# 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:** 4
### Author:  [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/61 "2003-07-29T19:38:01Z")
**voguevixen** , thank you for clearing that up. Now I remember which room that was, that was a nice one.
> [@](#):
>
> “You got a professional designer and almost $1,000 worth of stuff for FREE. Plus, you KNEW from day one you’d have no input and your lame-ass, avocado-appliance, backwater Precious Moments Figurine and velvet painting tastes would be ignored (as they should be)! Suck it the fuck up and be gracious, whiner!”
**lola** , all I have to say is OH SNAP! And a hearty _applause._ Well put.
The “I HATE BROWN!” room I totally loved. But it did bug me that Laurie seemed to have advance knowledge of the anti-brown campaign but went ahead with it anyway.
Know what other room I hated? It was one Frank did, and he did the room in like 4 or 5 colors that clashed, and put a big face on the wall. Red lips headboard, bent wire eyes. That was freakin weird as hell.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/62 "2003-07-29T19:51:01Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Philster \*
> \*\*I don’t know where I found this (or why) but it’s a must read for fans of TS. Total riot, not about a bad room though. \*\*
Oops…here is the link:
[http://www.wweek.com/flatfiles/allstories.lasso?xxin=2669](http://www.wweek.com/flatfiles/allstories.lasso?xxin=2669)
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### Author:  [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/63 "2003-07-29T20:00:59Z")
I think the straw wall was pretty terrible, but how about the episode where Hildi decorated a bedroom in white faux fur and painted the trim construction orange. And wanted to use the homeowners vaccuum cleaner to dye the beige carpet construction orange. Luckily, one of the people working on that room stopped her from going that far.
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### Author:  [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/64 "2003-07-29T20:39:03Z")
That was a Plano episode. That’s actually one of the few Hildi rooms that I actually liked. I wouldn’t have let her dye my carpet orange either, but it actually turned out pretty nice. You definitely have to like orange to have that kind of room. And to be fair, she didn’t do the whole thing in faux fur. IIRC, I think she made a couple of pillows and a rug in it.
Here’s the recap. I think you can also see pictures of the room here. [http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/tradingspaces/episode/season2/episode\_41.html](http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/tradingspaces/episode/season2/episode_41.html)
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### Author:  [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/65 "2003-07-29T22:14:42Z")
> [@](#):
>
> The end of WYWO was just awkward. The husband didn’t seem to understand the concept of the show at all, at least at first. In the beginning I kind of sympathized with me–HOW MANY times did he say “what’s going on?” before anybody even tried to explain? Otherwise, though, his reaction was really horrible.
I missed this. Anyone wanna give a recap? Pretty please?
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/66 "2003-07-30T00:54:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> There’s another (Ceiling Fan Dominic) where the HO asked that his precious ceiling fan not be removed, and at the reveal, he cussed up a storm that it had been taken down.
> “Aww, _beep_, they _beep_ing took down the _beep_ing ceiling fan!”
If someone took out MY ceiling fan, I’d be pissed. Ceiling fans are NOT just for decoration. Some of us actually USE them, you know.
(I do, and I don’t even live in a warm area-Pittsburgh PA).
Oh, and it wasn’t construction orange, it was more of a rust color. But yeah, I wouldn’t have let her dye the rug, either. I would have suggested an area rug.
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### Author:  [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/67 "2003-07-30T01:27:39Z")
beadalin, they turned the deck into a “caribean hideaway.” the wife brings the husband back to the deck and he hit the sky. he kept shouting “what the bleep is this?” “what the bleep is going on?” he just kept shouting, no one could get a word in. finally when he took a breath theresa jumped in and said “hi, i’m paige davis, just in case anyone asks.” she then tries to explain the show and concept, told him how hard his wife worked to do this for him.
he just wouldn’t calm down. theresa tried to point out the features of the deck, he did say “that’s cool” once or twice. then he started on the shouting again, then he starts to stomp off to look for the friend that was with him. theresa went after him and they decided a commercial was in order.
they finally get him calmed down enough to answer the final question, he answers properly and wins the grill.
his poor wife was really freaked out by his storming around. i thought theresa did a great job just trying to hold everything together. i would have tried to hide behind andrew. andrew, you tell him, perhaps the accent will calm him down.
this guy was tons worse than the infamous “pig man.”
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### Author:  [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/68 "2003-07-30T03:11:54Z")
My vote is for the kitchen plastered with wine bottle lables. They were a horrible orange and black, but the worst part was that the family were teetotalers, and were a bit offended, methinks.
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### Author:  [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/69 "2003-07-30T12:24:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \*
> \*\*If someone took out MY ceiling fan, I’d be pissed. Ceiling fans are NOT just for decoration. Some of us actually USE them, you know.
> \*\*
Oh, I’d be pissed, too, (taking down ceiling fans is a huge pet peeve of mine) but the guy could have kept his language in check and not been such a snot about it. They didn’t throw it away…it was there to be put back up. And it was just a plain old white “builder’s special” type of fan. He could have gotten a much nicer looking fan for about $100 at Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Regarding the WYWO fiasco… the guy was bordering on being verbally abusive to his wife. WHen he walked out, he said, “This has got to be illegal, what did you do to **my** house?!?” (as if it’s not his wife’s house, too). He also asked if his wife signed a waiver, and when she said yes, he gave her a really dirty look and said, “Figures” and rolled his eyes at her, like she was some kind of second-class citizen who isn’t allowed to sign contracts. He was a major asswipe. :rolleyes:
The wine label kitchen… I’d forgetten that one. Not only were they teetotalers, they were Baptist ministers, IIRC. And Hildi knew it, so she started plastering the labels up _before_ the other HOs got in there. They walked in for that little “Hi, here we are!” bit and there she was, with a bunch of the labels already up. She also wanted to put a wine rack over the stove (dumb idea… wine over a heat source!) and they got her to change it to a pot rack. The HOs were quite gracious about it, though, and thanked everyone, while explaining that the wine labels just didn’t fit their lifestyle.
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### Author:  [@Miss\_Kim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Kim)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/70 "2012-07-04T14:09:20Z")
Just to clear things up. The designer on trading places who put the grass on the wall
Was none other than Genevieve Goider (sp). I remember this episode specifically, it was without
A doubt shocking! Genevieve’s style was thrift store tacky back then. She is now very elegant and
is a judge on Design Star, a job which she is perfect for since she had taken many design risks and
can now help others through her experience.
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### Author:  [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/71 "2012-07-04T15:12:14Z")
Thank you **MissKim** , I am glad you cleared that up. I have been sitting on pins and needles for almost nine years.
Zombie Thread about a graveyard bedroom design. who would have thunk it?
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/72 "2012-07-04T17:27:33Z")
A zombie thread with a not-so-veiled slam at one of the judges of Design Star by someone named Miss Kim…hmm, did [Kim Myles](http://www.hgtv.com/kim-myles/bio/index.html) show get canceled recently?
If there was ever a show that had run its course and needed to be canceled and hidden from view forever, it was Trading Spaces. The only show that was worse was the UK version that was truly sad…most of those homes were ghetto housing projects to begin with, and after the makeover, looked like rooms designed by drunk church ladies with things they found in dumpsters.
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/73 "2012-07-04T18:10:29Z")
Plus, **Miss Kim** waited 9 years to be wrong. Like there aren’t links in this very old thread to stories and videos of Hildibeast making the hideous wall of hay.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/74 "2012-07-04T21:57:36Z")
I’ve seen some weird things on real estate porn shows since this thread, but the Hay Wall is still probably the worst offence against interior decorating that I’ve seen.
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### Author:  [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/75 "2012-07-05T02:44:36Z")
> [@Miss\_Kim](#):
>
> Just to clear things up. The designer on trading places who put the grass on the wall
> Was none other than Genevieve Goider (sp). I remember this episode specifically, it was without
> A doubt shocking! Genevieve’s style was thrift store tacky back then. She is now very elegant and
> is a judge on Design Star, a job which she is perfect for since she had taken many design risks and
> can now help others through her experience.
Gen did the moss wall, which wasn’t nearly as bad as Hildi’s insane hay-covered wall. In a house with small children. I’m surprised Hildi never used jagged bits of broken glass as a wall treatment.
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### Author:  [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/76 "2012-07-05T04:13:19Z")
> [@MagicEyes](#):
>
> Gen did the moss wall, which wasn’t nearly as bad as Hildi’s insane hay-covered wall. In a house with small children. I’m surprised Hildi never used jagged bits of broken glass as a wall treatment.
She probably had one lined up (to go along with the sofa made of punji sticks) for the next family with small children, but TLC put the show — and an untold number of homeowners — out of its/their misery.
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### Author:  [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/77 "2012-07-05T04:24:47Z")
> [@troub](#):
>
> What about the bathroom where Hildi, IIRC, stapled all those fake flowers to the wall? That was pretty stupid.
Yes! That’s the one I wanted to mention. It just seems so … unsanitary. And ugly.
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### Author:  [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/78 "2012-07-05T05:29:46Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#):
>
> I’ve seen some weird things on real estate porn shows since this thread, but the Hay Wall is still probably the worst offence against interior decorating that I’ve seen.
No–IMHO the worst offence against interior decorating was the wine label wallpaper that one of the Trading Spaces designers put into the house of a Christian family that didn’t drink.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2012, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/79 "2012-07-05T05:37:20Z")
I still shudder at the episode where Hildi and Doug decided to do Black and White rooms. I can’t recall which one had black. But you can imagine how bad it was. The White room was cold and sterile.
There were many, many good rooms too. I recall an episode where Doug visited his family’s farm and did a room for his brother. Gen had a lot of good room designs and a few flops. Laurie Smith was my favorite designer and nearly all her designs were good. Edward was usually really good too, but his designs got a little repetitive.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trading-spaces-which-room-was-the-worst-ever/191185/80 "2012-07-05T17:03:11Z")
> [@Spoons](#):
>
> No–IMHO the worst offence against interior decorating was the wine label wallpaper that one of the Trading Spaces designers put into the house of a Christian family that didn’t drink.
Oy vey.
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