The Salvage Squad: A Home Makeover Show with a Difference!
The Salvage Squad is a fun new home interior makeover series packing an important sustainability punch. Each episode features two families who have the opportunity to get a room makeover with a twist - everything must be freecycled, up-cycled, sustainable, second-hand or salvaged!
This series is all about bringing joy back into tired spaces. The Salvage Squad designers, upcycling experts and trusty tradespeople are tasked with the transformation on a budget of €1,000 and just three days to sustainably turn a neglected room into a gorgeous, functional new space. But this isn’t a budget show – it's all about thinking outside the box and putting sustainability to the forefront.
Pat McDonnell Paints – Sustainable Paint Suppliers to The Salvage Squad
Pat McDonnell Paints were delighted to supply paints and painting accessories to team Salvage Squad! For the most sustainable option, we felt that Ralston was the perfect fit!
Ralston uses the latest technology to create paints that are not only high-quality but also friendlier to our environment. This water-based paint range uses premium raw materials derived, where possible from natural sources to minimise the environmental impact of their products. Extending the life cycles of their paint products, and striving to reduce waste, water usage and CO2 emissions are core to their manufacturing principles.
Ralston's biobased range is VOC-free and made from fully renewable, sustainably extracted organic ingredients while maintaining best-in-class paint performance. The BIOseries contains raw materials that can grow back within the lifetime of the paint. These materials are extracted from renewable sources, produced responsibly and don’t negatively impact on the food chain.
House 1: The Farrell Family in Athy
For the first makeover of the episode, Cork designer Cathy Angelini (aka @cathyflamingo) was helping the Farrell family in Athy to reclaim their dining room.
A unique challenge of this space was a stud partition wall that was installed to transform their dining room into a temporary bedroom. As a result of this, both the kitchen and dining room felt small, dark and disconnected. Designer Cathy's plan was to remove the wall and create a homely and warm space where the Farrells could enjoy family mealtime chats. To create a sense of warmth, Cathy's design incorporated a rustic, farmhouse vibe.
She used G20370 - a luscious, creamy blue available to purchase in-store - on the walls, skirting, radiator and radiator cover. To ensure a consistent finish across each surface, a range of finishes were used including Ralston ExtraTex Matt for the Walls, Ralston Aqua Satin for the skirting board and the metal radiator, and Ralston Aqua All-Primer for the pine radiator cover.
She complemented this with a vibrant pop of red, in the shade P06060 from Ralston, on the tall oak dresser. To ensure a flawless finish, the piece was initially primed in Ralston Aqua All-Primer and then coated with Ralston Aqua Satin.
For an injection of warmth from above, the ceiling was painted in Aran Knit from the Ralston colour range.
House 2: The Sultan Family in Ashtown, Dublin
For makeover number two, Kerry designer Aoife Tobin (aka @stylesosimple) was drafted in to help the Sultan family inject some much-need personality into their open-plan living-dining space. Having recently moved into a new-build home in Ashtown, the Sultans had little remaining funds for furniture and decoration. Designer Aoife's plan was to create a multifunctional space that would work equally well for both parents and kids.
Upcycling guru, Erika Deeter was tasked with upcycling a flat-pack sideboard into a beautiful TV unit that would be a key feature of the room. For this, she used Sonas - a light and bright blue from the Ralston paint collection.
For the walls, Aoife opted for Bodhrán - a light and warming neutral from the Ralston colour collection. She paired this with N46030 - an uplifting mid-grey - which was used on the coffee and side table. The combination of these colours provided a beautiful neutral backdrop that would infuse the space with a sense of relaxation while also allowing the blues used throughout the space to really shine.
You can tune into The Salvage Squad on Sundays at 8pm on Virgin Media One or online via the Virgin Media Player.