Good Housekeeping's decorating editor, Susan Leaderman, lived out her fantasy last summer: going on the hugely popular cable TV show Trading Spaces. In two very busy days, her dark kitchen cabinets and decades-old wallpaper were transformed by Long Island neighbors Carrie and James - while Susan slaved with her husband, Robert, making over their neighbors' home. GH.com caught up with Susan to find out what it was like to be on the show. Here, her inside scoop:

Is the design makeover really completed in two days?

Actually, it's more like a day and a half. The filming must get done in time so that the "designer chat" and the "beauty shots" are completed for the final segment.

Are the design plans kept top secret?

You bet. I didn't even know who my designer would be until the morning of filming. During the two-day makeover, I had to live at my neighbor's house - and felt like I was under house arrest! I was completely banished from my home, and the show's producers went to great lengths to make sure I didn't see any projects being done. They hung sheets on the windows and other shielding mechanisms around our homes. In fact, when the producer from my home makeover went to my neighbors', even the paint splotches on her clothing were covered with duct tape so I couldn't see the colors being used. The reason: to ensure that the "reveal" scene at the end of the show is a complete and genuine surprise to the homeowners. That's the most important segment in Trading Spaces.

What would get you disqualified from the show?

I asked that same question of the executive producer, who gave three possibilities:

1. If the show's tractor trailer can't pull up near the house or there's not enough space outside to set up "carpentry world," where all the major construction work is done and the heavy-duty tools are set up.
2. If a homeowner refuses to let Trading Spaces alter many household items like the curtains, cabinets, flooring or furniture.
3. If there's more than a two-minute walk from house to house, because the designers and film crew need to constantly shuttle back and forth.

Did you have to do lots of work to redo your neighbors' home?

Absolutely - and all the hard work doesn't always get shown on the program. I also had to complete my homework. (The designers get very upset if you don't do what they ask!) On day one, for instance, we slaved until almost 2am painting furniture in the backyard. To help us see, the crew put up floodlights, while insects got embedded in our painted projects. This was certainly an experience I'll never forget!

Robert and Susan's kitchen: From dark to light

What a difference two days make! A few coats of pale chartreuse paint transform the barn-red wood trim and dark-stained cabinet fronts, while louvered shutters become much less gloomy when rendered in the same shade of aqua as the dining chairs. But even smaller changes had impact. New brushed-nickel cabinet and drawer pulls echo the cool stainless steel of the fridge, and the hammered-copper hood was rejuvenated with a little polish (and lots of elbow grease). The designer's major disappointment: not finding a butcher-block breakfast-nook table to complement the island. But in an impressive the-show-must-go-on effort, Carrie helped Trading Spaces carpenter Amy Wynn Pastor create a faux butcher block out of pine two-by-twos in record time.

How much did it cost?

* Lumber: $316.95
* 5 gallons of paint: $113.75
* Curtain panels and hardware: $111.39
* Decorative accents and tabletop items: $94.07
* 30 drawer pulls: $86.71
* Miscellaneous supplies: $66.87
* 2 dropcloths for chair slipcovers: $62.15
* 2 counter stools: $43.19
* Wallpaper steamer: $37.47
* Pendant lamp: $14.02

Grand total: $946.57