GenBlog 4: On The Sched... Getting Prepped

Here we were, the lucky recipients of one of 12 makeovers during Season 4 of HGTV's "Dear Genevieve," ("How The Hell Did You Get Chosen For An HGTV Makeover?") and yet by the time we finally plodded through three months to successfully gain Coop Board approval from our building ("Now That We're On The Show, The Real Holy Grail... Coop Approval"), we were informed that because it had taken so damn long, we'd lost our planned Jan. 10 start date, and were being moved forward to the next Season, date pending...

Mother fucker... God forbid, what if the show was canceled? What if the producers decided on another gay couple to tickle their demographic? Angst! Fortunately, before the ache set in, we received a call: One of the planned episodes was canceled, and they had an opening for the same date we were originally scheduled for. We were slotted back in for a five-day makeover, Jan. 10-15. Score!

Before the action was slated to begin Monday, Jan. 10, we had a team of "Genevieve" producers, decorators and stylists in the apartment a couple weeks previous to survey our bedroom, take measurements and ask for our wishlist: For god's sake, please remove the dark green indoor/outdoor wall-to-wall carpeting that has assaulted the room for the past 10 years. Storage is a must. New lighting, please. Moldings to replace the weary original wood that has been in place for the past 90+ years. And how about a door to the bedroom, instead of the drapes that have hung there since I bought the joint in 2000?


I was asked if I was willing to replace the bed... ouch. I bought a high-end beauty from Charles P. Rogers several years ago for $3,000, but yes, it was gargantuan. "I will say no to nothing," was my response.

Ironically, our particular episode was sponsored by IKEA, so we knew the majority of the new furniture was coming from the retailer—but the challenge was that our original wardrobe, which was barely standing, also came from IKEA and the producers were hesitant to show an item that they not only intended to replace, but was showing obvious signs of wear. Their solution: to remove the doors, making our bedroom appear all the more ghetto in the "before" shots on the show. Hey, that's TV!

The executive producer offered us a new bed, mattress, dresser, storage, moldings, flooring and of course, Genevieve's designer touch. Here's a factoid that isn't typically revealed in the more recent episodes of "Dear Genevieve." We were asked to contribute to the makeover: $3,000. But in the end, given what they did for us, including labor, furniture, finishes and her spectacular touch, it was well worth every penny. We figure the renovation is easily worth at least $15,000, given what it cost to redo our kitchen, bathroom and office.

Coming up: Five days of merry mayhem... the actual day-to-day play by play!