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.

[ozaukeemom]

I guess I was the only one that liked that room! lol I thought the woman was ridiculous! The fireplace wasn't touched. It was covered and easy to remove, unlike the flowered bathroom or the hay on the walls.
These people know they are going to get something off the wall and go on the show anyway. Their 15 minutes of fame can be costly, I guess! lol

[Timesink]

No that was the black haired woman who did the hay on the walls.

Genevieve did the moss. I don't know anything about any hay techniques.

[CougarGA7]

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 those rediculous tricked out Honda Civics with the purple lighted licence place covers.

[martin_fierro]

Yeah, I saw that episode too.

That was the show where it was 100+ degrees in the shade and Andrew Dan Jumbo had finally had it with all the ditzy broads yammering around him and snapped. Poor bastard.

I wasn't wild about the end product, either -- haven't seen much of that designer ever since.

[ethical]

They probably wouldnt kick you off, they'd never let you on. The only people who should participate are people who agree to what the show clearly stipulates: we do whatever we want, we are the designers. I can see being disappointed over an outcome but not mad, what right would anyone have to be mad? They agreed to it.

[Trust but Verify]

I have to agree with your post 100%. Must be a Wisconsin thing :)

[Timesink]

My fiance and I watch the show. If I my house was being redesigned I'd leave so many instructions they'd kick me off the show. Don't touch the walls, or the carpet. Or the furniture. No hanging fabric, and don't cover up my nice wooden furniture...and nothing to drastic with any fixtures...

The producers have said flat-out (in interviews, not on the web site application I don't think) that if you put a single caveat into your application - "you can't touch my fireplace", "you have to leave my favorite chair in the room", anything at all - your application goes straight into the trash.

[SaveTheChief]

It reminded me of those rediculous tricked out Honda Civics with the purple lighted licence place covers.

Nothing makes me laugh more than a five to ten year old Honda Civic tricked out with what must be several thousand dollars worth of modifications.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

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.

[Treebeard]

Did you see the one where the lady said "NO BROWN" and Laurie painted the damn room "cocoa" or something (brown)? The homeowner came inside and lost it. You could hear her saying "Oh f***!" over and over off camera.

Also, the show used to be somewhat kid friendly, but now they've opened up the eligibility list to cover "domestic partners", so if we watch those eps, we spend lots of time trying to explain the two swishy guys living together, or the butchy women. While You Were Out has started the domestic partners thing too.

I think the 'correct' internet way to refer to the hostess is MPDP, since her name is Mindy Paige Davis Page.

Kia should be shot on sight, and Hildy, Princess of Darkness, went over to insanity when she spray painted those nice couches hot pink.

[SJSAMPLE]

My wife forces me to watch this stuff, so I've probably seen every episode by now. Anyone remember the lady who opened her eyes, stared for a moment, and walked out of the room CRYING? Great stuff. They should do more of that. And what happened to the really hot brunette host? The redhead's OK, but the first host was SMOKIN!

[ozaukeemom]

LOL!
Funny thing is, I do get some neat ideas from the shows. Just like watching the FoodNetwork gives cooking ideas, sometimes TS has a glimmer of a realistic idea.
The web site is quite a trip to look at too.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

I can't remember if it was her or Genevieve who painted (!) flowers on a leather chair. As if paint doesn't flake off, and as if that didn't ruin it.

[Treebeard]

Ditzy blonde designer? Would that be "Chayce Dacoda?" I'm surprised Andrew and Leslie haven't nail gunned the rest of the cast.

[ethical]

Vern, Genevieve and Laurie are consistantly good. A few that Doug have done are great but it's scary, same with Hildy, sometimes she really pulls it off. The two of them just have a more adventurous approach to decorating.

[Treebeard]

I think that was Gen, who also designed an entire room around a Cuban cigar box, right down to a recreation of the label for a headboard.

[not_apathetic_anymore]

Pretty much sums up my feelings about the designers. At this point I think about the only room I'd let any of them in would be a redesign of a child's bedroom. But I'm not even sure about letting Doug Hildy or Laurie do those.

[JacksonCalhoun]

I'm ashamed to be a fan of the show that had Natalie Maines as a special guest celeb homeowner.

[Hatteras]

"The redhead's OK, but the first host was SMOKIN!"

Alex McLeod