Before & After

Resources

Tales From The Set

Letter From Debbie

Hello everybody;

Helen lives two doors down from me in a house that is the mirror image of mine. She's a wonderful neighbour and good friend, and we've had some great chats about the difference in the way our houses have been decorated.

You see, Helen is a brilliant doctor, married to a wonderful man and they have two children, a four-year-old boy and three-month old baby girl. Helen's talents are many, but they do not run to decorating, and apparently she has been waiting for years for me to come to the rescue. Well I finally did.

The master bedroom and bath were truly ugly and I decided they were in most need of a Facelift. And since the whole crew was going to be there, and we had four days, I couldn't resist tackling the nursery.

Helen trusts me because she likes what I've done in my home. But I was nervous -- choosing colours for anyone is difficult, and for this Facelift I wasn't working along with any family members -- it was all up to me.

Gutting a bathroom can be pretty scary, because you just don't know what you're going to uncover. There was serious mold rot behind the tiles that had to be removed and repaired with new drywall, which put us back a bit.

Then I changed the design plans -- I know my crew think I do it to be difficult, but how many times have you changed your mind half way through a project?

With the clock ticking we had to find smaller sinks, and the toughest job was tracking down more of the gorgeous river stone tiles -- not sold at your corner hardware.

It all worked out and Helen was "without words", a novelty for her. Now I'm jealous of her rooms; I want those pebble tiles and that magnificent four-poster bed.

Debbie

Letter From Helen

When I saw you at the house, I couldnít understand what you were doing with a big box of food in the hallway. Then, when you told me you had a great idea for what we could do with the bedroom, I thought that was really kind, but couldnít we just open a bottle of wine and sit down and talk about it? Sleep deprived new moms live in a perpetual fog!

I remember in slow motion going up the stairs, confused by the firm grip you had on my elbow. I thought you were going to tell me that the roof had fallen in. Then we entered the bedroom, I saw the walls, no more green and pink. I just wanted to hug these beautiful new walls with their wonderful texture. The room just looked so completely different, classy and elegant like one of the nicest hotel rooms I have stayed in. And look at the bed -- a four poster bed that every little girl dreams of, but with fabulous fabric over the top. I feel like I have stepped into a glossy magazine. Then you showed me the bathroom. The pebbles on the walls are amazing; the bathroom looks fresh with clean lines, an oasis for grown-ups in a home that has happily been taken over by children.

When I thought I couldnít take any more, you brought me to the babyís room and I thought I had stepped into a little bit of heaven. Gone was the dark brown furniture that was there ìjust for nowî, and my daughter had a room fit for a princess in beautiful pink and white with those amazing yellow flowers. The crib and change-table are so pretty, and everywhere I look I see pink fluffy cuddly toys and multicolored soft baby blankets, and I know Lauren Rose will love this fabulous start in life.

I cannot believe Paul planned this with Debbie and they pulled it off. How did he keep this quiet all those days in Cuba? He really is an amazing and wonderful guy!

You guys may want to think about some form of ìFacelift Victimsî support counseling. In the days after this experience, I believe I was still in shock. Every time I left the house, I expected the other rooms to be renovated on my return. For the first few days I was close to tears every time I went into the babyís room, it is just so lovely. The major long-term effect is that I no longer cringe when I enter our bedroom as I did before. Now it is the most peaceful and welcoming place in our home, our own little oasis.

Paul and I really want to thank Anne Cote so much and also Sarah for their part in the beautiful transformation in our home. Also, we would like to thank Julia and Maryse for their great taste and hard work, especially their beautiful touches in the nursery. We are indebted to Derek, Scott, Rob, and Ken and especially Jim for all the work that went into the carpentry! Also, a big thank you to Beata, Hugh and Ken for all their hard work; we really appreciate it. A special thanks to Travis and Dana for all their support in the days following this wonderful experience!

And Debbie, what can I say about you? You really got me good, I am so thrilled with what you did, and Lauren Rose is lucky to have you looking out for her. The crew asked me what you are like as a neighbour -- you are kind, thoughtful, supportive, energetic, enthusiastic, exhausting, and a whole lot of fun! And by the way, our next martini night is on me!

Lots of love: Helen, Paul, Luke & Lauren xxxx.