Trading Spaces Episode 22 Seattle, Dakota Street

Host: Paige Davis Designers: Laurie Smith, Vern Yipo Carpenter: Ty Pennington Trading Spaces was a popular American reality television show on TLC where two sets of neighbors redecorated one room in each other's home. The show became a pop culture phenomenon in the early 2000s due to its simple yet high-stakes premise: each team had only two days, a $1,000 budget (later increased), and the guidance of a professional designer and carpenter. The phenomenon of the show stemmed from the total control the designers had over the room, leading to wildly unpredictable and often dramatic reveals. Homeowners had no say in the design choices, which sometimes resulted in delighted surprise but also infamous moments of shock, disappointment, and even tears when designers made controversial choices, such as gluing hay to walls or painting over a fireplace. Designers on Trading Spaces The show featured a rotating cast of designers, each known for a distinct personal style. The primary host for most of the show's run was Paige Davis, with Alex McLeod hosting the first season. The main designers who became household names during the original run (2000–2008) and the 2018 revival included: Frank Bielec: Known for his French country style and use of decorative painting or murals. Genevieve Gorder: Her style was often described as trendy, bohemian, and unique, and she was known for working barefoot. Laurie Hickson-Smith: Tended toward family-friendly, traditional, and homey designs. Hildi Santo-Tomas: Infamous for her wild, bold, and sometimes bizarre choices, including using unusual materials like hay, corks, or newspaper as wallpaper. Edward Walker: Known for dramatic designs. Doug Wilson: Often challenged homeowners' tastes and was known for bold, sometimes overbearing, designs and an aversion to ceiling fans. Vern Yip: Consistently delivered sophisticated, elegant, and modern designs that were typically well-received by homeowners. Other designers who appeared across various seasons and the revival included Goil Amornivat, Nancy Hadley, Gordon Holmes, Lauren Makk, Laura Day, Mario DeArmas, Nadia Geller, Jon Laymon, Christi Proctor, Rick Rifle, Dez Ryan, Leslie Segrate, Roderick Shade, Kia Steave-Dickerson, Barry Wood, Anna Ryder Richardson, John Gidding, Kahi Lee, Sabrina Soto, and Mikel Welch. Original carpenters Ty Pennington and Carter Oosterhouse also later appeared as designers in the revival. Rob Marish from Keystone Pictures continues to live his best life because of his whole identity being associated with this cultural phenomenon.