Podcast Summary: You, Me & Mike

Episode: 216 – Designer vs. Civilian
Date: March 4, 2026
Hosts: Jenn Todryk & Mike Todryk
Producer: Thirteen Media

Overview

In this lively episode of "You, Me & Mike," Jenn and Mike Todryk dive into the playful contrast between a professional designer (Jenn) and a self-proclaimed “civilian” (Mike) when it comes to interior design choices and trends. The discussion weaves between true crime, TV show behind-the-scenes stories, and a candid Q&A where the couple unpacks their biggest design disagreements, design pet peeves, and offer a humorous look at marriage, taste, and home improvement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catching Up — Return from Hiatus

• Jenn and Mike reflect on an unplanned break due to winter storms and family schedule disruptions.
  • [00:10] Jenn: "We had a winter storm come through... things kept happening, and it's been like... a month."
  • Bickering about whether “President’s Day” is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” sets the light, bantering tone ([00:39]).

2. Digression on True Crime vs. Sci-Fi Preferences

• The duo jokes about how women love true crime, while Mike prefers science fiction, giving a glimpse into their personality differences.
  • [04:13] Jenn: "Remember I thought I was gonna be a police officer?"
  • [04:36] Mike: "You are good at defending your argument based on mostly facts."
• Jenn admits her nonfiction preference feeds into her true crime obsession, but also her paranoia ([07:17]).

3. Media Sensationalism & Popular True Crime Cases

• They discuss how the public's fascination with high-profile cases (“the whole devastating Nancy Guthrie thing,” [09:15]) sometimes turns family trauma into entertainment.
  • [10:28] Mike: "Imagine being... your trauma has now become people’s entertainment."
  • [10:29] Jenn: "It's sad…if you really put a label on it, we are consuming this content."

4. Designer vs. Civilian — A Q&A Game

Framing the Challenge

• Jenn asserts this episode will be a "Designer vs. Civilian" theme, with Mike representing the everyman’s perspective ([11:43]).
• Mike claims, jokingly, his AI image edits make him “a designer” now ([11:54]).

Name Origins and TV Production Realities

• Jenn reveals inside scoop about “No Demo Reno” — misconceptions about the show’s name and actual demolition moments.
  • [12:29] Jenn: "As you know, I was on a design TV show... No Demo Reno."
  • "You drop the sledgehammer, and in the next scene—smash, y’all." ([13:19])

Design Trends Mike Secretly Hated

• [15:30] Jenn: "What design trend did you secretly hate...?"
  • Mike cites initial skepticism about terracotta hex tiles at the Jardines’ house, but admits he came around when he saw it ([16:04]).
  • He questions the cost-effectiveness of “zellige tile” — "you're paying for the brand, but you're also paying for that look that you can't emulate" ([17:04]).
  • Both agree the “all-white everything” trend became repetitive and uninspiring:
    • [19:09] Mike: "Every client...I want all white everything."
    • Jenn recounts how finding clients willing to embrace color was "like searching for a needle in a haystack." ([21:00])

Copying in Design

• Discussion about “copying” vs. “taking inspiration” in the design world:
  • [21:35] Jenn: "It's just copying something that you see...It's taking inspiration and then changing things."

Pretending for the Cameras

• Jenn explains how she pushed for more authenticity during production, insisting her reactions to design reveals be genuine, not staged ([24:08]).
• Both agree minor fixes happened post-filming, but outright pretending never occurred.

Judgment and Design Choices

• Mike jokes about judging people for saloon door bathrooms or stripper poles in houses—
  • [26:30] Mike: "You do you. The stripper pole in a house...If you had kids and it’s in your bedroom...that’s the question mark."
• Jenn spots “live, laugh, love” farmhouse signs and frilly valances as her own silent judgment triggers.
  • [29:11] Jenn: "If I had to cast judgment on one thing...live laugh...We gotta take this live laugh out. Instant date back to 2015."
• They discuss changing design norms by age and time, noting what was once “high end” is now outdated ([32:40]).

Aesthetics vs. Comfort

• Mike admits he once preferred “rooms to go” sets but now appreciates curated, mismatched pieces.
  • [31:34] Mike: "Early on...I was the guy who would have gone to Rooms to Go and just bought a room. Looks good out of a box...And you were...Into a flea market...nothing goes together."
• Both value comfort and aesthetics, but Jenn emphasizes “every room being used daily” ([43:52]).

Compromises, Pet Peeves, and Regrets

• Mike reveals he tolerates not having a golf simulator in the playroom and dislikes an awkward staircase placement ([36:02]).
• Jenn’s main regret is lacking a storage closet for her office.

HOA, Property Taxes, Home Ownership

• A playful but real exchange on whether anyone truly owns their home given taxes:
  • [37:40] Mike: "There's something amazing about HOAs...but it's like, this is my house, it's my land, I own this...why is everyone telling me what to do?"

Generational and Personal Tastes

• The couple reflects on how their upbringings and family histories influence their current tastes and flexibility in design.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On authenticity in TV production:

  • Jenn: "I want to come in cold. I want you to film the cameras, and I want to see this stuff for the first time, because that's not acting then that's authentic." [24:08]

• On design fads:

  • Jenn: "Live laugh...We gotta take this live laugh out. Instant date back to 2015." [29:11]

• On copy vs. inspiration:

  • Jenn: "It's just copying something that you see... It's taking inspiration and then changing things." [21:35]

• Mike on design evolution:

  • "Early on...I would have gone to Rooms to Go and just bought a room... Now I like it. Having things that are cousins is better than everything matching." [31:34]

• On marriage and compromise:

  • Mike: "I wanted a golf simulator in our playroom...I was told no and I'm still salty about it." [35:24]

Fun & Lighthearted Segments

Improv Game: Pitching a Fake HGTV Show

• Jenn and Mike create a fake TV show "WOW" with a guest designer named Gary, joking about the absurd timeslot (“2am on Wednesdays”) and premise.
  • [41:27] Jenn (deadpan): "Tune in and watch WOW, a new HGTV series at 2am on Wednesdays."
  • Mike: "We do everything...except doghouses."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:10] – Catch-up and President’s Day/Washington’s Birthday banter
• [04:13] – Career daydreams and why Jenn wanted to be a cop or lawyer
• [07:17] – True crime, knowledge vs. entertainment, and fears
• [12:29] – Inside “No Demo Reno”: Real vs. Perceived demolition
• [15:30] – Mike’s least favorite design trends (terracotta, zellige, all-white rooms)
• [21:00] – How social media shaped design trends and casting
• [24:08] – Authenticity in reality TV and production process
• [26:30] – “Design choices I judge”: saloon bathroom doors, stripper poles
• [29:11] – Jenn’s design pet peeves: “live, laugh, love” signs, window valances
• [31:34] – Aesthetics vs. comfort, rooms-to-go vs. curating
• [35:24] – Design compromises: golf simulator vs. closet, family room use
• [36:02] – Most annoying spot in the house: stairs in the kitchen
• [37:40] – Home ownership, HOAs, and property taxes tangent
• [41:27] – Improv: “WOW” TV show segment
• [43:52] – Designing for daily life: multipurpose rooms
• [44:17] – Minor home regrets: kitchen nook and window seating

Recap & Flow

Jenn and Mike’s back-and-forth, marked by affectionate teasing and candid reflections, brings listeners inside their marriage and creative process. The episode is a celebration of design differences, the weirdness of trends, and finding compromise in both TV and home life. Throughout, the tone remains playful with frequent inside jokes and asides, making it accessible for fans and first-time listeners alike.

Looking Ahead

• Next week: They tease “Part 2” with more design debates and possibly a guest.
• Listeners are encouraged to send in their own questions or topic requests via email or voicemail.

For more insights and to suggest topics, email youmeandmikepodcast@gmail.com or leave a review on Apple Podcasts!