'Spaces' Fever Is Sweeping The Country
By Faye Dasen Unless you are one of the few people left without cable television or you've been living under a rock, you've at least heard people talk about "Trading Spaces." Who would have thought that an hour-long home improvement show would become one of the most popular and talked-about shows in the country? The show airs on The Learning Channel (TLC) daily at 4 p.m. and at various times during the weekend. And I'll admit to being one of the most faithful viewers. I don't usually get to see the weekday versions (generally shows that have already aired), but our family makes it a point to watch on the weekend, especially when we know the show is a new one. However, even if we've already seen that particular episode, we'll watch it again just to see if we missed something. The show's premise is simply this: two couples (preferably close neighbors to make it easier) exchange houses for 48 hours and get to redecorate one room in each other's home with the help of designers and a carpenter. The catch is that the budget is limited to $1,000 and the homeowners must stay in each other's homes overnight. No peeking at what's going on in their own home is allowed. Host Paige Davis runs back and forth between houses helping out and urging everyone to "get a move on." The homeowners also have to sign a release that says they understand that there's a possiblity they won't like the finished product. At the end of the show, Davis takes the homeowners to their newly remodeled rooms to unveil the transformations. It's fun to see the reactions of the couples (it's usually a husband and wife, but sometimes others team up) and try to decide if they really mean it when they say they like what's been done or if they're going to rip everything down the minute the "Trading Spaces" production crew hits the road. It is amazing what these designers can do using what's already in the home plus that money to make striking changes in the rooms. Those who watch the show know the personalities of the six designers — Hilda Santo-Thomas, Frank Bielec, Genevieve Gorder, Vern Yip, Doug Wilson and Laurie Hickson-Smith — and have definite opinions just which one they'd be willing to let loose in their own homes. Hilda, Doug and Genevieve are young and apt to be a little more contemporary and trendy, sometimes leading to controversy. (Like when Genevieve put moss on the walls and when Hilda paints the walls of a room black.) Laurie and Vern are more willing to compromise their design ideas to complement what the homeowners might want. And Frank is, well he's probably the most creative of all. Any room he designs will have all sorts of personal touches. I've yet to see a room he's done that I wouldn't be willing to live with for a while. I'd probably be agreeable to letting Laurie or Vern (maybe Genevieve) do a room for me, but I'm afraid of Doug and Hilda, both of whom tend to like brown and black. Carpentry work is done by Amy Wynn Pastor or Ty Pennington. Incidentally, Ty was recently named one of the country's 50 most eligible bachelors by People magazine. The pair was also featured on TLC's "A Makeover Story" as they were gussied up to present an Emmy at the Daytime Emmy Awards. Three shows were filmed in the Raleigh area in the second season. (Hilda lived in Raleigh and graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School there.) If you are just a fan of the show and would like to weigh in with your opinions, e-mail me at the address below. For those who haven't yet seen an episode, you don't actually have to be interested in home improvement to enjoy the show. It won't take long and you'll be hooked. |
