Debbie Travis' Facelift - Tales From The Set

Letter From Debbie

Hello Everybody;

Well, every Facelift has it's own special challenge -- we've come to expect one or two surprises. I think we thrive on them actually. But I must admit, we don't take on many outdoor projects because weather is the most unpredictable element, and considering our short time frame for producing the Facelift transformations, a few days of rain has the capability of wiping us out. And that's what almost happened here.

We had four days to complete a basement family room at a cottage shared by two fabulous families. An inside job -- no problem there. Brothers Taso and Sam were surprising theirs wives and kids. We decided to up the ante and surprise Taso and Sam by building a playhouse for their children in the garden. Plans in place, we arrived in dazzling sunlight.

Inside, I didn't want the design to be too traditional and we ended up with what I dubbed high-tech industrial rustic. Much to my amazement, I agreed to panel the walls with plywood planks; they were finished off with a plaster rub and the effect was reminiscent of a Scandinavian cabin. The other unique feature was the faux cobblestone floor applied right over the existing concrete.

Outside there was lots of work to do. Our fantasy playhouse started off as an ordinary garden shed shell we found at the lumber store. It was to be dressed up with pine siding, shutters, gingerbread trim, interior pegboard walls and, of course, a brilliant custom paint job.

Then we heard the weather report -- the tail end of a hurricane was coming our way! A hurricane? That was frightening. With a mad scramble we had to complete all the outdoor carpentry and painting in one day and were stuck working inside, on top of each other, when the storm arrived.

It rained and rained. Family and friends came to the rescue so that all the projects would be finished on time, and with the high energy and innovative spirit that the fantastic Facelift crew are famous for, all was ready in the end.

These two close families are very lucky to have each other, and I hope they will have many years of happiness in their cheerful playrooms, both inside and out. I'll be thinking of them whenever it rains.

Love Debbie

Letter From Penny & Nancy

Dear Debbie and the Facelift team;

At the end of a long week my husband got the idea of all of us going to our country house for the weekend. Our kids had other plans and the idea was not well-received at first, but he won and off we went.

Talk about the surprise of a lifetime! When we pulled into the driveway my eye caught a colorful little house in the backyard and it crossed my mind that my husband had sneaked up here earlier in the week to build it for the kids. Then I saw these men pointing huge cameras at us. I still had no clue what was going on, and in fact I was a little bit frightened. I was reluctant to get closer when who should jump out but Debbie Travis. My sister-in-law and I were completely stunned. I don't know how many times I said 'Oh my God.' I even jumped on Debbie!

I think that the shock was even greater for me because I was the one who wrote to the Facelift team a few months earlier asking them to surprise my husband with a makeover for our cottage basement. I had no idea they'd contacted him instead. My sister-in-law and I were so overwhelmed, we held hands as we entered the basement. I had to sit down and catch my breath. What a transformation. It was beautiful. But I think the icing on the cake was when I saw our family and friends who had come to help. That's when I became very emotional and began to cry.

Thank you Debbie and the whole Facelift team. This was a day we will never forget. You all did such a fantastic job. And also a very big thanks to our husbands, who agreed to do this, and took time away from their very busy schedules. We love you very much.

Nancy and Penny.