Yes, ‘How to Build a Sex Room’ Is a Real Show on Netflix and Yes, It’s Really Good

For those of us who have spent entire afternoons bingeing episodes of HGTV reality shows, we're well aware of how easy it is to catch the home decor bug. However, we've never seen a show quite like How to Build a Sex Room, which premiered on Netflix on July 8. The gist is that luxury interior designer Melanie Rose helps 12 different couples to create a room where they can explore all their sexual fantasies, leaving any shame at the door.

In PureWow's entertainment podcast, Stream On, VP of News and Entertainment, Phil Mutz, revealed he was a huge fan of the series. “It's really fun,” he said. “[These rooms] really are works of art.”

Couples on the show ask for everything from a sex dungeon to merely a bedroom with a more sensual feel (seductive bedroom trend, we're looking at you), and the format of the show feels completely fresh. “I feel like [Rose] is really helping the couples,” Mutz added. “There's like the home reno aspect of the show, but there's also the sex therapy aspect to the show too. Some of the couples go to workshops and they really learn about each other...It's not just a renovation show.”

The host certainly adds to the charm of the show, with Mutz noting, “She's so cute...she looks like she's gonna be giving you Super Nanny in her vibes, but she's not at all. At one point, she was [even] getting flogged with one of the sex toys.” Managing Editor of Branded Content, Rachel Gulmi, jokingly added, “She's like Mary Poppins but with sex toys.”

All in all, the series offers an interesting and sex-positive spin on the typical home renovation show. “What I really like about it is that it feels like it's addressing sex stigmas,” Mutz stated. “It's basically being like: ‘Why are we so afraid to talk about these things?’”