The Official Home of the Trading Spaces and Other Home Design Shows Addicts and Fans!

[Alice28]

I really liked that room in the mansion Edward did. I have to say that Hildi *tried* and it wasn't one of her worst rooms (the neon yellow and black dining room was one of my LEAST favorite rooms in TS history. YIKES). But that whole episode just made me uncomfortable; that isn't what Trading Spaces is about to me; obviously they can afford to do ANYTHING they wanted to do to their houses, and the one couple especially did NOT strike me as having a fun, adventuresome attitude. Why did they do it? I don't get it.

As I just mentioned I hated the black and yellow dining room Hildi did; my second least favorite of hers was the cardboard room. what a flipping nightmare those people must have had to get it off! The hay room----you know, I really liked that room except for the hay. The rest of the room was very nice; same with the feather room. Except for the stupid feathers, the room was very elegant. Same with the wine label kitchen!!! Actually, the wine labels was a neat idea, but WRONG couple to do it for!

I think everything Kia has done has not appealed to me; it never flows right for me, and quit it with the wallpaper borders. I thoroughly enjoy watching Frank but rarely do I LOVE his rooms- rarely do I hate them, but I'm usually just kinda neutral about them. But I get a kick when he is on cause he is so much fun and does have some good ideas.

Some of my favorites rooms- two of them are Laurie's- one was this season I think with the Poppy as the inspiration. What a gorgeous room. And the other was sometime in the last two seasons with the green horizontal stripes; I think the inspiration was a van Gogh print. I loved that room! In fact, thumbing through my TS episode guide book (got it for Christmas- fun thing to have!), there are a LOT of Laurie's rooms I like!

I love when Gen does kitchens; Vern too! And that yellow/gold living room Gen did (with textured walls) with black accents and the topiary- very, very beautiful room! And actually, something Doug did this season, I did for my bathroom. He put that vinyl tile sheeting up in a kitchen (I think it was New Orleans) and made it very bistro looking. The finish on the walls around my tub were chipping badly, & I wasn't sure about repainting them. So I decided to do what Doug did and put that vinyl tile up and it looks great!

I agree with whoever said that most of our favorite designers will be rotated out as their careers take off and then the show will kinda fizzle out. By the way, anyone else just think Joe is a hoot! (of TS Family) It took me a LONG time to like Evan, Teresa's replacement on while you were out, so I assumed Joe might be in the same league. But no! I like Joe and Paige just about the same- both very likeable, fun and cute!

 

[pjlla]

Yes, Joe is a hoot. I had no trouble adjusting to Evan Farmer, the replacement for Teresa Strausser. But does anyone else remember who started on WYWO..... Anna Bocci..... I couldn't stand her!!! I almost didn't watch the show because of her. But fortunately she didn't last long! I have seen her in a few commercials recently.

And did anyone else notice that there is a new host on Clean Sweep? What happened to Stacy Dutton? This new girls name is Tava Smiley or something like that. She seems okay.

Is it the producers that keep changing the hosts, or do the hosts get a little bit famous and try to move on to greener pastures??
..............................P

 

[KrnB]

I agree that Hildi can do really nice rooms if she's not trying to be..uh..overly creative. Same thing with Doug.

Kia drives me crazy too - too many "theme" rooms, and the wallpaper borders are awful!

I also agree the Gen does the best kitchens!

As far as the hosts, I used to find Paige really annoying, but I eventually realized that she really is that perky and that it was really cute.

Joe really is a cutie, but I think he was easier to accept because he wasn't a replacement for Paige. He also is a perfect host to work with kids because he relates to them really well - not that Paige couldn't do that too, but he's just one of the kids when he's around them.

Poor Evan had to replace Teresa on WYWO, who was a really hard act to follow because she was awesome. She really had her own personality that she inflected into her job, and I think for a while, Evan was trying to mirror that. He seems to have found his own style (the dorky hunk) and is far more comfortable with what he is doing now. I like him a lot more now than I did at first.

The host of In A Fix, Mark, is a complete dork and he sometimes irritates me, but most of the time he's funny. One of the things I like about that show is how they explain what they are doing or give tips so that you can do some of it at home (or know what safety things to watch out for). The Aussie carpenter does that a little too much though. I fast-forward through some of his stuff. But as a whole, they do some impressive work. I can't believe the state that some of those houses are in - I can't see either DH or I ever letting a place get that bad.

 

[KrnB]

Originally posted by pjlla
And did anyone else notice that there is a new host on Clean Sweep? What happened to Stacy Dutton? This new girls name is Tava Smiley or something like that. She seems okay.

Stacy is still on some of the new episodes, so I'm wondering if they are just trying to do more episodes and give the regulars a break from time to time - although Eric the carpenter is always on. Maybe Stacy is switching to part time? The new girl, Tava, seems OK, but she's almost too much of a mirror of Stacy.

I know that Teresa left WYWO because she didn't want to travel so much. She mentioned that on her website http://www.teresastrasser.com/ (here's the specific page where she talks about her choice to leave , but the rest of the site has some interesting stuff too - she's a talented writer)

 

[castlegazer]

Anna Bocci was tres terreeeeeblah. She also almost made us give up on the show. Must be the producers figured that one out pretty quick.

I felt the same way about Evan replacing Teresa - we missed her so much during that first season but yeah, recently Evan has developed a style I really like. And now I think I may be going over board on that obsession

How old is he? Am I broaching a felony here?

As for hosts leaving the show, I am pretty sure the Anna Bocci thing was deliberate and she was asked to go, but Teresa as said above left of her own accord as did Alex supposedly.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Remember the artificial flower bath room? I would have been REALLY ticked if that had been my bathroom! Imagine all the staple holes! I don't think Hildi has done Saran Wrap walls yet, so I suppose she could do that. Or how about tin foil?

 

[WeirdEyes]

I'm with all of you! I am totally addicted to these shows. TLC stays on in my bedroom all weekend long..well except for Fox News from time-to-time. I love Laurie, Edward, Gen & most of Frank's designs. I like some of Doug's...that prison room was more hideous than ANYTHING Hildi has done. I just can't stand Hildi..period. Don't like her personality OR any of her rooms. I sure do miss Vern!

I LOVE Monster House! Even my DS watches that one with me. BTW, DH told me the other day to NOT EVEN think about applying to be on TLC. I told him not to worry cause there aren't any of my neighbors that I trust to design my house.....I mean I've seen their houses. Boring colors, boring accessories, etc. I live in a very new neighborhood and all of our houses are under 4 years old. I wasn't afraid to use color when we built. My neighbors all have the same taupe paint on EVERY wall in their house....all of them! I sound like a decorating snob, don't I?

 

[AZKathy]

Did you notice on the mansion episode, that Hildi did not do any of her wild plans such as flowers, cardboard, etc for them? She did that foil stuff which looked terrible, but I don't think she intended it looking so bad. Oh...her fabric was all the way from Paris, also! I was looking forward to seeing something really stupid like what Hildi normally does for their dining room, but she would not dare do something like that to those millionares, would she? Their dining room furniture probably cost more than my home furnishings did!!!!!!!!!<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_1_102.gif' border=0></a>

 

[JohnMouse]

....I really began watching Trading Spaces(the original) after I found out that Paige was in the tour of Beauty and the Beast as the feather duster Babette. I think she could have made a nice Belle though. She does seem like a real honey.

My 4 favorite TS episodes are:

1. Orlando: Whisper Lakes, with the 'B-roll' footage from WDW.

2.Las Vegas: Smokemont Court, featuring homeowner Jessie who hated brown; when she saw what her neighbors and Laurie did to her room, she went ballistic and stomped off camera. A hoot!

3. Los Angeles: Elm Street, where Andy Dick and Sara Rue from 'Less Than Perfect' traded rooms. "I'm gonna take a quick five."

4. Pennsylvania: Tremont Drive. This episode was taped about a mile away from where I live-I didn't know this at the time, but then I read Paige's book and she mentioned it was in Downingtown. This is the one where this one homeowner's son was a Flyers fan and Genevive redesigned his room.

I understand Trading Spaces: Boys vs Girls(on NBC Saturday mornings) recently did an episode in these parts. I saw it once....Diane is cute too.

 

[torismom]

I enjoy Trading Spaces, Clean Sweep and Double Agents on Discovery. Forgot to mention Monster House, LOVE IT!

I have enjoyed Christy's work lately. Her kitchen's have been awesome imho.

 

[janette]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
Remember the artificial flower bath room? I would have been REALLY ticked if that had been my bathroom! Imagine all the staple holes! I don't think Hildi has done Saran Wrap walls yet, so I suppose she could do that. Or how about tin foil?

She put tin foil on a ceiling once, in the Indian type bedroom she did.

 

[Alice28]

Originally posted by torismom
I enjoy Trading Spaces, Clean Sweep and Double Agents on Discovery. Forgot to mention Monster House, LOVE IT!

I have enjoyed Christy's work lately. Her kitchen's have been awesome imho.

I agree Christy's kitchen's have been GREAT!

And to the post previous to this----that homeowner with the brown room was nutsy! I cannot believe how much she wigged out!

 

[AZKathy]

Originally posted by Alice28
I agree Christy's kitchen's have been GREAT!

And to the post previous to this----that homeowner with the brown room was nutsy! I cannot believe how much she wigged out!

That wigging out was unacceptable behaviour! Wasn't this the lady that started to physically fight with the other home owner? <a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_9_137.gif' border=0></a>That was terrible!

 

[MeanLaureen]

OMG... Brown Jessie. If I lived near that woman I would put the house up for sale. She was annoying all through the episode. Even Edward looked like he was trying to avoid her! LOL Her poor husband - what did she call him at one time.. lephrauchan boy?

Diane - Doug was here at a home show and said the same thing about Vern - maybe not as tactfully as Frank . It was pretty obvious that Vern wasn't sticking to the $1000 part of the game. The price of that wood veneer wallpaper he used in one episode cost almost his entire budget -PLUS he got them new Pottery Barn couches? Umm.. okay. Nice for the people that received the room but unfair to the other team.

We are redoing or house one room at a time. When I'm unsure about a design decision I've made I ask Matt if it's "Hildious"

Now Laurie... this chick is the epitomy of dramatic. With every little thing that goes wrong she goes into an act like the world was ending. Then they do a close up of her with her eyes bugging out and her bright lipstick..lmao...too funny.

 

[piglet too]

All I can say about the whole Vern thing is that he of course denies it. He has his own website with a chat area and posts there himself. (Only went there once, but thats what I learned.) He also says he will be on this season and then will have his own show on NBC I think. I tend to believe what all the otheres are saying as it has been said by several of the designers. I think it is a real shame if it is true. That is totally unfair to both homeowners really.

 

[TalkisCheap]

I was wondering looking back at Hildi's designs and your post for "Hildi's next creative room idea"...Anyone ever watched Kitty Bartholomew's show on HGTV, or used to be, and noticed that half the stuff you guys have mentioned for Hildi to do, KITTY HAS DONE?!?!?!?! She has actually covered a whole room in Bubble Wrap....said it was "A fun party idea"...I said it was ugly!!! LoL!


-Caroline

 

[MeanLaureen]

She actually did bubble wrap??? Was it put up as a permanent decoration or just for a party?

One time at work I got some stuff in that was wrapped in big long sheets of the big bubble bubble wrap. I took them home and put them down the hallway going to the bedrooms and called my dogs - they LOVE to race down the hall as fast as they can. Well you should have heard it. Sounded like 5 machine guns going off. One dog (Toby, who I lost last oct. ) thought it was the most fun thing and ran up and down the hall for 15 minutes popping the bubbles

Did anyone catch Clean Sweep last night at 9? OMG was that woman a pack rat or what?

She was so getting on my nerves sitting on that chair and pointing at things with that stick going "keep keep keep keep keep". I know they said she had surgery but couldn't she at least carry light things like stuffed animals?

I was sure Peter was going to have a cow when he saw the keep pile..lol

What did you guys think of the room colors? I was skeptical of the purpley color at first but it grew on me at the end. I would't use it in my house - or that kind of decor but it was an improvement over the room to begin with. The craft room though... omg - that thing was so bright you don't even need a lamp in there! yikes! I don't think I could be creative in a room that horribly bright yellow and orange.

 

[Galahad]

Have you all seen the outtakes from season two of Trading Spaces. They're a hoot. Here's the link:

Outtakes

 

[KrnB]

Originally posted by MeanLaureen
Did anyone catch Clean Sweep last night at 9? OMG was that woman a pack rat or what?

I haven't watched it yet because I had to watch West Wing. I'll have to watch the recording of that tonight. She looked like a real snot in the promos.

There are a lot of times where the organizers look like they want to throttle the home owners for putting up such a stink about getting rid of their junk. Like someone said earlier, why'd they sign up if they don't want to get rid of anything?

 

[pjlla]

I agree.... she totally wasn't in the right mind set to do a "Clean Sweep".... she was reluctant to part with ANYTHING!!

For the first time I can honestly say I DISLIKED a room on CS after it was done. I liked that designer (Valerie?), but I really disliked the bedroom. The walls were purple and the fabric was blue.... plus I dislike red anyhow, so I didnt' like that addition. I think the idea was good, just didn't like the fabrics/colors chosen to execute it. Plus I would be whacking those candle holders with my arms in the middle of the night!!.........................P