Martin and Shirlie Kemp have been busy transforming their family home (Credits: David Parry Media Assignments/PA Wire)
Before heading Down Under to tackle Bushtucker trials and survive on rice and beans on I’m A Celebrity, Martin Kemp was keeping busy with paintbrushes and gardening tools.
The Spandau Ballet star, 64, has completely transformed his family home into a cosy cottage alongside wife Shirlie, and has given fans a glimpse inside during the process.
The couple, who have been married since 1988, have renovated the Victorian property into their dream home – the perfect place for Martin to return to after weeks on end sleeping in a hammock amongst critters.
Documenting the transformation on their Instagram account, Maison Number 9, Pepsi icon Shirlie often shares videos of herself keeping busy in the garden which she’s now getting ready for Christmas.
The pair completely gutted the property and spent over a year tackling the renovations, with Wham! star Shirlie revealing: ‘We took an old house that was completely run down, and we knocked every single wall and ceiling down that you can imagine, and we rebuilt something that would be perfect for us.’
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She added to HELLO!: ‘What we’re doing now is just finishing touches. That was always something that we spoke about when we were moving from house to house.
Shirlie revealed they ‘knocked every single wall and ceiling down’ in the property(Picture: Maison#9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
Followers were kept up to date with the renovations via their Instagram page (Picture: Maison #9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
The couple completely overhauled the property (Picture: Maison #9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
They spent over a year transforming their Hertfordshire home (Picture: Maison #9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
‘We tried new houses and old houses, but we always said we’d love to find something we could so from scratch. And that is what happened, that was the ultimate dream.’
And the newly-renovated kitchen is nothing short of a dream, with contemporary touches throughout, a large central island and brass lighting, it’s been described by Shirlie as a ‘calm space’ for the family to enjoy.
‘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,’ she said.
‘I was going to knock a wall down and make it more open but changed my mind as the project went on.’
Shirlie and Martin also decided to ditch the pig shed which was previously in the garden and instead opted for a ‘romantic rustic dining room’.
It was previously nicknamed ‘piglet’ by the couple and is said to have dated back to 1940, but with a damaged roof they were left with no choice but to overhaul it.
The kitchen and dining room have had a big makeover (Picture: Maison #9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
The couple transformed the former pig shed into a rustic dining room (Picture: Maison #9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
The kitchen renovation was one of the first things they got to work on (Picture: Maison #9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
The garden looks like the perfect place to unwind (Picture: Maison #9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
‘It took me a while to paint Piglet white inside as the patina on the old part of the walls had a warm Tuscany like charm, but at the same time I wanted to use the space as a photography studio, so I followed my gut and painted the walls, ceiling and floor all white and I absolutely love it,’ Shirlie said.
‘I knew I could turn this old pig shed into a romantic rustic dining room.’
How long have Martin and Shirlie Kemp been together?
Martin and Shirlie have been going strong for decades, having tied the knot in 1988.
In fact, a very famous musician had a role to play in them getting together in the first place, as it was George Michael who played Cupid.
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Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2019, Martin shared: ‘I’d seen Wham! on Top of the Pops singing Young Guns, and I couldn’t take my eyes off Shirlie. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d seen.
Shirlie also uses the former pig shed as a studio (Picture: Maison #9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
‘I knew I could turn this old pig shed into a romantic rustic dining room,’ Shirlie said (Picture: Maison #9 by Shirlie Kemp/Instagram)
Martin and Shirlie share son Roman and daughter Harley Moon (Picture: Getty)
Martin has said he wanted his family of four to be ‘like a gang’ (Picture: Mirrorpix via Getty)
‘Two weeks later, we were at some VIP screening, and there she was. I gave her my number, but she didn’t call me for three weeks.’
Shirlie chimed in to defend herself: ‘It wasn’t because I didn’t want to call. He was this big pop star, and I was scared he would be a proper pop star. He was so good-looking.’
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Together the couple share TV presenter son Roman, 32, and singer daughter Harley Moon, 36, both of whom are competing on BBC’s Celebrity Race Across the World.
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