Cheryl’s takeover of the makeover
Cheryl Torrenueva, Canadian makeover maven and all-round style beacon, is sitting in the kitchen of her Toronto loft looking relaxed and poised; quite an achievement for a woman who crams more work, travel and excitement into one month than most people see in a lifetime.
Yup, Cheryl is busy. Very busy. And that’s just how she likes it. Indeed it’s fair to describe the Ryerson-educated Ms T as a whirlwind, one that caught our attention six years ago when casting for an onscreen project manager to accompany us on our Home Heist juggernaut. We have no idea how many candidates we considered (dozens, from memory) but, each time we viewed a subject’s tape, it compared less favourably to Cheryl’s.
To cut a long story short, Cheryl got the job, and the rest is history. Fifty-two glorious episodes later, the dye was cast; not only were we colleagues, we’d become friends.
Whenever time permitted, Cheryl also appeared on Restaurant Makeover, a popular Food Network Canada show that ran five seasons. Ms T’s remit was to breathe new life into rundown restaurants, working alongside high-profile chefs such as Massimo Capra and Corbin Tomaszeski.
With Home Heist complete, we travelled home to Britain to film shows such as ITV’s Sixty-Minute Makeover, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and Home is Where the Heart Is. Cheryl, concurrently, turned her attentions to the U.S., a move that provided traction for her current Canadian opportunity.
Shortly thereafter, the team behind U.S. show Restaurant Impossible, asked Cheryl to appear as a guest designer. “It went so well I ended up doing a large chunk of the series.”
But one particular episode stands out: “The White House Edition.” The team worked with First Lady Michelle Obama to renovate the kitchen and create a dining room and community garden for a nonprofit community centre. “It was lovely watching the kids anxiously waiting to see their new space,” says Cheryl. “The Secret Service even turned up to make sure the First Lady was well-looked-after. I had to keep pinching myself; it was just so surreal.” After the reveal, Cheryl chewed the fat with Mrs. O, who purred her approval of the redesign. “If I live to be 100, I’ll never forget that moment,” Cheryl says. “Me, the girl from Scarborough, and Michelle Obama. Wow!” Meanwhile, back on home territory, the production company who made Restaurant Makeover was approached to relaunch the popular show, albeit with a makeover all of its own. Renamed Restaurant Takeover, the plan was to re-engage selected players from the past few seasons but to suffuse the mix with a few new names and tweaks to freshen the format. The show, we learn, teams chefs and designers to rescue troubled restaurants. Familiar stuff, perhaps. Then, with the help of hidden cameras, the drama amplifies as chefs and designers go undercover to reveal why business has faltered. “The biggest challenge, aside from the new secret filming aspect, is the fact we’re dealing with the actual livelihood of restaurateurs,” says Cheryl. “They hand over a cheque for a maximum of $15,000 and the show matches that figure. It’s often the last money they have so we’re really under pressure to make it work.” As we chat, Cheryl strides purposefully across her polished concrete floor, six-inch Gucci heels clicking rhythmically. Mesmerized by the impossibly high hooves, we regain our professional composure and ask about the differences, if any, between TV restaurant design and client restaurant projects, the latter being another field of business that keeps Cheryl busy. “When it’s a TV show, the owners haven’t met me, so I’m basically sussing what’s best without consultation. Or, as is the case with Res- taurant Takeover, via covert cameras and a whole lot of spy work. “My designs, on screen and off, are built to last but I rarely base decisions on trends or current fads. Choosing the wrong wallpaper can literally make or break a restaurant. Every decision is planned. I’m working for the restaurateur but, at the same time, trying to analyze what customers will appreciate.” We remember, from old-style Restaurant Makeover, regular spats between the show’s various protagonists and we wonder if the same drama will apply now that T replaces M in the title. “If there are animated discussions, as I prefer to call them, then it’s because we’re all so passionate about helping the owners,” Cheryl says. “My vision must appeal to all the senses, so I’ll take into account what the chef is doing to ensure each space reflects the overall flavour. It has to be right for the owners, clients and, of course, functional for staff.” And all this has to be completed in just six days? “Yes, but I get along really well with Igor, so it always comes to- gether.” Ah yes, Igor; the show’s long suffering contractor. “He’s actually a sweetheart,” assures Cheryl, “and crucial to the success of each project.”
As an adjunct to her TV career, Cheryl also works with private clients and Toronto-based design firm C-Living Inc. Alongside father-and-daughter team Reza and Azadeh Banai, she’s helping steer the launch of the company’s new showroom on King St. East. The new address will provide a complementary service to the existing Barber Green Road operation.
“C-Living is a major provider of contemporary design solutions for residential and commercial projects,” explains Cheryl. “While space division is a particular forte, they’re a true multi-discipline concern. We open in the fall but, in the meantime, we’re enjoying seeing it all come together.”
If you like seeing it all come together, and fancy a spot of epicurean high drama with your restaurant design, tune in to Food Network Canada and prepare for gastronomic and designer liftoff.
Restaurant Takeover premieres Aug. 30 at 9 p.m. Keep up with Cheryl at cheryltorrenueva.com. Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan are the hosts of HGTV’s Colin & Justin’s Home Heist and the authors of Colin & Justin’s Home Heist Style Guide, published by Penguin Group (Canada). Follow them on Twitter @colinjustin or on Facebook (ColinandJustin). Check out their new product ranges at candjhome.co.uk. Contact them through their website colinandjustin.tv.