It’s finally done and completed. My kitchen and home renovation has come to an end. Truth be told, I would love to spill the beans and show it all off, but my producers are making me limit the photos so as not to spoil the big reveal. So I’m going to give you, my MARtians, a small sneak peak of how things have progressed. Truthfully, the transformation is incredible and you simply won’t believe how much my kitchen has changed in just two short months.
I couldn’t have done it without my contractor and friend Ross Tiefenthalerand the kitchen design experts at Deane, including Veronica Campbell. When you run with the best, you get the best. This is why I love surrounding myself with intelligent, positive people who generously share their talent and knowledge.
I have an address book full of my trusted, tried and true builders, repairmen, electricians, lawn service folks and more. If you don’t have such a list, I recommend that before you do any renovations do your research. The advance “intel” will give you the extra insurance that the job you’re spending your time, money and heart on, will turn out as you’ve envisioned it or even better.
Now, there was an important late addition to my kitchen team of experts. What you might not know is that Team Mar has been cooking up a surprise for me for weeks: trying to get me to allow someone else to stage what I already started designing. This is my dream kitchen, so allowing myself to let someone style the big reveal was a big step for me. I had to use someone I trusted, so they let me choose. The answer was clear: the brilliant stylist Anna Molvik, whose work appears in magazines and more nationwide.
Just wait and see how surprised I was, and how letting go allowed me to finally feel like the recipient of a makeover show. This pic shows a glimpse into her work as well. (You can tell that she “gets” me and my Casual Luxury style, right?)
Next season of “Life on Mar’s: The Home Makeover Show” is in full swing and my home, Rosebrook Gardens, will also be slotted for an episode. I’m delighted with the end result – I think my kitchen is a real showstopper! Get your pads ready and sharpen those pencils. There are lots of tasty sMARt tips from my latest renovations to go around in season two. It will be like a second helping of tips! For now, I’m off to enjoy the creation – and celebrate by whipping up a favorite dish for dinner. Yum!
