Mandy seems to think I have a problem. They say the first step is admitting it. So here goes...
Hi, my name is Marc and I ' m a renovation addict. I can ' t get enough of it and I ' m always looking for my next fix. It ' s a sickness that embodies my entire life. No need for expensive therapy to solve this one, I can just take a card from the millennial handbook and blame my parents.
Let ' s rewind a few decades. The days where kids played on the street and if you had a Walkman, you were the coolest kid on the block! Those were the days! I remember spending many evenings and weekends helping renovate our home and, to everyone ' s disbelief, I didn ' t get hurt or die from manual labor. Just ol ' school elbow grease and a yearning for knowledge.
Over the years, I ' ve done it all: demolishing, foundation work, exterior finishing, insulation, drywall, taping, kitchen installs, and everything in between. It ' s what I know and a curse at best because
when you know how to do things, you automatically try to do it ALL yourself. Looking back I would say to my younger self,“ Do your best and hire for the rest!” Those words should resonate in all your renovations. Don ' t stress if you don ' t understand each and every part of your reno. Hire a professional to manage your renovation and trust their expertise to guide you through it,( see Ask an Expert on page 60 for renovation advice you can trust.) There are some very talented renovators out there – professional reno addicts- that can help transform your home.
This year has been a particularly busy year for renovations. In the Marc & Mandy Show studio, we ' re just putting the finishing touches on two brand new permanent sets including a Mastercraft garage set and a complete kitchen,( see Renovation Secrets on page 44 for kitchen reno ideas on a budget.) Renovating a studio brings a whole new set of complications and considerations but we are very excited to begin filming with the new sets in August!
With two girls who are growing faster than I can keep up with, there is always something new to do or fix or update! At home, we ' re working on plans to update our basement family room before winter rolls around to give our girls a little more space to run now that our youngest, Emilie, has started walking,( see Jo Alcorn ' s Trends to Watch on page 20 for family room design ideas!) This is a great time of year to think about updates that will allow you to make better use of your basement space over the cold winter months,( see The Perfect Basement on page 28.)
Whatever renovation you are working on, don ' t forget to take time to relax and enjoy these last few days of summer!
MARC ATIYOLIL Editor-in-Chief marc @ CanadianHomeTrends. com
THIS SEASON ON THE MARC & MANDY SHOW
HGTV ' s Mike Holmes shares renovations advice and talks about current trends.
Paul LaFrance talks about his new HGTV show, Backyard Revolution!
HGTV star and landscaping expert Carson Arthur answers landscape and garden questions from our viewers.