IN the early 2000s, this popstar was storming the charts and the stage as a member of pop group, Liberty X.
Now, even with the band reuniting for a collection of gigs, she has found a passion project and secret side hustle that brings her joy.
Kelli Young has found her love of house renovations, and is currently sharing all her updates on an Instagram account, KelliYoungBuilds.
In her first post in January 2022, she wrote: “Hi! I’m Kelli Young. You may know me from 00’s pop band Liberty X, but you may not know that since leaving the band I’ve project managed / advised on a series of renovations and builds for myself and other people..”
“It’s all led up to this… our dream build in the country,” she declared. “Myself, my husband (songwriter to the stars Iain James), our twin boys (and our dog) are embarking on the project of a lifetime.”
Standing in front of a country farmhouse, Kelli explained they would be demolishing “our mock Arts & Crafts home” and building a classic Georgian style property.
They also planned to build a separate music studio on the property, and re-landscaping the four-acre plot to “make their own eco-friendly oasis and restore their work / life balance.”
Since then, she has been keeping fans updated with the incredible work they’ve put in to make the house their own.
On purchasing the property, the star shared pictures of the retro blue and white kitchen, bright pink bathroom, giant living room and overgrown garden.
Since then she has been spending her days tearing the house down to the foundations to rebuild it as brand new.
In the two years that have followed, Kelli has cleaned-up the roof, placed in extensions to the rear, added floor to ceiling windows on the ground floor and renovated the garden.
“We bought a house on an amazing plot that we planned to knock down and rebuild but the universe had other ideas,” she explained in one post.
“We actually grew to like some elements of what was already there, so, after two and a half years of jumping through planning permission hoops, changing designs, and scratching our heads, we have FINALLY started our RENOVATION project.”
Her last update at the beginning of April saw her front garden reduced to mud as they brought in diggers and have started installing underfloor heating throughout the entire house.
They’ve also managed to recondition and keep some of the original parts of the old house, including unique doors and door frames that make the property one-of-a-kind.
Kelli was a founding member of Liberty X in 2001, after she and her bandmates – Michelle Heaton, Jessica Taylor, Tony Lundon and Kevin Simm– made it to the finals but lost out on being in the winning group.
Their success eventually outlasted the winning band, Hear’Say, and they continued to perform through to 2007.
During that time, they had chart-topping hits including Just A Little, Thinking It Over and Got To Have Your Love, aiming for a more RnB audience compared to Hear’Say’s pop influences.
Since their disbandment, they have had reunion performances and remained close pals, but have not made any new music.
