5 Design Moves Christina Haack Has Ditched—and What She’s Doing Instead

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Christina Haack has been through a lot of changes in her near decade in the spotlight.

The designer first made a name for herself with her first husband, Tarek El Moussa, on “Flip or Flop.” Then her solo show, “Christina on the Coast,” featured her life with her second husband, Ant Anstead (who later became her second ex).

And while it’s hard enough to keep up with her personal life, what her fans might not see is how much her designs have changed, too.

And now, with “Flip or Flop” in its 11th season, let’s take a look back at a few of the key home decor trends Haack used to embrace, but has since abandoned—and the new trends that have taken their place.

1. Haack’s old design standby: White or gray exterior

This house from “Flip or Flop” Season 6 is painted bright white.

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The new: Exterior with color

This house from Season 11 is much more colorful.

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In early seasons of “Flip or Flop,” Haack was all about playing it safe on the exterior. She used a lot of whites and grays, giving each house a clean look, but not a whole lot of personality.

In later seasons, she started painting exteriors with a little—or sometimes a lot—more color.

For example, in the Season 11 episode “Filthy Flip,” Haack picks a light blue hue for the house, navy trim, and bright yellow front door. It may seem bold, but it really helps the house stand out, proving that taking risks with color can pay off.

2. Haack’s old design standby: Dark wood tones

These granite counters from the “Flip or Flop” 2013 pilot episode look dated now.

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The new: A love of light wood

Christina Haack loves light wood so much, she used it throughout this kitchen in Season 3 of “Christina on the Coast.”

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When “Flip or Flop” premiered in 2013, dark colors were all the rage. Haack adopted the trend by putting dark kitchen cabinets in nearly all of her flips. However, she soon learned that lighter tones brighten up a space, and changed her tune.

These days, she’s not afraid to use lots of light wood tones. That said, she is careful to make sure all the wood tones she uses work together.

“In order for all the wood to work, all the stains need to complement each other,” she explains. “Otherwise, it’s going to feel random.”

3. Haack’s old design standby: Tile backsplash

This kitchen from “Flip or Flop” Season 5 has a colorful tile backsplash.

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The new: Counters that extend up the backsplash

Haack extended the counter up the backsplash for this stylish kitchen.

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Once upon a time, Haack and El Moussa were known for their bold, colorful tile choices. But apparently this look was too loud to last, and Haack started incorporating more subtle backsplash looks, sometimes extending the countertop up the wall instead.

As Haack explains in the “Christina on the Coast” Season 3 episode “Bold Kitchen for a Brit,” this style has lots of benefits.

“Running the backsplash up the wall the way we did not only draws your eye up, making the room feel bigger, it also showcases the beautiful veining in the slab,” she says.

4. Haack’s old design standby: White paint on a brick fireplace

This brick fireplace was painted white in “Flip or Flop” Season 7.

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The new: Tile on a fireplace to make it pop

This fireplace from 2020 is a much cleaner look.

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In the early days of “Flip or Flop,” Haack often pushed to paint brick fireplaces white, liking the texture of the brick paired with this clean, light look.

However, in more recent renovations, Haack tends to use tile to finish a fireplace—typically in subtle hues like gray, made more visually interesting with a herringbone pattern. This fireplace makeover adds a lot more pizzazz than plain old white paint.

5. Haack’s old design standby: Beige tile flooring

This brown tile from “Flip or Flop” Season 2 was popular in 2014.

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The new: Terrazzo flooring

Tarek El Moussa resisted Haack’s love of terrazzo.

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Brown was a color for home design in the early 2010s, so it’s no wonder Haack used so many brown and beige cabinets, counters, and even tile floors in the early days of “Flip or Flop.” In fact, beige square tile was one of Haack’s bathroom staples in her early design days.

However, Haack’s latest obsession is terrazzo tile. In the Season 10 “Flip or Flop” episode “Stiff Competition,” Haack tries to sell El Moussa on terrazzo bathroom floors.

“Keep in mind, this is a midcentury house,” Haack says. “We have to do something different. We have to stand out.”

But El Moussa hates the look: “It looks like carpet padding.”

While El Moussa may not be a fan, he acknowledges that plenty of people are and eventually lets her have her way. Looks like he still knows when his ex-wife is onto something!

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