Trading Spaces
| Trading Spaces | |
|---|---|
| Trading Spaces | |
| Starring | See Cast below |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | TLC and Discovery Home |
| Release | October 13, 2000 |
- This article is about the television show Trading Spaces. For WikiProject User Page Help's Trading Spaces service, see WP:UPHTS.
Trading Spaces is an hour-long television reality program that has run for six seasons on the cable channels TLC and Discovery Home. The format of the show was based on the BBC TV series Changing Rooms.
Premise
In each episode, two sets of neighbors redecorated one room in each other's home. Each two-person team had two days (not including a "day zero" of planning and shopping for materials and furnishings, which in earlier seasons was not shown on camera), a budget of USD$1,000, (or, in later seasons, $2,000 if they choose the 'bonus room' pre-selected by the show's producers) and the services of a designer. Under the original format, the teams would share the services of a carpenter.
Beginning in March 2005, Trading Spaces moved to a "no host" format, eliminating the position of host in favor of allowing each team its own carpenter. The change allows the two homes to be farther apart. The most extreme use of this flexibility to date was with homes in New York and Oklahoma, but it was rarely exercised. Eventually, the second carpenter was eliminated.
The teams had no say over what happens in their own homes, but were able to give input into what happened in the home they are redecorating. The teams were not allowed to enter their own home for the duration of the show, and the transformed rooms were revealed only at the end of the second day.
The show was generally credited with sparking a nationwide interest in home decorating and improvement television shows in the United States. At the peak of its popularity, it inspired ancillary products such as two Trading Spaces books and a computer software program.
The new season of Trading Spaces starts on October 6th, 2007. The show will again feature two designers and two carpenters. Many of the old familiar cast members have moved on to other projects, so there will be some new faces in the mix in these new episodes.
On November 13 2007, it was announced that Paige Davis will returning as the host of Trading Spaces beginning in January 2008. [1][2]
Cast
The show featured different participants each episode. The host (seasons 1-5, returning for season 6), designers and carpenters (the cast) are recurring (though there are only two designers, one host (only through season 5; resumes with season 6) and one carpenter — originally one and then changed to two and now back to one — each time).
Hosts
- Alex McLeod (season 1)
- Paige Davis (season 2-half of season 5; Returning January 2008)
Designers
- Barry Wood (season 4; Now stars on HGTV's Hidden Potential)
- Douglas Wilson
- Genevieve Gorder
- Hildi Santo-Tomas
- Leslie Segrete (Previously Carpenter on Trading Spaces and While You Were Out)
- Vern Yip (seasons 1-4)
- Christi Proctor (season 4)
- Nadia Geller
- Dez Ryan (season 1 only)
- Edward Walker (started in season 3)
- Frank Bielec
- Jon Laymon (winner of 'Pick the Next Designer' competition)
- Kia Steave-Dickerson (started in season 3)
- Laura Day (started in season 4)
- Laurie Hickson-Smith
- Rick Rifle (season 4 only)
- Roderick Shade (one episode in season 1)
- Mario DeArmas
- Lauren Makk
- Goil Amornvivat (from Bravo's Top Design)
Carpenters
- Amy Wynn Pastor
- Andrew Dan-Jumbo (from While You Were Out)
- Carter Oosterhouse
- Jimmy Little (several episodes in a row after Town Haul ended)
- Leslie Segrete (from While You Were Out)
- Ty Pennington (left for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition)
- Faber Dewar
- Brandon Russell
- Thad Mills
- Patty Benson
Leslie Segrete and Andrew Dan-Jumbo , from the former TLC show While You Were Out have also been featured in at least one episode each as carpenter (and Leslie, as a designer). Jason Cameron, who was from the same show has appeared also. Handy Andy of Changing Rooms also worked a "special" episode that was based in London and another that was based in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Trading Spaces: Family
The first spin-off, entitled Trading Spaces: Family, also aired on TLC (2003-2005). It allowed larger teams of three or four, including children considered too young to participate in the original Trading Spaces program. The same designers and carpenters (one per episode, shared by the two teams) worked with host Joe Farrell.
Trading Spaces: Boys vs. Girls
Another spin-off, Trading Spaces: Boys vs. Girls airs as a part of Discovery Kids (and also formerly aired on the network's Saturday morning block on NBC). Unlike the original, this version uses the same two designers and two carpenters for each episode. In addition, there was no budget limit, and the rooms are rebuilt into theme room, making the show look more like Monster House.