While You Were Out is an hour-long American television reality program on the cable channel The Learning Channel. The format of the show is similar to TLC's other show Trading Spaces, which in turn is based on the BBC TV series Changing Rooms.

The premise of each show is this: An individual sets up a friend or family member with a surprise room redecoration. For example, a housewife will surprise her husband by having the living room redone. The person being set up is gotten out of the house for two days on a phony premise of one kind or another (usually some type of mini-vacation or other leisure outing). While the person is out, the friend, relative, or family member (with the help of a designer and two carpenters) redecorate one room in the house; sometimes it is a section of the yard or garden. There is usually a budget of U.S. $1500, and a time limit of approximately 32 hours.

While the redecoration is in progress, a "secret shooter" film-interviews the set-up person while he is out, the footage of which is then used for the purpose of quizzing the person at home. If the at-home person gets the question(s) right, he wins prize(s) for further enhancing the room decor.

At the end of the show, the set-up person returns home to a surprise redecoration, purposely caught on camera for posterity. Usually the reaction is quite favorable. The surprised person is then quizzed with one question for the opportunity to win one more prize.

A list of the crew is as follows:

Hosts:

• Evan Farmer
• Teresa Strasser (first season only)
• Anna Bocci (first season only)

Designers:

• John Bruce
• Chayse Dacoda
• Mark Montano
• Nadia Geller

Carpenters:

• Ali Barone
• Jason Cameron
• Andrew Dan-Jumbo
• Leslie Segrete