As Bob Ross liked to say, “Shoot, let’s have some fun…”
You know what I’m talking about, right?
By my count, we’re now into the re-re-discovery of the legend of Bob Ross.
The first rediscovery was back in 2019 or 2020 when “The Joy Of Painting” came to Netflix, and all the children of the 1980’s were like, “Hey, that old dude with the crazy afro who paints a full picture in twenty minutes is BACK ON TV!”
We told our friends. We told our siblings. We even told our parents.
We all remembered the painter with the afro, since it seemed like his show was always on television in the 80s, every minute, of every day.
I believe the show aired on TVO, but I could be wrong. Back before we had a “guide,” and we were accustomed to flipping channels with the clicker/remote/gizmo, as it was called back then, we would occasionally stop to see what Bob Ross was painting.
You were six years old and wanted to watch G.I. Joe or Barbie, and yet you stopped to watch Bob Ross paint.
You were twelve years old and wanted to watch Growing Pains or Full House, and yet you stopped to watch Bob Ross paint.
So fast forward to 2019 and you’re watching “the guy with the afro” on this streaming service called Netflix, and you’re thinking, “I never would have guessed.”
We all did it.
And then it faded.
But for many of us, we’ve re-re-discovered Bob Ross again in 2026!
I know that I certainly have, and I’m now watching the show with my 9-year-old daughter on Saturday nights (another aspect of life that has changed…), telling her stories about when I watched this as a child.
Bob Ross has some very memorable lines.
Every painting necessitates a “brave decision” to be made as he abruptly inserts a giant tree into the middle of an otherwise finished-looking painting.
His remark, “There are no mistakes, there are only happy accidents,” has likely been copied in a variety of fashions over the last three decades.
I quote Bob Ross all the time when I tell my daughter, “The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it.” Hey, if Bob Ross says it, then it must be true!
But my absolute favourite is:
“Shoot, let’s have some fun!”
When Bob says this at the beginning of the episode, I know we’re about to make magic!
Today, I’m going to appeal to the TRB readers who are bored of statistics, and maybe don’t want to read an epic 2,500-word story about an offer night.
Today, I want to look at design choices.
I would say design “trends,” but I don’t know what’s trending because I’m not trendy. I’m simply going to point out a few trends that I’ve seen as of late, specifically in higher-end houses in Toronto.
Let’s look at houses priced from $3,000,000 to $6,000,000 and a few design choices that I’ve been noticing.
As always, we’ll give an extremely subjective “yay” or “nay” to each.
Shall we?
–
Wallpapered Powder Rooms
A lot of higher-end homes have wallpapered powder rooms, like this one:
My powder room “features” drywall.
And I love it.
But I’m not fancy. Or classy. So what do I know?
Black toilets were very 1980, but are they back in 2026?
In any event, this particular bathroom notwithstanding, I think wallpaper works:
VOTE: Yay.
–
Stone EVERYWHERE Powder Rooms
I’ve seen this a lot in modern homes, but a picture paints a thousand words
It’s like the conversation between the builder and the designer went, “Why stop at just tile on the floors? Why not the walls and ceiling?”
This doesn’t tickle me. At all.
VOTE: Nay.
–
Stone And Wallpaper Powder Rooms
Boy, are we ever lucky today!
We get to combine the previous two bathroom features – wallpaper and stone, and present this:
Stone floor, stone counter, stone walls, and wallpaper.
Look, I love cheetahs as much as you do, but I don’t love the combination of stone everywhere plus wallpaper.
VOTE: Nay.
–
Main Floor Wine Cabinets
Some of you are already chuckling.
If there’s one thing I’ve been known for over the last few years, it’s my constant criticism of these:
Let’s just think about this logistically, for a moment.
That cabinet holds about 50 bottles of wine.
When (or why?) are you going to need fifty bottles of wine immediately and simultaneously?
There’s nothing wrong with a wine cellar in your basement, or, God forbid, keeping wine in a kitchen cupboard.
But a fifty-bottle display in your dining room!?!?!?
Why?
This is just a waste:
That’s three brands of exceptionally cheap table wine, displayed proudly in a $7 Million house.
“Look, honey, I didn’t even know the 2027 wines had been released…”
At least this one is near the kitchen, but I still hate it.
This one takes the cake, though:
That’s a wine cabinet in the living room.
Just…..why?
VOTE: Nay.
–
WOLF Range
Is your house really all that special if you don’t have a WOLF range?
I’m not a foodie, nor do I enjoy cooking or baking as a hobby, so excuse my cynicism when I suggest that maybe, just maybe, people only love WOLF ranges because everybody else does.
We just die for those red knobs, don’t we?
This could be the best marketing I’ve ever seen in home decor. Seriously.
But do those red knobs really elevate the marginal utility?
Do they elevate the value?
Look, I’m the guy who suggests that a Louis Vuitton handbag accomplishes the same task as a Michal Kors bag does, let alone a plastic bag from No Frills.
However, I’m not completely naive.
VOTE: Yay.
–
Garage Lifts
What makes a one-car garage a two-car garage?
A lift like this:
Maybe I’m just a scaredy-cat, but I picture that lift falling on me one day, and then everybody would know me as “That blog guy that got crushed by his own car.”
I think I’d like to go out in a better way than that.
VOTE: Nay.
–
Elevators!
I’ve seen a lot of this in newer luxury homes:
I would be naive if I didn’t acknowledge that many homeowners are looking to “age in place” and that elevators are a very sought-after feature for the older demographic
However, when a builder includes an elevator in a home without having any idea who’s buying it, this can backfire.
I showed a house earlier this year to a couple who were in their late-30’s and had three children. All boys.
My client took one look at the elevator and said, “I can’t imagine raising three boys in a house with an elevator. There’s just no way this doesn’t cause problems.”
And that was that.
Elevators are a great feature for the older demographic, but to include one in every new build is a Nay.
–
Tiled Main Floor
Was the hardwood store…..out of hardwood?
No.
Rather, this was a decision:
I recognize that I’m the guy who would probably find a favourite restaurant and eat there every day for the rest of his life, and thus I’m not the person you want to run “outside the box” design features by.
But this is awful.
It’s institutional.
VOTE: Nay.
–
Things That Glow
I said with respect to the wine wall:
Just……why?
This looks fine:
So why IN THE WORLD do we need to light it up at night?!?!?
Like this…
People really seem to like things that glow these days.
I’ve seen far too many dining rooms with purple spotlights of late.
VOTE: Nay.
–
The Modern Main Floor Home Office
Last, but most certainly not least, let’s look at home offices.
You know what I like, right?
I love old-world, wood-paneled home offices, like this:
Maybe it’s the lighting, the camera, or both, but that wood colour is a touch too red.
But I love the style.
I love the wood!
Here’s another one:
But builders aren’t doing these anymore!
Today, we’re getting far more modern main-floor home offices, likely without everybody’s favourite “globe that opens to a whiskey bar.” More on that in a moment…
Here’s what we’re seeing today:
That looks lonely.
And I could use a window. I think there’s a window behind the desk, but it’s not enough
VOTE: Nay.
Then there’s this one:
Way too modern, er, “understated.”
How about this:
I could live with it….except:
-Black granite
-Strip lighting
-“Welcome” and “Home” garbage from HomeSense
Otherwise, a pass.
VOTE: Nay
But the last one, however, is something to see:
Modern, yes.
Wood, also yes.
Glass doors, black window frames, black hardware.
That desk is positively useless, and I absolutely loathe those stupid chair/stool things that don’t qualify as furniture, but if you took them out, along with the tacky, fake plant, I could call this “home.”
VOTE: Yay.
Now, if we could return to the globe that opens up into a bar, just for a moment.
Once upon a time, these were the coolest thing in the world.
But as with everything else that was cool, it started to get overdone.
You can buy this on Amazon for $189:
Then again, you can buy this one on Etsy for $3,449:
Not quite Frigidaire versus WOLF now, is it?
Happy Monday, everybody!
Marina
at 9:02 am
The tile floors are a cultural thing from hot countries. Doesn’t work so well in Canada. You will never be able to get it truly clean, and someone will fall and break their neck.
But I’m not a fan of anything in excess in general. Saw a kitchen with a marble countertop (I think), that also extended to the sides of the center island. It was hideous. Unless you needed a place to sacrifice things, then you’d feel right at home.
I also want to call out a trend in BOTH of the Wolf range photos above. The range is fine, but neither has sufficient clearance between the stovetop and the vent hood. I find that incredibly claustrophobic and it makes the kitchen look overcrowded. And it’s in many high end houses. I don’t know if they are trying to make it look like there’s even more storage, or if it’s sleeker or something, but it’s such an oppressive look!
Francesca
at 1:35 pm
Not to mention how cold those tile floors will be in winter! Yes in southern europe tile floors are used pretty much everywhere to keep things cool in their hot summers but their winters are not as cold as ours either. That’s why say in the UK carpet and hardwood are still used prominently.
David, I really like the last office photo it looks modern but still warm and welcoming. I think it’s a great compromise between the all wood offices of the past and the cold stark offices of today.
cyber
at 11:42 pm
Unless they are heated floors…
Serge
at 10:53 am
Most of these interiors rather remind hotels….
Red knobs! Is not it a copycat of red soles of some ladies who “arrived”?!
Caris
at 11:25 am
“Things that glow” is a something I didn’t have on my bingo card.
Is this a real design style or was this photo a one off?
Laurie
at 12:34 pm
Spend some time in the interior decorating (particularly the r/femalelivingspace and r/malelivingspace) subreddits and just about every other room is things that glow in many colours. It’s very much a thing.
I think powder rooms are a great place to go wild with fun wallpaper. And I’m totes with David on the horrible stone floors – all I see is how much money it’s going to cost to rip that out and put in wood.
Francesca
at 1:30 pm
The issue in my opinion with a lot of these design issues is so many of them are trendy and in style now but what about in 10-20 years? To buy a house that large and that expensive to then have to renovate and update that often would be a nightmare! Better to choose something modern but timeless that you will be happy with for a long time and that appeals to a larger demographic in case you need to sell it!
David Fleming
at 3:03 pm
@ Francesca
Do you know which “trend” has stood the test of time?
Which “fad” is forever?
Stainless steel kitchen appliances.
I got into this business in 2004 and people were asking, “Is this a fad? Like, are we going to look back one day in ten or twenty years and ask why we felt the need to have steel covers on our appliances?”
Evidently, not.
This one is never going away, it seems.
Serge
at 6:40 pm
Not for the rich people… Check it out
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/realestate/luxury-kitchens-hidden-sinks-fridges.html
Ace Goodheart
at 10:28 am
A person I know has a $38,000 Wolf range in her kitchen. I have a $2200 Samsung. She thinks I am deprived.
My reasoning is: $38,000 / $2200 is approximately 17.27. My Samsung ranges can last over 15 years (I am on my second one, first one I got rid of when it was 17 years old, even though it still worked fine – I donated it to a person I know who needed a range and he still uses it today and claims it is very functional).
So for her one $38,000 Wolf Range, I can purchase just over 17 Samsung ranges. If each range lasts 17 years…..
I mean, I can buy a brand new range every year for 17 years, and it costs the same as her one range (which probably will last 15-17 years, before needing replacement).
So how in the world does her range choice make sense?
It’s like the electric car argument – sure, you can buy a brand new electric car for 100K, and it is wonderful and it saves on fuel costs and it doesn’t need oil changes….but it costs 100K. I bought a brand new Jetta GLI (with the bigger motor, larger brakes, adjustable suspension and all the fun tech) for $32K. So right off, I saved $68,000.00
That is a lot of oil changes and fill ups. The math makes no sense.
But people just like having fancy things I guess.
Marina
at 9:57 am
There’s also the freakout factor. Anything that splashes or scratches that $32K range will mess with your brain and ruin any enjoyment of it. Same with cars. A minor nick or ding on my car is simply a theft deterrent. Meanwhile my neighbor has a cardiac event any time a stray leaf touches his ultra expensive douchemobile.
Patricia
at 1:22 pm
Re the house with the elevator. Just lock that wood door and do not use the elevator for now if the house checks all the boxes. This feature will ensure you can manage some of the possible future accessibility issues with your family and extended family. Elevators are difficult to add in later to an existing floorplan and having this feature may avoid you having to relocate in the future.
Ace Goodheart
at 7:25 pm
My pet peeve with Toronto house renovations is the “Master Bedroom Ensuite”.
In around early 2000, builders started putting bathrooms in the master bedroom of every house they built. This of course meant that when your spouse gets up at 4am to go to work, you get to listen while they shower, and then you get to hear everything else they do in the bathroom, instead of all this happening down the hall somewhere.
My wife and I work opposite shifts, so when she gets up to work, I am still sleeping, and the same when I get up to work. For this reason, I put the “grown up” shower and bathroom in the basement. That was the furthest away I could locate it. When either of us gets up in the morning, we just go down to the basement and shower and do our morning toileting routine and all the other stuff we do every morning, and the other person can just sleep and not hear any of it (or smell any of it, if you know what I mean).
When people see how our house is set up, they are like “you have to walk all the way down to the basement to have a shower, wow, we put in our master ensuite and now we shower and use the toilet in our bedroom” and I am like “that is awful, why did you do that? Are you renting your basement?”.
Think about it. You have to go downstairs anyway to make breakfast and eat it. So why not just go down, have your shower, and then have breakfast? Why do you need to shower in your bedroom? Should we bring the kitchen up to the bedroom too? Maybe the laundry? The TV room? If we put everything in the master bedroom, have we not just created a studio condo inside of our house? What is the point of having a house, with all that space, if you cram everything into one room three floors up?
A friend of ours installed a “master bedroom ensuite” in her old Toronto house, where there was not enough room for it. Her master bedroom is now so small that the bed does not fit the way it is supposed to go, and must be put sideways. So at night, you sleep in the wrong direction, and then in the morning you make the bed up sideways, so that it looks like it fits and is facing in the correct direction.
And they have a perfectly good second bathroom (that they don’t use anymore) with a walk in shower, just down the hall from their master bedroom. I mean, are people completely bonkers?
That is my number one complaint about people’s efforts to “update” old houses. Why do you need a bathroom, with a toilet, in your bedroom? Wouldn’t it make sense to locate that AWAY from your bedroom (as far away as possible)?