Keeping Up Appearances
By Jim Crescitelli Designer Doug Wilson from Trading Spaces talks about the gay aesthetic, decorating disasters, and, of course, Martha Stewart.The Learning Channel's Trading Spaces has become the latest "water-cooler show." It's discussed at work, with neighbors, with friends and family even more so than Seinfeld or Dynasty in their hey-days. You've probably seen it yourself. It's the show where people, usually couples, swap houses, are teamed with a designer, and then are faced with the challenge of completely re-doing a select room in their neighbor's home within 24 hours on a budget of $1000. Sound a little dry for the MTV generation? Guess again. Some of the cost-cutting decor is fabulous — while other rooms end up looking like sheer nightmares! In the middle of all this makeover mayhem is designer Douglas Wilson. His low-budget concoctions have garnered him as many fans as detractors. Regardless, though, everyone seems to have an opinion about his work. And he offers a simple opinion about the sudden success of the show and his own rising star. "I think that after Sept. 11 there was — and still is — a trend of 'back to basics' and nesting," he said. "People have been working on their homes and realizing the value of family relationships and spending quality time at home. That time is very short. That it's good to just breathe and enjoy it." Wilson took time out from his busier-than-ever schedule to speak with Watermark for our annual "Home Decor" issue. WATERMARK: How did you get started with Trading Spaces?DOUG WILSON: In April 2000 I was in House & Garden magazine and it happened that a company out of Knoxville, Indiana was looking for talent for the show. They asked about me, read my profile, gave me and call and said they wanted to talk to me about this concept. We finally connected; I went down and auditioned for them. And the rest is history. Great, because it does seem like the show is really taking off.Ratings keep climbing and climbing. And Time magazine recently covered me and my famous theatre room. I keep hearing about this theatre room!Yeah... these people wanted a screening room in their home. I was joking around with clients and they had just spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their screening room. I said, "Well, I could have given it to you for only a thousand dollars." And they were like, "I don't want your thousand dollar screening room!" And I said, "Come on — it's about concept!" The one I did was a perfectly functional screening room! And it had plenty of room for kids, and we got to do it for a thousand dollars. And that's the point, right? Everything is about children. If there's room for them, then it works.With that screening room, there was room for children. But a lot of times on the show — which is an hour — we've got to get so much in: two rooms, with two designers and their ideas, the host, the carpenters, and we have to flesh out each and every concept. And it's hard to justify design decisions in that small time frame. Well, I think that's the whole point of the show. Everyone gets to see what happens within that very short time frame.Yes! It wouldn't be entertaining if there weren't that feeling of jeopardy. Right, there has to be some tension.And if there isn't tension... I'll put it there! I'll bet! You seem to be the breakout personality on the show. Is this true?[Laughs.] The breakout personality? Well, I guess that remains to be seen! Yes, people seem to think that you have the best ideas and the biggest personality.I have been getting a lot of press. And I think what I'm doing is trying to push the envelope for the homeowners and letting the viewers see new concepts. Oftentimes what happens — I mean, I do have a bit of a theatrical background — is that if the homeowners aren't expressing themselves. What I try to do, even at the risk of me being, well, "arrogant" or "pushy" or "mean," is to push their buttons a little. I want to show people how to think out of the box and see their space in a whole different way. We needed you in Brooklyn, because I come from a family that would cover Kleenex boxes with contact paper just to have a different kind of box. Or we would have those covers for bathroom tissue...Those crocheted toilet paper covers? Exactly, in the shape of Marie Antoinette dolls. God forbid anybody should see the toilet paper out there in the open! Now, our house in Orlando... well, there's this clutter thing going on. It looks like the gift shop at the insane asylum.Oh wow... Yeah... people walk in and they kind of stare. I mean it's clean, but they just kind of stare because there's so much stuff. And it's gotten around town that it's "eclectic." So tell me......What would I do if I came in there? Yeah... what would you do?I may just get a big dumpster. No, not really! I would edit artfully. That was so tactful! Tell me, what was the least successful room you did on Trading Spaces?The "Fireplace Room!" It happens to be one of the best rooms I've ever done. It was designed well — tongue-and-groove wainscoting, denim on the sofas and chairs. I kept the country aspect along with candles and some interesting artwork made from tissue paper. The gridlines in chocolate I guess threw them overboard — in combination with covering the fireplace, which I was not to paint. And I didn't paint it! I simply covered it with a facade. They could take that cover off the next day if they wanted to. Since this is a gay paper, I've got to mention that one of our local politicians actually said that she wished gay people would move into her neighborhood because we are such "immaculate homeowners." Do you think there's a gay aesthetic?Definitely. Gays are a major part of interior fashion and design in regards to consumers. I think gay men are more inclined to have a certain sophistication when it comes to these ideas. Have there been any gay couples on Trading Spaces?I don't know if that it's actually been announced, but I think we did have a lesbian couple. But we're not discounting any possibilities or demographics. And that's a good thing. Speaking of Martha Stewart, I myself have all 102 issues of her magazine lined up on a shelf. That's probably relative to our upcoming mental health issue actually...You might want to talk to somebody about that. Yes. Well. Would you regard her as an influence?Martha Stewart? She's a wonderful... ...Goddess?...Tastemaker. She's put out a lot of products and forged a way for the design community to get good design for an economical dollar. She was the first to really bring tastemaking to the forefront of America. And we thank her for that. Do you have a book out yet?No, not yet... should I? Definitely! Yours and the show's approach is really in tune with what people want today: aspiring toward the best value in home design. Anything you'd like to add?Well, I'd like to thank everyone for supporting the show. You guys are making it what it is, and it's exciting to see it grow and exciting to get the support. |
