Revamp Restyle Reveal!
I've been waiting for this day to roll around for AGES, and I'm SO excited to announce that a very special project that I've been working away on with Lisa Dawson (mega Instagram Queen and Blogger) and Oliver Thomas (Interior Designer and Blogger, who you probably know from this years Great Interior Design Challenge), launches TODAY!
Revamp Restyle Reveal in a nutshell, is ten interior bloggers, Revamping a room in their homes over a set period of four weeks, with the help of official sponsors.
But unlike anything that's been done before, we're taking the project, across not only blogs, but Instagram, Instagram Stories, Twitter, You-Tube and our official website.
For a more thorough rundown of what Revamp Restyle Reveal is all about, do pop over to my co-host Lisa Dawsons blog, where she'll tell you about it in more detail.
We're counting down from today to the kick-off, which is Monday 4th September, and that's when the real fun will begin!
The idea is a Revamp - something aspirational, but accessible. During the four weeks, there will be regular updates on our You-Tube channel, Instagram feed and stories, as well as ourTwitter feed. And on the 5th of October, there will be a blog-hop Reveal, on all ten blogs. Exciting much?!
We're all ridiculously keen to begin work on our rooms as soon as the virtual starting bell rings on the 4th of September (incidentally the day after I return from an ill-timed, but much needed holiday!), so expect all manner of DIY fun, mayhem, sweat, quite possibly tears, and more than likely a fair bit of swearing under breaths, across all channels for the month of September.
In fact, the Revamp Restyle Reveal website has gone live today, so you can check out who the bloggers are and what they're planning for their rooms after you read this post! Obvs.
I'll be working on my kitchen. If you're a regular reader, you'll know that I loathe it. It don't feel that it reflects my style at all, and there's nothing I actually like about it. It's shabby and grotty, falling to pieces, and desperately needs updating.
It was the obvious choice for Revamp Restyle Reveal. However, always the DIY overachiever, my plan for a lick of paint and new splashback, has snow-balled into a complete re-fit. Hmmm, there's always one, right?
In truth, the cupboards could not be saved by yet another lick of paint, and over the last year or so, I've taken an extreme dislike to the matt black hexagon tiles that suck the light out of the room, that we also 'finished' incredibly badly. So we made the decision to tear it all out, and basically start again. Eek!!
It's one of those classic decorating domino effect situations, where every potential change, had a knock-on effect. Doing the kitchen was firmly not on the cards, but with the help of our sponsors, the impossible, suddenly became possible. And I couldn't be more excited. And terrified!
This is what the kitchen currently looks like on a very good day.
Yes, I do know that it's 'fine'. But you'll have to take my word for it when I say it has some serious issues, and that I'm just able to make it look more fine than it really is for pictures. Here are the issues...
• Not enough storage, so the worktops get cluttered easily
• No dishwasher and nowhere to put one. I know!
• Water-damaged particle board cupboard doors
• Falling apart door hinges
• Drawers that get stuck and require quite an effort to open and close, and often come off their tracks
• Oven that has lost it's ability to display temperature or controls, doesn't light up, and the glass on the small bottom oven is shattered. I've never cleaned it. Shhhh, keep that one to yourself. It's disgusting.
• Strange hob on horrific germ collecting platform (I'm being kind - I really could go on)
• Rotten in parts wooden worktops, with a too big sink that cracked said rotten in parts wooden worktops when installed.
• No atmospheric lighting, just harsh (and ancient) overhead spots that don't dim and we go through lightbulbs like there's no tomorrow.
• Extremely badly finished tiling, and the matt black sucks the light out of the room
• Ugly boiler and pipes on display
• Ugly fuse switches next to each badly tiled around double power socket that I'm constantly hiding behind strategically placed canisters and bread boards.
• Kick boards that constantly collapse in on themselves
• Did I mention there's not enough storage?
There's probably more. But it's making me anxious to think about, so that will do.
I've been fantasy designing my new kitchen for YEARS. Those that know me, will know that I'm definitely not kidding. And if I get even a quarter of the way towards realising it, I'll be over the moon.
So here's my mood board. And some mockups that I did a little while back, so some things have already changed a bit, but this is the overall look I'm going for. A HUGE transformation.
We'll do everything we can do ourselves - so the demo of the tiles and all cabinets, the cabinet build and install, making the walls good if possible after the tiles come off - though there's a high chance a plasterer will need to be called in. Ed will attempt the plumbing himself too. In fact, the only thing we don't intend to do ourselves is the electrics.
So I hope you'll follow along and wish me luck on this slightly insane kitchen journey!
We'd love you to join in too! Revamp your room over the four weeks (4th September - 2nd October), and let us know by using #revamprestylereveal on your Instagram feed, and use the slideshow feature to show the Before and After (or the After and Before if you prefer to keep things pretty!). There will be prizes, and lots of post summer fun to be had, and we can't wait to get started!
How to follow along:
@revamprestylereval on Instagram
@frenchforpineapple for probably thrice daily stories
and Revamp Restyle Reveal on You-Tube!
And finally a massive thanks to our incredible official sponsors for supporting us on this exciting new venture. We literally couldn't do it without you!
