Knit to This
The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes
Dear Ann,
We have reader Mary Lou, of Omaha, Nebraska (shout out to my home town), to thank for introducing me to the Netflix Original Series, The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes.
I don’t know about you, but I never turn down the chance to see the inside of a home. I just like houses. Big ones, small ones, railroad flats and penthouses–let me in so I can look around. I had a serious bungalow phase in the late 1990s. I think I might even have subscribed to American Bungalow magazine for a while there. (I have never lived in a bungalow. My grandparents’ house, next door to my childhood house, was a generic two-bedroom bungalow that still appears in my dreams.)
Paradoxically, however, all the HGTV reality shows about people looking for houses, renovating houses, flipping houses–make me anxious and put me off.
The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes does not put me off. It draws me right in. The four shows in the series are titled for the location of these architectural novelties and wonders: Mountain, Forest, Coast and Underground. These are dream houses, and mostly dreamy houses. The British hosts, architect Piers Taylor and actor Caroline Quentin, are chipper and chatty. They come to praise these houses, not critique them. Random quotes: “A wilderness full of coyotes and rattlesnakes might not be everyone’s cup of tea,”and “Architecture and home can coexist.” For each home, we get a tour with the hosts, plus a chat with the architect and owner. It is fun to see who lives in these unusual dwellings. This is light-hearted, comfort TV.
The series is billed as a Netflix Original, but appears to have been created by BBC Two. The home featured on the trailer up top is not included in the Netflix series as far as I know, but it was the only trailer I could find on YouTube. Check out the Netflix trailer.
There is so much to see that I recommend only the most mindless knitting as an accompaniment. You wouldn’t want to miss a moment of delicious real estate voyeurism.
Love,
Kay
I got to watch and enjoy some of this series when I was visiting England in the last couple of years. It’s true that you can’t knit anything too demanding since your eyes don’t want to miss anything. I loved it though.
Was able to stream this series through NetFlix – just loved it and looked forward to every episode. Piers and Caroline were so entertaining!
Thanks for the recommendation! I love some good real estate porn.
I feel exactly the same way about HGTV, so much manufactured drama. You might also enjoy Escape to the Country on Netflix — urban Brits moving to the beautiful countryside. And I just heard there’s a new one — Escape to the Continent!
I LOVED escape to the country. I have added all sorts of place to visit to my bucket list.
Love that series too!
It’s a great series, but only for while knitting stocking stitch, I think! These shows end up threading through your dreams. 😉
We binged on the whole series a few months ago. Not to be missed!
(Hit “post” too soon). I wonder if the trailer is from a second season of the BBC production? Maybe there’s more in store for those of us watching Netflix in the States – I certainly hope so.
Wow!! Eye popping construction and architectural design, I will definitely add this to my watch list! Thanks for the recommendation!
I’m with you on those home shows. I’ve seen them at my in-laws’, and half the time I feel like the house was better “as was” instead of the cookie-cutter Chip & Joanna masterpiece that will be out of style in about 5 years. We live in a decidedly non-trendy 1963 split-level furnished mostly with second-hand furniture and books and toys. And knitting. But I do appreciate a beautiful home on TV that is actually being appreciated. 🙂
yes! love this one
Grand Design too!
Sometimes “Netflix Original” means they made it, but a lot of the time it just means they’re the only place you can (legally) get it in your country. Sneaky and confusing of them. The HGTV shows are generally awful. House Hunters International can at least be a little interesting, but it’s edited badly and all a sham (which becomes part of the experience watching it, trying to guess which place is already theirs).
Ooh, thank you for this recommendation — right up my alley! I love looking at real estate listings when they have lots of photos and if they have a floorplan as well? Bonus! I am obsessed with house floor plans, to the extent that I took a course in architectural drawing at a community college a number of years back so I could indulge my fantasy of creating a dream house myself.
Excellent and fascinating show. My 10-year-old future architect son has watched all of them.