Latest news with #DecoratingCents
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Host of Decorating Cents reveals what she really thought about the outrageous makeovers... and the one design a homeowner demanded she change
She was the leading leading lady at the forefront of HGTV's hit budget makeover show Decorating Cents for ten years. Now almost 20 years later, Joan Steffend has reemerged as the face of the show's viral internet fame. The beloved show was known for its zany design ideas and off-the wall execution. With an experienced designer leading the way, Steffen would help make over one room in each contestant's home from $500 or less. The results were, well, mixed. Decades later people have taken to TikTok to rehash some of the more controversial DIYs from the show, and Steffend is taking the heat in stride, categorizing the internet's reactions as 'happily horrified'. 'I just don't want people to think I'm offended,' she told Daily Mail. 'I'm completely baffled by it, but I'm enjoying it.' Among the designs getting the most attention are a cowboy themed bachelor pad, a makeshift mosaic end table, and a rug painted directly onto the hardwood floor. Even at the time, Steffend admitted that not everything was in her taste. 'It was part of my job to be enthusiastic about everything,' she said. So no matter how out of the box the designer's ideas were, she happily went along. For every idea she was unsure about, there were many she loved. 'I think if you look at the book of what we did, some of them were wildly creative and transferable in people's homes,' Steffend said. But one of the ones that horrified her the most was when she had to get down on her hands and knees and paint on fresh hardwood floor. 'I was shocked by it. I think it was pretty near to the start and I was shocked by a lot of the things that we would do. I'm the daughter of a construction guy,' she said. 'My dad would come back and haunt me if I did that.' She said she might consider recreating it, only if it would never see the light of day. 'I would do that but I would only do it in certain circumstances, like the wood was about to be redone, just to be creative,' Steffen added. Commenters online were with her on that one. As one viewer said, 'Those poor hardwoods didn't deserve that.' Another creation which raised eyebrows is a mosaic end table comprised of jagged pieced. More than one user on TikTok made fun of this masterpiece for being, 'difficult to clean and a little dangerous', concerns which Steffend shared. 'I was thinking it was dangerous for sure, because I had young children at the time,' she noted. 'We did a lot of those kinds of mosaic break-up things. We definitely got better at them.' For the most part, she remembered people being happy with their redesigns, even if Steffend herself found them questionable. However she revealed there was one at the very beginning that went completely sideways. Steffend and her crew were tasked with a cowboy-themed bachelor living room. They created the manliest space they could, complete with cow-hide rugs, printed throws, and a hand mod-podged TV stand adorned with ancient Native American prayers. Over the years, that particular piece had gotten a lot of flack and it turns out, the contestant wasn't the biggest fan either. 'I do remember that was one of the few times the homeowner came home and said put it back,' she said. 'We had worked a really long day and we stayed and put it back. If they don't love it we still feel like they're in their homes and we'd change it.' Another design a lot of TikTok commenters expected the owner to hate was an Italian-themed kitchen. One of the more heinous decorating choices was a hand-painted, wall border made from sheets of yellow paper adorned with Italian words and phrases. The design saw comparisons on TikTok to everything from an 'an English classroom,' to an Olive Garden. Despite the backlash from modern day viewers, Steffend said the contestant, a friend of hers, loved it. 'The guy was really Italian,' she said. 'He loved his Italian heritage.' Steffend revealed that the whole project was almost thrown into jeopardy however. After a long day of work, they accidentally spilled a bottle of red wine all over their new design and had to stay through the night to it all over again. Steffend revealed was often surprised when makeovers she wouldn't consider for her own home became favorites among the guests. 'I would look at it and go, okay not for me. But some of the stuff where I thought it wouldn't fit in my home, they would get the best responses,' she said. Some contestants were choosier than others. Production did a lot of hard work figuring out what would work for the space, according to the former host. Steffend said the process was longer than a lot of people realized. The design team would go into the home weeks before filming and do measurements and planning to ensure even just the camera crew would fit in the space. Only then, would they ask the potential contestants what they were hoping to have done with their space, even then, the designers had to make sure they could find what they were looking for all while keeping it under $500. 'You can say that you want a room a certain way. The truth is they wanted to follow both what they wanted and what we could find,' Steffend said, adding that she and her team were real sticklers for the budget. They refused to take discounts or donations, because they wanted each makeover to be truly attainable for the viewers. So they searched dumpsters, discounts, and thrift stores to find pieces that would best fit within the budget and what they were looking for. Steffend said there was, 'a lot of serendipity'. 'We never got the chance to try anything out beforehand. We would show up at like 9 AM and we had to just do what we had,' she explained. Steffend said that's part of what she loved so much about the show. 'It was all about being frugal and really being wildly creative. ' Steffend is now retired, occasionally doing appearances in her home state of Minnesota. She said she hasn't thought much about the show over the years, but she loved it so much at the time and has been completely delighted by its resurgence. 'It was really a gift to me,' she said. 'If it [going viral] leads anyone else to try and fail then I'm all for it.'
CBS News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
TikTok users rediscovering Twin Cities HGTV show "Decorating Cents" decades later
If you've been scrolling TikTok lately, you've probably seen the internet's newest obsession: a show called "Decorating Cents." Most of the longtime HGTV makeover series was shot in the Twin Cities, and is now going viral decades later. The show was hosted by Joan Steffend and ran on HGTV from 1997 to 2008, with the former channel 11 anchor and reporter narrating and assisting designers, who were given a $500 budget and a few hours to transform rooms. The first five seasons of "Decorating Cents" are now streaming. They've caught the attention of TikTok users, including comedian Rob Anderson. The two have connected and he's shared with her that many of the designs were great. In his TikTok videos, Anderson says he's picking on the show's most outrageous transformations. "I understand some of the stuff is crazy looking right now . . . but that was also their job to do wild decorating," said Steffend. Now a 70-year-old grandmother of four, Steffend is using the show's newfound fame for good. She's selling shirts, mugs, and other items to mark the occassion with a portion of the proceeds going to World Central Kitchen. Since "Decorating Cents," Steffend has focused on projects that spread kindness. She's written two books and is working on a documentary with her husband about former Minnesota Twins legend Joe Mauer.
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
HGTV show's 'horrendous' home makeovers go viral
An old HGTV show is going viral on social media thanks to its 'horrendous' home makeovers and 'criminal' interior design work. Decorating Cents, hosted by Joan Steffend, aired from 1997 to 2007 on HGTV. The popular series saw interior designers attempt to redecorate a room in just a few hours on a paltry $500 budget. The series has now resurfaced on TikTok thanks to comedian Rob Anderson, with many users shocked by some of the flamboyant and garish design choices. In another episode, a wooden kitchen is haphazardly whitewashed over to create a 'farmhouse' look. One of the most egregious designs saw the decorator decoupage a wall unit with 'sacred Indian prayers' that had been dipped in tea and torn to give it 'an aged look.' Anderson called the series 'the most horrendous decorating you'll ever see' and said some of the redecorating deserved a 'prison sentence.' Social media users now can't stop talking about the show either, with one writing, '$500 budget to do $5,000 worth of damage to any room they step into.' Another commented, 'You know what? Maybe millennial gray was a trauma response.' A third wrote, 'I would press charges if someone did this to my house.' Steffend, who hosted the series until it went off the air in 2007, has now spoken out following its resurgence on TikTok in an interview with Entertainment Now. 'I mean, it's from the late 90s, early 2000s, and the designer's job was to be as wildly creative as they could be,' she explained of the show's questionable design work. 'There were hits and there were misses. And it didn't matter to HGTV. If it didn't look quite like we all thought it was going to, it didn't matter — I still needed to be encouraging. It was still gonna air.' She also said that the beauty of the show was allowing people to be creative and to enjoy their weird and wacky design work without judgement. 'We've gotta stop pointing and laughing at what people think is pretty, what people love at that moment in their life,' she said. She added, 'We did the best we could at the time.' Since Decorating Cents went viral, HGTV fans are now calling for its revival on Reddit. We are all clamoring for it. It's so hilariously bad that it deserves a revival. Gone too soon,' wrote one viewer. 'Oh lord no lol. I've been watching Rob Anderson's recaps on social media and those women were criminal,' another commented. A third wrote, 'Joan Steffend's voice is so calming. I completely understand how she hypnotized homeowners not to riot after her interior decorators destroyed their homes.' A fourth commented, 'Those shows were hilarious for the viewers, but devastating for the poor souls who sacrificed their homes on the altar.' Since Decorating Cents wrapped in 2007, former host Steffend has turned her attention to projects outside of design. Now 70-years-old, Steffend is focused on being a grandmother to her four grandchildren. She's also a published author with two inspirational self-help books under her belt. Decorating Cents is currently available to stream on Discovery+.
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Popular HGTV show's 'horrendous' home makeovers are going viral: 'I would press charges'
An old HGTV show is going viral on social media thanks to its 'horrendous' home makeovers and 'criminal' interior design work. Decorating Cents, hosted by Joan Steffend, aired from 1997 to 2007 on HGTV. The popular series saw interior designers attempt to redecorate a room in just a few hours on a paltry $500 budget. The series has now resurfaced on TikTok thanks to comedian Rob Anderson, with many users shocked by some of the flamboyant and garish design choices. In one episode, a multi-colored medicine cabinet is used to display a collection of Beanie Babies and Disney figurines from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. In another segment, colorful plates are smashed into small sharp pieces and then glued onto a coffee table. 'Yes, who doesn't want jagged pieces glued to the table,' Anderson said sarcastically in a viral TikTok video. 'Look how boring it used to be. Now it's difficult to clean and a little dangerous and you can't even put your drinking glass down!' In another episode, a wooden kitchen is haphazardly whitewashed over to create a 'farmhouse' look. One of the most egregious designs saw the decorator decoupage a wall unit with 'sacred Indian prayers' that had been dipped in tea and torn to give it 'an aged look.' Anderson called the series 'the most horrendous decorating you'll ever see' and said some of the redecorating deserved a 'prison sentence.' Social media users now can't stop talking about the show either, with one writing, '$500 budget to do $5,000 worth of damage to any room they step into.' Another commented, 'You know what? Maybe millennial gray was a trauma response.' A third wrote, 'I would press charges if someone did this to my house.' Steffend, who hosted the series until it went off the air in 2007, has now spoken out following its resurgence on TikTok in an interview with Entertainment Now. 'I mean, it's from the late 90s, early 2000s, and the designer's job was to be as wildly creative as they could be,' she explained of the show's questionable design work. A bizarre doll with curly red hair is pictured in an Autumn-themed design space 'There were hits and there were misses. And it didn't matter to HGTV. 'If it didn't look quite like we all thought it was going to, it didn't matter — I still needed to be encouraging. It was still gonna air.' She also said that the beauty of the show was allowing people to be creative and to enjoy their weird and wacky design work without judgement. 'We've gotta stop pointing and laughing at what people think is pretty, what people love at that moment in their life,' she said. She added, 'We did the best we could at the time.' Since Decorating Cents went viral, HGTV fans are now calling for its revival on Reddit. 'We are all clamoring for it. It's so hilariously bad that it deserves a revival. Gone too soon,' wrote one viewer. 'Oh lord no lol. I've been watching Rob Anderson's recaps on social media and those women were criminal,' another commented. A third wrote, 'Joan Steffend's voice is so calming. I completely understand how she hypnotized homeowners not to riot after her interior decorators destroyed their homes.' A fourth commented, 'Those shows were hilarious for the viewers, but devastating for the poor souls who sacrificed their homes on the altar.' Since Decorating Cents wrapped in 2007, former host Steffend has turned her attention to projects outside of design. Now 70-years-old, Steffend is focused on being a grandmother to her four grandchildren. She's also a published author with two inspirational self-help books under her belt. Decorating Cents is currently available to stream on Discovery+.
Politico
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Asleep at the cyber wheel
With help from Maggie Miller and John Sakellariadis Driving the day — Amid increased threats from Iranian hackers, lawmakers worry the Trump administration's cuts to federal cyber agencies have left critical infrastructure vulnerable. HAPPY MONDAY, and welcome to MORNING CYBERSECURITY! To properly decompress from a long week, I like to turn to home-decorating shows. I recently discovered 'Decorating Cents,' a home improvement show from the '90s where host Joan and her co-conspirator of the week take a boring room and somehow make it worse. I can't recommend it enough. Follow POLITICO's cybersecurity team on X at @RosiePerper, @johnnysaks130, @delizanickel and @magmill95, or reach out via email or text for tips. You can also follow @POLITICOPro on X. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Happening This Week On Wednesday… The Election Assistance Commission holds a virtual meeting of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission technical development committee to discuss the draft of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.1 and the executive order to protect the integrity of American elections. 1 p.m. On The Hill DEEP CUT — Cyber experts and industry groups have been warning about the increased cybersecurity risks to U.S. networks since tensions erupted between Iran and Israel earlier this month. These concerns were heightened after the U.S. waded into the conflict by striking Iranian nuclear facilities directly last weekend. While a shaky U.S.-mediated ceasefire persists between Israel and Iran for now, lawmakers and former U.S. cyber officials are worried that U.S. networks remain vulnerable to threats from Iran due to the Trump administration's massive cuts to federal cyber agencies — particularly CISA, which was set up to protect U.S. critical infrastructure. 'Iranian cyber actors threaten critical infrastructure like water systems, power grids and hospitals — essential services that keep our communities running,' said Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.), the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, in a statement to MC. 'At a time when cybersecurity threats are only continuing to grow, the Trump administration's decision to cut staff at our lead cybersecurity agency puts us further at risk.' — What's the plan?: Frustrations are mounting on Capitol Hill over the Trump administration's role in the conflict with Iran and the inadequate protections to U.S. critical systems. The Trump administration briefed the House and Senate late last week on the latest intel related to Iran. A House staffer, granted anonymity to discuss the details of the classified briefing, told MC that cyber threats were not discussed during the briefing. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, noted in a statement on Friday after the briefing that the DHS, the FBI and ODNI were 'noticeably absent' from the briefing. DHS warned last week of increased threats of 'low-level cyber attacks against US networks' by pro-Iranian hackers, while the FBI has reportedly reallocated resources from immigration enforcement to counter terrorism and cybersecurity in the aftermath of the strike. 'We are sensitive to any type of cyber activity that would impact our critical infrastructure, and right now we are certainly on heightened alert,' Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee's cyber panel, said in a statement to MC last week. — Missing leaders: These concerns are amplified by the lack of leadership at U.S. cyber agencies reeling from cuts to personnel and programs. Both CISA and the Office of the National Cyber Director remain without a Senate-confirmed leader at the helm. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee's cyber subcommittee, said at an Axios event in Washington on Thursday that the cyber threats from Iran 'should be a shield's up moment for CISA to project out to the cyber community.' 'We haven't seen that,' he said. 'I don't know if that's an intentional decision, or if it's because there is a lack of resources or a lack of Senate-confirmed individuals across our cybersecurity resources. That doesn't mean that Iran is any less capable or willing to hit us.' CISA — alongside the FBI, NSA and the Pentagon's Cyber Crime Center — finally released an updated fact sheet Sunday afternoon about the cyber threats to U.S. networks posed by Iranian-linked hackers. 'Over the past several months, Iranian-aligned hacktivists have increasingly conducted website defacements and leaks of sensitive information exfiltrated from victims,' the advisory said. 'These hacktivists are likely to significantly increase distributed denial of service campaigns against U.S. and Israeli websites due to recent events.' — Filling the gap: The cybersecurity community has stepped up to monitor and protect critical networks from harm, while federal outreach has lagged. Maggie reported that operators of critical infrastructure entities have turned to information sharing and analysis centers and other cyber firms and organizations for threat intelligence. As the private sector continues to fill the void, lawmakers are calling on the federal government to step up while the threats continue to grow. 'The current conflict with Iran might be taking place overseas, but that doesn't stop adversaries from working to target Americans in cyberspace,' said Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, in a statement last week. 'The federal government must ensure private owners and operators are prepared to combat nation-state threats, because industry can't counter these threats alone.' On The Hill POSTHUMOUS POSTING — The accounts for recently deceased lawmakers continue to post on social media, highlighting a gap in policy on how to keep tabs on who has access to the accounts. POLITICO's Giselle Ewing reported on Saturday that people on former Rep. Gerry Connolly's (D-Va.) mailing list reportedly continued receiving emails from his campaign encouraging Virginians to vote in a special election — though Connolly died last month. — Recordkeeping nightmare: There is no official process for handing off control of lawmakers' social media accounts if they die while in office, according to Zack Brown, the communications director for Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) when he died in office in March 2022. While the process of physically closing down Young's office was 'meticulous,' with everything from the lawmaker's office requiring logging, the 'digital aspect of it was completely ignored,' he said. Brown cautioned that a lack of procedure for how to handle a dead official's social media accounts poses security risks that would normally be unthinking for physical recordkeeping. 'I can't walk into the National Archives right now and just go behind closed doors and take whatever files from Congressman Young that I want,' he said. 'Why does somebody who has social media access have that power to do that with tweets?' Industry Intel AIRLINE AIMS — Scattered Spider, the prolific hacking group linked to recent cyberattacks on U.K. retailers, is now targeting the aviation industry, according to law enforcement and the cybersecurity sector. On Friday evening, the FBI said in a post on X that the cybercriminal group is expanding its scope to the airline sector. 'They target large corporations and their third-party IT providers, which means anyone in the airline ecosystem, including trusted vendors and contractors, could be at risk,' the agency added. The warnings come as at least two North American airlines have reported cyber incidents this month. Hawaiian Airlines said last week that it was working to secure its systems following a 'cybersecurity event.' WestJet — Canada's second-largest airline — also reported a cyberattack earlier this month, and it remains unresolved. — What firms say: Maggie reported on Friday that cyber companies have also flagged the new activity. Charles Carmakal, the chief technology officer at Google's Mandiant, told your host in a statement that Mandiant 'is aware of multiple incidents in the airline and transportation sector which resemble the operations' of Scattered Spider. Palo Alto Networks' security research division, Unit 42, also said it observed the hacking group targeting aviation. People on the Move Cory Wilson will serve as deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection (OCCIP). Wilson recently served as the assistant special agent in charge of critical systems protection at the U.S. Secret Service, where he led teams responsible for mitigating cyber threats to networks and infrastructure linked to the president and vice president. Prior to that, he served as the director of cybersecurity planning and operations at the Office of the National Cyber Director and has also held previous leadership roles at Treasury, Interpol, DHS and the Senate. Quick Bytes 'THE LOCKNET' — A yearlong investigation from ChinaFile's Jessica Batke and Northeastern University's Laura Edelson found that China's online censorship is getting harder to evade. COURT SLOP — Dozens of YouTube channels are using AI-generated images and videos with false claims about Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial to pull in tens of millions of views, reports Craig Silverman for The Guardian. CARTEL HACKER — A hacker working on behalf of the Sinaloa drug cartel infiltrated cameras and phones to track an FBI official investigating the drug lord El Chapo. They then used the data from that surveillance to kill and intimidate potential sources or cooperating witnesses, according to a Justice Department watchdog report. Also Happening Today The Atlantic Council holds a virtual discussion on 'Bolstering the Transatlantic Partnership at a Global Inflection Point.' 7:45 a.m. The Federal Communications Bar Association holds a virtual forum on 'Protecting the Digital Infrastructure that Powers A.I.' 12 p.m. The Center for Strategic and International Studies holds a virtual discussion on 'What Do Strikes on Iran Mean for China, Russia and North Korea?' 3 p.m. Chat soon. Stay in touch with the whole team: Rosie Perper (rperper@ John Sakellariadis (jsakellariadis@ Maggie Miller (mmiller@ and Dana Nickel (dnickel@
