HGTV; realtor.com
Christina Anstead has done some bold home designs in her day—first as the star of “Flip or Flop” and more recently on “Christina on the Coast,” now in its second season. But in the latest episode of the latter show, Anstead truly outdoes herself.
In the episode titled “Pando Express,” Anstead meets up with friend and colleague Pando and his wife, Michelle. The couple recently married, blending their families to become a household of five. Now, with Michelle and her son moving into Pando’s home, this new bride wants to make some changes so that the house feels more like a shared home, and not just Pando’s.
But this might prove to be a tougher task than anticipated. With two very different styles and a limited budget, Anstead has a tough time turning this single-dad pad into a honeymoon home.
Can she blend two very different styles? Read on to find out how Anstead strikes the right balance, and how these design lessons might apply to your own digs.
An aquarium can both divide and connect two rooms
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Michelle is a scuba diver, so she loves her home aquarium—and luckily, it seems Pando does, too! He even knows the name of every tiny fish in the colorful tank. That’s why Anstead is sure she needs to include a great spot for the aquarium in her design.
There’s already a wall separating Pando and Michelle’s kitchen from the dining room, so Anstead comes up with the idea to take out the existing cabinets, cut out a hole, and put in that beautiful fish tank. The result is stunning. Plus, the see-through tank provides flow from the kitchen to the dining room, opening up the space.
To complete this feature, Anstead paints the wall black on one side, and white on the other, so from either angle, the colorful aquarium can really shine.
Two tiles in one backsplash? Totally doable
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Pando and Michelle have combined their families—but it’s not clear if they’re going to be able to combine their tastes quite so seamlessly.
Pando has modern, cutting-edge tastes, while Michelle’s style is a bit less modern, a bit more colorful.
This conflict turns out to be a problem when shopping for a kitchen backsplash. Despite inspecting dozens of tiles, Pando and Michelle can’t find one they both love. So, Anstead comes up with a compromise. She picks out a white tile she knows Pando likes, plus a darker hexagon tile Michelle likes, and incorporates them both.
She creates a design where the two tiles meld into each other as the backsplash goes up the wall. The unique design is a big hit with Michelle and Pando.
Wood accents can look like art
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Pando and Michelle know they need some help updating the front living room. They explain that this is where the kids usually hang out, but they don’t want the room to look like it’s specifically for kids.
So, Anstead decides to install a reclaimed wood feature behind the TV. She uses dark wood for a modern look, giving the room a classy, grown-up feel.
In the end, the feature looks great. Anstead even says, “It looks like a piece of art.”
Forget the outdated arch
With a great design for a wood feature, Anstead could have been done with Pando and Michelle’s living room—but she has one more idea for this couple. She notices an archway to the next room and recommends taking it out and replacing it with a squared entry. The arch dates the space, and she knows that cleaner lines will make the house seem more modern.
And it turns out Anstead’s recommendation is the right choice. Once the archway is gone, the space seems much more open, and much more modern.
Go for a smaller fireplace
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Pando may have done his home’s stacked-stone fireplace himself, but as Anstead points out, it doesn’t fit with the style he wants. The fireplace looks dated, and it takes up the whole wall.
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Anstead offers to replace the existing stone with a sleek black fireplace that would match Pando’s modern style. It would also leave some room for storage, which is always a hot commodity in a home with kids.
Pando might be sad to see his fireplace go, but when he sees the new fireplace, it’s all worth it.
Is Christina Anstead’s renovation up to snuff?
A project with this many updates comes at a high cost: Although Michelle and Pando have set aside $65,000 for this renovation, Anstead ends up spending $77,000. Ouch!
Still, Anstead is able to check off everything on Pando and Michelle’s list, and the results are seriously stunning. The aquarium looks amazing, the fireplace is glamorously modern, and the wood feature wall is gorgeous. Best of all, it now feels like their home, rather than just his.
“I’m just so happy we were able to merge your two styles in such a beautiful way,” Anstead says.
The post Christina Anstead Creates Her Boldest Backsplash Yet—Take a Look appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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