If you've ever watched the former Bravo, now Netflix series "Queer Eye" one of the most satisfying parts of the show was the reveal of a completely refurbished apartment (and the subject as well), at the end. I can never get enough of renovation shows and have been a huge fan of series such as "Grand Designs" (starring that snotty but lovable British host, Kevin McCloud).
My new obsession is a show out of China called "Dream Home". I started watching it on Amazon Prime where the first season is available for streaming. What I love about this season is that all of the episodes use subtitles to help you understand whats going on in this fascinating look at Chinese culture.
The other good thing is that in this season, they tend to focus more on smaller, grittier dwellings of everyday working people. The later seasons move on to more upscale middle class developments of young urban professionals who clearly have more money and don't really need the help as much as the working class dwellers do.
The typical setup gives us a tour of a unit packed with people living in a small warren of rooms. With China's huge population, we can see why the authorities were forced to divvy up what would be a one-family home in the west, into multiple tiny apartments in China. We also see vignettes of the history of the subjects who've managed to build a happy life in such difficult surroundings.
_-_12.jpg)
A Chinese designer is assigned to each home, and takes the needs of the residents into account when planning the layout. These inventive wizards get to put their amazing creativity to work in their studio when building a team in order to tackle each project. There's an informative interview with designer Yu Ting, giving us a look at his life, and the creative process he brought to "Dream Home."
Standout episodes are #8 'The Home by the West Lake' where a single mom raises two sons in a cramped upstairs unit overlooking a beautiful lake, and #13 'Dreamer in the mountain' where we see the refurbishment of a building offering stunning mountaintop views. However, all of the episodes are worth viewing, and if you live in the west, you'll never take an indoor (or "western style") toilet for granted again! :)
"Dream Home" was free on Prime when I watched it, but now each show is available for $0.99 per episode, or the entire season of 13 episodes in HD for $9.99. I heartily recommend this series as the results from the completed units will blow your mind, causing you to wonder how in the world they got so much out of so little space. Now if I can ever find seasons 2-5... :)
