A can-do spirit runs in Amy Hilpipre’s family. Without reservation, this young woman bought a fixer-upper in a desirable Denver neighborhood. “I definitely needed something affordable because the area’s real estate prices are outrageous,” she says.

The uninspired, dingy interior and old carpeting didn’t deter Amy; she knew she could call in the decorating troops: her sister Jeni, mom Karen, and grandmother Marie—all of whom live in Iowa.

A Reliable Crew
The women decided they would make over Amy’s place in one well-planned marathon weekend. To get ready, Amy pulled up carpeting and had the wood floors refinished; Jeni, still back home, devised decorating strategies and gathered supplies.

Traveling day came, and like Shriners stuffed into a Volkswagen bug, Jeni, Karen, and Marie squeezed into a minivan packed to the dome lights with luggage, sewing machines, secondhand furniture, tools, fabric, project parts, and even a pie.

Once in Denver, the women worked in shifts, painting, pounding, stitching, stuffing, lifting, stapling, and arranging their way around the townhouse. While Amy and Jeni assembled projects, painted, and hung curtains and shelving, Karen sewed pillows and window treatments and reupholstered secondhand furniture. Marie supplied cool drinks, rags for wiping up paint, and kind words of encouragement. “The four of us were at the height of our glory in all this mess,” Karen says. “We’re definitely a whole family of do-it-yourselfers.”