The kitchen is the heart of the home, as well as the staple of most reality renovation TV shows. So when property brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott come up with something original and eye-popping for the space on “Celebrity IOU,” we can’t help but take notice.

On the Season 7 episode “Anna Faris’s Swanky Surprise,” Jonathan and Drew help the “Scary Movie” star redo the kitchen and dining area of her devoted friend Amanda. The two have been friends for more than 20 years, and they’ve supported each other through divorce, cancer, and much more.

Amanda’s house has always been the epicenter of entertainment for their group of friends. But the kitchen and layout are cramped, unwieldy, and unsafe. Faris wants to change that, and the Scott brothers are totally on board, coming up with tips and tricks that work wonders for the space. They even introduce three completely new ways to spice up a kitchen design, two with materials you’ve probably never considered. Check out what they do, with plenty of lessons you might want to get cooking in your own kitchen, too.

Make sure appliances are properly connected and placed

When Jonathan tours Amanda’s kitchen for the first time, Amanda explains that when she bought the house, she noticed that “the smoke alarm goes off no matter what you do.”

Jonathan reaches up to open the cabinet above the stove to find out why. He’s concerned when he finds that the ducting that is supposed to connect to the vent is not connected to anything. In addition, he notes that the stove is scrunched up against the wall.

“You’re not actually allowed to have a cooking appliance like this right against a wood panel,” he says. “There’s a lot of heat that comes off of this, and if there’s a flame, that is a fire hazard.”

“We have a lot of issues,” agrees Amanda.

A bold counter calls for neutral cabinets

While Drew and Faris are selecting kitchen finishes, Faris says, “I want them to be something that’s really special and beautiful to look at.”

“If we go a little bolder with the cabinets, maybe we could go a little bit simpler with the countertop,” Drew suggests. “On the other side, if we go a little bit more neutral with the cabinets, maybe we could go a little bit more bold with the countertops.”

Faris selects bold quartzite countertops.

“It’s beautiful! Kind of timeless, but still with a statement involved,” she says.

Because the countertops make such a statement, she selects more neutral cabinets. They don’t even have handles or pulls showing. This gives the kitchen an extremely elegant effect.

Add texture with a Roman clay vent hood

Since Faris has selected more simple, smooth cabinets, Jonathan suggests a Roman clay finish for the vent hood.

Roman clay is a thick, textured paint finish made of natural ingredients, often troweled on rather than brushed or sprayed. It creates a finish similar to Venetian plaster.

Faris helps Jonathan trowel on the wine-colored plaster without smoothing it, so it has dimension.

“The application of Roman clay finish can go in any direction,” says Jonathan. The result is a slightly rough texture. When finished, it looks similar to suede.

A mural is a fun kitchen addition

No one wants their kitchen to be too busy, especially if the space is small. So when the property brothers suggest a mural for the back wall of this tiny kitchen, we are dubious.

But when we see the whimsical black-and-white botanical print they’ve selected, we get the idea. It looks phenomenal and adds some welcome personality to the space.

“I didn’t want to dominate the kitchen with tons of loud color,” says Faris. “But I did want a special place that almost felt funny, weird, and quirky.”

“The mural makes such a statement,” says Jonathan.

“It’s amazing,” adds Amanda. “It looks like just a giant piece of art. It reminds me of a museum.”

And it successfully hides the speakeasy kitchen bar. (See below.)

Bring HDPD indoors

The brothers are building a hidden bar in the kitchen with a speakeasy feel. When you open the cabinet door, they want the bar behind it to pop.

“We want something funky,” Drew tells the sales rep in his favorite kitchen showroom. “Anna says that we need something that’s really personality-driven for Amanda.”

The sales rep directs Drew to a drawer full of brightly colored samples.

“I do like these colors. What’s the material?” Drew asks.

“It’s HDPD,” the sales rep replies. This high-density polyethylene “is the same as a cutting board.”

“OK, it’s a plastic, but is it 100% recyclable?” asks Drew.

“You can recycle this instead of putting it in a landfill,” the sales rep replies.

HDPD is often used in outdoor kitchens because of its durability and performance, but it also works great indoors when you want durability, performance, and vibrant color all the way through.

Do the property brothers deliver?

“I love it! I love everything,” says Amanda, bouncing up and down. “Everything looks perfect together. It’s like it was meant to be.”

Happy tears flow for Faris and her friend, and the Scott brothers’ work here is done.

The post ‘I Love It!’ The Property Brothers Unveil 3 Totally New Kitchen Trends You’ll Want To Try appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Read Original