The HGTV star knew she wanted to renovate the kitchen from the moment she saw it.
Christina and Josh Hall are dedicated to turning their current California abode into a forever home. After creating a spa sanctuary in their backyard, the couple embarked on another personal project: a kitchen renovation.
“The first time we walked this house, I knew in my head, like, this kitchen is not staying,” Christina said during the latest episode of Christina on the Coast.
She explained that the kitchen—which has stark white cabinetry and a long island with a raised bar—doesn’t fit her style. “The whole kitchen just kind of looks like one big robot,” she said. “It’s a little bit too modern and kinda harsh. I would love something a little more natural feeling, a little more organic.”
Josh agreed the kitchen needed to be softened up, so the whole thing had to go. But more than that, the couple’s kitchen lacked functionality. Christina pointed out that the dishwasher in the island always pops open when she tries to prepare food. All of the upper horizontal cabinetry features a hydraulic lift-up system, meaning their contents wouldn’t be accessible if the electricity ever went out. Not to mention, they’re too shallow to fit plates. The higher cabinets aren’t practical for everyday use. Plus, the range only has one working burner.
After deciding to renovate, Josh created a visual of what their desired new kitchen could look like. Using tape, he mapped out what he knew Christina wanted: floating shelves flanking a hood vent, a shorter hood than their current one, a slide-in range, and a shorter island that’s wider and has waterfall edges. (Unlike Christina’s previous project, they did not opt for a T-shaped kitchen island.) The couple also decided to add a bar with wine fridges in the open-concept kitchen. “We are not gonna move again, so we might as well have a kitchen that looks beautiful and actually makes sense,” Christina said.
When they met with their contractor Josh Marquad, the couple was given a quote of $60,000 to $70,000 for the renovation, excluding the cost of appliances and the demo (because one of Christina’s friends wanted to take their existing cabinets to use for another home project).
As far as materials go, Christina and Josh compromised on a mix for their custom cabinetry. They chose white oak cabinets and white oak floating shelving with black cabinets under the island. White counters with gray veining will make up the kitchen countersplash.
The episode left viewers with a cliffhanger, as the couple’s completed kitchen renovation wasn’t shown. So here’s to hoping it’ll be featured in the next episode!
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Kelly Allen is the current Associate Editor at House Beautiful, where she covers design, pop culture, and travel for digital and the print magazine. She’s been with the team for nearly three years, attending industry events and covering a range of topics. When she’s not watching every new TV show and movie, she’s browsing vintage home stores, admiring hotel interiors, and wandering around New York City. She previously worked for Delish and Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram.
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