Summary

Instant Dream Home was a unique twist on home makeover shows, completing renovations in just 12 hours.
Viewers expressed skepticism over the show's authenticity, questioning the durability of prefabricated designs.
Despite criticisms, the cast of Instant Dream Home reassured fans on social media, emphasizing teamwork and dedication.

Netflix's Instant Dream Home is a home makeover show that featured a twist (all renovations were completed in 12 hours), and initially, that timeline seemed too challenging. Anyone who thought the cast looked familiar would have been correct, as almost everyone has appeared on TV. Host Danielle Brooks starred in the popular Netflix scripted Orange is the New Black series. Adair Curtis was on the popular renovation show Hollywood Styling, Paige Mobley appeared in America’s Next Top Model, Nick Cutsumpas was seen in The Big Flower Fight, and Erik Curtis was the only newcomer.

Home improvement shows are hardly new, but Instant Dream Home broke all the previous rules. Instead of long and dragged-out renovation processes, there was only one 12-hour day of actual onsite work. However, fans expressed skepticism over that feat. After the contestants compiled their needs list, the experts (Adair, the interior designer; Nick, the exterior decorator; Erik, the carpenter; and Paige, the special projects lead) worked together to pre-plan the renovation down to the millisecond. The great reality TV show only lasted one season, but it's time to discuss whether it was real or fake.

Adair Discussed Instant Dream Home Skepticism

Adair Curtis Instant Dream Home looking into the camera

After negative commentary about the show surfaced following Instant Dream Home's release, Architectural Digest interviewed interior designer Adair. During that chat, Adair assured readers that all their project planning was based on homeowners’ videos and pictures, which created some problems. He broke down the process in his interview.

Other concerns from viewers were that the prefabricated kitchen (shown in episode 1) and bathroom (featured in episode 6) would not hold up well. Adair said this was a misconception and confirmed that the prefabricated designs were constructed in controlled environments. Tools designed to be rugged were used. He said, “I highly doubt any of the families we worked with will have any problems.” There haven't been any public indications of problems since the show aired.

Reddit Sleuths Spot Issues On Instant Dream Home

The Holmes family stands in front of their newly renovated home Instant Dream Home

Adair's claims didn't seem enough for the skeptics, who believed they spotted bad cuts and shoddy carpentry on Instant Dream Home. On August 13, 2022, u/smitrovich started a Reddit thread titled, “Can we talk about how fake Instant Dream Home is?” Among the first comments was an angry viewer, who insisted that the renovations would fall apart after six months. Another user, u/diegobyte, pointed out that in episode 2, "they crane the trailer to the back cus of some hill. But when they get it back, there are no less than five trailers and two box trucks they just drove back there no problem."

Besides continuity issues, another viewer had complaints. They said they created false drama on Instant Dream Home again in episode 7 when the kitchen counter broke while it was being unloaded from the truck. A replacement counter arrived in the nick of time but was half the size of the original one. However, it was perfectly cut to fit the countertop. Specific viewers picked up on the likely falseness of certain show aspects. Most of the fake elements of shows like Instant Dream Home involve expediting the usually long-winded home renovation process.

Despite the backlash, the Instant Dream Home cast reassured fans on social media that they created and completed everything on the show. In two heartwarming Instagram posts, Erik said that he appreciated his team. Erik's first post highlighted Paige, who single-handedly came up with the ideas for the glass balcony, the schoolhouse, and the bathroom addition. Erik's second post featured Adair, whom he credited with bringing the team together and organizing them well so they could effectively implement a cohesive plan for each home.

While no show can escape the so-called "movie magic" of editing, some scenes may have been created just to ramp up the drama and suspense. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that this show's team members respected and loved each other. This is to be expected, as reality TV of all types has to interest viewers and provide entertainment. Despite the adverse reactions, viewers might get to watch Instant Dream Home season 2 someday. It seems unlikely, as season 2 has yet to come, but home improvement shows like Instant Dream Home remain popular. Hopefully, another installation of the show will be soon.