I am a TV home show addict. HGTV (House and Garden for those of you not familiar with the lingo), TLC (The Learning Channel) and DIY (Do it Yourself) are my friends! Whether it’s designing on a dime, remixing my design, going freestyle or challenging a bunch of designers, watching TV home shows is one of my favorite pastimes these days. Is it yours?

After all, no longer is it just Norm building furniture (Ye Olde Yankee Workshop) or Bob Villa restoring houses in New England (probably the most well-known show, This Old House). Now it’s home decorating that’s within reach for anyone and everyone, depending on your style, your preferences and, of course, your budget. And, I’ll admit, I’m hooked.

But, what does an “expert” think about this whole “do it yourself” phenomenon? Interior decorator Sharon McCormick, owner of Fairchild House Interiors in Durham, approves of the trend – with a few words of caution and a couple of guidelines.

“Yes, everyone seems to be watching,” she acknowledges, noting that the classes she teaches through the District 13 adult ed program are full of eager “fix-it-up” aficionados. And she says she buys the books the shows publish, which she uses for information and resources for both her classes and her business.

So, just what is the appeal? “These kinds of shows make people believe that getting a ‘designed room’ is an attain-able goal for them.” But that’s both the good news and the bad, or, rather the realistic versus the unrealistic.

For a budget-minded show like Design on a Dime (where one designer and two helpers spend $1,000 on a room they makeover in a day), McCormick says looks can be deceiving. “It’s not really one designer,” she points out. “It’s three pretty talented, resourceful people working for about 48 hours – that’s really 48 hours multiplied by three!” In addition, she notes, those three people have an impressive network of resources available to them.

For a higher end show, like Designer’s Challenge (where three designers bid for a major room overhaul, with budgets sometimes exceeding $65,000 and timeframes sometimes extending up to six months), McCormick says the issue is “unclear expectations” on the part of avid TV viewers. “The show starts with three designers presenting their [free] designs for a room makeover, and that’s just not the way the industry works,” she warns. “That’s not the best way to pick an interior designer.”

Instead, McCormick educates, the consumer needs to do some research (either via word-of-mouth, recommendation, going to the ASID website or individual designers’ websites) and then making some contacts. “The best way is to call a designer and chat with him or her – explain the room or the project.” The next step might be a visit where the designer can see the space, discuss fabrics and choices, followed only then by a more formal presentation. “You need to get to know each other to make it a more personal approach,” comments McCormick.

And, of course, there’s the “mix and match” method, where professionals do some of the work, with homeowners participating in a little or a lot of the project, too. “Some people take pleasure out of learning how to do the work them-selves,” says McCormick, noting that stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s offer courses in almost every kind of home improvement project these days.

“I think it’s a trade-off between money and time – it takes more time to do it on your own, but it costs less money,” acknowledges McCormick, admitting that the plethora of TV home shows has given many people “the willingness to go out and try things.”

It’s also a trade off of easy versus more difficult and, at times, “homegrown” versus perfection, points out McCor-mick, and she says you have to figure out what you can and want to do, and what you’d rather leave to the experts. “For example, I’m a perfectionist when it comes to furniture and the way it’s made, so carpentry would not be something I would try,” she admits. And, she says, an interior designer can work with a client to figure out how best to approach the project and the workload.

McCormick also says that, for many people – who don’t necessarily have home improvement projects in their im-mediate future – those TV home shows are somewhat compelling to watch, almost like a hobby.

A number of my friends agree. Says one, “They’re fun, upbeat, lighthearted entertainment, with (mostly) happy endings. They are like vicarious productivity because I watch them and feel like I’ve accomplished something, too!” (Of course, this same friend is one of those people who, as McCormick points out, has been collecting home decorating ideas for the better part of 40 years, a number of which she was lucky enough to incorporate into the charming New Hampshire retirement retreat she and her husband built five years ago.)

As for the real expert, McCormick admits she doesn’t watch the home shows, because she doesn’t have time! She’s too busy doing the real thing. But, if given a moment of downtime, she chooses the old standard, This Old House. Why? “Because it’s enjoyable to watch, and it keeps me current on new products that are out on the market.”

So, what about you? If you haven’t taken the proverbial plunge yet, McCormick has some words of advice. First, she shares a favorite quote of Eleanor Roosevelt’s, which she has posted in her office, “Do one thing that scares you every-day.”

When it comes to home design, McCormick says that means, “Just jump in – it will give you a feeling of accom-plishment.” Watch home shows, read magazines, keep a portfolio of ideas that you like. “Every project should start with a plan,” she says. “Think about how the room is used,” then focus on colors, furniture, lighting, flooring and win-dow treatments. “Write it all down, including your budget…float your design ideas in front of a professional designer,” she encourages, together with what you think you can do yourself and what you’d like to hire someone to do.

One critical component, according to McCormick? “Shop in your own house,” she stresses, “and think outside of the box…things can always be re-worked.” Easy steps include painting and sewing (or even “no sew” types of kits), while more difficult ones include carpentry, plumbing and electrical chores.

So, that’s for the inside of your house. But how about the outside? Let’s see, it’s spring – time to tune into….hmmm….Curb Appeal, Landscaper’s Challenge, Outer Spaces, Gardening by the Yard, Landscape Solutions, City Gardener…where to begin?