Who's the red-haired woman on Trading Spaces?

[mykpart]

I think her name is Lori or Laurie. She was pregnant on some of the old shows. I quit watching that show mainly because of her. What a prima donna! Is she still with the show?

[Bullwinkle925]

1. Yes she is.

Sometimes I like her - other times I can take her or leave her.

[mykpart]

2. She does none of the work herself,

and she completely ignores what the homeowners want to do! She expects WAY too much from the homeowners, and then gets snotty with them. And sometimes she deliberately does something she knows the owner will hate!

[Kerrytravelers]

3. Yep.

Trading Spaces scares me. I watch to see what NOT to do. There are times when a room looks ok (mainly Vern's, in my opinion, take it for what it's worth.) But Hildi and Doug get out of control, gluing hay on walls or making a room with cardboard or a master bedroom into a train sleeping car. The BBC sow Changing Rooms (which is the original Trading Spaces) is a bit more tame, but they can get silly, too. I prefer Designer's Challenge and The Designer Guys.

I am working on making a career change into Interior Decorating, so I do watch and read a lot about decorating. Seriously, I would love to walk through some of these Trading Spaces homes after the crew leaves to see what it really looks like. It all seems so hurried and slapped together. There are times when they don't prime the walls before painting or they lay flooring over other flooring in a way that, to me, and I may be wrong, doesn't see professional or well thought out. But I am meticulous and so is my dad, who is really handy and can do basic carpentry. He always takes such care and time when building storage and pieces for the house. He always primes and takes his time painting to be sure everything looks professionally done. I know that they have a crew that works off camera, but it still seems slapped together.

Has anyone here ever been on Trading Spaces or have you see the work after they left? I'd be curious to know what you thought. Am I totally wrong in my judgment? I hope I did not offend you, as that was not my purpose.

Please share for us!

[mykpart]

4. I like Design on a Dime and Decorating Cents.

They do better stuff for the same amount of time and money (or less, on Decorating Cents). Designer's Challenge is great, but they always have huge budgets. Saw one today where the homeowners had budgeted $50,000 to redo their bathroom! How about Divine Design? Only problem there is you never know how much she spent.

I never saw any Trading Spaces rooms in person, but sometimes they look cheesy on TV!

[Kerrytravelers]

5. The budgets are definitely huge!

I like watching them for the thought process that goes into the designs. At this point in our lives, there is no way we could afford anything like that! Design on a Dime and Decorating Cents are definitely good for affordable ideas.

[Carni]

12. I think they are basically just set designers

I have thought the same thing while watching--there is no way some of the stuff they pull off will hold up for more than 6 months.

[kittykatkoffeekup]

6. Her name is Laurie Smith n/t

[Kerrytravelers]

7. Yeah, we did kinda of forget to answer the orginal questions, didn't we!

I completly changed the subject. Thanks for getting me back on track!

Here is her picture...




Here is a quick bit about here form the noceilingfans.com page:

Laurie Hickson-Smith, Designer
Laurie is known for her clean lines, symmetry, and classicism. She loves throw pillows and beautiful fabrics and appears to hate ceiling fans.

Laurie usually includes some sort of focal point in her room and can overspend with her expensive taste in silks.

She describes her style as "elegant, but eclectic. She trained in New York but returned to Jackson, Miss. with her husband.



"My goal on the show is to create a room that can be lived in. I can't, in good conscience, leave a room knowing that I have left the homeowners with a theater set."

Born May 23, 1971
Place of birth: Atlanta, Ga.
Raised Houston, Texas
Adopted Hometown Jackson, Mississippi
Dirty Little Secret: Has 4 ceiling fans in her home
Sign: Gemini
Fave food: Mexican
Fave movie: The English Patient
Fave book: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Fave CD: Coldplay
Favorite saying: "C'est la view"
Q: What's your biggest pet peeve?
A: People who think the world revolves around them.


Q: How do you respond to negative reactions to your designs on Trading Spaces?
A: People have varying opinions— that's what makes the world go 'round. I just hold my head up and remain true to myself.


Q: Describe your favorite meal.
A: Fresh seafood! Nothing beats it.


Q: What's in your fridge?
A: Always orange juice. Frequently chicken, vegetables. I like to keep a supply of cilantro and garlic on hand as well.

So, she can have 4 ceiling fans, but she takes the ceiling fans out of the rooms she designs, even when the homeowners specifically LEAVE ME FAN ALONE! Ah, the hypocracy!


She also has a book on EBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/LAURIE-SMITH-INTERIOR-DESIGN-BOOK-DISCOVERING-HOME_W0QQitemZ4440415557QQcategoryZ10034QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

And on a Yahoo! search, I also found the following:

http://www.wma.com/laurie_smith/bio/Laurie_Smith.pdf#search='Laurie%20Smith'
http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/tradingspaces/bio/laurie.html
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=1005994&nav=2CSfCICM
http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/ArticleNews/story/BWIRE/20040318/20040318005575

The last little snippit I found makes me wonder exactly what kind of a Christian she is: liberal (lik me) or fundie-fruitcake.

http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0,1703,A%253D156973%2526X%253D1%2526M%253D200355,00.html

“I feel like I have a real testimony with the way God has worked in my life and brought me ‘Trading Spaces,’” Laurie says emphatically. “If I’d pursued acting, I’d still be in L.A. just trying to get a commercial. … I do feel that ‘Trading Spaces’ is something that I was placed in, not something I just happened upon. It was totally God’s plan.

“Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is knowing what you hope for, but being certain of what you cannot see,” Laurie says. “I have found comfort in that verse throughout my life.

“I so pray for the Holy Spirit just to shine through me in situations and to be in control. If I can be a crusader for Christ just by being in whatever situation I am, then I think people can see that. They can’t deny it. They have to question, ‘What’s the source of that girl’s light?’ And then when I’m asked about it, I can definitely say, ‘I’m a Christian. That’s what makes me tick.’”

While Laurie is a fabulous designer when it comes to homes, she finds that the design of her life is better handled by the Master Designer. When she makes room for Him, everything else falls into place.

Melissa Hambrick is a freelance writer living in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a longtime fan of “Trading Spaces,” and like Laurie, she is a redheaded mother of a toddler.

© 2001-2003 LifeWay Christian Resources

[Kerrytravelers]

8. Never mind. I found out exactly what type "Christian" she is--- the fundie

Here is how to be "free" from homosexuality. :eyes:

http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/mainpage/0%2C1701%2CM%253D200261%2C00.html

But here is one that make's my stomache turn:
Bush is ‘God’s Man for This Time’
http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%253D161855%2526M%253D150019%2C00.html

[hyphenate]

9. Laurie is very much

a drama queen. Even more so than Hildi IMO. Her favorite tones for rooms tend to fall in the beige/light yellow/brown realm. And yes, she spends an inordinate amount on fabrics.

The show lost its focus when they got rid of Paige, though I personally didn't care for her. I much preferred Trading Spaces: Family and the host there, Joe Farrell. Now, it seems almost "wandering" in focus--or should I say, lack of focus.

It seems they also must have lost some more decorators along the way--Laura Day, Barry, John and, of course, Vern Yip who hasn't been there for two years now. Doug, Hildi, Frank, Edward and Laurie are obvious still with the show, but I noticed that as far as carpenters are concerned, Carter isn't around much, and they are using Leslie Segrete (from "While You Were Out") and Jimmy (from one of the other shows, the name of which I can't recall) as well as Faber and Amy Wynn.

Doug's rooms have vastly improved. I think he has the requisite talent, but he just loves to be theatrical and a "bad boy." Hildi seems to be similar in her presentation, and enjoys adding elements which are less than practical in a room. It makes for an interesting room, but it really hinders the enjoyment of the work accomplished on the show. It's difficult to appreciate an entire bathroom with the walls of silk flowers--that would have been okay if she had only done one wall like it, but it's rather claustrophobic with the entire room filled with them. And while I appreciated the episode with the paint cans on the ceiling, I would be constantly wondering when they were going to drop on my head.

People tend to think that Frank can't do anything but a "country" or "rustic" room, but I've seen him turn out some really nice, modern/contemporary rooms with a lot of thought behind them. His ability to listen to the home owners and their friends, and incorporate their plans into his own certainly makes him the kind of decorator you want to work with.

I've never been on the show, but we used to discuss it quite a bit on another board I frequent, though interest has waned. What was once an interesting show filled with fun ideas and the like, is now lifeless and dull in many different ways, as are many of the shows in that genre. It seems sometimes that home improvement shows are headed for the door due to lack of originality.

I think sometimes that it's more difficult to work with a woman decorator in general, especially if you are one yourself. Too many cooks, so to speak. I also think that I used to watch the show to pick up instructions on how to build something, but nowadays, that element is pretty much gone. Now it's a whole lot of "nothing" going on, with more rambling and lack of focus which I mentioned earlier.

[Kerrytravelers]

11. I tend to appreciate frank's work much more than most others.

I still think I prefer Vern the most, but I really like how Frank listens and can take change without freaking out. His goal is to make the homeowners happy with design choices they might not have made in the past. He respects their tastes and wants to include this preferences into a design that will still challenge their traditional style.

I always liked Vern's clean lines and respect for the architecture in the room- but Vern is also an interior architect. I refer to that when I'm working on our place or helping friend's put there places together.

[Cathyclysmic]

10. Despite her inevitable meltdown she has every week..

her rooms always look great, at least in my opinion. Of the designers on that show, Laurie and the other guy whose I am blanking on his name have design degrees and it show in their designs.

[graywarrior]

13. She's nuts.