What's With That House?

What's With That House? is a reality television series produced and broadcast by the Home and Garden Television network (HGTV) in the year 2006. The series, which delves deep into the world of unique and unconventional homes, captivates its audience with stories of remarkable residential edifices such as converted barns, lighthouse homes, and earth-sheltered residences. The show is brilliantly designed to investigate these extraordinary homes, focusing on their history, development, and the ingenuity behind each unique design.

Hosted by the animated and engaging George Gray, viewers are taken on an exciting journey from coast to coast in search of breathtaking and unusual homes that stand apart from their conventional neighborhood structures. George Gray's charismatic personality, coupled with his humor and sharp interviewing skills, propels the heart of the series, making What's With That House? as entertaining as it is informational.

Each episode of What's With That House? delves deep into the various singular aspects of each home, including its architecture and design, structural formation, and the materials used, as well as multiple interviews with relevant parties. These may include conversations with the homeowners, architects, contractors, or sometimes even the curious neighbors. Gray aims to understand the inspiration and vision behind each extravagant house, whether it sprouts from a sense of artistic expression, a love for the unusual, or a drive for sustainable living.

The homeowners often debunk the story behind the construction of their homes, providing a personalized narrative on how their living spaces evolved from unique concepts to extraordinary homes. They highlight the challenges and triumphs they encountered in the process, detailing the various engineering feats and design endeavors undertaken to make their dream homes a reality.

A unique aspect of the series is how it thoughtfully explores the homeowners' connection to their unconventional homes. This emotional bond becomes evident as homeowners open up about how their unique living spaces have come to symbolize breaking free from societal norms or given them the ability to realize an abstract, dream-like architectural concept in concrete form.

The show also takes an equally interesting look at the surrounding neighborhood's reaction to these standout homes, addressing the sometimes contentious relationship between architectural creativity and architectural conformity. A segment of each episode delves into these unusual homes' influence on their neighborhoods, detailing the initial shock, the ensuing curiosity, and eventually, the acceptance.

What’s With That House? achieves a fantastic balance between showcasing the dazzling elements of design and comprehending the deeper motivations and implications behind each dwelling's creation. Rather than merely presenting a showcase of homes considered 'oddities,' the show delves into the science, art, and emotional relationship we have with the spaces we call home. The audience is left awestruck and inspired, while offered a thought-provoking look into the world of unconventional architecture and home design.

In What's With That House?, HGTV presents a vivid exploration of remarkable residences that deviate from the norm, dissecting what makes them unique, extraordinary, or bizarre, depending on viewer perspectives. The show takes us off the beaten path, away from the monotony of traditional home design, and into a utopia of creativity and daring architectural prowess that challenges the conventional definition of 'home.' This show is a treat for architecture enthusiasts and fans of interior design, as it curates an eclectic mix of homes that dare to defy design norms and stand out from the crowd.

What’s With That House? is more than just a home makeover show, or a show that features visually stunning homes; it's an anthem to creativity, innovation, and the human spirit's determination to bring the surreal to life. Each episode ushers the viewer into a world of fantasy and enchantment, where they get to explore the real-life embodiment of what may only exist in dreams for many. The show successfully invites its audience to ponder a timeless question posed by architectural conformity: "What's with this house?" every time they spot a dwelling that dares to be different. It's a show that expertly combines architecture, personality, neighborhood dynamics, and a hint of mystery to produce something truly captivating and delightfully unexpected.