Trading Spaces Again?

Before the child, when TLC kinda sorta stood for The Learning Channel (though we weren't learning much; I believe today it stands for Totally Loony Crazy), my husband and I were devotees of the show, "Trading Spaces."  I know we didn't start watching at the very beginning (when the host was NOT Paige Davis, but Alex McLeod and included designer Dez Ryan), but pretty darned close.  We watched multiple episodes on the weekends (because the show was running all the time) and often if I was working late, I'd watch the afternoon reruns during my lunch/meal break (around 4 in the afternoon).  We had our favorite designers.  Both of us leaned towards Vern, but I was also partial to Frank and Laurie while my husband liked Genevieve and Doug. (I liked Doug too, but to look at not to work with!)  We both shuddered whenever a couple was saddled with Hildi.  Which is just one of the reasons why I'd never want to be on the show.  (The others being that I have no talent for home improvement; I need to get sleep and know I'd never be able to pull an all-nighter  if needed; our house is so old and in such need of repair that I don't think "Trading Spaces" would cut it; and  I don't know who'd want to trade spaces with us.)  We watched some of the spin offs ("Trading Spaces: Family") and shows under the influence ("While You Were Out."), but "Trading Spaces" was our go to.

But before the series officially ended in 2008, we'd kind of given up.  Our lives and viewing habits had changed since the birth of our son and with all of the spin offs and changes, our interest waned. Honestly, from mid-2005 to 2008, we were mostly watching PBS Kids and the other block of channels that catered to the toddler set.

With the announcement that the series was returning with most of the original "cast," I thought it was time to give the show a try again.  With the weather here in the northeast continuing to be cold (no one has told us its spring yet), the Saturday marathon was just what the day called for.  It was time to remember why we enjoyed the show in the first place.  (Once ANY show starts doing spins off and publishing books, you know the downhill slide is starting.)

Maybe it was just me or my timing (I didn't have the television on all day; just from mid-afternoon on), but there didn't seem to be much Vern.  Perhaps because he (and this is just my opinion) seemed to really take the homeowners wants and needs into consideration, all while keeping to a classic style.  The same could be said of Laurie.  (Although there was that one woman who completely freaked out over the brown room, which wasn't COMPLETELY brown and had a variety of tones of the color so it wasn't like you were walking into a poop colored room.)  If I was going to break the designers down into categories (and I'm only going with the core 6), I'd say that Vern and Laurie were the most classic designers and the majority of the time put thought behind the design and how it would be a part of the homeowners lives.  (I'm particularly recalling the room where Vern had an elevated train track that ran around the little boy's room.  What kid wouldn't have LOVED that?  And yet it was not a parent's nightmare either!)   Frank (I LOVE that man!  There I said it and I'll say it again:  I LOVE that man!) and Genevieve went a little more artistic and out there (I'm thinking about Frank's kitchen ceiling that was inspired by a serape), they both generally took the homeowners into consideration as well, although art/design sometimes tended to overshoot daily function.  (I'm not going to mention Genevieve's moss wall...oh, wait, I just did.) Doug and (particularly) Hildi focused on the art/design and the needs of the homeowner were on the backburner.  Some of their designs were fantastic, but just not functional.  (Homes are not showrooms...people DO live there).  And some of their designs...they may be memorable (hay wall living room, jail cell bedroom, etc.), they were not livable.  Hildi's designs in particular gave rise to the term "Hildi-ous" in our house and while for the most part her rooms made for fascinating television...well...(On a side note, I'd love to see what her residence looks like!)

I enjoyed the reunion show. (Which I understand is going to continue next week?)  Although I do have to ask how did these people manage to stay so young looking even after 10 years?  Vern may have some gray in his hair and Doug may be a little grayer (but he was always that sly gray fox kind of guy, although he's gotten more "Barry Manilow-like chiseled look these days), but for the most part everyone seems not to have aged or changed. 

That point was emphasized with the first new episode which featured Doug and Hildi.  Burlap on the walls wasn't awful, but it didn't represent a tropical getaway to me.  It was tolerable and livable, so I'll give points to Doug on that one.  Hildi did not disappoint with her "deconstructed penguin" (What?!?!) guest room WAS a work of art.  (Am I being too generous here?)  But I can't see anyone sleeping in a room with that pretty, but BUSY pattern on the walls AND ceiling.  Laughter, not tears, were shown in the reveal (although who knows what happened later?) so maybe that's a win?  (Or at least not a total loss.)  And it was entertaining... (Which is really the point for the network).

My family (yes, the boy is tuning in too...at least to see what happens at the end) will be watching again this weekend and we'll see where it goes from there.  It's nice to cuddle up on a Saturday night and see what the "old gang" pulls off.  Love it or hate it, I know season 9 of "Trading Spaces" will be entertaining for all of us.