As usual, I'm a total late adopter of the trend, but I have to thank Bonnie for turning me onto Trading Spaces. I hope it’s not too late to get my two very wordy cents in, because it has quickly become “The Show We Love to Hate” for many of the reasons listed in everyone else’s posts and my boyfriend and I are engrossed by it. We don’t have cable; actually, we don’t have any TV reception whatsoever, so my parents tape the show for us and we go on little TS binges every now and then. It’s fun to scream at the TV: “Don’t take down the fan! They live in KEY WEST!” It’s also fun to wonder what these rooms are going to look like one month, six months, 12 months out. Someone should do a documentary about TS participants after whatever contract they probably had to sign with the clause that probably says that they can’t talk about or independently photograph and publish pictures of the rooms runs out. I think that would be interesting.

The main problems I have with the show:

No one ever shows the participants the proper way to paint. People just randomly slop paint onto the walls in the most inefficient manner. The designers should know how to paint and they should show these people how to do it, or the people who run the show could have a little segment where painters show people how to paint. It’s an embarrassment to the remodeling and crafting industry. They should all be ashamed of themselves.

What is the deal with the melodrama? In many episodes, they spend more time creating little soap operas among the unsuspecting neighbors or fleshing out the personas of the designers than they do describing the techniques they are using to design the rooms. Granted, they have a website with lots of information, but do we ever hear anyone say, “You can find instructions for this technique on our website!”? No. I realize that there are people who are actually interested in these designers and the details of their little lives, but the show would be more useful and interesting if it presented more DIY tips and ideas instead of visions into the psyches of its characters.

Other than that, I really enjoy the show. I have been known to get almost weepy myself when the homeowners open their eyes and are so happy with their new rooms that they start to cry (well, the women).

My favorite TS moment: Doug is in North Carolina and he’s outside making something to go into the bedroom that he had the couple project the Oriental image onto the blue wall and then trace on with chalk and then paint over with white paint, and then he made the bed post out of PVC tubing that he painted black – that episode. Well, he’s outside with the husband and a plastic bag floats by and cocky Doug asks, “Is this yours?” and the guy doesn’t miss a beat, he picks it up and says in his cute little North Carolina drawl, all soft and unpretentious-like, “Yeah, but I usually keep it in my pocket.” That shut Doug up real quick.

Edited 06-20-2002 11:24 AM

Gen, you are an unreal designer!! My boyfriend and I always love the work that you do, and we watch your show religiously. I was wondering if you will ever come to Canada??