Christina Anstead’s Top Tricks To Glam Up a Home on a Humble Budget

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Christina Anstead of “Christina on the Coast” knows how to make a home look luxurious. But her latest clients want more—a house that looks downright glamorous. But is that doable with a modest budget?

In the latest episode, “A Touch of Indecision,” Eric and Gina want to spend $100,000 on a kitchen renovation. It may sound like a decent budget, but given their penchant for pricey features like marble and shiny finishes, it will take some ingenuity to deliver the razzle-dazzle these clients expect.

In the end, though, Anstead manages to glam up their house without spending through the roof. Here’s what we learned from the latest “Christina on the Coast” that could help you make your own home look a bit more luxe, too.

For glam style, nothing can be plain

After some size adjustments, the peninsula looks perfect.

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When Anstead presents Gina and Eric with design samples, she shows off a busy backsplash paired with a plain white countertop. The tiled black-and-white backsplash makes a statement, while the clean counter lets that backsplash shine.

The design is beautiful, but the couple don’t approve of the plain white counter. Instead, they want something with veining in it.

So, Anstead takes Gina and Eric shopping. They pick a marble slab with just enough veining to give the countertop a bit of pizzazz.

In the end, Eric and Gina love the counters. In fact, they love it so much they want to install even more of it in their kitchen, running the slabs up the sink wall.

“Running more up the wall may be an extra cost,” Anstead says, “but this couple loves the look.”

A backsplash can even be art

This backsplash is shiny and stunning.

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As for the tile backsplash, Gina and Eric know that their choice has to be perfect, especially since this tile will end up going on a large part of one wall. Anstead even calls this section the “art wall.”

Right away, Eric and Gina find a tile they love. But then they find out the price: a shocking $304 per square foot. So it’s back to square one.

Eventually, Gina makes a less expensive selection, picking a shiny tile with vertical lines.

Once the backsplash is installed, it looks incredible. The art wall lives up to its name—it’s a showstopper.

“I know that we went back and forth on a lot of different options for this wall, but it was totally worth the wait,” Anstead says.

Wonky windows can distract from a glamorous look

These windows are different sizes, which makes the kitchen look lopsided.

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Windows can be one of the most important features in a kitchen. They can make all the difference between the space being a bright and beautiful place to gather, or just a dark cave for cooking.

So, when Anstead notices that the two kitchen windows aren’t the same size, she knows she has to fix this.

“It’s going to look so much more cohesive,” Anstead says.

With a little size adjustment, these windows look much better.

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This cohesiveness costs an additional $2,000, but when the work is done, the entire kitchen looks more cohesively designed and more inviting.

A big peninsula can be a big problem

Eric worries if this peninsula will be too big.

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Big kitchen islands and peninsulas are all the rage right now. It seems people can’t get enough when it comes to these features, and Anstead assumes that Eric and Gina will be no different.

However, once the peninsula starts to take shape, Eric wonders if it’s too big.

“We think that the people who are going to be eating right here,” Eric says, looking at the newly constructed breakfast bar, “they’re going to be sticking out a little bit, kind of impeding on the dining room.”

Now, there’s plenty of room in this dining room.

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This concern is a good reminder to all that everything should fit. Eric knows that large features could make the kitchen feel smaller, and if giving up a few inches of counter space will mean a larger-looking kitchen, it’s worth it.

When the peninsula is finished and the dining table brought in, there’s plenty of space for both the breakfast bar and the table.

Go big in the bathroom

This bathroom hasn’t changed since the house was built in 1964.

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With the kitchen renovation underway, Gina and Eric turn their sights to another important part of their home: the bathroom.

The old flooring needs to be replaced, but the couple wonder if they might want to upgrade the whole room.

Anstead presents an idea for a shower upgrade with small white tiles and horizontal gold strips.

“It’s very Hollywood glam,” Anstead says of the look.

These lines make the bathroom look much bigger.

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Gina agrees to the design, and Anstead starts to glam up the bathroom.

While the bright gold tile may not be for everyone, its placement along the wall provides another smart tip: The horizontal lines that extend around the bathroom make the shower seem huge and add a fun, modern style.

Do Christina Anstead’s designs deliver?

While Eric and Gina want to stick to a $100,000 renovation budget, they end up spending much more. They keep adding upgrades, and decide to also renovate the bathroom while they’re at it. With all this extra work, the total renovation comes in at $160,000.

This renovation may have cost much more than expected, but when Anstead’s done, it ends up looking like a million bucks—proving that sometimes expanding your budget is worth every penny.

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