51:16
Trading Spaces - Everett, WA
Brian Tarr
Overview
This episode of Trading Spaces features two sets of neighbors in Everett, Washington, who swap homes for 48 hours to renovate one room in each other's house. Nancy and Lenny desire a warmer, more inviting living room, while their neighbors Julie and John seek a multi-functional family room. Designers Hildy Santo Tomas and Genevieve Gorder, along with contractor Ty Pennington, face challenges including budget constraints, tight deadlines, and unexpected issues like rain damaging furniture, leading to creative problem-solving and dramatic reveals.
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Chapters
- Two sets of neighbors, Nancy & Lenny and Julie & John, agree to trade homes for 48 hours to renovate one room each.
- Nancy and Lenny want to transform their sterile, unused living room into a warm, livable space, avoiding Asian prints and light/dark extremes.
- Julie and John need their living room to be a versatile family space that can also host elegant dinner parties, accommodating a computer and homework needs.
- The design team, including Hildy Santo Tomas and Genevieve Gorder, must work within a $1,000 budget and a two-day timeframe.
Understanding the homeowners' specific needs and constraints is crucial for the designers to create a successful and personalized renovation.
Nancy and Lenny explicitly stated they 'would absolutely hate any type of Asian prints or writing on the walls,' setting a clear boundary for the designers.
- Hildy plans to drape Nancy and Lenny's living room in fabric (magenta and taupe) to warm the space and hide undesirable features like a soffit, while relocating the entertainment center.
- Genevieve aims to bring color and texture to Julie and John's room, incorporating elements inspired by the Pacific Northwest, while keeping the space casual yet elegant.
- Early challenges include dealing with existing furniture that needs to be repurposed or hidden, and the need to move large items like a piano and entertainment center.
- The designers must navigate the homeowners' specific dislikes, such as Nancy's aversion to Asian-themed decor, which creates tension when similar design elements emerge.
This phase highlights how designers translate client needs into initial concepts and begin tackling the practicalities and potential conflicts of the renovation.
Hildy's plan to 'drape it in fabric' using magenta and taupe panels directly addresses the desire for warmth and to conceal architectural flaws.
- Hildy's team works on creating fabric panels for draping, using magenta and taupe, and incorporates an obi as a decorative element, carefully avoiding an 'Asian' label.
- Genevieve's team experiments with a rust oxide treatment on wood panels for a wall, applying a metallic paint that reacts with a patina to create a corroded, aged look.
- Ty Pennington works on building shelving units and structural elements, facing challenges with angles and precise fitting.
- The process involves extensive cutting, sewing, painting, and assembly, with the teams working late into the night to meet the deadline.
This chapter demonstrates the hands-on execution of design ideas, showcasing the labor-intensive nature of renovations and the problem-solving required when materials or techniques don't perform as expected.
The application of a metallic paint with iron particles, followed by a patina, to create a 'rust' effect on the wall panels is a key example of an innovative technique.
- A significant setback occurs when rain in Seattle soaks the furniture that was painted for Julie and John's room, rendering it unusable.
- The design team faces a shortage of the specific patina needed for the rust effect, requiring a search for replacements or alternative solutions.
- To compensate for the ruined furniture, Hildy is forced to break the show's rules and go over budget to purchase replacement sofas.
- The homeowners, Nancy and Lenny, are involved in tasks like applying slipcovers and assisting with furniture placement, providing a glimpse into their participation.
This section illustrates how unforeseen circumstances can derail renovation plans and test the flexibility and resourcefulness of the design team, sometimes requiring them to bend or break established rules.
Rain soaking the newly painted furniture, forcing the designers to purchase new sofas, is a dramatic example of an unexpected crisis.
- The teams work intensely to finish installations, including ceiling panels, shelving, and decorative elements, often improvising solutions.
- New furniture is sourced, and the rust effect on the wall is allowed to cure overnight, with anticipation for its final appearance.
- The original furniture, though damaged, is noted for its potential, and the cost of replacements is a significant budget concern.
- Final touches are made, such as staining wood elements and arranging decorative pieces like planters repurposed as frames.
This phase emphasizes the race against time and the culmination of efforts, where final details are addressed before the homeowners see their transformed spaces.
Repurposing cedar planters as decorative frames by turning them upside down demonstrates creative problem-solving with available materials.
- Nancy and Lenny are presented with their transformed living room, featuring the rust-effect wall, fabric draping, and new furniture, expressing surprise and appreciation.
- Julie and John see their family room, which includes the fabric-covered ceiling, repurposed furniture (though different from the original plan), and a vibrant, multi-functional design.
- The designers reflect on their choices, highlighting how inspiration pieces like the obi and the bold color choices emphasized the home's architectural features.
- Budget adherence is discussed, with Hildy successfully staying under budget while Genevieve went over due to the furniture replacement crisis.
The reveals are the climax, showing the homeowners' emotional responses to the transformations and providing an opportunity for designers to explain their creative decisions and reflect on the project's success.
Nancy and Lenny's reaction to the 'rust effect' wall, with Lenny stating, 'I got to agree with you. This This looks pretty bad,' followed by Nancy's positive reception, captures the dramatic shift in perception.
Key takeaways
- Renovations require adaptability; unexpected problems like weather damage or material shortages are common and necessitate creative solutions.
- Design inspiration can come from diverse sources, such as a vintage obi, and can be translated into cohesive room concepts.
- Effective communication of needs and dislikes between homeowners and designers is vital, though sometimes designers must push boundaries to introduce new ideas.
- Budget management is a critical aspect of design projects, and sometimes rule-breaking is necessary to achieve a satisfactory outcome, albeit with consequences.
- Transforming a space involves more than just aesthetics; it's about functionality, comfort, and creating an environment that meets the occupants' lifestyle.
- The 'Trading Spaces' format highlights the pressure of time and budget, forcing quick decisions and innovative approaches to design challenges.
- Even when plans go awry, the end result can be surprisingly positive, often exceeding initial expectations.
Key terms
Trading SpacesRenovationDesignersBudgetDeadlineFabric DrapingRust EffectPatinaSoffitSlip Covers
Test your understanding
- What were the primary desires of Nancy and Lenny for their living room, and what specific elements did they want to avoid?
- How did the designers plan to address Julie and John's need for a multi-functional family room that could also host dinner parties?
- Describe the 'rust effect' technique used in the renovation and explain why it was chosen.
- What major setback did the design team face, and how did it impact the project's budget and timeline?
- How did the designers use the obi as inspiration, and what was the significance of this piece in the overall design?