STREAMING - Other People's Renovation Projects

I've become an avid watcher of other people's housing renovation projects. What makes me love them so? The project has to have elements of the herculean, encounter difficulties, draw backs, and have a human heartfelt feeling for overcoming physical and financial obstacles. That through individual creativity you do enhance your life. Here are a few examples I currently follow..

Martijn Doolaard

Link - MartijnDoolaard

Something of an internet hit with over 600,000 subscribers. Doorlaad's is the grand daddy of all housing projects. He's bought some abandoned stone cabins in the Piedmont district of Northern Italy. Over the last two years he has begun renovating them. At the moment I'm nearing the end of the first year and replacing the roof on one of them is underway.

These are very slickly filmed and edited. Doorlaad is a designer, and has perfected his filming style over a number of previous trans continental bicycle trips. But there is something that seems far too polished. And one has to wonder at the lengths he needs to go too, to document his life in this way. There is always a level of artifice involved in any film making, just in creating the illusion of being an observer of things as they happen. Often its in what seems absent, that makes me wary in getting too emotionally drawn in.

I think essentially Doorlaad's nature is cool and contained, and hence less self revealing. He is emotionally absent. Presenting himself as independent, self reliant, confident and competent. At times he has to draw on usually much younger men for help, and though he is appreciative, you sense he wishes he couldve done it without them. He seems happier when he is in his own company. The irony is he hosts a weekly video about his project. But that way its on his terms what he shows you. I suspect there is much that never gets beyond the edit in each weekly episode. There are questions, like how does he afford to live like this? Does he have time for a girlfriend? Does he do design work to support this lifestyle? Obviously its his choice how much he reveals. But these gaps are rarely hinted at.

Don Johannes Schwartz

Link - Don Johannes Schwartz

Meanwhile, on the other side of the same mountain as Doorlaad. is Don Johannes Schwartz. A self declared part-time hermit. He and Doorland often refer to each other in passing. This year he has started posting twelve hour long videos that encompass a months activity from the previous year. 

We are in a renovation project that is already substantially developed. This is what Doorlaad may end up like in a few years time. The house is mostly renovated, only the garden is left to be developed. It's quite clear he supports himself by teaching, lectures and writing books, all of which requires him to be the part-time hermit. Like Doorlaad he works phenomenally hard physically. Filming wise he is less slick and happily lingers long over shots of wild life, flora, fauna and running streams. 

Having lived in the mountains for much longer than his Dutch neighbour, and with his faith too, there is the sense of a man who is trained to reflect on his experience, and is used to talking very eloquently about it. He is in short a much more instantly likeable person to spend a hour with. A man who has a genuine warmth and kindness exuding from him.

De Hoeve Old Farmhouse Renovation

Link - De Hoeve

I've written about Marina and Illiya before. It was their farm house renovation that started me off on all these others. It's a massive job they've taken on. They both have daytime jobs, so largely end up working on their house in the evenings and weekends. 

Their filming is more basic, often hand held, edited well by the ever resourceful Marina. Marina is obviously used to project managing, I think she may do it as a job. Illya is a competent and quickly picks up skills. And boy do they both work hard. But the strain of it often shows. You never see Doorlaad obviously frustrated or stressed. They come across as a really lovely couple. They have a family, but largely keep them in the background. The cats inspecting the proceedings get more air time.

How long it will take them to complete their plans stands currently at an estimate of ten years. The small conversion job they recently completed was pencilled in to take three months, but took most of last year. So accurate forward planning is not a strength. And there's always a number of unforced errors that have cost them time and money. Wrongly estimating how much materials they'll need etc.

Illya often powers on thinking he knows what to do, but hasn't fully read or digested the instructions, and ends up creating more work for himself. Cue Marina's gentle chastising of him. But what comes across here is all very human and relatable. They are quite open about their 'fails' as they call them.  And despite the huge job they have ahead, are reluctant to cut corners. Still wanting to obtain the best finish possible. I love this site and these people to bits.