Through the good and the bad this show always managed to have a good time. Some of the designs were downright gorgeous (anything by Genevieve/Laurie) and some hideous (Hildi). The homeowners were usually good people and good sports, which makes the show enjoyable to watch. And Paige is such a fun and engaging host. I've definitely gotten some design inspiration from this show!
38 Reviews
Great mix of design ideas and reality TV
dukestwinpack21 September 2002
It might take awhile for you to remember people's names (host Paige, designers Doug, Laurie, Vern, etc., carpenters Ty and Amy Wynn), but once you do you'll be hooked! Everyone pretty much knows the premise: neighbors/relatives/friends swap houses and, with the help of a carpenter and guidance from a designer, spend up to $1,000 redecorating one room. Oh yeah, and they have 2 days to accomplish this.
I don't know that I'd want these designers having free reign in my house, but there are lots of times I like bits 'n' pieces of their overall idea. I may not like that they're painting the kitchen orange, but I do like how they are growing bluegrass in little pots in the windowsill.
Also, it's great when the couples argue with the designers about changing stuff. Makes you wonder why they volunteered to be on the show in the first place if they wanted to keep it the exact same?
If you really end up liking the show, there's a website called Television Without Pity that re-tells each episode with their own snarky comments. It's hilarious and makes watching the episodes even more enjoyable.
I don't know that I'd want these designers having free reign in my house, but there are lots of times I like bits 'n' pieces of their overall idea. I may not like that they're painting the kitchen orange, but I do like how they are growing bluegrass in little pots in the windowsill.
Also, it's great when the couples argue with the designers about changing stuff. Makes you wonder why they volunteered to be on the show in the first place if they wanted to keep it the exact same?
If you really end up liking the show, there's a website called Television Without Pity that re-tells each episode with their own snarky comments. It's hilarious and makes watching the episodes even more enjoyable.
Definitely NOT "Changing Rooms"!
amcornelius741 August 2001
I started watching "Trading Spaces" before I stumbled onto "Changing Rooms" on BBCAmerica about a month later. Talk about a difference!
While the American version tries very hard to capture the charm of it's older British sister, it, more often than not, fails miserably. First off, the homeowners of the British version, from what I've seen, are much more willing to be part of the team with open minds and work very hard in making the room a masterpiece. More than once have I seen the Americans whine about working, staying up long hours to finish their "homework", and the designs involved. Generally, the Americans just seem like a huge pain in the behind to work with, but the designers sometimes don't make it any easier, bringing us to point number two.
While many of the designs in "Changing Rooms" may be a bit unusual but still livable in an approach to decorating, some of the design ideas of "Trading Spaces" are completely off the wall and off the mark. Hilda must GO, just for the simple fact that she cannot work well with the homeowners and argues with them until she gets her way, much like a small child. One episode comes to mind when she painted the walls of a fellow's bedroom black, which the neighbours already knew he would hate, and ripped up the carpet he loved. Needless to say, the homeowner was appalled at Hilda's vision, which she was warned about and apparently didn't seem to care. I'm not crazy about Doug's design ideas, either, and it's a trial to watch when him and Hilda are at the helm. Genevieve seems to be the only designer who is down to earth in her designs generally and we don't see her nearly enough.
The few bright spots of the programme have got to be Frank, an extremely flamboyant designer whose one-liners are usually better than his designs, and Amy, the female carpenter who doesn't take crap or guff from anyone on the show when it comes to her building for them.
While the American version tries very hard to capture the charm of it's older British sister, it, more often than not, fails miserably. First off, the homeowners of the British version, from what I've seen, are much more willing to be part of the team with open minds and work very hard in making the room a masterpiece. More than once have I seen the Americans whine about working, staying up long hours to finish their "homework", and the designs involved. Generally, the Americans just seem like a huge pain in the behind to work with, but the designers sometimes don't make it any easier, bringing us to point number two.
While many of the designs in "Changing Rooms" may be a bit unusual but still livable in an approach to decorating, some of the design ideas of "Trading Spaces" are completely off the wall and off the mark. Hilda must GO, just for the simple fact that she cannot work well with the homeowners and argues with them until she gets her way, much like a small child. One episode comes to mind when she painted the walls of a fellow's bedroom black, which the neighbours already knew he would hate, and ripped up the carpet he loved. Needless to say, the homeowner was appalled at Hilda's vision, which she was warned about and apparently didn't seem to care. I'm not crazy about Doug's design ideas, either, and it's a trial to watch when him and Hilda are at the helm. Genevieve seems to be the only designer who is down to earth in her designs generally and we don't see her nearly enough.
The few bright spots of the programme have got to be Frank, an extremely flamboyant designer whose one-liners are usually better than his designs, and Amy, the female carpenter who doesn't take crap or guff from anyone on the show when it comes to her building for them.
This is not "Learning"
crash2121 August 2005
TLC and the Discovery Channel used to only show their home and garden shows during the daytime on weekdays, then they would show their programs for intelligent people in the evening and on the weekends, this was tolerable. But Trading Spaces started a chain reaction that has basically destroyed the "Learning" factor in TLC.
I don't even understand why this show is so popular, all this show really is, is a few hippie abstract artists wasting a lot of money and materials to turn people's rooms into a bunch of hideous wasted space. Their remodeling jobs are a joke, they are so ugly, and such an inefficient use of the space. I don't understand why anyone would even want them to come near their house, let alone, invite them to remodel it.
To make things worse, in the end, what happens if the people whose homes they modified don't like what they did? They just wasted a lot of time, money, and materials, so a bunch of brain dead people can sit on their couch and watch a worthless TV show. They could do the same thing on a stupid TV set, and their viewers would never know the difference!
They might as well change the channel's name from "The Learning Channel" to something like HGTV, because TLC currently has nothing to do with learning. Maybe some day soon the owners of the Discovery networks will come to their senses and bring back their superior programming, because their viewers, or should I say "former viewers", really miss it. Thanks to this, all TLC stands for anymore is "Totally Lame Crap"
I don't even understand why this show is so popular, all this show really is, is a few hippie abstract artists wasting a lot of money and materials to turn people's rooms into a bunch of hideous wasted space. Their remodeling jobs are a joke, they are so ugly, and such an inefficient use of the space. I don't understand why anyone would even want them to come near their house, let alone, invite them to remodel it.
To make things worse, in the end, what happens if the people whose homes they modified don't like what they did? They just wasted a lot of time, money, and materials, so a bunch of brain dead people can sit on their couch and watch a worthless TV show. They could do the same thing on a stupid TV set, and their viewers would never know the difference!
They might as well change the channel's name from "The Learning Channel" to something like HGTV, because TLC currently has nothing to do with learning. Maybe some day soon the owners of the Discovery networks will come to their senses and bring back their superior programming, because their viewers, or should I say "former viewers", really miss it. Thanks to this, all TLC stands for anymore is "Totally Lame Crap"
A waste of money!
Fadwasmovies22 September 2021
Addictive
SnoopyStyle22 September 2013
I cannot explain how much I loved this show, and I don't know why exactly. If there is one reason, it's that everybody seems so likable even if they are tired and harried.
I especially like Alex McLeod as host in the first season. Maybe it's because she's the original host. I like Paige Davis well enough. However I always found her a little too hyper, a little too outgoing, a little too happy.
I do have to say after a couple of seasons, it does get tired and repetitive. Seriously how many different ways can you redo a room? At least, it was fun for awhile.
I especially like Alex McLeod as host in the first season. Maybe it's because she's the original host. I like Paige Davis well enough. However I always found her a little too hyper, a little too outgoing, a little too happy.
I do have to say after a couple of seasons, it does get tired and repetitive. Seriously how many different ways can you redo a room? At least, it was fun for awhile.
I agree about watching Changing Rooms instead!
robona2 June 2003
There is waaaaaaay too much b**ching, whining,complaining and DRAMA on this show. Trim it by a half hour it would be interesting to watch. Less arguing and more of the details and ideas shown would be nice, leave it up to the Americans to ruin a perfectly good show.
I'd rather watch "CHANGING ROOMS!"
JohnnyOldSoul1 March 2002
Well, I've sat through a number of these dull American rehashes of the vastly entertaining "Changing Rooms," and I'm not impressed.
"Trading Spaces" seems to lack all of the things that make "Changing Rooms" such a charming and entertaining program. First, the hour-long format is way too long, but only because it's filled with designer posturing and stupid homeowners with these "Hi Mom!" expressions on their faces. In the original show, the designers and host (Carol Smillie) have a rapport and chemistry, and genuinely seem to like each other, despite the odd quarrel. The folks on "Trading Spaces" just seem mismatched. Although I didn't catch their names, the lovely redheaded designer is pleasant and talented as is the female carpenter but these two elements don't make up for a dire show.
Try switching over to "Changing Rooms," on BBCAmerica, it's worth the price of digital cable.
"Trading Spaces" seems to lack all of the things that make "Changing Rooms" such a charming and entertaining program. First, the hour-long format is way too long, but only because it's filled with designer posturing and stupid homeowners with these "Hi Mom!" expressions on their faces. In the original show, the designers and host (Carol Smillie) have a rapport and chemistry, and genuinely seem to like each other, despite the odd quarrel. The folks on "Trading Spaces" just seem mismatched. Although I didn't catch their names, the lovely redheaded designer is pleasant and talented as is the female carpenter but these two elements don't make up for a dire show.
Try switching over to "Changing Rooms," on BBCAmerica, it's worth the price of digital cable.
Show me just where the $1000.00 dollars went!!!!
SkippyDevereaux19 May 2002
For the life of me, I don't see where they spend $1000.00 dollars in any of these rooms!! The designers must go to a fabric store and purchase THE most expensive fabric and make one lousy pillow out of it or something, because these rooms just look awful. Hilda is the worst of the lot, as she wants everything painted black!! And who could forget her famous hay-covered walls?? LOL.
Have you ever noticed that these designers never really lift anything heavy when starting to decorate the rooms? If it weighs more than a pencil or a sheet of paper, forget it. Maybe the designers don't want to chip a fingernail or something. And why don't these designers stay and help their "team" get things done the first night?? What is it with all this "homework"??? I would be grabbing someone around the neck and threaten to wring it, if I was told to do all this work while "rich designer" is leaving for the night!! I keep watching and waiting for ideas on decorating, but so far.....nothing!! "Changing Rooms" is a much better show.
Have you ever noticed that these designers never really lift anything heavy when starting to decorate the rooms? If it weighs more than a pencil or a sheet of paper, forget it. Maybe the designers don't want to chip a fingernail or something. And why don't these designers stay and help their "team" get things done the first night?? What is it with all this "homework"??? I would be grabbing someone around the neck and threaten to wring it, if I was told to do all this work while "rich designer" is leaving for the night!! I keep watching and waiting for ideas on decorating, but so far.....nothing!! "Changing Rooms" is a much better show.
Oh, please do glue twigs to my hardwood cabinets! (spoilers)
vertigo_1428 November 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Another non-TV show. Actually, it's another commercial posing as a television show, but this one is a huge ad for Home Depot. Except, how are you supposed to go to Home Depot and seek out finds for home improvement ideas when this show tells you nothing about home improvement. This is another pointless form of nauseatingly cheap entertainment in which dumb twenty and thirty somethings scrap together some ugly (on occasion, something will look nice) furniture or wall coverings or something and destroy a perfectly nice room or house all for the sake of a contest. They ought to call it, how to turn your house into that generic coffeehouse style in less than a day.
Unfortunately, shows like these have replaced once-legitimate home improvement shows like the ones Christopher Lowell or Lenette Jennings once had (I think they were on the Discovery Channel), two television craft show hosts with somewhat different styles who at least took the time to show you how to build something nice once in a while. But, as modern television prefers the generic twenty and thirty year olds and obliterate the obsolescence of careful redecorating instruction by forty and fifty year old hosts, I can see why Jennings and Lowell are pretty much no longer around.
What's more is we have lost appreciation for a lot of other things. Even Lowell and Jennings were once in awhile architecture enthusiasts who would host a show from historic homes or something. Trading Spaces cheapens all of that and makes it one hundred percent impersonal. They don't show you how to make anything and why not, they're supposed to throw together a bag of popsicle sticks, glue, and some god awful gawdy colored paint, and call it an 'improvement' because that's all you can do when you have ten hours or whatever the arbitrary time limit is to work. Efficiency is emphasized over being practical, creative, and most of all, producing good craftsmanship.
Unfortunately, shows like these have replaced once-legitimate home improvement shows like the ones Christopher Lowell or Lenette Jennings once had (I think they were on the Discovery Channel), two television craft show hosts with somewhat different styles who at least took the time to show you how to build something nice once in a while. But, as modern television prefers the generic twenty and thirty year olds and obliterate the obsolescence of careful redecorating instruction by forty and fifty year old hosts, I can see why Jennings and Lowell are pretty much no longer around.
What's more is we have lost appreciation for a lot of other things. Even Lowell and Jennings were once in awhile architecture enthusiasts who would host a show from historic homes or something. Trading Spaces cheapens all of that and makes it one hundred percent impersonal. They don't show you how to make anything and why not, they're supposed to throw together a bag of popsicle sticks, glue, and some god awful gawdy colored paint, and call it an 'improvement' because that's all you can do when you have ten hours or whatever the arbitrary time limit is to work. Efficiency is emphasized over being practical, creative, and most of all, producing good craftsmanship.
For the cheap and creative couch potato!
HanIre11 May 2001
Living in England, I became a fan of Changing Rooms, the show on which Trading Spaces is based. Both shows include the same elements which make it so exciting: two days (time constraint) in which neighbors (putting their relationships on the line), with the help of designers (putting their reputations on the line), redecorate a room in each other's houses. The American version, our Trading Spaces, is different than Changing Rooms, in that it's longer (an hour as opposed to 30 minutes), and it is very American. The neighbors openly disagree with the designers - there's no editing for harmony here! I absolutely adore this show. Alex McCleod is always lending a welcome hand in each room, and a breath of fresh air when things become too stressful in one house. All of the designers have unique tastes - but always create an amazing space no matter what their "motivation." And the carpenters, both Amy Wynn and Ty, are such characters! A woman carpenter - awesome.
It's entertainment, but it's instructive - you see normal people, under a constrained budget and time (like most normal people anyway), creating amazing rooms. It's a boost of confidence!
It's entertainment, but it's instructive - you see normal people, under a constrained budget and time (like most normal people anyway), creating amazing rooms. It's a boost of confidence!
A nauseating non-improvement for home improvement shows
marvelous-marv11 March 2002
This show is absolutely horrible for a number of valid reasons:
For starters, it shows you how interior decorators are a homeowner's worst nightmare as they seldom take a person's lifestyle and create something that fits into it --- they are always doing something that is way out of the mainstream without taking into account a homeowner's personal tastes or consulting with them about it; of course, the nature of this show is for it to be a complete ambush, but it's twice as bad when the ambush is by dimwitted designers with cheap, bad taste. The show also reminds me too much of "The Today Show" with its preening, fawning and BS humor; you would have to be a naive, shallow person to enjoy the playful nature of the show --- I'm sure women represent 99% of the viewership. It's twice as long as it needs to be, assuming it should even be on the air at all.
But the main structural problem (pun intended) is, because of the cheap budget the show is on, that's exactly what you get --- cheap designs that look like something straight from kindergarten art class in a tasteless parallel universe. The host is equally nauseating, like she was plucked straight from cheerleading class at the local junior college. All of the designers are not only morons, they are posturing jerks with childish attitudes & no talent to be proud of --- the proof is in their work. Finally, if you really want to see this kind of crap, tune to BBC's original "Changing Rooms"; though they have 90% of the same problems, they do it a little less nauseating.
I personally recommend BBC's "Ground Force" if you like light-hearted home improvement shows, mainly because the girl on that show is very sexy & she never wears a bra, plus they do good work for the most part, and I also recommend "Gardening By The Yard" (which doesn't even have an entry on the IMDB for some reason) hosted by Paul James on HGTV, which is a lot better & highly entertaining show. Paul is very enjoyable, has a great voice & personality and is very knowledgable --- you will definitely learn something from him and get a good laugh with a clever adult sense of humor. If you want a serious home improvement show that's light fare and highly accessible/tasteful, tune into Bob Vila's "Home Again" or "Before & After" with Pat Simpson. Stay away from "This Old House" as it's just plain boring now. And click fast to an adjacent channel when "Trading Spaces" comes on.
Basically, don't support these idiots by watching their show --- it's a huge step backward in terms of entertainment value, not to mention interior decorating itself.
For starters, it shows you how interior decorators are a homeowner's worst nightmare as they seldom take a person's lifestyle and create something that fits into it --- they are always doing something that is way out of the mainstream without taking into account a homeowner's personal tastes or consulting with them about it; of course, the nature of this show is for it to be a complete ambush, but it's twice as bad when the ambush is by dimwitted designers with cheap, bad taste. The show also reminds me too much of "The Today Show" with its preening, fawning and BS humor; you would have to be a naive, shallow person to enjoy the playful nature of the show --- I'm sure women represent 99% of the viewership. It's twice as long as it needs to be, assuming it should even be on the air at all.
But the main structural problem (pun intended) is, because of the cheap budget the show is on, that's exactly what you get --- cheap designs that look like something straight from kindergarten art class in a tasteless parallel universe. The host is equally nauseating, like she was plucked straight from cheerleading class at the local junior college. All of the designers are not only morons, they are posturing jerks with childish attitudes & no talent to be proud of --- the proof is in their work. Finally, if you really want to see this kind of crap, tune to BBC's original "Changing Rooms"; though they have 90% of the same problems, they do it a little less nauseating.
I personally recommend BBC's "Ground Force" if you like light-hearted home improvement shows, mainly because the girl on that show is very sexy & she never wears a bra, plus they do good work for the most part, and I also recommend "Gardening By The Yard" (which doesn't even have an entry on the IMDB for some reason) hosted by Paul James on HGTV, which is a lot better & highly entertaining show. Paul is very enjoyable, has a great voice & personality and is very knowledgable --- you will definitely learn something from him and get a good laugh with a clever adult sense of humor. If you want a serious home improvement show that's light fare and highly accessible/tasteful, tune into Bob Vila's "Home Again" or "Before & After" with Pat Simpson. Stay away from "This Old House" as it's just plain boring now. And click fast to an adjacent channel when "Trading Spaces" comes on.
Basically, don't support these idiots by watching their show --- it's a huge step backward in terms of entertainment value, not to mention interior decorating itself.
It was a good show once
bregund12 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I really liked this show when it started. Where else could you see grown men using a sewing machine and talking about "window treatments", when they'd rather be watching football on TV. It was hilarious. Then they dumped the beautiful and sexy Alex and hired that airhead bimbo Paige. Then they changed the theme music from bouncy and fun to what I call Starbucks Sleepytime. During its heyday, the TS forum at tlc.com was extremely busy, a single day's posts would stretch over four pages. I think the show nosedived because the novelty wore off. Yes it was fun watching peoples' houses being ruined by overtly feminine male decorators, but then viewers started thinking "hey, they could be doing the same thing to my house...yuck" and they started tuning out. I hear this is the last season, well good riddance, it outlasted its welcome.
My mother loves this show, I don't.
BlackJack_B14 July 2002
Here in Canada, we have several American cable channels such as TBS, A&E, TNN, CNN, CNBC and Headline News. We also have the The Learning Channel, a network that I'd rid myself of if I could. However, that won't happen anytime soon, because my live-in mother is addicted to TLC's Saturday-night hit, Trading Spaces.
Trading Spaces (another import from Europe, no surprise) has a pair of couples who go into the other's homes and redecorate a room with a $1000 U.S. budget and two days to do it in. We get to see these people in what could be labeled as "reality home improvement" as they battle to get the place looking the best with the help of interior decorators, carpenters, and others. Then we see the reactions of the two couples.
I will admit that the show can be intriguing at times and that Paige Davis is a perky, spunky, and very cute host. Still, this show can be silly and kitschy (though not cheesy, that's reserved for Britney Spears and her ilks videos) most times. A lot of the people they find aren't, shall we say, camera friendly. While everyone else wears fancy clothes, the couples are forced to wear lame looking bowling shirts with the "Trading Spaces" logo. Also, the theme music sounds like Night Court's music all remixed! Guys, it's 2002, not 1985, get something 21st century.
Honestly though, the show can be a good watch at times, and TLC is using it wall-to-wall on the dead Saturday night. Paige is a cool host, but the show needs some changes made to it before I can recommend it. I'd rather watch that couple on Canadian Tire commercials do a home improvement show than this right now.
Trading Spaces (another import from Europe, no surprise) has a pair of couples who go into the other's homes and redecorate a room with a $1000 U.S. budget and two days to do it in. We get to see these people in what could be labeled as "reality home improvement" as they battle to get the place looking the best with the help of interior decorators, carpenters, and others. Then we see the reactions of the two couples.
I will admit that the show can be intriguing at times and that Paige Davis is a perky, spunky, and very cute host. Still, this show can be silly and kitschy (though not cheesy, that's reserved for Britney Spears and her ilks videos) most times. A lot of the people they find aren't, shall we say, camera friendly. While everyone else wears fancy clothes, the couples are forced to wear lame looking bowling shirts with the "Trading Spaces" logo. Also, the theme music sounds like Night Court's music all remixed! Guys, it's 2002, not 1985, get something 21st century.
Honestly though, the show can be a good watch at times, and TLC is using it wall-to-wall on the dead Saturday night. Paige is a cool host, but the show needs some changes made to it before I can recommend it. I'd rather watch that couple on Canadian Tire commercials do a home improvement show than this right now.
Watch it if you have time to waste.
shawnamabrey23 August 2003
This show is pretty mediocre. Actually, what makes it worth watching are its poorer points, because they make the show funny. First of all, I can't think of a more annoying host than Page Davis. She is just so totally phoney and slappable. Then we have a team of about 8 designers who apparently come on the show in some sort of rotation (or they keep getting fired) and just about all of them are incredibly uptight and socially inept. It is truly funny watching guests react to the obnoxious enthusiasm of the "cast" from this show.
I particularly enjoy it when one of the designers intentionally go way over the top with a room as a form of revenge at whomever's p**sed them off at the time (I recall one episode where one of the gay,leather-wearing designers has a tiff with the guests and they end up decorating pistacio green, orange, and brown).
Then of course, my favorite is watching people open their eyes to their newwly redecorated room and pretending to be flattered at what is obviously an utterly horrible job. The wide eyes and repeated useage of the word "cool", all the while repeatedly glancing over at their teammate to see if they're equally horrified is just a riot. Page does a great job of playing up the tension by over acting and dramatizing just how wonderful and tra la la la fun it has all been!
What makes this show annoying is how they once in a while have a cool new idea, but fail to adequately explain how to reproduce the idea for yourself.
Summary: Pretty much a waste of time if you have the time to waste.
I particularly enjoy it when one of the designers intentionally go way over the top with a room as a form of revenge at whomever's p**sed them off at the time (I recall one episode where one of the gay,leather-wearing designers has a tiff with the guests and they end up decorating pistacio green, orange, and brown).
Then of course, my favorite is watching people open their eyes to their newwly redecorated room and pretending to be flattered at what is obviously an utterly horrible job. The wide eyes and repeated useage of the word "cool", all the while repeatedly glancing over at their teammate to see if they're equally horrified is just a riot. Page does a great job of playing up the tension by over acting and dramatizing just how wonderful and tra la la la fun it has all been!
What makes this show annoying is how they once in a while have a cool new idea, but fail to adequately explain how to reproduce the idea for yourself.
Summary: Pretty much a waste of time if you have the time to waste.
Doesn't require a constant vigil to enjoy
perni15 July 2003
The great thing about this show is that you can watch the first 10 minutes or so, grab a sandwich and surf through the rest of the channels, and come back without missing much of a beat. The best parts of any episode is when the audience first sees the two rooms that will be re-designed, the revealing of the chosen paint colors (and the subsequent reactions of the neighbors to said hues), and the finale where the couple is either delighted or horrified by the final transformation. To me, it really makes no sense when someone gives up an already tasteful, fully decorated room to the designers. It makes more sense when the room barely has anything in it except for like a stereo and neon Budweiser sign on the wall. That way you actually see some improvement (or lack thereof) by the end of the show. Some of the best designers on the show include Verne, who actually takes function into account and not just how fancy or gaudy a room can be. He usually creates very tasteful, sensible rooms that delight every couple, and I've never seen anyone dislike his style. Another good person to have in your home is Jenaveve (spelling?), who usually comes up with something neat and creative. Toss up designers include Frank, whose down home country fetish can get way out of hand, and the red-headed designer who was pregnant in many episodes, who tends to rely on geometric shapes and lines too much. And now for the worst designers on the show: DOUG, definitely, because he's made so many bad rooms that his reputation actually precedes him. Examples include the God-awful stainless steel, factory kitchen he designed, the room where he put a Beetlejuice-inspired frame around a fireplace (much to the horror of the wife, who cried and left the room), and a bar with random sheepskin rugs and sheet metal around the bar with neon lights. YUCK. And coming in second is HILDE, who is basically an idiot with expensive clothes. She comes up with the most idiotic ideas, sometimes. Like the circus tent room, or the one where the walls were blue plaid, etc. And in third is the designer who was actually a lamp maker. Her rooms were totally random, with one wall being stripes and the other being polka dots. People tended to hate her rooms, so she got kicked off pretty darn early. As for the hosts: I really liked Alex, who had dignity and didn't try to take over the show, but Paige is so giddy and annoying and in your face it makes me wince. Trading Spaces Family is pretty sad, since it barely toyed with the formula to warrant a totally new show. That host is so bland I don't even remember his name, and the new desingers (Kia and Gay Grey Haired Ponytail Guy) are also lame. I liked the carpenters, too, since they were funny without being abrasive, but Carver is just eye candy for the lady viewers. I'm starting to wonder if this show has jumped the shark, but for now it's still okay. It's always fun to watch a room go down in flames!
My secret addiction
plumberguy6619 August 2002
I have to tell you, I am not a big fan of network television... if it has commercials I have to sit through, it had better be a pretty damn good show. The shows I DO watch are usually found on the Discovery, History, or The Learning Channel. That's where I ran into Trading Spaces. It has become the only network TV show I'll suffer through advertisements for. TS never fails to deliver. If you take nothing more from the show than a lesson in what NOT to do with your house, it's usually fun and funny time spent (ok a lot of the designs are really good but there are some that...whew...). The designers are pretty kooky and Ty is a hoot. Paige Davis is nice and fun but what ever happened to Alex McLeod? I've watched the show from the beginning and that one was never explained
ahh well. I've seen some episodes that if you walked into your house after one of these designers got through with it, you might just want to go postal on them. Seeing the couple's reactions to some of the fiascos is admittedly a guilty pleasure of mine. IMO one of the best shows on TV. I hope it stays around for a while.
It's not a home improvement show; it's a game show!
djr-1013 April 2002
The whole point of this show is not that it's a home improvement, DIY on a budget show. (Though sometimes you get pretty inspired design ideas) The show has a high cheese/kitsch factor. With the squealing, overly perky new host of the second season (Paige Davis) and some of the overly pretentious, under-trained designers, Trading Spaces gives you drama, conflict (between traditional, middle-American homeowners and "avant-garde" designers), laughs and snarks. The final reveal of the newly designed room is one of the more entertaining moments of the show. Like a scene from Monty Hall "Let's Make a Deal", do you get what's behind door number one: a beautifully designed room or what's behind door number two: a moss-covered wall, a hay-covered wall or, worse yet, a room painted completely black (all of which have occured on the show)? Seeing the homeowner's barely contained (or not!) disappointment or enthusiastic love for their new room is great.
Watching Trading Spaces is a guilty pleasure and while I've gotten some interesting ideas that I might want to try out someday, I don't kid myself. I watch it for the entertainment. It's like a train wreck you can turn away from.
Watching Trading Spaces is a guilty pleasure and while I've gotten some interesting ideas that I might want to try out someday, I don't kid myself. I watch it for the entertainment. It's like a train wreck you can turn away from.
Always a Surprise
geja20012 September 2002
Trading Spaces is an ideal television program to watch while ironing: see the beginning and the ending while getting and hanging your clothes during the middle. I cannot tell the names of the designers one from the other, but they are all bad, especially the seldom-on woman who wears the silly hats. The finished rooms are candle-lighted; this is impractical and dangerous. Who today has flaming candles on wall sconces and chandeliers? And those home-made couches and narrow benches for sitting -- what are those? What's with the painted floors, the balsa wood boxes they call armoires, the scribbles that are deemed Matisse, the foam and fabric deemed upholstery, the material STAPLED to wooden slats for drapes (How are they to be laundered?), the walls painted black, purple or chocolate, and everything else spray-painted? Then they surprise the viewer and the homeowner by glueing moss or straw or other stuff onto the walls! Recall the rusted wall? Ooh, aah, orchids!! Wow! They'll never last. Why do I watch? Ironing is no fun.
What an awesome show!
RoxyGirl7728 February 2003
I love this show! There is one comment that I didn't agree with. Having the designers stay and do the homework. The whole premise for the show is that the HOMEOWNERS do the work. Yes, the designers do help, but they are there for their artistic (or sometimes lack-there-of)abilities. It would cost well over $1000 if the homeowners were paying for the the time and work the designers put into the rooms. Most of the designers have their own companies, so getting a complete re-vamp of a room, for $1000 is a steal, when you think of what some designers charge per hour!
Harmless Fun
Zerbey12 July 2002
It's the USA version of the UK series "Changing Rooms" but with a bigger budget.
Two teams are given $1,000 and under the direction of an interior decorator redecorate a room in each others homes in two days. It's a good way to waste 1 hour if nothing else better is on. DIY buffs will love it.
My only complaint about this show is the HORRIBLE theme music! Ack!
Two teams are given $1,000 and under the direction of an interior decorator redecorate a room in each others homes in two days. It's a good way to waste 1 hour if nothing else better is on. DIY buffs will love it.
My only complaint about this show is the HORRIBLE theme music! Ack!
a good addiction
coza_usa13 July 2003
I have recently become addicted to this show. It is a good escape from the crap that permeates on network television. It is entertaining and educational for people who are interested in learning about carpentry and interior design. I don't like the renovations of all the designers but that's OK. My only criticism is that the participants are not offered enough input into the new design of a room. They pretty much become slaves to the designers especially in the case of Douglas Wilson and Hilda Santo-Tomas.
Hilda may overall be a nice person, but one time she made a very obnoxious comment to the good-natured and talented carpenter Amy Wynn. As a joke, Hilda condescendingly offered money from her budget to pay for Amy Wynn to take an electrician course since she did not know how to move electical outlets. I THINK YOU DO GREAT WORK, AMY
Enough of the gossip, anyway. If you are lucky enough to have cable, watch this show on TLC.
Hilda may overall be a nice person, but one time she made a very obnoxious comment to the good-natured and talented carpenter Amy Wynn. As a joke, Hilda condescendingly offered money from her budget to pay for Amy Wynn to take an electrician course since she did not know how to move electical outlets. I THINK YOU DO GREAT WORK, AMY
Enough of the gossip, anyway. If you are lucky enough to have cable, watch this show on TLC.
Hate it all you want, it's still the number 1 show on Saturday night
Kipper346 November 2003
Just what the summary says. It's still bringing in more than 10 million viewers every Saturday, and that makes money. The words of a few thousand people on the internet can't compare to the millions of people who idol-worship this show. (I'm not one of them)
I know few people who don't enjoy this show
wwjd1983ad7 December 2002
I read some of the older comments about how this isn't like "Changing Rooms" and it sucks and I'm like "WHAT!?!?!?! This show is AWESOME!!" I guess the show must have improved greatly because now it is a smash hit. I love this show; seeing boring rooms transformed to bright flashy rooms before your eyes. Of course you don't agree with all of their ideas but it all depends on your taste. My mother as a matter of fact took some ideas from Frank's Mexican kitchen (you know, the one with the sarape on the ceiling) and used it in her bathroom she was remodeling. This show is just creative fun!
Fresh and Wonderful!
bonbon200025 May 2001
Trading Spaces has quickly become my favorite show, even though I'm only 18 years old. I should be watching Dawson's Creek or Felicity, but I am HOOKED on Trading Spaces. The cast and designers are extremely entertaining and talented. Who can resist Ty's cute little outbursts when he yells at people after they've left the premise? I think Trading Spaces is one of the best television shows out there. It is funny, imaginative, involving, and interesting. I recommend it to everyone, not just people interested in decorating. Oh yeah, and I'm going to marry Ty Pennington, so don't get any ideas.
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