We’re asking the real q...

It’s the HGTV Married to Real Estate Season 4 finale and Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson did not come to play—they came to deliver a full glow-up on a tight budget. We’re talking kitchen envy, generational living goals, and one husband who thought he could pick the tile.

Shari and Rhonda break down every smart design move (and a few questionable ones), dish out big applause to Lillie and Ray for renovating with heart and confess thei...

Chelsea and Cole DeBoer are back with a bang—literally—as Season 3 of HGTV's Down Home Fab kicks off with a plate-glass disaster, a sunroom demolition, and a heartfelt home makeover for a single mom of three. We’re recapping every wild turn in this premiere: Chelsea’s evolution from Teen Mom to design powerhouse, Cole’s mustache glow-up, and the transformation of a closet into a jewel-box home office.

We’ve got thoughts on weat...

First it bubbled, then it buckled, and yes—then it came down. In the Rock the Block Season 6 Finale, Rhonda and Shari are dishing on upstairs bedrooms, bold balconies, and front-yard facades with big appraisal energy. The drama? Real. The dead grass? Regrettable. The hug snub between Alison and Michel? Unmissable.

We’re recapping who brought moody modern magic (Tristyn & Kamohai), who nailed Cowboy Contemporary (Chelsea & Co...

This week on Designing Bitches, we’re recapping the Season 4 premiere of Married to Real Estate, where Egypt and Mike help a NYC family trade 800 square feet and subway sirens for 6,300 square feet and… fake ferns in Atlanta. 😬

Shari and Rhonda dive into:

• The million-dollar dream home (and its zebra countertops 🦓)
• Why open floor plans are not dead (fight us)
• Whether white oak cabinets are the new pickled pine 😱
• And how Egypt Sher...

Besties, grab your drink of choice—because we are flipping out (again)! This week, we’re closing the book on The Flipping El Moussas Season 2 finale, and spoiler alert: no one saves the tub.

From a rock-paper-scissors house purchase to stolen plumbing, pleather pants, and patchwork design made entirely of leftover finishes, Tarek and Heather’s latest project had us wondering—was this a flip or a fridge-clean-out surprise casserole?

W...

Besties, buckle up! This week on Designing Bitches, we’re recapping Rock the Block Season 6, Episode 4 — aka the one where HGTV throws the rulebook out the window and the teams are forced to channel their inner Trading Spaces madness. With surprise themes, no budgets, and 48 hours to create stairways and bonus rooms using random transportainer junk, the drama (and delirium) is real. We’re talking moss walls, influencer spas, a gami...

Rhonda and Shari are back with piping-hot takes on HGTV’s brand new obsession-worthy series, Castle Impossible! In the premiere episode, fearless couple Daphne and Ian take on their first renovation inside a centuries-old French château — a sprawling estate they’ve never even lived in. Bold move? Oui.

They’re turning a former solar (yep, we Googled it) into a dreamy primary bedroom, and let’s just say… not all design choices are cre...

🎙️ EPISODE 3 - Dishing on Rock the Block Season 6, Episode 3: That’s a Veteran Move

This week, we’re diving deep into the main suite mayhem! From luxe bedrooms to spa-worthy bathrooms—and yes, even a balcony moment—the teams went big in Episode 3. The designs? 🔥 The drama? Not so much. We’re still craving that signature Rock the Block chaos and those spicy designer rivalries of seasons past.

Meet the dream-team duos bringing the he...

Rock the Block Season 6, Episode 2 Recap: "Don’t Call Us Rookies"

This week on the podcast, we’re diving into Rock the Block Season 6, Episode 2, titled "Don’t Call Us Rookies" — and trust us, it’s one you don't want to miss!

The competition heats up as the teams tackle the rest of their first-floor spaces, transforming the entryway, den, powder room, and mudroom into stunning showcases of creativity and craf...