The Maybelline Story
Room IV · The Family Wing

AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”

By Sharrie Williams · Written April 2012 · 3 min read

For eighteen months we watched our home spring out of the ground into a structure that would usher in one of the happiest periods of our lives. Who would have dreamed I’d have to lose everything to gain it back ten fold


AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”


I think the most exciting part about building a house is seeing it framed….. and that first time you turn on the electricity….. The thrill of seeing what was only a blueprint turn into a real home is awe inspiring. 



AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”


The biggest cost of building my home was the foundation and retaining walls. Normally a fire wouldn’t cause so much damage that you’d have to rip out the old foundation, but a firestorm that melts cars to the ground is a different story.


AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”

Another thrill in the building process is seeing the roof go on. At that point you know the job is someday going to end. Which up to that point doesn’t seem possible.



AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”


What’s really hard is spending the whole day with contractors and having no place to sit. Gloria made a chair out of a cement block while my dad inspected the work being done on the floor.


AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”

The windows arrived and my dad checked them out to make sure they are all accounted for. He’d built homes before and knew the importance of checking and double checking every detail on the spot.


AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”

At last the structure takes on the appearance of a real home, but we are still months away from moving in.



AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”

My dad was fanatical about the paint job being done right. He fired the first crew of painters because they didn’t have an eye for perfection. He wanted the walls so smooth that when you ran your hand over them, they would feel like glass. That’s what 1930’s Art Deco was all about as far as he was concerned.


AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”
Getting close to finishing the job, we gained a new respect for working together as a team. I’m not saying it was ideal, there were times we wanted to kill each other, but in the end I have to say, my dad was the wind beneath my wings. He showed me I could start and finish anything with the right state of mind.

AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”
When the landscapers added the tropical plants to the outside of the house the whole thing popped with color and became a beautiful little Mediterranean Villa. It was More than I ever dreamed I would have.

AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”
When the house was finally done and the contractors pulled away, my dad continued to come over everyday and add the magical details that made the inside of the house look like a movie set….. Here he is with the 1977 Series 1, Clenet, # 13, I’ve talked about so much on my blog. We now enter it in Concours de’ Elegance shows.

AFTER THE FIRE, “I DANCE WITH MY FATHER.”

It was my dad who put the blue glass Cross on the fireplace to give the feeling of a sanctuary and the light from all the windows made the room an artist’s dream.





DANCE WITH MY FATHER, BY CELINE DION.


Check back tomorrow to see the finished product as Georgia and I show you around our home.

Coming soon · Next from Sharrie Williams

Maybe She’s Born With It

The next chapter of the Maybelline family story. Get a text the day it’s out.

Where it began: The Maybelline Story — Amazon · Ebook · Signed copy

© 2026 Sharrie Williams · All photographs from the Williams family archive