Before & After

Resources

Tales From The Set

Letter From Debbie

Hi Everyone,

Well, itís bound to happen - did someone let the cat out of the bag? The deal at the Facelift headquarters is that in return for a free makeover it is imperative that the member or members of the family who are part of the secret, must say nothing, absolutely nothing to the person getting surprised. Well, do you think Brendan had us all fooled? When we first met him he was charming and sweet and promised that his lips were sealed.

While his wife Cindy was away on business, the Facelift team got to work on the couple's home. Although the house is about 100 years old there is an open plan living room and dining room. The house looks vast through the eye of the camera, but it is actually an average size home.

The Facelift team loved Brendan's antique portraits of his American ancestors and his inherited furniture. These wonderful pieces were the inspiration behind the design. We wanted the space to emulate the elegance of a bygone era and yet be fanciful and fun.

There is nothing more dramatic than black and white. It was a huge job but we pulled it off in 2 days and sleepless nights. The walls were stenciled in an oversized pattern that is so vogue today.

The dining room was painted black with lush red curtains and the wildest chandelier made from unusual pieces of glass. The living area had pure white walls, an oversized rug and canvas slipcovers on the sofas. The wackiness came from a wall of truck mirrors over the mantle to replace the more traditional mirror.

We worked so hard for two very long days. At the end of the second day Brendan went to the train station to pick up Cindy while we hid in the kitchen. Tired and shocked, we watched the monitors as Cindy saw her new rooms. Did Cindy figure it out or did she know all along?

What do YOU think?

Love Debbie Travis

Letter From Cindy

Thank you for performing a Facelift on my home I love the result. Since I was the unsuspecting party of this secretive operation, I have to give your team and my husband, Brendan, high marks for pulling off such a feat You're all a bunch of super-stealthy operatives parading around as Television People. Amazing.

The night I saw my newly renovated home, the first thing I noticed was a large bag of salt in my driveway. This immediately tipped me off, because I knew that this type of purchase Brendan would not make. Next, was my broken window --- nothing slips by me! Luckily, the smell of fresh paint gave me some indication that something good would ensue as I opened my front door. And I wasn't disappointed!

The first moment I saw my living room, I was ecstatic. I loved the clean white walls and the tropical plants; a real change that I would never have carried out myself. My dining room was a little more shocking - black walls and burgundy curtains! My first thought: "If Ozzy pops out of somewhere, I really won't be surprised.." Funny how black walls have grown on me.

Thank you Facelift for all your amazing work!

Cindy