“Once you have lived in New York and it has become your home, no place else is good enough.” ~ John Steinbeck

One day before the 2017 Veneto Big Brothers Big Sisters show home opens. Ahhhhhh!!!!!! Nothing is done. It’s a disordered jungle in there. But hey, I’m a professional. And this is go time.

The master bedroom is my oasis of calm in the chaos. I put the wrinkled bedding on and start the steamer (that always takes so long…I wish it was in the budget to get everything pressed). The day evolves…installing blinds and draperies, unpacking, setting up, more unpacking, more setting up, hauling garbage, putting all the pretties in place. Sometimes it’s room by room; other times I’m running all over the house. Controlled chaos. But by the early afternoon, most of the furniture is unwrapped and in place…I’m seeing glimmers of glitzy New York coming to life.

Always for me, the last thing is hanging all the artwork. That, my friends, is a TALENT! I often switch the orientation of artwork—so when it’s vertical, I turn it horizontal and vice versa. The result is great, but it means switching all the hangers too. Extra effort at the end of the insanity. But so worth it!

The night before the show home opens is a late one. At the end of it, I’m standing in the middle of this gorgeous, refined home, taking in the large windows, floor-to-ceiling drapes, the beautiful kitchen island, the outdoor kitchen complete with barbecue, the open-concept theatre room downstairs, the designer lighting, just…everything. I’m filled with relief and gratitude from my head to my toes for everyone who helped, and just so damn proud of how GREAT it looks! Very New York City.

All in all, it went really well. There was the odd hiccup like furniture received without any hardware, high blinds delivered without any battery packs, a different dye lot of wallpaper (gasp!), but it worked anyway. Thankfully. NBD. All handled. My 3rd Veneto show home looks beautiful. As always.

Welcome to the Upper West Side of St. Albert!

Ps. Did you miss NYC in YEG – Dream Home Part 1 and Dream Home Nightmares – Dream Home Part 2? Also, please buy some tickets. Big Brothers Big Sisters do amazing things for kids!