St. Cloud’s Barbie house vies for HGTV’s ‘Ugliest House in America’ crown

With its teal exterior and very pink interior, it became a Zillow Gone Wild viral sensation when it was offered for sale in 2022. Now the St. Cloud house, known as the Barbie house, is back on the national stage.

The two-story house built in 1940 became a semifinalist in the Monday night episode of HGTV’s “Ugliest House in America.”

When walking through the 2,000-square-foot home, the show’s host, the comedian and actress Retta (NBC’s “Parks and Rec” and “Good Girls”), had this first impression: “It is … pink!” she exclaimed. “It’s tight, it’s claustrophobic, it feels heavy. …there is a lot of personality in there.”

After further assessment, Retta likened the house with cinder block walls, low ceilings and concrete floors to “a jail cell.” She had an equally strong reaction to the kitchen with pink countertops and cabinets – and other interesting features, such as a pull-out ironing board, an oven stacked atop a dishwasher and a mail slot located just above the kitchen counter. A whimsical, carnival-themed bathroom with low ceilings also left a strong impression.

“In terms of function, the kitchen doesn’t work for full-grown humans. Neither does the bathroom for that matter,” she concluded.

In the HGTV episode, the couple who now own the house (identified only as Joe and Jack) revealed they purchased it sight unseen when they decided to move back to the town where Joe grew up.

They said they were drawn to the house because they were looking for something unique and special. Once they moved in, they found others agreed it was like no other.

“We’ve got people rolling down their windows [as they drive by] saying, ‘We love your weird house,’ " Joe said.

As they settled in, they started to find quirks such as the low ceilings, exposed concrete walls and corner-to-corner pink (all in varying hues) in main gathering spaces overwhelming.

Being named the Ugliest House in America might seem like a diss. But there’s a strong incentive to win the title in this light-hearted series.

During the season, Retta travels the country and takes viewers inside the homes of three semifinalists in five regions, the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northern and Northeast. At the end of each show, one home is chosen to advance to the finals. From the five finalists, one will be declared the Season 5 Ugliest House in America and receive a $150,000 dream home renovation from HGTV interior designer Alison Victoria during the May 20 finale.

Competition in our neck of the woods, the Northern region, was fierce in the show, which aired Monday night. Two other homes, both in Wisconsin, were also vying for the title. There was a dark and gloomy, castle-like house in Hartford, complete with rock walls and concrete furniture, plus a Lake Geneva home with wallpaper and plaid carpeting — even in the kitchen.

[Spoiler alert: Stop reading now if you don’t want to know how the show ended.]

After assessing the homes, Retta called the St. Cloud couple and broke the news: “You do indeed have the ugliest house in the Northern region,” she told them.

For the couple, being named the worst was the best.

“This is amazing, amazing news. We are so excited,” Jack declared.

Info: The “Ugliest House in America” Season 5 finale airs at 8 p.m. May 20 on HGTV. The season can be streamed on Max, available the same days and times HGTV episodes are released.