Fiery orange makeover burns down

No one injured, design will soon be back

Oh dear. This week’s Home Heist has a serious twist. Sadly, several weeks after filming wrapped, the house that we so lovingly restored was badly damaged by fire. Every bit of our massive makeover is now gone, but the good news is no one was injured, insurance was in place and the house will soon be rebuilt.

But we digress. Spool back several weeks, pre-drama. We’ve just arrived to heist our owners and we’re peeking through their letter box. Next, we’re careening into one of the grizzliest homes ever. Cue the lair of Robert and Rhonda Murdoch, a home that seemed almost other worldly. Creepy to the max, disturbingly dark and featuring ceiling-mounted mirrors everywhere, it was hard to believe this could be home to a rather groovy Canuck couple. Their dingy dungeon decor featured a terrifying blend of gloomy curtains, dated lamps and faux cardboard brickwork that wrapped ominously around most walls. And our remedial colour scheme of choice? HERMES ORANGE!

Everything goes well until our brand new kitchen arrives — it’s terracotta, not the beautiful Hermes shade we specified. Part of our radical redesign allowed for this particular food prep area to be mobile. And our solution? Kitchen cabinets on wheels! After mirroring an entire wall in the dining room and swathing entire areas in white muslin we set to work remodelling a dog rough 1950s sofa, which we discovered in the damp wet basement. After a trip to our upholsterer, the previously grim chesterfield made it back to our set recovered and resplendent in white leather and orange button tufting. Sounds bizarre, sure, but it was a glorious transformation. Our final finishing details included a white hand-painted TV, a gold mosaic fireplace and fluorescent orange Panton chairs so highly coloured they could have burned retinas.

divine tips

Call an upholsterer and inquire about restoring a family favourite rather than buying new soft furnishings. You’ll be surprised at how much you save.

Be confident with colour. Who knew that bright orange could look so fabulous? Balanced with loads of white — it’s not remotely overpowering.

Enlarge space by installing full wall-sized mirrors. OK, so it’s not the cheapest alteration, but as a permanent part of future schemes it’s worth every cent.

colin and justin

HGTV hosts Colin and Justin continue their mission of beautification with their Canadian design series Colin & Justin’s Home Heist, airing Tuesdays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV. www.hgtv.ca