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’ home in St. Cloud was built in 1940 and dubbed the least attractive in the country by HGTV.
The show ‘Ugliest House in America’ hosted by comedian Retta described the house as ‘a patchwork of strange design, weird construction and questionable color choices.’
Homeowners Joe and Jack bought the teal green 2,017-square-foot house sight-unseen for $250,000.
The exterior appears to be built out of painted cinder blocks, features two castle-like towers and has a yellow arched door.
The exterior appears to be built out of painted cinder blocks, features two castle-like towers
The two-story ‘technicolor nightmare’ home in St. Cloud was built in 1940 and dubbed the least attractive in the country by HGTV
Host Retta described the house as ‘a patchwork of strange design, weird construction and questionable color choices’
The home took the prize for ‘Ugliest House in America’ on season five of the HGTV show
Inside, the front room is floor to ceiling pink with wall-to-wall pink carpet. There is a breakfast-nook and pink-cushioned window seat.
The home also has a built-in roommate – a mannequin wearing a rainbow blazer, red feather boa and bedazzled sunglasses and head piece.
The interior walls are cinder blocks painted various vibrant colors. The small kitchen is located off a narrow hallway with a kidney-shaped counter.
An upstairs living area boasts tropical wallpaper and yellow painted outer walls.
Retta said the home 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 of the eyesore.
Homeowners Joe and Jack bought the teal green 2,017-square-foot house for $250,000
The interior is a mish mash of bright colors and bizarre decorations
This mustachioed mannequin caught the eye of ‘Ugliest House in America’ host Retta
A massive mural of the Texas flag adorns a bedroom wall, matched with garish bedsheets
After the renovation, the exterior was seen as white with black trim and accents to reflect the new color pallet inside.
Lots of carpet was ripped up and replaced with wood floors and wall treatments were added to coverup the cinder blocks.
The kitchen was widen by knocking out a wall and opening up into the living and dining rooms.
The main bathroom was enlarged by removing an unused closet, old tiles were taken out and the bathroom was expanded enough to add a bathtub.
But after the transformation, TikTok commenters had a mixed reaction to the changes claiming the new look destroyed its charm.
The front of the home was redesigned to replace the bold colors with a more muted finish
Some commentators didn’t like the makeover and said the home had lost its striking character
The in-your-face colors were replaced with softer tones, while garish furniture was removed
‘They gave it the sad beige treatment,’ said one critical viewer
Another person said the home was turned into a ‘Pinterest page’
Someone else said: ‘They just don’t know art when they see it.’
‘Turned it into a Pinterest page,’ said one commenter.
‘They gave it the sad beige treatment,’ another said.
‘They destroyed this house through the remodel, it’s SO ugly and basic now. It breaks my heart,’ a third person said.
‘I used to live in Saint Cloud and moved shortly after this went on the market. It fell in the wrong hands’
Someone else said: ‘They just don’t know art when they see it.’
Among the runners-up to the ugliest home in America were a ‘gloomy’ custom-built medieval castle with multiple fireplaces that Retta deemed ‘too scary to use.’
Another contender was a ‘hall of mirrors’ home in Washington State that was created by an artist who placed mirrors on every conceivable surface.