Home Takeover with Simon & Tomas

There's nothing particularly awful about this decorating show, but then again, there's nothing particularly memorable, either. Davies and Cederlund -- who are English and Swedish, respectively -- attempt to add some European flair to American family homes. The show sells itself on the idea that these foreigners will bring quirk and style to some seriously boring homes, but the designers, the decor, and the show turn out to be a little boring themselves.

The show's attempts to distinguish itself as quirky and fun feel utterly artificial. For instance, the designers sleep over in the house they're redesigning -- in the family's bed -- to get a better feel of the home's functionality and needs. Not only does this decision not make sense, it falls flat as a way to add humor or fun to the show. Similarly, the designers drive around in a tiny European car (because they're European, get it?), which also makes no sense when they're antiquing and buying furniture. Perhaps most egregious of all are the blatant plugs for (presumably) sponsoring stores like Target. The designers call attention to Target shopping bags (wouldn't European designers bring their own reusable shopping bags?), discuss the usability of the Target online shopping experience, and wax poetic over the store's cheap/chic aesthetic. There are plenty of great home decorating shows currently on the air. Sadly, this isn't one of them.