I had company that just left (9:20 pm), and I have to get the kids in bed and clean up, so I will be watching this one on tape later.
It’s the final new one for the season.
Some stats I got from the TWoP site regarding the number of shows each designer has done this season:
Frank: 18
Doug: 18
Gen: 18
Vern: 18
Hildi: 18
Laurie: 12
Kia: 10
Edward: 9
Interesting. I'd love to see more Edward and Laurie and less Doug and Hildi, and no Kia.
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In other news, I **finally** got to see the infamous "Hay Wall" episode this past Thursday. It wasn't quite as bad as I expected, but *was* pretty stupid-looking. Hildi's famous comment, "Just tell the kids not to touch it" was really amazing. She obviously has no concept of what little kids are like. Wouldn't the hay eventually rot or mildew?
I loved the shelf unit that Amy Wynn built for around the fireplace, though. I need something like that for all my books. I'm telling you, one of these days, I'm going to kidnap Vern and Amy Wynn, and holding them hostage till they re-do every room in my house. And I might not ever give Vern back!
Back to tonight's episode! Discuss!
My world has shattered. I loved Kia’s room. I think someone whupped her a few licks with the design sense stick. Loved the color, loved the bass, loved the decoupaged sheet music. All really great ideas. Even the wallpaper border actually served a function this week (although had there not been a hole in the ceiling I’d have been against it)
Hildi’s room…oh good lord. The color was too bright, the foam floor was ridiculous. I did like the shape of the sofa but the color was completely ick. That floor is going to be in shreds in a few weeks.
The Carter Oosterhouse Porn Star Quote Of The Week is from the repeat, and it’s from the Green Team husband:
Otto, I feel your pain. I’m normally SOOOO anti-Kia, but I liked the room, too! Yeah I could’ve done without that border, and maybe the oddly set-up pot rack, but overall it was a nice room.
Okay, so, the other room, the two guys…are they a gay couple? I wasn’t entirely clear on that. If they were, I started to get a little annoyed that the room was uber femme, and even moreso because it was called “mother’s lipstick” or whatever. I’m amazed they liked it. The fabric on that couch was hideous, but I will catfight anyone for those pillows! Loved those!
I thought Hildi’s room looked great compared to some of the other crap she’s come up with. The couch didn’t look very functional, the color was too dark for a tiny room, but I liked the over all design.
I usually hate Kia’s ideas, but I couldn’t tell that she made much difference in the look of the room, just more functional.
Gotta go with Otto’s review here. Totally fugly color in that room, only served to close the whole thing in and be really, really overwhelming (though I kinda liked the curtains). Who is going to be able to reach those top shelves? If they’d just put decorative stuff in there it’d be one thing, but it looked like they had books or CDs in one section. The floor is yet another non-functional Hildi design- the first person that walks on that floor in anything other than slippers or bare feet is going to tear it to pieces. Was that PINK LEATHER on the sofa??? And the lights under it- WTH?? Kia’s room, OTOH, was beautiful. Nice color, well organized, nice little touches for the HOs, and I loved the bass cabinet. Speaking of Kia, is she pregnant? When they pulled her out from under the sink, and when she sat on the HOs’ laps, I got a definite impression of a pregnant belly.
I had the same concerns, sara… I missed the introduction part, and all I could think throughout is “If these guys are a couple, Hildi’s REALLY catering to the stereotype.” “Mom’s lipstick” indeed. And the little snarky comments between her and MPDP about the HOs walking on the floor in heels… ugly.
Gotta wonder if the producers read TWOP and these boards- MPDP’s little exposition on “according to the rules you have to pay back Trading Spaces if you go over” was a little too pat… especially in light of ongoing complaints that MPDP is so selective about giving the designers hell about going over budget.
I love Amy Winn. Just as I was yelling at the female HO for “hammering like a girl” Amy looks at her and says “I need to teach you how to use a hammer.” Thank you, Amy. Laughed out loud when she said “There’s a stick there for a reason.” ::snort::
Sixty episodes in a season… yikes. Kinda glad it’s over.
Considering that the HOmos (heh) left the spray-painted message WORK THOSE HEELS on their floor I’m thinking they’re OK with playing with the stereotypes.
TWOP = Television Without Pity. It’s a website that does snarky reviews of TV shows.
MPDP = Mindy Paige Davis Page = Trading Spaces host Paige Davis. Apparently people would rather confuse other people every week by using the just-as-hard-to-type-as-the-name-Paige acronym instead of just typing Paige.
I’ve never yet seen a Hildi room that wasn’t a ego-masturbatory mess. High gloss fuschia paint on uneven old walls? Oh yuck. And that pinkish vinyl crap on the long, wavy “feature” sofa? Can you say sticky nastiness for actual use? Forget the foam floor; a nightmare for actual use and cleaning.
Kia ain’t a wizard but her kitchen was actually fairly cool. I liked the string bass cabinet but she coulda saved the money and salvaged the floor instead. The folks on Changing Rooms do so much better on much less.
I can’t believe I actually watch this stuff and have an opinion on it.
Hildi’s room would have looked better had it not been high gloss paint, and if the trim and ceiling were another color.
Kia’s room would have been better if the booth seat was used as part of a table. I thought the bass cabinet was ugly. The strings had to be tighter, and there were only three!
Kia’s room – I mostly liked it. Still hated the wallpaper border, though I know it served a purpose. I didn’t like the music quasi-theme. I hate theme rooms, and I thought the bass cabinet and trombone pot rack were cheesy. OTOH, I really like the wall color and the storage that she provided. I did wonder if these people had a den, though. Their original design had a table and chairs, but the new design just had an island in the middle. Does this couple still have a place to eat?
Hildi’s room – I know she was given free reign, so was interested to see what her design would be. As soon as I heard that she was designing a room for 2 guys, I had a feeling she would do it in pink or purple. The foam floor was just silly. I could live with the color, but the door to the room definitely looked like it needed another coat. Everything was too “glamour girl” for my taste, but the HOs seemed to like it.
Can you even vacuum a foam floor or would the suction just rip it right up?
I don’t know if this has been addressed in earlier threads (I’m not sure how I would search it), but have other people noticed that in almost every episode (in this one, next to Kia under the sink) there’s a pillow with a roman numeral III on it? And it’s not even always the same color! What is the deal with that thing?
Yep, the pillow is in every episode and the “3” is for Season 3. The new shows next season will have a “IV” on them, I assume. It’s sort of a game for viewers to find it. The pillow’s nickname is Hitchcock.
On the TWoP site, someone said the foam floor was the same stuff they use at ice rinks, but it sure didn’t look like that to me. That stuff is rubbery and hard and sturdy, but the foam Hildi put down looked flimsy. She was even bending it in half in one scene. I can’t imagine how they’ll clean it. Sweeping with a broom would just shred it, if they don’t shred it by walking on it. What a stupid choice for flooring. And of course, being black, it’ll show every speck of lint.
And once again, Hildi completely ignores the purpose of the room. It was a home office, with 3 (or 4?) desks, and she left them with one small desk and a sitting area. WTF is she thinking?
And that color…my eyes! My eyes! And she painted everything! The doors, the trim, the radiator, even the doorknobs. And then to have all the curtains and the sofa match it? It was Magenta Overload.
Kia’s room. Well, I can hardly even say it. Hell must be frozen solid.
*I. Liked. Kia’s. Room. *
There. I said it.
I wasn’t sure about the wall color, because I am not an orange fan, but I liked it. They did need some stools for the island, but she was already over-budget. The decoupage top was really neat. I just hope it was sealed properly so they can really use it. She did say they can’t cut on it, but I hope she polyurethaned it.
The cabinets were really cute, too.
And she made the border work. I usually hate her borders, and I don’t think she was even going to do one in this room, but she had to do something to cover that hole from the old light fixture. I thought the ivy border looked kind of cute.
*I. Liked. Kia’s. Room. *
I can’t believe it.
Kia made a pretty big deal out of how you can eat on the island without damaging it, so I guess she figured they’d get some bar stools or something.
So, was it pink or purple? It looked pretty damn pink to me, but the HO working on it insisted it was purple (to which he got the reply “Well, I guess it’s kinda fushia”) because he “made a pact that they wouldn’t use pink.” I thought he was just delusional.
Nice attitude, Otto. Perhaps I just forget that some people don’t use MPDP, especially since people here casually toss around other acronyms like “HO”? Geez.
Well, bobkitty, I don’t even watch the show, but anybody familiar with the premise should be able to figure out that HO stands for homeowner, especially since HOA’s are pretty damn common these days. I’ve never heard of Paige, though, or her website.
I am NOT a Kia fan, but I loved her room. I want that kitchen-it was so sunny and cheerful without being cutsey at all. Although I hope she didn’t ruin perfectly good antiques for that base cabinet.
However, adding a ceiling fan in a show that usually junks them-YAY!!! And I loved it-it was great and I loved the border, too.
Hildi’s room was absolutely nauseuous. (sp?) Wouldn’t the foam on the floor create major static? I HATE getting shocked from static. And it would be worse in a room with a computer! The fucshia walls were gross, the couch was a piece of crap and faux pink snakeskin? And what happens when the lights burn out on the bottom? How do you change the bulbs? It was so dark and dreary in there. I actually think the HOs did NOT like it, but just pretended to, because they looked a little wigged out when they first saw it.
I, too, was surprised that I liked Kia’s room. It was good-looking and functional, which is a first for Kia on both counts. It was particularly surprising since the re-run just before was one of her worst rooms–the gaveyard room. Ugh.
Hildi’s room could not have been worse. Ditto what everyone said about the stupid foam and the awful color. I agree with Guinastasia that the HOs were pretending to like it more than they did. No one wants to look like a jerk.
Just a note about the family version. I caught the first few minutes tonight, and that host Joe is such a goof. He fits a particular saying my dad and I have, which is "he looks like he has Frank Oz up his ass."
Laughed out loud when she said “There’s a stick there for a reason.” ::snort::