The $1000 Design Wars: Where Are The Trading Spaces Cast Now In 2025?

The iconic home renovation show, *Trading Spaces*, remains a cultural touchstone more than two decades after its debut, sparking a global obsession with DIY design and the drama of a surprise room reveal. As of late 2024 and early 2025, while there has been no official announcement of a new series or second revival season, the original cast members—the hosts, designers, and carpenters—are busier than ever, dominating the design, television, and theater worlds. The show's legacy, built on a tight $1,000 budget and a two-day deadline, continues to influence the home improvement genre, making the question of "Where are they now?" a top search query for nostalgic fans. The original run of *Trading Spaces* aired on TLC from 2000 to 2008, followed by a highly anticipated revival that began in 2018. The show's core formula—two sets of neighbors swapping houses to redecorate one room each with the help of a designer and carpenter—created must-see television, often resulting in pure joy, but sometimes, unforgettable homeowner tears.

The Trading Spaces Cast: A Complete 2025 Status Report

The show’s success was intrinsically linked to the larger-than-life personalities of its cast. From the energetic host to the polarizing designers, here is a look at the key players and their current projects in 2025.

• Paige Davis (Host, 2001-2008, 2018-2019 Revival): The charismatic face of the series. Davis has maintained a vibrant career in theater and television. In 2025, she is active in her acting career, having recently starred in major regional theater productions like *Hello Dolly!*. Fans were thrilled when she announced an "exciting new project" with a former *Trading Spaces* producer, leading to speculation about a new show or perhaps a retrospective podcast focusing on the show's history and the infamous room designs.
• Ty Pennington (Carpenter, 2000-2003, 2018-2019 Revival): Known for his high energy and craftsmanship, Pennington is arguably the most successful crossover star from the show. In 2024 and 2025, he is a staple on HGTV, hosting and starring in major competition series including *Rock The Block*, *Battle On The Beach*, and *Battle On The Mountain*. He also hosted the popular *Extreme Makeover: Home Edition* and continues to be a major figure in the home renovation space.
• Genevieve Gorder (Designer, Original & Revival): A designer celebrated for her bohemian and sophisticated aesthetic. Gorder remains highly influential in the design world. Her 2024 projects include a partnership with the White House Historical Association, showcasing her blend of history and modern design. She also continues to sell her own line of home goods, including her popular *Intersections Peel and Stick Wallpaper* collection.
• Hildi Santo-Tomas (Designer, Original & Revival): The show’s most controversial and iconic designer, known for her highly unconventional and dramatic choices. While she is not currently on a major network show, her legacy is constantly discussed in design circles, with articles and social media posts frequently revisiting her most shocking makeovers, such as the infamous "hay room" and the "silk flower wall". She continues to be a Canadian designer and television personality.
• Vern Yip (Designer, Original & Revival): Renowned for his clean lines, balance, and use of vibrant color, Yip continues to run his successful Atlanta-based firm, Vern Yip Designs. His current work includes high-profile interior design projects and a recent fabric collection (*Living with Vern Yip Fabric Collection*), demonstrating his ongoing influence in the textile and home furnishings market in 2024.
• Doug Wilson (Designer, Original & Revival): The designer famous for his bold, theatrical, and often polarizing designs. Doug Wilson is still an active interior designer, author, and speaker. He has been recognized as one of the "Top 100 Interior Designers in America" by *House Beautiful*. He continues to work on making "doable" design accessible to the public.
• Frank Bielec (Designer, Original & Revival): The beloved designer known for his kind demeanor and whimsical, craft-focused style. Frank Bielec sadly passed away in May 2020 at the age of 72 due to complications from a heart attack. His passing was a major loss to the *Trading Spaces* family and the design community.

The Enduring Legacy of Trading Spaces' $1000 Budget

The most potent source of drama and creativity on *Trading Spaces* was the strict financial constraint: a mere $1,000 to completely transform a room, often in just 48 hours. This low-budget, high-stakes formula forced designers and homeowners to get incredibly resourceful, pioneering the "DIY" and "upcycling" trends long before they became mainstream internet phenomena. This budget constraint is what separated the show from later, more lavish home renovation programs. It fostered a unique tension, as designers were often forced to execute their grand visions using unconventional materials or extreme DIY methods, leading directly to the show’s most memorable moments—both good and bad. The show taught millions of viewers that impactful design didn't require a massive budget, but rather ingenuity and a willingness to take risks.

The Most Controversial Makeovers and Design Philosophies

The show’s enduring topical authority stems largely from its most controversial designs, which are still debated on social media and design blogs in 2025. These makeovers were not just bad design; they were a clash of personalities and a lesson in design philosophy.

Hildi Santo-Tomas' Unforgettable Experiments

No discussion of *Trading Spaces* is complete without mentioning Hildi Santo-Tomas, whose design philosophy was to push boundaries, often ignoring the homeowners' tastes entirely. Her most notorious designs include:

• The Hay Room: A homeowner's bedroom walls were covered entirely with hay, a project that ended in tears and an unforgettable moment of television.
• The Silk Flower Wall: Covering an entire wall with thousands of fake flowers, creating a texture that was both visually overwhelming and a potential allergy risk.
• The Upside-Down Room: A room where all the furniture was inexplicably hung from the ceiling.

Hildi's approach, while frequently shocking, highlighted a key tension in interior design: the balance between a designer's vision and a client's comfort. Her "wackiest fails" are now viewed as a masterclass in clickbait-worthy television, driving the show's popularity.

Doug Wilson's Theatrical Flair

Doug Wilson was another designer known for his dramatic, high-contrast, and often theatrical style. He was less concerned with subtle aesthetics and more with creating an environment that made a bold statement. His designs, while sometimes criticized for being too dark or intense, were always memorable and perfectly encapsulated the show's high-drama premise.

The Future of Trading Spaces: Why a Revival is Always Possible

Despite the 2018 revival not achieving the same long-term success as the original, the current status of the cast—particularly Ty Pennington's HGTV dominance and Paige Davis's new project with a former producer—suggests the appetite for the *Trading Spaces* format remains high. The show's core concepts—low-budget design, high-stakes reveal, and the neighborly competition—are evergreen reality TV gold. The show's original run (2000-2008) coincided with the rise of reality television, making it a pioneer in the home improvement genre. The 2018 revival was a nostalgic nod to this era, bringing back fan-favorite designers like Genevieve Gorder, Vern Yip, and Laurie Smith, alongside new talent like Joanie Sprague and Brett Tutor. As home renovation and DIY content continues to trend on streaming services and social media platforms, the stage is always set for a new iteration. Whether through a spin-off, a new network pickup, or a digital-only format, the legacy of *Trading Spaces*—the tears, the triumphs, and the hay-covered walls—is a timeless formula for compelling television. The cast's thriving 2025 careers prove that the design wars may be over, but the designers themselves are winning.