Changing rooms and trading spaces by Gord Lacey (All reviews)
2/28/2004
The BBC's hit show, Changing Rooms, first aired in 1996 and became the inspiration for TLC's Trading Space. The hosts are different, the accents different, but the premise is the same - a designer and the team have 2 days and £500 to transform a room for boring to beautiful. Watch the excitement and heartbreak when the new room is revealed to the owners.
This compilation DVD includes segments on each designer, some successes and disasters and, of course, the reveals. Fans of the show will like this, but it should also appeal to people that have never seen it before.
From the back of the box:
"Trust me... I'm a designer!" Many neighbors did... and regretted it. Others had their doubts but were delighted. It's all here: the highs, the lows, the tears and the tantrums that make up the best of Changing Rooms!
See the rooms that left us speechless... and the rooms that we can never forget. Laugh out loud at the outrageous antics of the designers, the stubborn determination of Handy Andy, and of course the neighbors with attitude. Rediscover the breath-taking designs that dropped our jaws... and let's not forget about the DIY disasters that made us cover our eyes!
Naked women on walls and trees on ceilings... Anything you could ever imagine making out of plywood, rocks and purple paint. Crashing teapots and clashing personalities... White rooms, black rooms and the infamous "it's crap!" room. It's Changing Rooms at its best, hosted by Carol Smillie, with personal insights from some of your favorite designers.
Video
Unlike recent BBC releases, this one is not anamorphic widescreen, instead it's full frame (1.33:1). Shot with video camera, the video is free from grain and other effects associated with film, but it does contain a little bit of video noise. When they cut between two scenes there would be a very quick dissolve to white, then a dissolve to the next scene and this presented some compression problems on the DVD. The picture becomes blocky, and although it's quick it's still noticeable. There are 12 chapters in the feature program.
Audio
It's not a very impressive mix, but it really doesn't have to be. The dialog and music can be heard clearly and that's all that really matters. If you're left scratching your head as to what they just said, you can flip on the English subtitles to lend a hand.
Designers & Their Designs (53:58)
There are 10 designs by the designers in this section. This is nice because it includes a before/after of the room, interview with the designer and then the reveal.
Out-Takes (6:01)
Various out-takes from the show.
Summary
Fans of Trading Spaces should pick this disc up just to see how the original show has been copied, but also to expose themselves to European designs. Compared to the Trading Spaces DVD I reviewed I would have to give the edge to this one. I was a bit annoyed that we weren't shown much of the designs in the feature, but then the special feature made up for that. The original series is more interesting because of the rooms the redecorate; churches, bathrooms, army base, a houseboat and on a navy boat!
This is a no-brainer purchase for fans of the show, or fans of Trading Space.
