BY Aisha Sultan

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/09/2009

When a local fashion designer and executive chef showed up in matching Vera Wang coats to start renovating a building for a reality TV show, the film crew rolled their eyes.

The coats stayed on for 43 seconds.

 Aracelli 51, admits she stalked the producers of “Renovation Realities,” a show that appears on DIY network and HGTV, for a chance to be featured on it. She also readily admits that she’s a far cry from a handy, crafty DIYer.

“I haven’t even changed a knob on a drawer,” she said.
Unsurprisingly, mayhem ensued.

Two years ago, Araceli was laid off as a fashion designer for May Co. She had worked all over the world in fashion and immediately began freelancing. In the meantime, she met chef Natalia Penchaszadeh, 34, who was searching for a restaurant location in the city. Both originally from Argentina, the pair hit it off instantly and are St. Louis’ version of Lucy and Ethel - quirky, full of energy and with ideas that are a little over-the-top.

They spotted a former mortgage company building across the street from Lafayette Park, but Natalia ruled it out because it lacked the zoning needed for a restaurant. Natalia left to visit Argentina, and when she returned Araceli informed her that she had purchased the property anyway.

With her husband’s extensive antique and art collection, Araceli figured they could transform the space into a cafe, with an antique and gift shop on the side. She convinced Natalia to come on board as the chef for the project, which they dubbed “Rue Lafayette.”

They had a vision of bringing a slice of Paris street life to St. Louis, complete with toy sailboat rentals that kids could play with in the lake. But the entire building would have to be gutted and rehabbed, and the original architect estimates came in around $180,000.

That’s when Araceli got the idea that they could save some money and get some publicity by appearing on the reality show, which was scouting locations throughout the country. She filled out an application and sent in a video.

“They definitely don’t look like the typical builder,” co-executive producer Lori Golden-Stryer said when she saw their tape. She asked them: “Are you guys serious about this?”

They had originally suggested that they would stain some windows but the producers vetoed that project as too lame. Time for Plan B: The women figured they could easily rip out old flooring and replace it with new tile. They also proposed tearing down a wall in the entrance. But, the show insisted they add a project in which they actually construct something. So they proposed a counter built out of the extra original doors.

Keep in mind, they had never held a power tool in their lives.

Natalia figured the entire thing was a joke. She had no desire to make a fool of herself on national TV.

When Araceli showed up at her door bearing gifts, she became suspicious.

“I have something to tell you…,” Araceli said and pulled out a contract.

They had been picked. Once Natalia was convinced that the show would not ruin her reputation as a chef, the two immediately began plotting what they would wear.

The premise of “Renovation Realities” is a bit different than the other picture-perfect home makeover shows on television.

“On home renovation shows, everything is rosy,” Lori, the producer said. “No one makes mistakes, no one mismeasures, but the reality is, people do.”

The idea is for viewers to learn from DIYers’ mistakes and be inspired by their successes.

With little to no outside help, the novice rehabbers were set to be filmed for a week as they attempted their planned projects. At one point, they spent 30 minutes trying to screw a nut with a drill but could not figure out why it wouldn’t work. Finally, one of the crew members suggested they check the direction of the drill.

It was in reverse.

There was a steep learning curve.

“It was my first time using a wet saw,” Araceli said. “Actually, it was my first time seeing it.”

At one point, she tried to cut through electrical wire with scissors. “How was I supposed to know?” The crew, which tries to stay as detached as possible, was forced to intervene when Araceli started to use a power saw to cut through the middle of an unsecured door.

“I can’t let you do this,” the cameraman said, as he set his camera down. The saw could have gone flying out of her hands.

“My son said we looked like monkeys with loaded guns,” Araceli said.

During this interview, she tried to describe a tool they used while redoing the tile floors.

“We called it microdermabrasion,” she said. “But that’s not what it was called. We used it to clean up underneath the old tiles.”

“Oh for God’s sake,” the producer said, when we called her trying to track down the proper name of the tool.

“It was a buffer.”

But, somehow, at the end of a very long week, the women accomplished their tasks.

Araceli said she felt a little funny when she looked at the new entry way or the counter they built.

“I don’t know what this feeling is that I have,” she said. “It’s either a sense of accomplishment or hatred or gas.”

The remainder of their vision - a darling cafe with copper tiles, mahogany wainscotting, a concrete stained floor - will be carried out by a skilled team of carpenters and contractors.

“Never again,” Araceli said. “It was just too much work.”

The sweat equity has given the project a “labor of love” attachment, though. Araceli looked up the property’s original owner and was delighted to discover that owner David Nicholson had stipulated back in the early 1900s that his property “should be occupied only by dwellings of elegant design and substantial character.”

“I like that guy,” she said. “He had style.”

The Rue St. Louis cafe and antique shop is set to open by the end of May at 2026 Lafayette Ave. The “Rue St. Louis” episode of “Renovations Realities” will appear on DIY and HGTV through the month of May. Check local listings for times.

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