"Trading Spaces"

I had to make myself stop watching it -- I was glued to the TV during the marathons! I got some *awesome* ideas though. My hubby and I bought our first house five months ago, and I'm still using ideas from Trading Spaces in it. My favorite designer on the show is Vern -- I don't think I've ever seen him do anything bad.

Welcome to A2K, by the way!

welcome from an ex P chemist. I think that show is a hoot whenever the whole project misses the owners expectations. Some of the ideas they get are real trailer chic.

I not only watch the American version, but the Canadian - The Decorating Challenge and the British - Changing Places.
I'm addicted too.
If I were to have my home decorated I would choose Vern too.
I also like almost everything Geniveve does as well.
I would have to kill Frank if his kitch if he came anywhere near me. euch.
What's with Kia and wall paper borders?

Ceili

see now thats waaay too much stuff that somebody should know

Farmerman, do I detect a bit of addict's repression/denial here?

My daughter and I love to watch all the "Trading Spaces type shows--and I like Curb Appeal, too.

Vern reigns, but I also like the red-headed girl--(blocking on her name...)

I would throw a bucket of paint on anyone, who thought it was ok to paint a picture on my wall!!! Hildy had a soccer team painting her likeness on someone's wall!!!? IS SHE CRAZY?? I severely dislike most everything Frank does.

Who is the long-haired guy on the Brit show? Either I HATE his stuff, or I LOVE it. The Brit show is better, because people get really upset at a lot of their rooms. People have cried or cursed. In America, they smile and paint over it later.

I love it I love it I love it. I've loved it from the beginning, and am still mad at Alex for "going on to better things." HA! Trading Spaces is now way bigger than stupid stupid Joe Millionaire, which she was shunted off of at the end by my pal Mark Walberg (I actually know him) anyway. I've never warmed up to Paige, with her manic grinning and just slightly OFF-ness.

I DO really really like Teresa Strasser, though, so While You Were Out is now competing with Trading Spaces for my affections.

I just watched a show where some big-haired Texas gal stood up to Hildi, which was great. Hildi wanted to dye the beige carpet orange. Yeah, that'd work. This gal totally stuck to her guns without being passive-aggressive or aggressive-aggressive, just, no, uh-uh, ain't gonna happen.

I love Frank's personality but he's way too frilly. Gen has some good ideas, some lousy ideas, but I like her too. (Another Minneapolis girl, I think she's a bit younger than me though -- I still keep thinking I know her from somewhere.) Vern definitely has the best taste and work ethic... I know he's sometimes too too tasteful/ matchy, but I like him. Laurie (redhead) sometimes has gorgeous ideas, especially in terms of fabrics/ colors. Doug... gawd he's a freak. Recently watched a rerun of that foot episode. A woman had foot phobia and he had a giant portrait of his foot painted. It was UG-LY. But while that was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, his apparently serious attempt at stencilling the walls also sucked, big-time. He's not the brightest bulb in the chandelier.

Yeah, I like Kia but have not been converted to borders or her whole 80's kitsch thing. That's actually cool? I haven't seen the new guy yet, the one who looks vaguely like Dracula and used to be in charge of sewing.

Anyway, I never watch TV anymore, and this is the one thing I watch with any regularity. It's like a granola bar -- it's junk food, but you can convince yourself it's healthy. It's really just a mixure of "Law and Order" (one hour self-contained storyline), soaps (intrigue! super close-ups of heightened emotions! tears! laughter!), and educational TV (always rub WITH the grain while staining.) I love it.

Oh and I haven't mentioned Ty and Amy Wynn! I've drooled over Ty here enough, but I also really like Amy Wynn and how she's capable and funny and still sexy. (I like Ty, E.G. likes Amy Wynn.)

First of all, I'm sorry for putting this in the wrong forum... second, thanks for the welcome

I like Paige since she was on there when I first started watching the show... so I'm used to her.

Hildy is nuts, and I, too, loved the show where the amateur decorator from TX stood up to her about DYING THE CARPET, lol, *ugh, what in the world was she thinking??? "Everyone in America knows I can do whatever I want to that carpet!" ha ha I remember on the Daily Show (Comedy Central) where the main guy was being interviewed, and John Stewart was remarking on Hildy trying to cover someone's walls with hay. Cracked me up!

The red headed girl, with the southern accent, really comes up with some classy stuff.

I like all the shows like this... I want to do stuff to my house, but I spend too much time watching this show, lol.

I saw a Russian talk show interviewing the head of their version of "Trading Spaces" and it was just the same. Russians are easy to please here though, just throw wild colors everywhere and they're happy with it. And yes, the show was in Russian. Very cool.

I would like to take this opprtunity to complain BITTERLY about Hildy. Why does she feel Amy Winn is her personal slave??? She paints her portrait on people's walls, stands around gabbing and has poor Amy Winn making five pieces of furniture!!! Doesn't she care that OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT NEED FURNITURE MADE??? Even though Frank is a goofy decorator, he IS thoughtful.

Diatribe is over.

CHEMIST!! Another welcome to you!!

Thanks Sofia

Yeah, I don't really like Hildy. She always does odd things, as though she's addicted to gluing things on walls. I don't like that. She did a room in fuscia and grey in a quadrant... ugliest thing I have EVER seen. I didn't see the one where she wanted to glue hay on the walls, then again, maybe John Stewart was making that up. I just don't like her attitude.

Frank rarely does anything I like... to artsy craftsy. I like class. I still get good ideas on materials and colors though. But if I see any more pink and green in the same room, I'm going to have to file a complaint, ha ha.

Vern is not human.
He has three degrees and only sleeps about two hours a night.

However, if I were not human, I would like to be a Vern.

Maybe if we all sent in a request--the show would showcase the other decorators and carpenters doing an intervention on Hildy.

Hahahaha! Yes, precisely.

(And WELCOME, chemist!!)

A quick snooty Vern-ish aside -- since I watch the show with captions, I know the real spellings. Hildi and Amy Wynn.

Hildi has had some good rooms -- she did a kitchen with an interesting abstract-ish floral stencil and really nice colors that I liked.

The hay thing really happened!!! It was definitely a show that I watched through my fingers. No captions for that one (I have been in ongoing friendly communication with TLC people about that, from about the 3rd episode when they were new and had time for these things, and captioning is still way spotty, but some captionless episodes I watch anyway) so I don't know exactly what the reaction was, but it wasn't good. It was for a lesbian couple with young kids, and throughout I kept thinking what are the kids going to do with the hay??? They will at LEAST pull it off the walls, if not eat it. Blech. REALLY bad idea, worse than Gen's moss wall even, which was at least a little part of a larger OK room. The hay was EVERYWHERE. Ewwwwwwwwww...

I like Vern, actually.. I like everyone except Hildy, lol I didn't even realise that until I started this thread.

I'm also not a big fan of the family show, mainly because it seems to go slower for some reason. I love kids, don't get me wrong... its still a great show, though.

What kind of reaction did the hay wall get? Glazed over smile, through clenched teeth--maniacal laughter?...

Well, from what John Stewart said, the couple tried to explain to Hildy/Hilda that they had children and the children would eat the hay... something to that effect.

Who glues hay to the wall anyway?!?!?!

ok ok ok , I admit freely that I dont like the show as much as you seem to. There is a broad line between "I like the show" and "I obsess over the show".
I usually have it on because why, ? I cannot believe that somebody has not decked some of those people doing the" make overs"
I remeber one where they got working on a painted over Arts and Crafts bungalow, and instead of revealing its hidden class, they totally f----d up this gorgeous little place with crappy crayola colors and stupid stick made schlocky furniture, and topped it off with walls covered with drapes that made the whole place look like Morticias room,.

Fist fights would make it alot more realistic...
which is why I like the British show.

"This is utterly horrid!" "It looks like a cow exploded in here!"
That is reality. One woman just sat down and cried, and her husband explained how he would rip it all out the next day.