Debbie Travis' Facelift - Episodes

After

There's nothing like a blank canvas to work with--you can do anything you want. Mind you, this can also be a challenge, because you don't know where to start. Well, we got inspired by Sonia's dream; our mother-to-be didn't want a playroom or a family room, she wanted a special party room with the cool ambiance of a club lounge. Sleek and chic was her preference and we had a fantastic time going that extra mile to create a space that made both Naveen and Sonia go WOW.

A palette of blue and creamy stone colours, soft textures, a silver water wall, and a faux stone bar are all elements that are seductive and soothing. We began by painting the ceiling and walls a hip and very tranquil shade of blue. Rather than the expense of textured wallpaper, bamboo panels were installed along the wall under the windows, and a second wall was stenciled with an oversized pattern of a stylized flower. The concrete floor was primed and painted with a decorative stenciled border.

Water features have become very popular, and we thought this party room wouldn't be complete without a very cool water wall to entrance and de-stress everybody.

For a modern and funky twist, a series of desk lamps were mounted along the walls and ceiling. Semi-gloss paint was used throughout the lounge as it produces a shiny, wet sheen that reflects evening lights dramatically. The slippery steel surface of the water wall is also illuminated, and makes a mesmerizing focal point.

All rooms require some type of storage solution; here we utilized plain armoires, and upholstered the doors with layers of shimmering blue sari fabric. Simple store-bought wood chairs and table were cut down and refurbished for low, lounge-like seating, and a modern sofa, chair and ottoman invite you to stretch out and relax with friends and family -- everyone, that is, but the kids. This is for adults only.

Click on the small photographs on the right to view each of the different angles of the room.

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Armoire

Customize a basic armoire easily by adding decorative detail with fabric. We removed the doors and upholstered them with lengths of sari fabric wrapped over a thin padding of batting and stapled in place. The edges were finished with an aluminum L-trim.

Bamboo Panels

Bamboo panels were nailed onto a frame constructed along the wall underneath the basement windows. Aluminum trim finishes off the edges and the spaces between each panel. To make each wall panel, we cut a sheet of MDF the same size as a bamboo window blind. The bamboo is glued to the MDF with mastic, which is thick enough to hold and yet will not ooze through the thin slats. Once dry, the panels were painted in semi-gloss beige.

Bar

The sides of the bar were decorated with small pieces of wood (kindling) glued onto fiberboard, then painted to look like stone. Choose different lengths of wood and lay them down as you would build a brick wall, staggering the edges. Apply high adhesive construction glue to the back of each piece to hold it in place. When completed, prime the wood wall, making sure to reach all the edges, then apply white semi-gloss paint. Create the stone effect by brushing on small amounts of gray, ocher and burnt sienna glazes. Finish off by dry-brushing some semi-gloss base coat to brighten up the surface.

Couch & Chair

The versatility of LA-Z-BOY's modern and upbeat SNAP sofa, chair and ottoman from the Todd Oldham Collection let you reconfigure the setting to suit your needs.

Floor

We primed the concrete floor with a one-part epoxy floor primer. The base coat is one-part epoxy floor paint in pale beige. To make a contrasting background for the decorative border detail, a rough band of taupe paint slightly larger than the size of the stencil was rolled on around the perimeter of the room. The stencil design was spray-painted the same colour as the floor's base coat, making sure to cover all the taupe paint that was not covered by the stencil.

Pattern Wall

Huge pattern walls are all the rage. Make your own as we did here by first marking off a grid on the wall with a ruler, chalk line and level to make sure your lines are straight and even. The huge stencil was cut out at a sign shop on sticky-back plastic so it could be pressed neatly onto the wall and then removed and applied to the next square in the grid. The pattern was filled in with a thin coat of blue paint. Build up the colour so that the paint won't leak under the stencil.

Water Wall

It's no wonder water features are so popular; the sight and sounds of moving water are an instant anti-stress tonic. The water from this water wall from Solar Aquatic Systems (see resources) runs down a steel-look back into a trough filled with river stones. The feature is illuminated to highlight its focal importance.

Wood Chairs

Basic wood chairs were customized by cutting down the legs, adding new backs cut from Masonite and painting. The chairs and table were primed and base coated with Para's Birch Bark paint. Ocher and burnt umber glazes were dry brushed on and ragged off to create an ivory patina.

Before