Trading Spaces

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.