Fri, May 21, 2004
While Sherri realizes her dream of being a bed & breakfast innkeeper in historic St. Augustine, she and husband Marshall endure the nightmare that is their living quarters. While the rest of their Inn is a veritable comfort zone, filled with quaint period furniture, their private space is just one big clutter. Designer John Bruce and the While You Were Out team have one aim: to transform the room into a warm, modern living room inspired by the work of the ever-popular mid-century designers Charles and Ray Eames. From the very beginning, the team encounters a problem with for one of John's key elements: a wall in which they want to build Sherri's television is made of concrete and a new game plan has got to be devised right then and there. To complicate things further, Evan discovers that Marshall is harboring suspicions that he may be on While You Were Out. The odds seem to be stacked against the team, but who else can overcome such obstacles in just 48 hours? The While You Were Out team, that's who!
May 2004
Most 19 year old boys are far too preoccupied with their own lives to think twice about their little sisters, but Drew Wright from Birmingham, Alabama, wanted to do something very special for his sixteen year old sister Michaela and only the While You Were Out team could bring his dream to reality. Michaela's no ordinary teenager herself; she lost a close friend to leukemia a few years ago and has tirelessly worked to raise money for the American Cancer Society ever since. Drew thought Michaela deserved something for herself for once - something she would never imagine happening to her - so he appealed to WYWO: "My sister's 16 and her bedroom design hasn't changed since she was 8. Help!" Before he knew it, there was Evan with designer Mark Montano at the door and Leslie and Andrew unpacking the truck at the top of the drive. Tucked under Mark's arm: a design that's just out of this world. In fact, it's from under the sea! While Mark, Evan, Andrew and Leslie get to work on a whole raft of projects including a boat that comes out of the wall (a first for Andrew), an amazing transformation for an old chest-of-drawers, and some beautiful paint effects from Leslie, Michaela's having a fabulous getaway in New York with her mom and dad. Michaela thinks she's won a prize to be the guest of Cosmo Girl Magazine for a couple of days - photographing male models is just one of the activities that make this a trip to remember. Back home in Birmingham, there are some very special guests working magic in the back yard. Mark has commissioned the ladies of Gee's Bend, Alabama - famous for crafting exquisite quilts - to make a quilt for Michaela's room that compliments his underwater theme. Hand stitched with an abundance of love and affection, it's a work of art that thrills Mark and Drew and will be something that Michaela can treasure all of her life.
Fri, Jul 16, 2004
Colleen may not have known what she was in store for when she applied for WYWO, but when she finds out that the WYWO team is planning a design surprise for Mark Montano, she has no problem playing along. All Mark knows is that he will have to design a space in Colleen's house 'sight unseen' - on the spot and without his normal 3 weeks of prep time. But Mark and the team don't have any clues as to whom, what, and why. How will Montano's Mystery be solved? The shell-shocked Mark almost hits the floor when he finds out what's being asked from him. Right there and then he must whip out his sketchpad and pencil and outline a design on the fly. But he's not alone! Evan, Andrew, and Leslie rally around their beleaguered designer, keeping the team solid as a rock as the plan develops into a wonderful surprise for Colleen's roommate, Allison. It's Mark's biggest challenge to date and he knows he's in for a white-knuckle ride! While Allison is nestled away in the mountains of North Carolina enjoying a European Spa retreat, the WYWO team has to pull together and turn mystery into magic.