March 29, 2024

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Built General Tough

Chip and Jo Premiere the Most Daunting Reno Show to Date: ‘Home Work’

Chip and Joanna Gaines‘ Magnolia Network has just released yet another new show on Discovery+: “Home Work,” which features a family even larger than their own, with seven kids! (Chip and Jo, you may recall, are at five kids and counting.)

In “Home Work,” Andy and Candis Meredith work together with their brood to turn a 113-year-old, 20,000-square-foot schoolhouse in Utah into their dream home. It’s a massive renovation project that makes you wonder if they’ve bitten off more than they can chew.

But their smart upgrades prove these two know what they’re doing, and have a style all their own.

In the premiere episode, “Old-World Kitchen,” Candis and Andy work on renovating their cooking and dining area. Here’s how they pull it together, which might inspire some changes around your own abode, too.

Make a kitchen look classic with plate racks

This kitchen has a definitive old-world vibe—thanks in part to the plate racks.
This kitchen has a definitive old-world vibe—thanks in part to the plate racks.

Discovery+

Candis and Andy need to make a kitchen that will be big enough to cook huge meals for their jumbo-size family.

The couple love the history and simplicity of old working kitchens, so they want to give their kitchen a similar old-world look. To do this, Candis installs simple hardware with an aged appearance and brings in a custom 13-foot island with lots of antique style.

Still, there’s one more detail that Candis knows will help bring that old-world vibe to life.

“The biggest thing I think will make it feel like an old kitchen is plate racks versus upper cabinets,” Candis says.

These plate racks add the perfect touch.
These plate racks add the perfect touch.

Discovery+

She installs two rows of plate racks on either side of the stove, creating a focal point as well as a unique alternative to cabinets. They’re the perfect choice for this new kitchen with a vintage look.

Use dark colors for a cozy feel

These fabulous cabinets definitely look custom.
These fabulous cabinets definitely look custom.

Discovery+

Lots of people want light, bright, and white kitchens, but Candis and Andy want to go in a different direction. While this old-world kitchen already has a lot of personality, Candis’ paint choices really make the space stand out.

She decides to paint the kitchen gray, with some accents of deep green. She knows these colors will give the space a moody look—and a surprisingly cozy feel.

“I like painting dark colors because it feels like it adds this little layer of drama,” Candis says. “Dark colors can make small spaces feel bigger, and it can even make really big spaces feel more cozy.”

Go big with lighting

The dark colors make this room look elegant.
The dark colors make this room look elegant.

Discovery+

To finish this massive kitchen, Candis and Andy add a dining table large enough for their family of nine, build a massive frame for a landscape portrait, and install a 7-foot chandelier.

The chandelier is a showstopper, but this formal piece is certainly unconventional for a family dining space. Still, Candis isn’t worried about the style or the size.

This is “one of those things that I thought was just too big but when you put it in the space, you actually find out, no, it really did have to be 7 feet tall,” she explains.

While not everyone would want this chandelier in their house, this choice has a lesson for us all.

“One of my biggest things I tell people is if you can’t afford to do a lot in your room, spend the money on new paint and a new light,” Candis says. “Because lights really make the whole space feel awesome.”

Go bold with bathroom tile

This bathroom had a forgettable design.
This bathroom had a forgettable design.

Discovery+

When not tackling their own home renovation project, the Merediths also renovate other people’s homes in the area. And with Candis giving her own kitchen such a larger-than-life look, it’s no surprise that she gives her clients Anna and Alan a unique bathroom, too.

“They’re really bold clients, so it’s allowing me to make some bold design choices,” Candis explains.

This black and white tile is bold, and it looks great.
This black and white tile is bold, and it looks great.

Discovery+

She chooses a black and white checkered tile for the bathroom wall, a look that wouldn’t work in every house. Still, Anna and Alan think the bathroom looks great. Plus, it fits just fine when combined with other bold features, like a brass bathtub and a stone lion’s head facet.

Use an old table for an elegant bathroom vanity

This vanity is old, but the sink is new.
This vanity is old, but the sink is new.

Discovery+

While Anna and Alan’s bathroom is already memorable, Candis wants to make it feel classic by using an antique table as a vanity. Still, she has to get creative when it comes to actually turning the table into a sink, choosing a sink and fixtures that are new but will still work with an antique.

“The main focus, right when you walk in, is that antique vanity,” says Candis.

“With a brand-new sink on it, [it] feels weird to have plumbing on such an antique piece,” she admits. Nonetheless, “when it gives new life to an antique and we know that sink is going to0 be there for a long, long time, I think it’s worth making a change.”