A unique Minnesota home has been dubbed the “ugliest house in America,” but after a complete renovation, some critics say the property has lost its charm.
The two-story ‘technicolor nightmare’ house in St. Cloud was built in 1940 and was designed by HGTV.
The show “Ugliest House in America,” hosted by comedian Retta, described the house as “a patchwork of strange design, strange construction and questionable color choices.”
Homeowners Joe and Jack purchased the 2,017-square-foot, blue-green house unseen for $250,000.
The exterior appears to be constructed of painted cinder blocks, features two castle-like towers and has a yellow arched door.
The exterior appears to be constructed from painted cinder blocks and features two castle-like towers
The two-story ‘technicolor nightmare’ house in St. Cloud was built in 1940 and was called the least attractive in the country by HGTV
Host Retta described the house as ‘a patchwork of strange design, strange construction and questionable color choices’
The house won the award for ‘Ugliest House in America’ on season five of the HGTV show
Inside, the front room is pink from floor to ceiling with wall-to-wall pink carpet. There is a breakfast nook and a window seat with pink cushions.
The house also has a built-in roommate: a mannequin wearing a rainbow blazer, red feather boa, sparkly sunglasses and headpiece.
The interior walls are cinder blocks painted in a variety of vibrant colors. The small kitchen is located off a narrow hallway with a kidney-shaped countertop.
An upstairs living area has tropical wallpaper and yellow-painted exterior walls.
Retta said the house was a “technicolor prison” and a “crime on the senses.”
The comedian teamed up with Alison Victoria, host of HGTV’s Windy City Rehab, to undertake a $150,000 makeover for the eyesore.
Homeowners Joe and Jack bought the 2,017-square-foot blue-green home for $250,000
The interior is a mix of bright colors and bizarre decorations
This mustachioed mannequin caught the attention of ‘Ugliest House in America’ host Retta
A huge mural of the Texas flag adorns a bedroom wall, paired with gaudy sheets
After the renovation, the exterior was seen as white with black trim and accents to reflect the new color palette inside.
Much of the carpet was torn up and replaced with wood floors and wall treatments were added to cover up the cinder blocks.
The kitchen was enlarged by knocking out a wall to provide access to the living and dining rooms.
The master bathroom was enlarged by removing an unused closet, old tiles were removed, and the bathroom was expanded enough to add a soaking tub.
But after the transformation, TikTok commenters had mixed reactions to the changes, claiming the new look ruined its charm.
The front of the house was redesigned to replace the bold colors with a more muted finish
Some commentators were unhappy with the makeover, saying the house had lost its striking character
The in-your-face colors were replaced with softer shades, while garish furnishings were removed
“They gave it a sad beige treatment,” said one critical viewer
Another person said the house had become a “Pinterest page.”
Someone else said: ‘They just don’t know art when they see it.’
“I turned it into a Pinterest page,” said one commenter.
“They gave it a sad beige treatment,” said another.
‘They destroyed this house during the renovation, it is now so ugly and basic. It breaks my heart,” a third person said.
“I used to live in Saint Cloud and moved shortly after this came on the market. It fell into the wrong hands’
Someone else said: ‘They just don’t know art when they see it.’
Among the runners-up for the ugliest house in America was a ‘gloomy’ custom built medieval castle with multiple fireplaces that Retta found ‘too scary to use’.
Another contender was A ‘hall of mirrors’ house in Washington State that was created by an artist who placed mirrors on every surface imaginable.