What was once a neglected back porch area in Burke, amassed with old furniture, bikes and garden tools, is now the "Hindu Sanctuary," courtesy of The Learning Channel's "While You Were Out," home design show.
It's also Puja Pathak's present to her parents.
"They use this space to have Sunday tea," said Pathak, sitting among the burning incense, Hindu "Ganesh" statue, veils and swinging chair that make up the sanctuary.
She liked the element of surprise utilized in the show so she got her parents out of the house so the crew could come in and transform this under-utilized porch into a living space.
"I had to plan all this when my parents were at work," she said.
In Pathak's case, she applied online in March, was contacted in April and the work was done on May 29 and 30. She talked with the producers of the show and came up with a storyline to get the parents out of the house for those two days. It was a psuedo-Mother's Day present to set them up for two days in the Boars Head Inn in Charlottesville, Va. Then the crew came over, took away all the stuff on the porch, some of which was thrown away, and went to work.
"We kind of decided on a south Asian-Indian theme, a place they could go and relax after a long day," she said.
"WHILE YOU WERE OUT," premiered in July 2002 and is completing its first season. The three in Northern Virginia, numbers 58, 59 and 60, are the last three of the season. It started as a companion show of "Trading Spaces," and has now attracted an audience of it's own, according to show spokesperson Nikki Pesusich.
"Our intention is to create a space of what the other person would like," Pesusich said.
For interior rooms, the show spends $1,500, and $1,800 is spent for exterior. Their sponsor for the show is Home Depot.
"People like to watch change, it's meant to be informing and entertaining," she said.
The Pathak's house was show number 60. Number 58 was Staci and Mark Thompson in Falls Church where The Learning Channel (TLC) paid a visit on May 23 and 24. Months before, Staci Thompson filled out an application on line for their porch area to be done. Since the producers of the show do the projects in groups of three in one area, two are indoor and one is outside. The Pathak's was the exterior so Staci Thompson opted for a facelift to their bedroom.
"I originally applied for our patio. It was really an interesting experience, there was 17 people in this house," she said.
TLC picked out a weekend, which happened to fall on Mark Thompson's birthday when they were planning to go to the beach, so Staci Thompson had to think quick and make a plan. She contacted a friend of Mark's, Mike Dunn of Reston, and he took him on a biking/kayak trip up to the mountains. Since the show incorporates some shots of the away party's experience, a cameraman went with them, traveling alongside in a raft for the kayak scenes and trying to keep up on a bike as well. TLC made up a story that he was filming it for the owner of the kayak company.
"On the second day we were on bikes and the cameraman was having a hard time keeping up," Mark Thompson said.
Back at the house, work on the "rustic love nest" was underway. They took everything out of the house, painted the room mauve with an accent on rustic, put in a bookshelf, a frame on the bed, and lighting. They left some of the furniture and refinished it.
"They made the bed and provided all the sheets. Throughout everything they did, they asked me if it was OK," Staci Thompson said.
The neighbors were aware of what was going on, even letting them set a covert camera up to film Mark Thompson leaving and returning, so once the camera crew left for the evening, leaving behind all the catered food, Staci Thompson shared the leftovers.
For the question and answer part, the couple got all the questions right and won additional things for their house. The topic was on each other, and they won a clock, a chair and two lamps. Pathak won ethnic lamps and a wooden statue.
Although the Thompson's painted and redecorated some of the house previously, the bedroom was not done. It turned out for the best though. Staci Thompson was happy with the results.
"If we had a picture perfect room, this was it," she said.
THE SHOW RECOMMENDS applying on-line and have rules such as maintaining a secret when applying, be the home owner or written permission from the owner, be at least 18 years old, and the room must be at least 14'X14' so the camera crew can fit in. Interior rooms must already have furniture in it, and the participants must have two days available.
Other rooms they did this first season include "Southern Colonial," in Atlanta, "Parisian Salon," in South Carolina and a vintage Cuban piano parlor in Miami.
The Thompson's episode, episode 58, will be shown on Aug. 1, at 9 p.m. on TLC. They're excited about that as well.
"We see it for the first time with everyone else," Staci Thompson said.
In the Pathak's case, the redecorating bug may be spreading.
"I think they're super excited about changing other rooms," Puja Pathak said.