Martin Kemp and his wife Shirlie have proudly showed off the impressive transformation of their Victorian home since moving in three years ago. The former Spandau Ballet bassist and EastEnders actor moved to Hertfordshire with his wife in 2021.
They finished transforming the stunning property after one and a half years, with one of their biggest focuses being their garden. The couple will be showing off their incredible efforts on the Chelsea Flower Show on Friday, May 24, at 8pm on BBC Two.
It comes after Martin opened up about his mortality, revealing to his son Roman that he feels he may only have a decade left. He speculated he may have '10 years' left on podcast FFS! My dad is Martin Kemp, saying: "'10 years, I don't know!".
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Reflecting on his past health struggles, the 62-year-old Spandau Ballet icon recounted his brain tumour diagnosis at age 34, which led him to come to terms with the possibility of death. Martin shared: "I was the age of 34 when I went through all that brain tumour scare and I went through two years of my life thinking I was going to die."
Now enjoying his time at home, there have been many changes over the time. The garden makeover includes turning an old pig shed into a studio and 'romantic rustic dining room' and the kitchen and dining room have had a big makeover too.
Talking about the project, Shirlie previously shared: "We have been here two years next week and I have to say the original plan was a 5 year project but we did most of it in a year and a half…@larksbuild restored every inch that was about to crumble or rot.
"There were so many days that were so cold & grey with dust and rubble everywhere, that you couldn’t of imagined that you will one day move back in and make it a home. Thankfully, it wasn’t my first house project as it was a mammoth job, we took on a house, cottage, land, and pig shed renovation and lots of fencing & gates to keep the dogs safe!
"Next year we are really going to concentrate on the garden as we all know gardens take a lot of time to maintain but looking forward to see what we can do to enhance the beauty of the house and garden." Below we explore the transformation as shared by the duo on their home Instagram account masionnumber9.
Garden
The garden renovation is just as impressive as the work the couple have completed inside their home. It included replanting rose bushes, adding a variety of new plants, laying new turf and creating a curved path using porcelain patio tiles.
Shirlie said: We really appreciate spending time in the garden, although I would say Martin is out there more than I am . It’s not been the best of summers in the UK but it’s keeping it well watered. Next year we will grow a lot more fruit and veg but happy with our little stack of beans, potatoes, tomatoes this year. Life is about learning and we still have so much to learn"
They have also created a studio and rustic dining room in a former pig shed in the garden. Shirlie has decorated it in white with flowers adding colour and bringing the outside in. She said: "One thing I’m always certain about is, I really do love white, whether I’m wearing it or painting it on walls! It enhances any colour you put with it which always feels positive and our surroundings definitely effect our mental health!"
Kitchen
The kitchen renovation was one of the first things the celebrity couple got to work on at their new home. They created a classic Shaker-style kitchen complete with contemporary metallic touches and plenty of storage.
The old kitchen had been dated with tiled flooring and brown wooden cabinets. This was replaced with a large central island, white painted wooden cabinets, a Belfast sink and brass overhead lighting.
They posted on their Instagram page, maisonnumber9: "The first thing I do when walking into a room is imagine it totally empty. I really liked the shape of this kitchen, it was easy to see what I needed to do. I was going to knock a wall down and make it more open but changed my mind as the project went on."
Dining room
The pair showed off their new dining room fireplace, which has been painted bright white. Shirlie explained: "The dining room fireplace was a very dull grey stone so I did some research and found a limestone fireplace paint by @stonelux_paints."
She added: "Have to say it’s really nice, the fireplace looks brand new! It's bright and fresh and really flows better with other the rooms!"
Speaking about the finished transformation, Shirley wrote: "When we took on the house and cottage we gave ourselves a 5 year project, thinking we would take it slowly and enjoy the process! Well that’s laughable, as we couldn’t stop once we started!
"As soon as one job was finished, it made the other parts that hadn’t been done look twice as bad, so we said, ok let’s do that and that and that and that until it all looked perfect. It has been stressful, I did not sleep well as I’d wake up thinking about random things like a door handle that would fill me with anxiety.
"It’s a huge relief to be on the other side of it now. We didn’t do the 5 year plan, we did it in a year and a half! We can definitely stop now and start to enjoy the place. Although, I don’t trust myself as I have a very creative mind that does not like to be switched off.
"The real hero’s are the builders who got us through it all, there was nothing they couldn’t sort out from the drains to the roof, they did everything, rebuilt and repaired this old house and restored it to an incredible standard. To have their knowledge with us gave us the confidence to keep going to which we are ever grateful to have had them throughout."
