Debbie Travis' Facelift - Episodes

After

The major feat for this Facelift was putting in a set of hidden doors between the master bedroom and the sunroom, which we preemptively planned to be a nursery. Before you start bashing holes in walls, it's important to have a qualified professional tell you if it's a load bearing wall, and how to work around hidden pipes and electrical wires. The brilliant design that joins the two rooms has built-in drawers on the bedroom side, and is flush to the wall on the nursery side. A glorious, oversized floral pattern on the duvet makes an exuberant, lighthearted focal point that inspired the colors for the walls. Storage cabinets and shelves were built in around the head of the bed to maximize usable space.

In the sunroom/nursery, the painted gingham wall pattern was continued over the new doors, which helps to camouflage the opening. Warm whites and the palest yellow/green link up with the brighter bedroom hues. An old dresser was renewed with a lacy paint finish, and topped with a tray that displays their special wedding memorabilia.

The change to the office is so dramatic that Ken looks forward to working there now. A navy accent wall tones down the bright colors elsewhere. Plenty of storage is a necessity for a well-run office, and the handmade bulletin board looks chic and modern.

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Bed

Bigger is better in design today; the duvet pattern is bursting with deep pinks and greens that explode against the white background.

Bulletin Board

To make the bulletin board, cut 3/8" fiberboard to fit your measurements. Cover with batting or foam sheeting. Cover the batting with fabric, pulled taught and stapled to the back of the fiberboard. Drill evenly-spaced holes across the bulletin board and screw small knobs into each hole. Stretch black rubber bands around the knobs creating triangle patterns that will hold notes, photos, tickets, and other office papers.

Bedroom Doors

Store-bought drawers were built into the doors that make up the bedroom side of the hidden wall feature. Four heavy-duty gate hinges attach each door to the door casing, and wheels have been inset at the bottom to insure stability and ease in opening the heavy doors.

Bedroom Walls

The soft yellow hue of the cabinetry and bright yellow/green on the upper walls are sunny and warm.

Office Furnishings

This well-appointed office doubles as a guest room simply by pulling out the futon. Ready-made shelves and cabinets painted to complement the room keep everything in place and easy to find.

Office Walls

The second floor of Ken and Laurelle's home is a blend of colors that are both modern and ageless. The navy blue accent wall adds a serious note to the office, where the accessories are also more masculine. Plan lighting carefully when applying dark colors to a room.

Radiator

Modernize the look of an old radiator with a custom built cover, which can be removed easily to access the spouts when necessary. Air flows freely through the lattice inset panels. We used 2" x 2" pine and 3/8" paneling. Grooves were routed into the center of the pine strips to hold the panels.

Sunroom Walls

Gingham is a lovely pattern for a nursery and easy to produce with paint, but there is lots of measuring and taping, so get a buddy to help. You need a very translucent glaze for this; mix one part paint to four or five parts glazing liquid. Tape off and paint the horizontal stripes first. Let dry for 24 hours, then tape off and paint the vertical stripes. The area where the two stripes cross will be darker, which creates the gingham effect.

Vanity

The old vanity was crying out for a Facelift. Usually you remove the drawers and work on them separately to get a neat finish, but for this effect lay the chest on its back, drawers in. Choose a piece of lace that's not too fragile and lay it over the chest, centering the pattern. Hold it down with straight pins and your hands, and spray paint over the lace in a different color than the base coat. Remove the lace carefully.