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Laurie Smith lives in Jackson, Mississippi, with her husband, Brad, and their two kids, Gibson (5) and India Dawson (1). She was classically trained as a designer at the New York School of Interior Design in Manhattan. Laurie works as a designer on The Learning Channel's (TLC) hit TV show Trading Spaces, where she creatively redesigns spaces for homeowners in 48 hours with a $1,000 budget. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Houston, Texas, she's known as the "Southern belle" on the program.

Laurie was a keynote speaker at the 2007 MOPS International Convention in Orlando, Florida. MomSense Editor Mary Darr talked with Laurie about her role on Trading Spaces and about how her lifelong dream came true on God's terms.

How long have you been on Trading Spaces? What do you like best about the show?

I've been working on Trading Spaces for eight years. There are so many things to love about that show. It was a godsend to me on so many levels. I love traveling around the country and meeting people. Although you're limited by time and money, there's great creative freedom on the show because I'm the designer and no one in production is telling me what to do. And if I can make it work on the budget and in the timeframe, the sky's the limit. That's exciting! Not a lot of designers can work that way with a client. However, I do try to be aware of the people for whom I'm doing the makeover. So I'm probably the most conservative designer on the show.

Do homeowners ever dislike what you've designed? Are you working nonstop?

I've shot about 105 Trading Spaces episodes; and I've only had two people who didn't like what I did. I do work nonstop on the space for less than two days. From a production standpoint, the camera starts rolling at 8 a.m. the first day and stops rolling the next day at 3 P.m. There've been some nights I haven't slept at all. But the homeowners are definitely known to stay up all night. In the first couple years I was a little more diehard, but now I say, "I'm going to get some sleep; you all stay up."

What was your favorite makeover?

My favorite makeover was a room that looked so impossible to me at first and then really took on a life of its own. Toward the end of Season One, we were in Slidell, Louisiana — bayou country. The makeover was a trailer on stilts — this man's childhood home, where he's raising his family now. I literally thought: There is no way on earth we can do this makeover. The trailer needed so much work. But at the end, everyone was surprised, including me. It was beautiful! That makeover was the first time in Trading Spaces history that we had a male homeowner cry because he was so happy. I'm always thrilled when someone loves their makeover, but that one was so fresh and so new. And those people needed it so badly. They were really appreciative. That was such a magical episode all around.

Have you always wanted to be an interior designer?

Working as a designer was something that never occurred to me growing up. All I wanted to do since I was 3 years old was perform on stage or in films. My dream was to work in the performing arts. But when I didn't get into the theater program at college, I let fear start to dictate my future. I majored in broadcast journalism, and following graduation, I worked "behind the scenes" at Turner Broadcasting films. But I felt frustrated because this work wasn't my dream. Then I started helping my best friend Heather, who worked as a designer, choose fabrics and colors for her clients on Saturdays. I really enjoyed doing design; Heather told me I had an eye for this work.

What pushed you to change careers and enter design school?

I was 27, single and at a crossroads with my job. But for the first time in my life, I did what I wanted to do. I moved to Manhattan, New York, and enrolled at the New York School of Interior Design. I also was taking theater training in the evenings because I wanted to pursue my performing arts dream, too. I loved what I was doing, but both these programs were so intense. One day I asked myself, What are you doing this for? But I felt God's direction to stay with it.

After design school, I worked for an architectural design company in New York. Then I met my husband, Brad, who was an attorney from Jackson, Mississippi. After a whirlwind romance, we married and moved to Jackson where I got a job as a residential interior designer.

How did you get the job on Trading Spaces?

After the move, I believed this was the life God had intended for me and tried to put pursuing theatrics behind me. But I was really upset and depressed. I felt like I'd missed my calling. During that same time, I had to lead the book discussion in my couples' Sunday school class. The chapter was titled, "Living in the Gap Between What You Dreamed and What You Got." My husband was out of town, and the perfectionist in me didn't want anyone to know I was struggling with this issue. So I asked the other couples questions and never said a thing about how I was in the gap and didn't know what to do.

When I came home from church that day, I finally surrendered my dream to God. I'd always had a strong relationship with him, but I couldn't let go of my dream to be in the performing arts because I didn't want God to say no. So I prayed, "Lord if I've missed your calling in any way, I am so afraid of giving this to you, but please erase this dream from my head so I don't feel the pain." Then I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders! And the very next morning, Heather called me and told me about a production company starting a new TV show about neighbors trading spaces for 48 hours. They were looking for a designer. I interviewed for the job and two weeks later I was working for "Trading Spaces." I never dreamt I'd be doing interior design and performing arts together. But God blessed me with this job, and I strive to be a beacon for him. Lots of us end up in expected places. I've learned dreams do come true, but on God's terms.

What's your secret to making rooms feel meaningful in your home?

We live in a 1950s house that my husband and I restored. Our home is really family friendly and warm even though most of my walls are canvas white. I used white on purpose because I brought in color and vitality through artwork, fabrics and floor coverings. Whether a room feels warm or restful or bold is really a personal choice.

When I was fixing up the baby's room for my second child, I didn't know if I was having a girl or a boy. So I chose Tiffany Box Blue for the room — a color that worked either way. Then when my daughter India was born, I painted horizontal stripes of sorbet colors that matched the fabric in the room and made it feel really cheery.

It's also helpful to to find an object of inspiration you feel passionate about for each room. The more personal your inspiration, the more meaningful your space will become. The inspiration piece in my son Gibson's bedroom was a whimsical crewel fabric featuring jungle animals. So we painted a jungle mural on the walls. And the furniture in his room belonged to my father when he was a child.

How do you manage life as a working mom with two preschoolers?

There've been times I've been stressed out because I was stranded in an airport or staying in a faraway hotel room. I've felt guilty many a night. But on the flipside, I believe God has blessed me with a talent he intended me to use in this capacity. I wholeheartedly believe he brought me this design opportunity. I'm living for him, and if it means being on the road for seasons of life, then I'll balance it. And somehow through God's grace it all works. If I feel like my work is too much, I pull away for awhile and take time off. I try to stay prayerful about what I'm doing, and often find when I'm utterly stressed out, I've spread myself too thin. Then I step back, re-evaluate and approach everything in moderation.

I prayed God would show me the timing of when to step away from "Trading Spaces." And he has. I'm only doing guest appearances on the show now. It's a time for me to be home. And it's a different season for me. I'm finding my new normal. But God is at the center of the home of my heart. When he's centered in my soul, he can move mountains around me because he's in control. If we're truly surrendered to him and God-centered, we can feel peace that he's the master designer orchestrating our lives for his glory.

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