It’s the fourth episode and I can’t explain how excited I was to get into the house and tackle an epic build with all kinds of style and grace. As the newest builder to the HGTV Canada family, I felt like I had a lot to prove and the butterflies in my stomach were like elephant ears flapping around.
The first thing I found out was that I would be paired with Sam Pynn, designer extraordinaire, perfect! I was bright eyed, bushy tailed and ready to take on the world with my new partner. That’s when Sangita broke the news; we were to renovate a closet. Okay so it was a mudroom, but it sure felt like a closet.
” I don’t like losing, but I’m also cautious of letting my inner competitive animal out of its cage because it’s a raging half hippo, half silver back gorilla, and it takes no prisoners.”
Not to be dismayed, Sam and I became determined to show how to make a small space burst with big space appeal. Since when has size mattered anyway? It’s all about how you work it, so we set out to make this 8×8-square-foot space sing.
The whole north side of the first floor is already looking like a million bucks. Piece by piece the house is transforming from a plain and boring house on a beautiful acreage to a house that matches the land in beauty.
Tommy and Rob were charged with renovating the laundry room and the wine cellar, function and luxury, a beast of a build without a doubt!
While Sam and I put some “oomph’ into our project we probably should’ve put a little more “oomph” into our challenge. I don’t like losing, but I’m also cautious of letting my inner competitive animal out of its cage because it’s a raging half hippo, half silver back gorilla, and it takes no prisoners. I don’t think HGTV Canada is ready for that kind of ferocity. We were slick with our technique, but I got tripped up trying figuring out which wine glass was which. Who knew there was a difference between a red wine glass and a white wine glass? Not me! I guess I need to drink more wine. That little detail cost us the competition and I was forced to serve coffee/tea to Tommy and Rob for the rest of the build.
The builds went spectacularly. Tommy and Rob built some breathtaking rooms and Sam and I built a functional yet impactful mudroom that sets the tone upon entering the house. With a custom built bench, panel mouldings on every wall and stark black paint, we were able to turn a small box of a space into something to behold. Between the four of us, we added three dream rooms to the home – a success on all fronts.
At some point, I heard Rob commenting that I don’t make a very good cup of tea, so I wanted to share my favourite tea recipe.
Sebastian’s Tea
- Boil 5 minutes, then steep 10 minutes:
- 1 Tbsp. fennel or anise seed
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 12 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4″ ginger root, sliced thin
- 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 7 Cups water
- Add, bring to a boil, and simmer 5 minutes:
- 2 Tbsp. Darjeeling tea
- Add:
- 6 Tbsp. manuka honey or brown sugar
- 1 Cup milk
Yum!
… and here’s my recipe for Rob’s tea
- Half a cup of warm tap water
- Half a cup of skim milk
- A couple dunks of a tea bag
- A dash of drywall debris
- Mix it up with my finger
But that part is just between you, the Internet and me! Don’t tell Rob 😉
