Common Sense Media Review
By Kari Croop
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Penny-pinching design series pushes creativity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
All it takes is a little cash to make a big difference in $100 MAKEOVER, an design series that limits its team to spending a mere $100 on every room it refurbishes. First, the team assesses the situation and works with the homeowners to determine why their spaces aren't working. Then they sort through mountains of stuff and decide what to keep, give to charity, or throw away. Finally, the families are escorted off the premises, allowing the design team two days to totally redesign their problem rooms.
Is It Any Good?
Compared with the overblown excess of design shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, $100 Makeover is like a breath of fresh air and comes off as both relatable and inspirational. Sure, the designers and carpenters are professionals, but the things they're doing to improve these families' spaces are essentially things that anyone could do -- and it might just motivate you to get organized.
That said, the show could definitely do more to educate the families (and viewers) about staying organized so that they'll be able to keep things orderly when the cameras leave. But it's still nice to see a show promoting a little creativity when it comes to problem-solving and reusing items that people already have, rather than feeding America's addiction to fancy new chotchkies and furnishings.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about consumerism and the presence of logos in the series. What does a company like Big Lots get out of appearing on a show like this one? What does the show gain by pushing companies' brands?
How does this show's approach compare with other shows about interior design and redecorating? Does a design have to cost a lot of money to be functional and beautiful?
Do you think the families featured on the show will be able to keep their new spaces organized? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 19, 2010
- Cast : Leslie Segrete , Rib Hillis , Robbie Laughlin
- Network : A&E
- Genre : Reality TV
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 19, 2019
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate