The Property Brothers Reveal One Thing That Can Ruin How a Home Looks

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Drew and Jonathan Scott are always so busy building and designing new homes, it’s refreshing (for us and them) when they take a break to look back on renovations past. And that’s what happens in the latest episode of “Property Brothers Double Down,” where they reminisce about a particularly difficult remodeling job from Season 8.

In the episode titled “Particularly Particular With Their Wish List,” the brothers meet with Craig and Laurel, a couple in Armonk, NY. Apparently they are uncommonly picky, causing big delays. At times, it seems that the project may never get finished at all!

Check out what the Scotts learned during this tricky renovation that might help you troubleshoot your own reno project, too.

White cabinets with a few windows is the best of both worlds

White kitchen cabinets have become very popular in the past few years, as have glass cabinet doors.

And these trends are popular for good reason: White cabinets give a kitchen a more open, brighter look, while glass doors give owners a chance to show off beautiful dishes and make everything easy to find.

But there are drawbacks to both of these styles. For one, white cabinets can be boring and bland, while glass doors can feel too revealing for an unorganized kitchen.

So, it’s nice to see these two styles combined for a perfect compromise. In this kitchen, we see a lot of white cabinetry. To break up the space, the brothers flank the window with two cabinets with glass doors—and that’s just enough to give us a peek of what’s behind those cabinet doors, but without oversharing.

The glass doors add something extra to the otherwise boring kitchen cabinets.

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Small details can make or break the backsplash

Plenty of people will install plain subway tile as a backsplash and call it a day. But Craig and Laurel won’t settle for anything that isn’t exactly to their taste, including the backsplash. They end up with tiny white and beige squares in a simple pattern, but it’s these intricate details that give this kitchen a little extra personality.

A detailed backsplash always adds charm.

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Built-ins can still offer an open concept

Laurel and Craig know they want their house to have an open concept, so when they realize they need to put structural posts between the kitchen and living room, they’re worried.

Still, Jonathan does a great job with the space, creating built-ins around the posts to make them look more natural in the house. The result is even better than expected. The posts give the kitchen a hint of separation from the living room, but not so much that it’s cutting them off from each other.

It gives the house a good flow from one area to the next, and the cabinets and shelves provide extra storage space.

In the end, the couple love the look.

“Even though it’s open, it’s not too open because of the built-ins that we did and the posts,” Laurel says, “so it looks purposeful, not just one big, open space.”

These built-ins give the space a nice separation without closing off the dining room from the living room.

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A traditional stone fireplace can still work in the right space

These days it’s all about sleek, shiny, tiled fireplaces. But there’s something special about a classic stone fireplace. In this house, a stone fireplace was already in place, and the couple want to keep it.

This is definitely a good decision, because the fireplace brings a bold, original look to the living room, giving the house a cozy “cabin in the woods” vibe. This fireplace is different from many popular looks today, but it works well in the space.

Modern fireplace, what? This stone fireplace gives the living space a warm, rustic vibe.

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Large windows should still look uniform

Jonathan installs large living room windows to provide a lovely view of the trees outside. This is great, but there’s just one problem: Some of the windows have different heights, and Laurel dislikes the nonuniform look.

So Jonathan reduces their size so the windows are all the same height. This uniformity provides a clean look, while still letting in plenty of light.

These windows bring the outside in.

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A private playroom keeps mess out of sight

So what’s the one thing that can ruin how a home looks? A mess, of course!

Craig and Laurel have a young daughter, and they want to keep her toys out of sight. So they give her a playroom that’s separate from the main living space.

And that’s not all they do to keep mess away from guests. When presented with the option of installing glass doors, the parents opt for full wood ones instead.

“I love that we kept the doors, that they’re not transparent,” Laurel says, “so that if it ever gets messy in here, we can just close the door.”

This playroom is a perfect oasis for kids.

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So, do the Scott brothers deliver?

Drew got the house down from the $925,000 list price, to $887,500. That left Jonathan with a $200,000 renovation budget and just seven weeks to get it all done. Jonathan had his work cut out for him, but in the end, the house turns out amazing.

“I did not think we would finish on time,” Jonathan says when the house is finished. “In fact, I could have easily had another week to try to get all the little details done.”

But finish on time they do—and in the end, “It looks incredible,” Laurel says.

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