A few nights ago I was asked by a friend if I wanted to be on Trading Spaces, a TV show where they use one thousand dollars to ruin a room of your choosing. Call me cynical, but this article shows a lot of folks who were less than thrilled with the changes made to their dwelling places. One lady sold 99% of the additions at a yard sale. Another said she “absolutely hated the partitions and the color.” What boggles my mind is that both women said they would do it again. One even said the experience was a blast, right after saying how much she hated it. Strange.
I must admit, some of the complaints made me chuckle, but only because it didn’t happen to me. Susie Molnar expressed her distaste thusly: The red satin curtains chosen by designer Hildi Santo Tomas were better suited to a brothel, and the walls were the color of baby poop.
If you liked that one, you’ll love Jessie Stephens’ reaction who, after stating she didn’t want brown walls, entered a cocoa-walled room and wrestled her neighbor to the floor saying, “It is not funny, it is not funny.”
“I just kind of went a little crazy for a second,” she concedes.
I would argue that her crazed state lasted for more than a second. It started when she consented (or requested I should say) to have her home modified by a head-in-the-sky-baby-poop-color-liking-utility-lacking designer who thought it would be simply divine to foul up her house with the stench of their craft.
Then again, I could be wrong.
Hey, thanks for that link! I remember the episode with the “don’t you dare paint it brown” woman. People must be faking their reactions a lot of the time, because they seem to like it a lot more than that article would suggest.
Yup, just like the lady in the first paragraph who was lying when she said she loved it. Having 25% of the participants displeased with the results seems high, but it’s clear that the show doesn’t mind having people upset. The article even said, “the show hardly seems to be about what homeowners want. It is about what the designers — and to a far lesser degree, their neighbors — want for them.”
After all, “Controversy makes good TV.”
You know what this means? You will have a 75% chance of enjoying your newly decorated room. What do you say? Lets do it!
Yeah but it also means I have a one in four chance of not liking it.
I used to watch Trading Spaces. I quit because 1) the 2 new designers added last season are awful 2) Paige Davis is obnoxious. I think I would seriously dislike her if she was my co-worker or neighbor.
That said, if I was ever on the show (which I wouldn’t be but IF I was),I would would Vern to decorate my place and I would want to work with Frank.
Ooops. A little trigger happy on the posting button. Sorry.
I removed the second comment. Yet another benefit of Movable Type (although I would imagine you can edit and remove comments with Haloscan or SquawkBox too).
I just want to say.. I LOVE THIS SHOW!! anytime its on the tv i am watching it. Sometimes i dont like what they do but most of the time i love it. if i was on the show i wouldnt care who did my room and i dont think paige davis is obnoxious!!!
Lots of fun – not sure what buttons this show is pushing, but I enjoy it. Sometimes too scripted, but overall great entertainment.
If Paige Davis wasn’t the outgoing fun-loving person she was, the show would not be the success it is to this point…
By the way, what is the controversy with the picture of her in wallpaper I heard about this morning….If she is in trouble with the producers because of it, they probably have just begun loosing it and the ratings will start dropping without Paige. Believe it.
I don’t know about that. There are lots of people out there who are outgoing and funloving.
Bob Vila of This Old House had the same attitude about them needing him and did an ad for Sears in spite of the contract saying he couldn’t. They fired him and the show has continued successfully without him.
I love the show. But I would be scared to have them decorate a room of mine. I think Paige Davis is cute and all the designers have good looks or appear to have a great personality. I do agree with one other comment from this website. Altho I like Paige on the show, if she were my neighbor or I went to school with her I probably wouldn’t like her. She appears the former cheerleader type and I’m sure a little snooty. Doug is the only one that truly scares me. Very sarcastic.
FIRST, WHY ANYONE WOULD LET THESE DESIGNER WANT-TO BE’s, IN THEIR HOMES IS BEYOND ANYTHING SANE.
PERSONALLY, I THINK THEY NEED TO WATCH HGTV AND FIND OUT WHAT REAL DESIGNERS CAN DO WITH LESS MONEY. I AM STILL AT A LOSS OF UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHY ANYONE WOULD SIGN UP TO HAVE THESE UNTALENTED NO-BODIES COME TO THEIR HOMES AND MAKE THE HOMEOWNERS LOOK LIKE FOOLS FOR THE NETWORKS ENTERTAINMENT… WAKE UP PEOPLE,,, DO YOU NEED TO BE SEEN ON TV THAT BADLY?????
THE FUN OF THIS SHOW LEFT FOR ME WHEN I SAW A STATION THAT PUT RATINGS BEFORE RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SIGN UP FOR THIS SHOW AND GET TALKED DOWN TO LIKE THEY ARE MORONS…..I CHOOSE TO WATCH REDECORATING SHOWS THAT USE PROFESSIONALS AND NOT UNTALENTED JERKS.
This show really took off when Paige Davis came onboard! You talk about a stuckup “princes type” check out the former Host….she was afraid to get her nails dirty much less her hair messed up! Paige’s personality brought the entire group together….best thing for the show!!!!
Paige Davis is obnoxious. Obnoxious because she always has to be the center of attention. She’s like some kind of little dork pixie, or yellowjacket, not so attractive, but always in your face trying to prove she is.
Amen to that, David. One episode in particular, Paige was writhing around on the floor on top of some fabric like something out of a Whitesnake video. Pulease.
Yes, Renee, I saw that episode. I thought it was
like a perverted version of a lollipop kid, getting ready to break out in masterbation at any
moment. I am a fan of the show, but she makes me
cringe. She needs to go.
I think the show is amazing and i read paige davis book paige by paige and i was amazed. B she was On the New tevlivion Entertainment Review magazin jachoo
Amazed at what? that she can even spell, or do anything other than grind on a 2×4, and say times
up? Vanna White wrote a book too “Vanna Speaks”.
Yes Virgina, there is a Santa Claus, and wonders never cease. There are people that can do totally nothing and get rich for it.
will never watch the show if designer hildi is on. no taste, no class. can not believe what this show has become. i can not believe people allow her to ruin rooms, cheap flowers on the wall, cardboard. yuk. one thing to attempt toincrease viewing by advertising the stupidy, but there seems to be no limit. the show should perhaps be renamed how low can they go.
no longer a viewer
Well at least Paige Davis did not mention Hildi’s name before the rolling of the credits.
Ty’s bed was incredible, a final parting shot to his new digs at Extreme Makeovers.
I for one would love to have trading spaces come to my home…especially since they are coming for a 5 hour interview on Tuesday…the way that I look at it is I can have the time of my life…a once in a lifetime experiece to be on my favorite TV show. Even if I hate the room in the end…I was planning on redecorating anyway…so if it looks bad in the end…well, I will just continue with my plan and redecorate my room again…I think it will be a lot of fun.
Everyone to his/her own opinion. I love Trading
Spaces and everyone on it, especially Paige Davis and Frank. Sometimes the designs get a little wild, especially Hildi’s creations, but it is a fun, interesting show. It shows me that with a little imagination what could be done with $1,000 or less. They put on a good show and I will continue to be a fan as long as they are on the air.
I love the show. Vern is my favorite. Ty is exceptional. Hildi and the 2 new ones need to go.
I am a big fan of Carter and AmyWynn and especially Doug. The other castmembers are great too. Keep up the good work.
Right, so, Krista, did you after 5 hours, make it on the show?
You people are so unbleivable. You talk like you are a designer yourself. Are you? 90% of you are just wanting something to complain about. If you do not like the show why waste your time doing so. By the way, why are you even on this web page? I like the show some of the rooms can be a little to over whellming yes ,but who are you to judge. People have there on opions about what they like.
I agree with Samantha. People have seen the show enough to know what they are getting into. If you want a designer room you should have actually used your own money and hired someone…
I’ve been watching Trading Spaces for a while now and I do think it’s a fun show. I agree, some of the rooms are simply awful, but I also agree that people do know what they are getting into and those folks who are appalled at what their re-decorated room looks like should try and keep it together until the camera stops rolling! The funniest comment I have yet to hear was from the man and woman who specifically said they wanted their fire place left untouched, only to have Doug completely cover it with a wood facade and then paint it. When the couple opened their eyes, looked around the room, there was absolute silence for a few seconds, at which time the husband said, “Well, I see a lot of firewood”. This of course is the episode where the woman left the room crying hysterically. As much fun as it is to watch the show and the home owners reactions, I would only be willing to be on the show if I could choose the designer, and of course that doesn’t happen. Can you only imagine the absolute horror if you were chosen for the show only to find out your “designer” (?) was Hildi?? To open your eyes and find straw, cardboard or records stapled, glued, or screwed to your walls? I do wonder what she did before this show – is she really a trained designer? Surely not!
I love Samantha’s comment, ‘why are you even on this web page?’ Hello, Samantha… why are YOU here? Do you know what this page is? It’s Dan’s personal page, where he shares his opinions. This particular page expresses his opinion that the Trading Spaces designers are lousy. I’m not terribly fond of most of them myself, actually, but that’s beside the point.
Ahh, this thread is a source of endless entertainment. :)
If I had a choice of any of the designers it would be Vern. His taste seems to be more professional and appears to want to please his home owners. The times that I have seen his work it appears to be more professional and not the me, me, me especially like chicken, flower, record lady. How would she feel if someone did this to her house. Designer my a–. Very self-centered and for what?
Dear TLC,
I watch your show all the time and I get very good ideas from your show, but my question to you is why
is it that you never come to the hood and do a show. My freinds and I feel that you never come to places where people really need help. I thought that’s what the show is all about.
i really enjoyed vern but he is never on. the other designers are extremely horrible. I have watched pretty much every episode since day one but the only good designer was vern. hildy’s black and doug’s white rooms were so awful the the people hated them. I’m done watching after that episode and the show really has gone downhill.
i really enjoyed vern but he is never on. the other designers are extremely horrible. I have watched pretty much every episode since day one but the only good designer was vern. hildy’s black and doug’s white rooms were so awful the the people hated them. I’m done watching after that episode and the show really has gone downhill.
Please come to Coltons’ Pt Md and allow Vern to decorate my dream home. You asked where is Colton’s Pt MD? It is the birthplace of Md, of course. Vern is the only designer with style, on your show. Please come do a show from my home. My husband watches all the shows and he would be so surprised if Vern showed up or even answer his request. DO NOT SEND HILDY, the thought of Hildy would only give him grief.
Thats why I won’t hire them. I hate pink and most likely they would make my room pink. What losers those TS ppl are!:P
Since Paige was fired the show is not worth watching, I watched the
3 of the new shows without Paige, and they were disjointed, lacking in anything, the designers trying to emcee and then the carpenters also not good at narrating. yesterday I watched the one where Doug actually went and switched envelopes, to steal the $2000.00 to be used on the room he designed.
I won’t watch this pathetice show unless Paige is rehired, she was not made the show, her personality was well loved, and she liked to get her hands dirty and work with the people and designers, now you have home owners who have no direction from the beginning where they don’t exchange keys they run past each other and into the homes and then this is where it gets really boring, let the designers design and bring back Paige. big deal she offending producers with her antics in her private life, did any of you producers who fired her, even stop to think just how popluar she is, and that most likely you will kill the show within a year now. duh!!!!!!not once did you ask the viewers what they wanted.
Genevieve is so hot!!! I love that chick!
I watch your show every weekend and I like it,more when Frank is on but not with Hildy she never listens to what people like gust herself. I must say the last couple of shows I’ve see with her she has improved.I would like to get a chance to be on the show me friend and I would have fun and it would nice to have Frank do my house.