Home renovations have been all the rage for the last several years, and the humble little television has had a lot to do with it. In the old days home renovation TV consisted of This Old House with Bob Vila and Norm Abram. Both of these PBS shows were staples on Saturday mornings, from the late seventies through the nineties. Vila left the show in 1989 and became the spokesman for Sears Craftsman Tools. He went on to host a new program called Home Again with Bob Vila, but that it was eventually cancelled.
Norm Abram in the meantime, had his own carpentry show called The New Yankee Workshop, which is currently still in production. Bob Vila and Norm Abram, along with the creators and producers at PBS were the pioneers in what has now become a multi-million dollar segment of the television entertainment industry.
Trading Spaces first aired in 2000 and launched the careers of many of today’s most popular home renovation TV personalities. Probably the best known among them is carpenter Ty Pennington, who is now the host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Interestingly enough, Mr. Pennington has not always worked as a carpenter. Though he’d done so to work his way through college, his career in the entertainment industry began as a model and commercial actor. Since landing the Trading Spaces gig he’s left those days in the past.
Another well known personality who got her start on Trading Spaces is Genevieve Gorder, a designer on the show from 2000-2003, and then again from 2005-2007. Her trademark was her preference to work barefoot, which is amazing considering the inherent danger construction poses to bare feet. She was a very popular designer with fans because of her bright smile, pleasant demeanor, and eye catching designs. She was also a popular designer among the homeowners because she was friendly and easy to work with. Genevieve continues to work as a designer and also does some commercial and print ad work. Vern Yip, Paige Davis, Frank Bielec, Hildi Santo-Tomas, Faber Dewar, Carter Oosterhouse, and Amy Wynn Pastor are just a few of the additional TV personalities brought into our homes by Trading Spaces.
Viewers of Design on a Dime will recognize the names Brice Cooper, Kristan Cunningham, and Lee Snijders. These three, along with Frank Fontana and Kahi Lee bring a program to the penny-wise home renovator. They provide tips and tricks to help viewers redesign and freshen up their homes on a relatively low budget.
Candice Olson, one of the top designers in Canada and one of many Canadian artists, brings her north-of-the-border program to American and Canadian audiences via HGTV. Divine Design combines skilled tradesman and modern artisans to completely redesign the client’s chosen space. This program is rather popular due to its step-by-step approach throughout the entire project.
There are many more famous names in the home renovation business, too many to list here. But next time you’re channel surfing for a DIY program, look for names like Mark Totty and Marianne Curan (Landscaper’s Challenge), Eric Stromer and Tava Smiley (Clean Sweep), Dean Johnson and Miriam Johnson (Hometime), and Steve Thomas (Renovation Nation). If you’re lucky, you just may stumble across Bob Vila and Norm Abram doing their thing.
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