I went to the This Old House Wrap Party!!!

[JayCT]

A couple of months back I posted about going and seeing an episode of This Old House being filmed in Carlisle, Mass. A coworker is friends of the show's Producer, Deborah Hood. Well Wednesday was the Wrap Party and was it ever fun. They set up a big tent on the side of the house and had food and drinks for everyone. The house has been decorated so you were able to walk around and see the finished home. It is beautiful, especially the Great Room. There will be a House Tour in April if anyone in the area wants to see it. They called a bunch of us out onto the patio to serve as the backdrop to the last scene of the season. We were told to move around and talk to everyone so it looks like we are having a good time, which we were. There are sooo many nice people there, it was hard not to keep talking to the same person for more than a few minutes. I can not wait to see the last episode on TV and see if we show up. If anyone has any questions, I would be happy to respond. Jay

 

[Parkhopper]

Sounds like fun. How lucky that you could go.

Suzi

 

[crcormier]

Neat! I love the new host, though with him being a Holy Cross grad, I may be just a little biased...

 

[monkeyboy]

Cool

 

[JayCT]

Thanks - Kevin O'Connell, the new host, is very nice. He always says hi and has a smile. Everyone there is nice. They joke with each other and help each other. They all love Deborah Hood, the Producer. She is great. I do not know how she does her job. She is responsible for setting the whole show up, virtually everything you see on the show is arranged or approved by her. What a job, but she LOVES it. Must be nice to really love what you do. Jay

 

[Sandy V.]

Cool.

I haven't watched the show in years, but really enjoyed when I did. Are Norm Abram, Tom Silva, or Richard Trethewey still affiliated with the program? Did you get to meet any of them? If so, what were your impressions?

 

[DVC-Don]

I did not realize the show was still doing new shows. Been years since we've watched it. My Dad met Norm once a few years ago at a home show in Vermont and said he was very nice.

 

[JayCT]

Yes, they all are and I met Norm and Tom when I visited the show in November. Richard wasn't filming that day. Both Norm and Tom were so nice. Norm is kind of quite and Tom is real busy running the job site. But they gladly posed for pictures with us and talked about the show and the house. It was great. The strangest part of my first visit was eating lunch in the lunchroom and have someone sitting down next to me. I glanced at him and it was Norm. I looked at him, then I looked across from me and there was Kevin and Tom. what a strange, surreal, experience. Very exciting. My DW still comments on how excited I was that day. Jay

 

[Sandy V.]

I'm glad you got to meet them. They do seem like nice guys. My husband covets Norm's tool collection!!

 

[Rachie0507]

Hey Jay, do you know when the open house will be? I just mentioned to my DH that I read about the wrap party the other day and he is all excited about the idea of seeing the inside!! Thanks!!!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My parents house was on TOH--and the wrap party was the only episode filming I got to attend. It was fun--sounds like yours was a lot more fun, though--no space on the side of our house for a big tent I think Norm and Steve were the hosts. My parents didn't care for Steve a whole lot. Norm was pretty cool.

Ours was the New Orleans House. Big to do deal back then as I'm sure it still is nowadays. We had street gawkers for MONTHS after the show and a few people knocked on the door and wanted a tour.

How exciting for you!!! I'm sure you'll see yourself. I did catch a glimpse of me way back when. I was an awkward teenager and told noone at school that it was my house. Let's just say it didn't rank on the coolness level of a show like Trading Spaces today--among the teen set

 

[DisMN]

I'm glad you got to meet them. They do seem like nice guys. My husband covets Norm's tool collection!!

Mine does too!

Cool that you got to meet these people and cooler yet that you shared about it here! Thanks.....what fun it must have been!

 

[JayCT]

I just checked online and found that the Show House will be held April 15th to May 29th. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. They are $23 for members of WGBH and $28 for nonmembers. You must select a day for your visit. Proceeds benefit WGBH and the This Old House Building Arts Scholarship Program. Check out the WGBH web site for more information. DW and I were talking about going too. She couldn't make the Wrap Party because our DS was sick. Too bad she would have loved it. Jay

 

[JayCT]

Lisa - That must have been interesting for your parents to be on the show. I remember that house. Do they still live there? How is it holding up after all these years? I remember several years ago Bob Villa (who is no longer associate with This Old House) redid a house in Malibu for his own show. The house was bought by an actor named Conrad Janis who played the father on Mork and Mindy. The house turned into a total nightmare. There were leaks everywhere and mold an mildew. Absolutely a horror. Janis sued Villa and won a multi-million dollar settlement.

I will say that EVERYONE I met on the show was nice. They took pictures with us and signed autographs. I overheard them talking among themselves about how they get a real kick out the attention they get. Norm is a little quite but still very friendly to talk to. The new host, Kevin O'Connell, is very friendly. He is almost like a little kid who is on this great big adventure. He still can't believe he is doing the show after two years. I believe that is why they chose him. Jay