Before & After

Resources

Tales From The Set

Letter From Debbie

Hello Everybody;

You may think that all the warnings and tips I give when showing you how to paint would be firmly planted in my head, and in the minds of all those hard-working Facelift painters as well. Not so. On one Facelift episode a few months back, our head painter rolled two coats of latex over the existing paint that turned out to be oil-based.

Huge mistake -- you cannot apply a water-based paint directly over oil -- it will not stick. He knew this, but had not checked the old finish, and assumed it was latex. The only remedy was to remove all the latex, clean the walls, apply an oil-based primer and then paint with latex. Lesson one learned the hard way.

At Leo and Tracy's home I wanted to paint over brand new white melamine kitchen cabinets and it was important to have a very professional finish. These doors were to look like they had been spray finished at the factory. It's not difficult to do, but there are many important steps, and none can be missed.

You begin by sanding the surface to give it some tooth, then wipe clean and apply a good quality oil-based primer. Let dry and sand lightly again. Then apply two coats of paint, sanding lightly between coats. Always wait for each coat to dry, and then, by sanding after every coat you put on, the surface will be very smooth.

So far, so good. But these beautifully finished doors were left to dry outside. There was a bit of a breeze, and the carpenters were working close by. The air-borne sawdust stuck to the drying paint, ruining the completed paint job.

So, with time ticking away mercilessly, we had to sand back all the doors and start again. If you are working outside, ensure that your project is well protected from wind and airborne dust, pollen or leaves. Lesson two also learned the hard way. I know that you won't make these mistakes.

Debbie

Letter From Tracey

Dear Debbie and the Facelift Gang;

I can just imagine how getting rid of me was just the beginning of four days of stress for Lio. Cameras following his every word…designs he thought I would hate…staving off a very-opinionated mother-in-law (I love you mom!), but he handled it all with grace.

When I stepped inside the house I was confused. I noticed the walls first, a peach colour that instantly brightened the room without going overboard. And then the huge, 7 foot tall plants…and then the woman behind the plants, Debbie Travis!

As a huge fan of the show it was surreal. And she was talking to me, saying things like – we decided to do your living room, dining room and kitchen!

I was floored and somewhat dumbfounded. Whose house was this anyway? Working in television, I never thought having two camera lenses right in my face could be so rattling.

I will never forget first seeing the newly-stained ebony parquet floor, the wall that had been taken down in the hallway, and the kitchen -- oh the kitchen! It took my breath away. The transformation from white walls and old furniture to two-tone blue and a muddy brown was incredible. There was a new stainless steel fridge and stove, a dark brown island and matching pot rack, and a brand new wall-to-wall pantry.

Yes, the stenciled message was controversial. Lio thought I’d hate it, and if I were in his shoes I would have been nervous too. But, I thought, a contemporary kitchen demands contemporary décor and the stenciling fits right in.

When I think of the artwork in the living room painted by kids in the neighborhood, or the time and effort put in by a team that takes such pride in their work I feel like the luckiest woman alive.

So thank you Debbie for a house that I am so proud of – I rarely want to leave. We feel as though we’ve won the lottery. Seeing the family, friends and entire Debbie Travis team that made this massive project possible brought me to tears.

Lio staked his spot as the man of my dreams a few months after we met…but this Debbie Travis Facelift has shifted him to a whole new level in my heart, the kind of guy that will go to EXTREME lengths just to make me smile. I love you.

Tracy