Trading In Trading Spaces - When the Facelift Flops, The Homeowners Take Action

Washington Post ^ | 5/29/03 | Annie Groer

[Chancellor Palpatine]

The instant she opened her eyes -- after two grueling days and nights of giving her neighbors' kitchen a facelift -- Ruth Nelson was stunned by her own tarted-up Alexandria living and dining rooms. "I love it," she blurted as TV cameras recorded the moment.

Trouble was, she didn't.

A wall, once eggshell, was painted four-alarm scarlet. Two print sofas were obscured under hastily made off-white slipcovers with exposed seams stitched in black and red. A poster-size photo of her teenage son, Chris, showed only his chin; another just part of the family cat. Also baffling were 24 fluttering gold and silver paper squares pinned like insect specimens to said red wall.

Designer Genevieve Gorder, a regular on "Trading Spaces," the wildly popular TV decorating show, called the look edgy on the episode that aired in November 2000.

[Incorrigible]

In the development I'm in, I've seen the same model house clad in standard Vinyl siding but I can't say I'm impressed.  The houses were designed to be "modern" looking.  Very similar to this one:

If I wasn't in a rush to get out of where I used to live (long story for another time) I probably would not have purchased the house I moved into.

I've been looking into Fiber Cement Siding.  Any thoughts on this? 

[martin_fierro]

Michael might be a flaming poofter (who knows?), but I've come to like his show.

THIS guy, OTOH, is like nails on a chalkboard:

[Lil'freeper]

He does good work, but you've gotta get used to all his flitting around.

Good call. I didn't care much for that grey living room with the white molding 'picture frames' in which the wifey painted those murals (were they twigs?). Blech.

[Howlin]

What is T111?

[Miss Marple]

I like "designing for the Sexes," too. This often happened to me when I sold furniture, years ago. A newly married couple would come in wanting to buy living room furniture. She would want flowers, chintz, color...he would want black leather accented with acid green and chrome. Ha!

For the British version of this program (which I often watch) on BBC, go to their site to see Before/After and show schedules:

Changing Rooms

Here's one set of before and after, for a church meeting room in Manchester:

Who re-did that church...could it be...oh, I don't know, maybe SATAN?

And for the tackiest transformation of any living room I have seen on this show, get a load of THIS:

[Lil'freeper]

Cwistophhhher may be irritating, but that 7-layers formula is both effective and do-able.

[RMDupree]

Don't you be messin' wit Christopher Lowell!!

I'll enter you in the Burlington Coat Factory Sweepstakes so he'll come to YOUR house! LOL!

[Floratina]

I understand what he was going for - and it would have been neat had the metal all been in one piece as opposed to jagged shards. In the end, it just looked cheap. The bench boxes sucked as seating (they whould have left the wicker and painted it), and the faux sheepskins really jumped the shark.

You nailed it re: Doug's Martini Bar/ Patio. Man, that room sucked. What did they call the couch? A "banquette" or somesuch? It looked SOO uncomfortable. I think a couch with some kind on back on it that a guest can just sort of slouch into as they schmooze with their drink would be comfy and accomodating. Of course they don't have to slouch, but the couch they were left with denied them the option. Those boxes with the cheesy little cushions on top looked mighty uncomfortable. The sheepskin? The crappy metal on the bar? What the...?

[Incorrigible]

T-111 siding looks like this:

[honeygrl]

"The show is great fun to watch, but most of the "makeovers" are cr*p. The obsession with bizarro colored paint, and cheap fabric covering EVERYTHING is a bit odd. And the attempts at "art" usually come up short."

My mom has painted one of her rooms midnight blue (it's a big rooms with plenty of natural light and a bay window) and put in navy blue carpet. It's bold but looks nice. I've tried to talk her into going through each room of the house and do a red wall/carpet room, yellow room, green room, orange room, purple, etc. It would be really different but definitely a conversation starter. Also I just think it would sound cool to say in a snooty voice "Let's go to the blue room." Or "Let's have some tea in the red room." I have odd tastes in everything though.

[RMDupree]

That church makeover is downright hideous!! Did it include the goats to sacrifice?

As for the plastic chaise lounge chair, all I can say is EEEEEKKK!

[martin_fierro]

I think it'd be fun to take Michael Payne out drinking.

Have a feeling that after a few Gin & Tonics he'd get as giddy and giggly as a schoolgirl. <|:)~

[Future Snake Eater]

Yeah, but Doug made up for it by stapling alimunum(sp?) all over the bar and what was that purple lighting all about?

It reminded me of a bar in "Miami Vice." I'd like to know what was up with those sheep skins! Talk about crappy!

[RMDupree]

Yeah, and if you get him drunk enough maybe he'd tell you tales of bad taste he had to put up with!

[Howlin]

Is it fir that is painted?

[Dead Dog]

I don't have any experience with it. Although, from what I've read and heard, it is great stuff. Hardiplank is fairly popular around here, especially on the upperscale homes.

I'm kinda into the painted lap with cedar shake in the gables now. Although, it think it is a sin to paint cedar shake. The combination is a bit of a fad here in the North West, but it breaks up the "box" a bit.

Sometimes it works with contempos, usually it doesn't

This is very similar to what my fiance and I would like to build.

[RikaStrom]

That was Doug's design. He's a massive twerp.

[Incorrigible]

T1-11 Wood Siding Siding panel with ship lapped edges and parallel grooves Available sizes 3/8", 5/8" If you are looking for a specific plywood materials or grade and it is not listed, please call or stop by your local Carter Lumber store.

Just plywood.

[Howlin]

Thanks. I just wanted to make sure I didn't have that, but I just found out we have board and batten ???? I'm hoping that's a LOT better.......LOL.

[Dead Dog]

It's pressboard 4x8 sheets of varying degrees of nastyness that are intended to look like vertical lap. It's typical of 1970s and 1980s fake crap for the sake of being fake.