Ok, another confession: I am an HGTV junkie. I can’t get enough of it. HGTV and Foodnetwork are basically the only things that are always on whenever my TV is on.. (except on Wednesdays for Lost or Project Runway, and sometimes Thursdays for The OC, er.. um.. did I just say that?) I’ll admit that most of the programs on HGTV are sometimes kinda hokey. Yet, I can’t stop watching it. This weekend, I caught the special “101 Spring Ideas” on HGTV, hosted by Joan Steffend. I love Joan. I think she has the best personality, and is really comforting as a host. Now I gotta cut the show some slack because it’s obviously geared towards a more mainstream audience. Lately, they’ve been using a new designer, Cy Winship, who is probably the most “hip” of their designers, and he actually has put out quite a few fun ideas that one could translate or apply into a more modern home. His segement on the “101 Spring Ideas” was the best. This lamp cover idea is pretty brilliant, 
and could fit nicely into someone going for a modified/hybrid Hollywood Regency-vibe. I love the idea of painting an existing boring chandelier black, 
but instead of crystals, adding those nut/shell/bead necklaces- I could have totally used this idea for my parent’s project… actually I still might… hm… anyways- and the thing that I thought was most genius, was this branch that he encrusted with fake jewels. 
It’s so obnoxious but put in the right minimal setting is so… genuis. The mirrored table and cabinet cover is pretty great too.
All in all- really fun and it doesn’t look too “DIY”- I just think put all together in the same space was a bit too much. However, I realize this is TV, and you gotta make an impact, and that’s why its nice that they separate them out on the website, so you can look at it all individually. They recap what they did on the site, but try to check it out on HGTV, I’m sure they’ll repeat it…
