HGTV Power Broker - Marc & Rosalia

Home Renovation

Aug 21

HGTV Power Broker Episode 101 - We can't find a house we can afford! We need help!! I hope you all enjoyed our first episode of Power Broker featuring newlyweds, Marc and Rosalia Torney. This was an adorable house with a lot of potential. Some of the work was just cosmetic, but other rooms like the kitchen and bath needed a complete overhaul. Their aesthetic was described to me as a little mid century modern and hollywood glam, but they were totally open to whatever I envisioned for them. Here's a brief recap of what we did...

The Living Room was in relatively good condition. The ceiling had acoustic tiles that were removed and sheetrocked, the hardwood floors were refinished in a slightly darker stain, and the walls got a new coat of paint and the rest was decorative. We incorporated the homeowner's coffee table, side table, and two accent chairs which I would have loved to reupholster, but there just was not enough budget for that. The new wall color created a more sophisticated backdrop for the upleveled space and the teal drapery panels brought in a nice punch of color.

Wall Color: Benjamin Moore - Revere Pewter HC172 – Eggshell Finish ¦ Drapery Panels: Anna's Linens ¦ Drapery Rods: Bed Bath & Beyond ¦ Picture Frames: IKEA ¦ Floor Lamp: Target Area Rug: Home Depot ¦ Sofa: Welcome Home Furniture ¦ Decorative Accessories: TJMaxx/Home Goods/Marshalls

INSIDE SCOOP: The original area rug I ordered for the Living Room arrived the Monday after the Reveal (isn't that lovely?!). I realized this was going to be the case a few days prior to the reveal and was scrambling to find something that was large enough, looked right for the space and fit the budget (you know large area rugs are not usually budget finds!)...I got lucky with this one. I was pretty stressed and even begged rug vendors to let me borrow a rug for a few hours, but didn't have any luck there. TIP: If you're ever on a tight time frame like I am, always, always, check how long the shipping time is before placing the order. The average person won't have to worry about this, but for some of you working on client projects, this can be a huge consideration...it's always a juggling act!

Aside from the arches on either side of the dining room entry and the refinished hardwood floor, this space was the most dramatic because of the stencil treatment on the black wall. This wall received the most amazing feedback...thank you everyone! Rosalia requested a black wall. As soon as she said that, I knew I wanted to do something interesting but with such a tight budget, wallpaper was not in the cards. I did some research and found Cutting Edge Stencils who have the most amazing stencil kits with designs for all types of decor styles. I chose the Zamira Allover Stencil, in this case, and did a tone on tone paint finish. I'm telling you, if walls could talk, this one would say "I'm sexy and I know it!" Don't you agree?

The show has a very tight decorating budget, not unlike real life. The Torney's did not have a dining set so I had to work my magic and create one for them. I scored a great deal on the dining table from my go to furniture retailer as this was the floor model, and the 4 side chairs were actually a DIY project. I purchased them off of Craigslist and refinished the frames (I'll upload the video soon) and reupholstered the seats with new fabric. The two captain chairs were a "splurge" from Marshall's.

Wall Color: Benjamin Moore – Black – Flat for base coat, semi-gloss for stencil; Benjamin Moore - Indian River (for 3 other walls) – Eggshell finish ¦ Stencil Treatment: Zamira by Cutting Edge Stencils ¦ Mirror: Homeowner's ¦ Drapery Panels and Table Runner: Anna's Linens ¦ Drapery Rods: Bed Bath & Beyond ¦ Chandelier: Overstock.com ¦ Dining Table: La Bros Home Furnishings ¦ Side Chairs: Craigslist ¦ Captain's Chairs: Marshalls ¦ Orchids: Trader Joe's

The bathroom was a complete gut renovation except for the bathtub. This is the only bathroom, so it needed to function as not only the master bath but also as the guest bath for visitors. We tried to choose finishes that were in keeping with the charm of the home. We incorporated a lot of detail in the tile work which turned out beautifully. The black, white and gray marble combinations are very classic.

Wall Color: Benjamin Moore – 717 – Paradiso – Satin Finish ¦ Tile: Best Tile

The Master Bedroom was immediately updated just by removing the wood paneling, adding new drywall and paint. The rest was purely decorative.

Wall Color: Benjamin Moore 285 – Indian River – Eggshell Finish ¦ Drapery Panels: Anna's Linens ¦ Drapery Rods: Bed Bath & Beyond ¦ Area Rug: Home Goods ¦ Side Tables: Target ¦ Bedding & Decorative Accessories: Target/TJMaxx/Home Goods

The kitchen was a complete gut reno. It was original and very dated. If you watched the show, you know that Juan centered the door to the backyard on the back wall which allowed for cabinetry to run all the way to the end on both sides. Initially the homeowners were interested in the high gloss modern cabinets from IKEA, but I'm so glad we went with this style instead because it is a more classic look and more in keeping with the style of the home. Dark grey quartz countertops with a marble slab on the baking station played very well with the dark contemporary porcelain floor tiles. This was the first house that we installed a farmhouse sink in and it became apparent throughout the season that farmhouse sinks are very popular right now and IKEA has the most cost effective options. The biggest surprise here was the baking station since Rosalia loves to bake and the dual fuel range. Oh, and if you notice and recall, she specifically requested that we NOT install a microwave. I can't imagine not having a microwave to at least reheat things, but to each their own...

Wall Color: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter - HC172– Eggshell finish ¦ Kitchen Cabinets and Farmhouse Sink: IKEA ¦ Appliances: Airport Appliance ¦ Floor Tile: Best Tile ¦ Window Treatments: IKEA ¦ Bistro Table & Accessories: TJ Maxx/Home Goods/IKEA ¦ Chairs: Homeowner's own

I had a great time working with Marc & Rosalia. I'm so excited for them as they embark on a new journey as new parents next Spring. Congratulations!!!