The Property Brothers Say This Is the Biggest Paint Mistake You Can Make

property brothers posing between wooden frames in a partially built interior
Drew and Jonathan Scott Share Their Top Home Icks Courtesy HGTV


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There's more to renovating than a fun demo day and jaw-dropping results—just ask Drew and Jonathan Scott. The Property Brothers stars have spent the past 13 years—spanning 650 homes, the duo estimates—finding the potential in unassuming spaces; however, even they can admit that the road to a renovation can often be a total headache. That's exactly why the Scott brothers are focusing on reno woes in their newest show, Don’t Hate Your House With the Property Brothers.

In the new series, Drew and Jonathan help frustrated families and clients fix troublesome properties.

“We wanted to show that real side of renovations,” says Jonathan. “These are people who've lived for decades with problems that they just cannot stand and they're kind of at the end of their rope. We come in and we're almost like therapists-slash-contractors.”

For Drew, Don't Hate Your House With the Property Brothers shows a different side of the process—a new frontier for the dynamic duo.

“I think, traditionally, our shows have always been pretty optimistic—and it just didn't feel as authentic today,” he explains. “Anyone who's gone through a renovation knows there are moments where you just wanna rip your hair out.”

But just because Jonathan and Drew are dedicating their show to frustrated families doesn't mean the brothers don't have their own set of home faux pas. When asked about their biggest home icks, the Property Brothers stars agree that function is everything. While the brothers are big fans of sheds and additional dwelling units—they say these bonus spaces can act as a yoga room, kids lounge, and home office, to name a few—tiny homes are over-hyped. “The thing is, they're typically not permitted or functional,” Jonathan says. “They're just a small space you kind of try to survive in.” Considering our long-standing love of tiny houses, let's agree to disagree on this one!

Of course, this is only scratching the surface of the brothers' icks. For starters, Jonathan is really not here for hardwood floors. His logic? They might be pretty or nostalgic for a lot of people, but they get scratched up easily—especially if you have pets! “So many people out there that don't realize luxury vinyl is an option that you can have that can literally look exactly like engineered hardwood,” he says.

As for paint? While the Scott duo refuses to paint with “angry reds” or “butter” yellows, Drew says he's “generally Team Earth Tones” when done properly. The key, he says, is choosing the right paint finish. "If you're doing a renovation, you really should do a matte finish," he shares. “Gloss or even semi-gloss shows every imperfection.” Unless you have a really good drywall, Drew says a flat finish is more forgiving and “more inviting.”

Curious about the rest of Jonathan and Drew's design icks? We're sure they'll spill the tea during Don’t Hate Your House With the Property Brothers—it airs every Wednesday on HGTV at 9:00 PM ET and will be available to stream the same day and time on Max and discovery+.

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