Will Kirk is not afraid to get his hands dirty at home as well as in front of the cameras on The Repair Shop. He proved he was a dab hand at DIY renovations when he shared a transformation video of his bedroom at his new country home with his wife Polly and their two young children.
The restoration expert opened up about the "back-breaking" process of unearthing the Victorian floorboards hidden underneath the carpet, admitting he ignored "horror stories" before he started.
© InstagramAt the start of the video, Will stood in a large room with white walls and tired grey carpets, which he started by ripping up. "When we started working on our bedroom we knew we wanted to remove the old carpets and expose the original pine flooring," he began.
© Instagram"When the carpets were up, thankfully, the floorboards were in relatively decent condition. That's despite one or two not-so-Victorian additions."
© InstagramDescribing his preparation process, which included watching a YouTube how-to video, he continued: "Now, despite hearing some horror stories, I decided to hire a floor sander and an edge sander.
"The floors weren't completely flat so after a bit of YouTube research I started sanding diagonally to level the floor before sanding up and down the boards in line with the grain.
"This machine weighed an absolute tonne and it takes a lot of getting used to," Will said, adding he feared the wire would interfere with the process or he would spend too long on one spot.
© InstagramHe explained cleaning out old polish in between the floorboards and adding draft excluders was a "satisfying task."
"Now being an old house, it can get quite drafty without the carpet so I found this fantastic draft excluding rubber that you stick between the flooring with a handy applicator. Once it was all in I could immediately feel the difference."
© InstagramAdmiring the finished results of the polished honey-coloured pine floor, Will concluded: "Finally, the floor was all finished and I love the results. It was more back-breaking than I was expecting but totally worth that satisfying feeling of starting and finishing a new job yourself."
Will's previous bedroom
Although Will hasn't revealed how he plans to furnish the space, the father-of-two previously shared a tour inside his bedroom in his Wandsworth house, which included forever furniture.
Describing the space as his "calming sleep sanctuary", Will showed off his 'Emmett Bed' from West Elm featuring a grey quilted headboard, topped with colourful scatter cushions and flanked by "mid-century" wooden bedside tables.
A gold mirror known as the brand's 'Metal Framed Arched Mirror' hung on the wall, alongside a matching round shelf with indoor plants, and pastel paintings.
© InstagramWill said at the time that he chose "timeless" pieces that he could "pass down to future generations."
He said: "When we eventually move and buy a bigger house, they'll look perfect in there too." So this should give us an indication of his calming new countryside bedroom!
Will's new home
The woodwork expert revealed his family had left South London at the end of 2024. "Adjusting to life in the country," he penned, alongside a photograph of himself dressed in a flat cap and a Barbour jacket. He added the hashtag "bye bye London", confirming the big move had already happened.
© InstagramDuring an appearance on Alan Titchmarsh's Love Your Weekend, Will addressed his relocation. "So since I last saw you, I moved from a flat in London, and I've moved out to Surrey in a Victorian house, and I've been doing a lot of gardening," he said, adding it was a big priority in their move.
"I have got a garden. So back in London, I had a balcony with a few dying plants, and now I have got a garden," Will added, before revealing the previous owners ruined the grass with their hot tub.
