# Trading Spaces--Which room was the worst ever?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 27, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185 "2003-07-27T01:52:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/21 "2003-07-27T14:26:36Z")
Oh, while I agree with most of the cited examples, I’d like to add that the creepiest room was obviously the room where Hildi put a giant picture OF HERSELF!!! on one wall.
Does she actually have any designer credentials? It sure doesn’t look like it from her “Designs.”
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### Author:  [@Slainte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slainte)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/22 "2003-07-27T15:39:21Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by shy guy \*
> \*\*Has to be Kia’s Military Chic room. Even if we pretend for a minute that it was oppisite day, and that when the female HO said “I don’t want anything military at all. I spend all day _in_ the military, when I come home, I want something different,” she meant “an uber-ugly black and grey camo wallpaper boarder would be faboo!” it’s an absolutely hideous room.
>
> Curtains made out of _parachutes_?! Die, Kia, die. \*\*
I agree wholeheartedly - this is the worst one I have ever seen them do.
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### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/23 "2003-07-27T16:29:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Where in Guin’s post did she suggest it had to be offensive to gay people?
Golly, where did I get the idea from “The recent Purple and Pink Stereotypical Gay Office room Hildi did for the gay couple last week. REAL open-minded, Hildi!” that **Guin** was asserting that the design was offensive to gay people?
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/24 "2003-07-27T16:34:04Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Otto \*
> \*\*Golly, where did I get the idea from “The recent Purple and Pink Stereotypical Gay Office room Hildi did for the gay couple last week. REAL open-minded, Hildi!” that **Guin** was asserting that the design was offensive to gay people? \*\*
Yeah, one of the worst rooms EVA!
Oh wait, your not talking about a Trading Spaces room, you’re bitching about a member. I seem to remember there’s a forum for doing just this and it ain’t Cafe Society.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/25 "2003-07-27T16:59:08Z")
Sorry, **Otto** , I guess my point was that Hildi assumed that gay automatically =pink and purple campy girly decor or whatever you call what she did.
Yeah, they loved it, but that’s not the point.
I thought she made it very feminine on purpose, thinking, oh, obviously, they’re GAY, so I’ll make it like THIS. And that was a little, well, ignorant at best. I don’t think it’s OFFENSIVE, just a little stupid on her part. Of course, this IS Hildi we’re talking about.
Besides, it was an UGLY room. All that purple would make such a small room too hot, I would think, the vinyl couch would probably get very hot to sit on in the summer time and stick to your legs and it would hurt when you stand up. And then the foam on the floor-wouldn’t that create a lot of static?
Yeesh, chill.
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### Author:  [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/26 "2003-07-27T17:50:32Z")
I haven’t seen the hay wall, but I have seen the moss wall. I would nominate that.
Also, and I’m sure I’ll get a lot of arguments on this one…Frank’s eastern New England seashore cottage house thingy. He covered EVERYTHING in dull blue fabrics, COMPLETELY BLOCKING all the windows!!
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### Author:  [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/27 "2003-07-27T20:02:21Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by voguevixen \*
> \*\*I think Kia’s worst room by far was the camoflage/“military chic” room. \*\*
I think that this is the most offensive room in terms of just being rude and inconsiderate to the home owners.
I haven’t seen the hay room. I’m not sure I can imagine what series of steps would lead one to the thought that it would be a good idea.
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### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/28 "2003-07-27T20:49:08Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Brynda \*
> \*\*From the Television without Pity recap about the hay episode (linked above by **OttoDaFe** :
>
> "Of course, one can read in the media since this show aired about how the bookshelves that were put up were pulling away from the wall within twenty-four hours; the kids had splinters from the louvers, which were promptly removed; and the homeowners were given an estimate of $3000 to restore the mantel. Not to mention the eighty-five hours of labour it took to remove the hay. "
>
> Yikes!
>
> Have they ever rerun this episode? It would definitely be one I would want to see. \*\*
They rerun it a lot because it’s a “fan favorite” (and always creates a buzz whenever it’s re-aired, much like the “Crying Pam” episode.) The TLC site has a list of upcoming episodes, but if I remember right it’s really hard to get to. I’ll check my TiVo and get back to you.
One sort of bummer thing that gets overlooked is that the room opposite the Straw Disaster is a kitchen done by Gen that turns out really amazing. I force myself to watch that episode because I like so much how the kitchen turns out.
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### Author:  [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/29 "2003-07-27T22:12:30Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Trigonal Planar \*
> \*\*Also, and I’m sure I’ll get a lot of arguments on this one…Frank’s eastern New England seashore cottage house thingy. He covered EVERYTHING in dull blue fabrics, COMPLETELY BLOCKING all the windows!! \*\*
I remember one that was kind of like that, I don’t know whether we’re talking about the same thing though…the HO had said they wanted the room to match the table and chairs - unfortunately they were black, blue and wood.
So the designer (I don’t recall who it was though) painted the wood wall with black stripes and IIRC the floor went black, too. And then everything else was covered with blue fabric.
The woman almost cried when she saw the room, her husband pretended to like it.
Uah. It was just a depressing room and ugly to boot.
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### Author:  [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/30 "2003-07-27T22:38:21Z")
**Einmon** , I think I know which room you’re talking about. It was Hildi, and what she did was paint the walls black and then put wood planks up. The floor she left as the original white tile (or something like that), and she made these oversized chaise lounge type things that were supposed to be couches or something (and matched the color of the table). I’m not sure whether or not I like that room, but I thinK I recall the wife saying “er…I think I’ll have to get used to the black” (because it extended into the foyer).
**voguevixen** - which kitchen design was that? (that Gen did in the same episode as hay wall)
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### Author:  [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/31 "2003-07-28T16:33:24Z")
What about the bathroom where Hildi, IIRC, stapled all those fake flowers to the wall? That was pretty stupid.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/32 "2003-07-28T16:40:53Z")
Was it Hildi who draped an entire room so that it looked like a fucking circus tent? I hated that one, but the worst was Cammo room. Just hideous.
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### Author:  [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/33 "2003-07-28T16:58:23Z")
Yes, that was her, Kalhoun. If I recall correctly, the home owner later put the fixin’s for the room on eBay.
I don’t watch the show regularly so I can’t really comment as to the worst room ever but I agree with the Kia astroturf disaster.
Why, oh why, is that woman a designer? Does she always use borders? I recall her saying she was the ‘border queen’. I just want to take her aside and say, “Psssst. Borders? Yeah, they’re _extremely_ tacky.”
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### Author:  [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/34 "2003-07-28T17:21:39Z")
I can’t believe no one has said this yet. Perhaps it has been wiped from your minds due to the shock and horror. I have two words for you:
Monkey Desk.
::shudder::
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### Author:  [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/35 "2003-07-28T17:30:18Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by troub \*
> \*\*What about the bathroom where Hildi, IIRC, stapled all those fake flowers to the wall? That was pretty stupid. \*\*
I mentioned that one. Yeah, it was pretty stupid.
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### Author:  [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/36 "2003-07-28T17:36:34Z")
Anything that Kia did is always in the running for this, but:
Kia’s first room was a hideous purple disaster with an ugly wallpaper border. Henious. Set the tone for someone without a clue or a bit of talent. I guess many rooms were turning out nice.
Doug’s train based Pullman car room sucked. Yeesh, thank goodness he has mostly given up “theme” rooms, leaving them to Kia, the talentless smug hack.
And never forget the horrid plastic flower bathroom done by Hildy- which shows you what happens when you use your personal connections to a TS designer to get on the show, and to get them to do your bathroom (which they never do). Heh heh heh- take that!
😛
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### Author:  [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/37 "2003-07-28T19:34:01Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by OttoDaFe \*
> \*\*But when it comes to design disasters, I would nominate a Season 1 room by Dez that involved a diamond pattern all over one wall. Burned me retinas, it did. \*\*
Yep.
There have been rooms that I didn’t like, but could see working for other people. There have been rooms that I liked the concept, but didn’t quite come together. There have been poor concept rooms (the circus tent, Laurie’s idiotic trundle bed for teenage sisters). There has been Kia.
But that room by Dez was hideous. It wasn’t just the diamond pattern. Every single thing she did to that room was, in and of itself, ugly. Not a single good, practical, or aesthetically pleasing idea anywhere. And it wasn’t one of those magic rooms where “it seems wrong, but you put it all together and it works.” Nope. You put all of that ugliness together and it just became exponentially uglier. Purely hideous.
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/38 "2003-07-28T20:03:50Z")
A good friend of mine was on the production crew for the “hay wall” episode. At the time it didn’t mean anything to me since I’d never watched the show. Now that my wife is hooked, though, I’ll need to ask him what that shoot was like (though I still haven’t seen that episode).
I recognize several of the rooms mentioned, but for sheer stupidity and impracticality, I’d have to nominate the flower bathroom. Ridiculous.
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### Author:  [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/39 "2003-07-28T21:38:00Z")
Does anybody remember the “Lamp Lady” (the lady whose schtick was creating custom lamps)? _Every_ room she did seemed to be uniformly ghastly.
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### Author:  [@DeskMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeskMonkey)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/40 "2003-07-28T22:14:45Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by bobkitty \*
> \*\*I can’t believe no one has said this yet. Perhaps it has been wiped from your minds due to the shock and horror. I have two words for you:
>
> Monkey Desk.
>
> ::shudder:: \*\*
hmmmmm . . . sounds intriguing . . . Where can I buy one?
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