Try as you might, I know its hard to resist the allure of the wham-bam HGTV makeover shows. After all, wouldn’t we all love to believe we can makeover a room or even a whole house over the course of an hour. Fortunately, for most folks it seems that the dream bubble on the not-so-reality tv of HGTV has rightfully popped. The formulaic designs and “story arch” on the channel can still sell ads, but homeowners are much more hip to the jive. (If you haven’t discovered it yet, google it… HGTV is not really reality tv.)
If I was the one to burst your bubble, I apologize. I’m sorry to have interrupted your HGTV marathon with this tidbit of truth.
Let me make it up to you with one big exception. Enter Canadian tv show, “Pamela’s Garden of Eden.” While I’ve always found Canadian tv to be ahead of the curve as far as grounding and nuance. Pamela Anderson’s home makeover show really takes the cake.
Let me tell you a bit to entice you to give it a watch.
She’s a delight.
First, Pamela’s personality is delightful. You can tell she came of age in a male-dominated industry and time that has left its influence on her personality, but honey… she is no people-pleaser. She knows what she likes and ultimately she is going to work with her team to make it happen.
Second, her whimsical style is a departure from the grey (or bold or farmhouse) often cold “styles” we’ve seen ad nauseum from HGTV. Its a pleasure to see a deep dive into one person’s style and all the ways she works to communicate it with her team and bring it to life.
Third, the show focuses on her whole estate. Its a large property in a beautiful area of Canada that’s been in her family for generations. There are several buildings and gardens which she addresses over the course of the seasons. You get to see it all including “arguments” with the government on coastal property boundaries.
Finally, and perhaps most alluring, Pamela is a huge fan of nature and the earth. Throughout the show she brings in experts and goes out of her way to tread lightly on the earth. It is clear that she considers herself much more of a steward of the land than an owner of it. Trees, plants, animals and light are important features to her design plan. Specifically she addresses solar power, tree protection, relocation of plants, and wildlife consideration when eradicating damaging pests.