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Martin Kemp and wife Shirlie reveal 'grim' reality of huge renovation project

Spandau Ballet star Martin has bought a new home

martin shirlie kemp home renovations
Rachel Avery
Homes Editor
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Martin Kemp and his wife Shirlie shocked fans earlier this year when they announced they were leaving their beautiful family home for an ambitious renovation project – and now they've shared the stark reality of the progress.

PHOTOS: Martin and Shirlie Kemp's magical former home

New photos and videos uploaded to their dedicated Instagram account @maisonnumber9 showed the dramatic scenes in their ripped-out kitchen. The stars wrote: "It all looks pretty grim at the moment, but we have made a start which is always exciting." And they also revealed that among the chaos, the tumble dryer was still fully operational!

WATCH: Martin and Shirlie Kemp's former garden is so enchanting 

Later, they uploaded a video of the ceiling being torn down – proving they really are going back to the bare bones to make this house beautiful.

READ: Exclusive: Martin Kemp talks cooking, romance and his fondest 80s memories

MORE: Shirlie Kemp reveals the real reason she and husband Martin Kemp moved

martin shirlie house renovations© Photo: Instagram

The couple have removed their kitchen

Despite the current state of their cooking space, the pair have made progress in other parts of their new home, including photographer Shirlie's on-site studio. The room went from drab to fab with a lick of paint and some vintage accessories.

shirlie kemp kitchen© Photo: Instagram

The house is undergoing huge renovations

Next to a video of the transformation, Shirlie explained that the room won't always look this way in the future. "This is my little studio that will be ever-changing for photoshoots but this is how it looks today!" she wrote. Fans were stunned with the new look, writing in the comments section: "Ahh I love seeing new life being brought to old spaces," and: "Yay!!!!! Well done you two!"

WOW: Martin Kemp's new home with wife Shirlie has its own Christmas grotto

martin shirlie before after© Photo: Instagram

The stars have made some great progress already

Shirlie is a big fan of home renovations, and there's a sentimental reason why it's a process close to her heart. She explained all to her followers: "My father was a builder, and I learnt a lot from him about transforming houses. I remember as a little girl I would draw house plans and show my dad and ask him if he would build me a house when I get older.

"Well my love of houses is still there but sadly my dad isn’t here anymore but his spirit will be around as I bring this lovely house back to life #home #victorianhouse #building #interiors #painting #decor #decoratingtips."

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