# Trading Spaces/Changing Rooms Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 7, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756 "2003-07-07T12:51:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/1 "2003-07-07T12:51:06Z")
I have to admit to a good bit of surprise at the lack of threads my search pulled up on this… I’d have thought it would’ve been debated to death already. So here we go… What happens if the HOs and designers don’t finish by 5pm on the second day? I’ve seen shows where there appears to have been a significant span of time between the “finished!!” scene and the reveal (i.e., you can see through a window that it’s gone from mid-afternoon to dark), and certainly MPDP makes a HUUUUUUUGE deal out of the time factor, but as far as I’ve seen they’ve never suffered from “oh my god, it’s 5:05pm and we still need to re-stock the room!” I can’t believe that every single show ends exactly when it’s supposed to, if for no other reason than there are things that happen you simply can’t anticipate (like Ty breaking the mirrored TV cabinet) that cause delays. Not to dredge up the Evil Crying Pam, but she did complain that the work on her sacred fireplace was shoddy and that they left a great deal of sawdust, etc, in the room… does this sort of thing happen often? Do they sacrifice quality, and that’s why they can accomplish everything in such a short period of time? Just kinda wondering. I have this thought that if they’re not done they take the designer out for a spanking. Mmmmm… Vern spankings. 😃 -BK ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/2 "2003-07-07T13:38:17Z")
I’ve seen episodes where projects have to be dropped due to the lack of time. In one episode the doors to an armoir (sp?), or something like that, were left uninstalled. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/3 "2003-07-07T16:38:23Z")
I’m more of a CR fan than TS and if you get BBC America, they show a “behind the CR scenes” program called “CR: Stripped Bare.” The designers say that it sounds like they have 48 hours to do the rooms, but it really is only 16-17 hours. They admit that projects have had to go unfinished (I remember one mosaic fireplace where Carol told the HOs that they would have to finish it and another floor that the HOs had to resurface at a later time because there wasn’t time to put the final finish on it), and things “get bodged or have to be held together with blue tape.” In general the major stuff gets done (paint on the walls, etc.) but certain “projects” get left undone. Sometimes you can see the time on a clock in the background during the reveal or designer interview and it’s always between 4:30 and 6:30 pm. (On CR. I’ve never seen a clock on TS). What I want to know is who pays if the designer goes over budget? Or is that just a schtick and the production company doesn’t care? ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/4 "2003-07-07T17:36:43Z")
I, too, have seen rooms be presented to the homeowners unfinished. Genevieve’s “boucherie” kitchen didn’t get all the tin ceiling tiles up before the reveal, for instance. I also remember the room where the armoire doors were left off and the neighbor agreed to install them himself later. And of course, some of the rooms are finished early, which Paige mentions from time to time in her chats with the designers. Keep in mind that these rooms aren’t done by the mere 3 people plus a part-time carpenter that you see on screen. There are dozens of crew members sawing, nailing, sewing and painting in order to get the work done timely. As for who pays if the designer goes over budget, I’m sure no one does (they sure don’t give the homeowners the underages so they can fill up the room with more nicknacks and such!), but I’ve seen the designers hand over cash to Paige (Hildi once gave her $50!). But, they’ve made reference to some kind of “party jar” they put the money in, so I know it’s not going back to the producers, even if the designers do have to pony up the overages. [sup][sub]P.S. **bobkitty** , I believe you’re referring to Paige with the “MPDP” acronym, but it’s not one we use on this board so I have no idea what it means. [/sub][/sup] ---
**Author:** ![TheRealJohnPeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TheRealJohnPeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheRealJohnPeat)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/5 "2003-07-07T17:41:24Z")
A friend of a friend had their cottage subjected to the CR treatment a few years ago - and lived to regret it. They finished on time but the upheaval was enormous with the TV crew making an enormous mess. Worse - the work done was really shoddy and naff. Almost everything they did was ripped out and replaced not because they didn’t like it - but because it was half-done or fell apart in use… There is a ‘possibly anecdotal’ reference to someone once pulling up “Handy Andy” as to whether something he’d cut was straight and he replied “straight enough for this programme” 🙂 TTFN JP ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/6 "2003-07-07T18:04:38Z")
**Shayna** , MPDP comes from the [televisionwithoutpity.com](http://televisionwithoutpity.com) site. It stands for Mindy Paige Davis Page. Paige’s given name is Mindy Paige Davis, and she’s married to a gentleman whose last name is Page (Patrick Page? I think). I spent a lot of time trying to figure that out, thinking it meant ‘Monstrously Perky, Darling Paige’ or somesuch abomination before I found the TWP FAQ on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/7 "2003-07-07T18:07:44Z")
“MPDP” is Paige’s full initials. Mindy (I think) Paige Davis Page. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/8 "2003-07-07T19:16:59Z")
**TheRealJohnPeat** , who were the designers??? We must know! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/9 "2003-07-07T21:39:21Z")
The real question (for me, anyway) is who in their right mind volunteers their precious house for this kind of butchery? Do people seriously think they’re going to get a good room reno for $1000 in two days? Done by their neighbours who can’t seem to quite get the hang of mowing a lawn properly? Or do people just want to be on TV? (A feeling I have never been able to relate to.) ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/10 "2003-07-07T23:36:37Z")
Several others have answered the MPDP question. I just can’t imagine intentionally doing that to yourself. Can you see trying to get her to a service desk? “Paging Paige Page! Paging Paige Page!” ::shudder:: Thanks for the insight… I knew that the collective addicts here would know the scoop. I keep watching the show thinking “Would you PLEASE get these people some Wagner Power Rollers so they can actually ACCOMPLISH something???” **Feather** … I’m betting on the “want to be on TV” thing. I can do a good reno with $1000, but NOT in two days, and I would never, ever trust anyone but my close buddy (who’s also built his own house) anywhere near the interior of The Palacial Estate. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/11 "2003-07-08T00:25:26Z")
There was also the one where Doug did a kid’s room with two half cars attached to the wall. He was going to put a toy box in the trunk of the car, but ran out of time because, well, just getting a car into the house and sticking it on the wall took so long. Of course, that room was probably also Doug’s worst idea yet, which is saying something. Oh, and **bobkitty** , I know someone who did do that to herself. At one of my summer jobs I worked with a woman called Shannon Shannon, and it is her married name. Reception normally just paged her as Shannon, since everyone knew who that meant. I’m sure it’s one of those things that seems cute at the time, but you would live to regret it. ---
**Author:** ![mcms\_cricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@mcms\_cricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcms_cricket)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/12 "2003-07-09T20:47:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bobkitty \* > \*\*Several others have answered the MPDP question. I just can’t imagine intentionally doing that to yourself. Can you see trying to get her to a service desk? “Paging Paige Page! Paging Paige Page!” ::shudder:: \*\* From what I’ve read, she hasn’t really “done that” to herself (i.e, saddle herself with the name “Paige Page”). She always used her first name, Mindy, and in her professional life that’s what she used too - so she was Mindy Davis. Then, she liked her middle name, Paige, and added that as part of her first name - and went by “Mindy Paige” Davis. Then, when she got the job on Trading Spaces, the producers thought Mindy was sort of immature, so she dropped it and stuck with Paige, becoming Paige Davis. When she got married, she purposely kept her maiden name to avoid the whole Paige Page thing. Apparently, most of her family and friends still call her Mindy. So if she took her husband’s name “in real life” I would assume she would go by Mindy Page - although I guess her husband just recently started calling her Paige. cite - the book Trading Spaces Behind the Scenes. ---
**Author:** ![mcms\_cricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@mcms\_cricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcms_cricket)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/13 "2003-07-09T20:58:05Z")
Upon re-reading it again, my reply sounded a bit snarky - sorry about that, didn’t mean it that way. Cricket ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-changing-rooms-question/186756/14 "2003-07-09T22:05:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shayna \* > \*\*As for who pays if the designer goes over budget, I’m sure no one does (they sure don’t give the homeowners the underages so they can fill up the room with more nicknacks and such!), but I’ve seen the designers hand over cash to Paige (Hildi once gave her $50!). But, they’ve made reference to some kind of “party jar” they put the money in, so I know it’s not going back to the producers, even if the designers do have to pony up the overages.[/sub][/sup] \*\* I’ve heard that TS pays for overages, even though they make a show of the designers “paying” Paige in the pre-reveal interview. But there was one show where Paige made Laurie (I think) return some carpets because she was so far over budget. It was a kitchen where they built some cabinets for the HO’s grandmother’s china.