Before and After: HGTV’s “Call the Closer” Brought Swanky, Hotel Chic Vibes Into This Bare Living Room
It’s not unusual to have an in-between place prior to purchasing a home you want to settle in longer term. And while you should take your time finding the right home, there is such thing as getting too comfortable and prolonging the process longer than you should.
This was the case of Alexis and Kalen, a couple living in a hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. What was meant to be a brief stay turned into a six-month living situation, and they knew it was time to move on from the hotel life and into the home-owning life. That’s when Lauren Risley, real estate expert and HGTV host of “Call the Closer,” stepped in to help push them along to the next stage.
Risley showed the couple one historic house outside of the Compton Heights neighborhood in St. Louis, which they completely fell in love with and decided to purchase within a few days of seeing it. But with a historic home comes a lot of updating and renovating, and with only five weeks to complete the project, Risley had a lot of work to do.
While it wasn’t in terrible shape, the living room needed some freshening up. Risley imagined the space as an extension of their hotel life — in other words, she wanted to create a swanky vibe of a hotel lobby that felt like a luxurious escape.
To do that, Risley added a black and gold modern chandelier that complemented the already existing fireplace. She installed a black and white abstract backsplash behind the fireplace that created a popping contrast, then added some shades of brown with the rug and curtains that softened the look while staying within a neutral palette.
The kitchen’s original state was very cramped and a bit inconvenient for entertaining, which was a top priority for Alexis. In order to make her hostessing dreams come true, Risley ripped out the two-level island and opened up the kitchen with a peninsula, following a similar black, white, and gold palette to the living room.
Risley installed white subway tile as the kitchen backsplash, which went nicely with the white shaker cabinets, gold hardware, and marbled countertops. But the real stunner was the black and gold hood, complemented by the light fixtures hanging above the peninsula. And with ample seating at the counter and kitchen table, Alexis expressed her excitement to start hosting family gatherings ASAP.
“Call the Closer” airs every Monday at 9/8 p.m. central on HGTV and Discovery+.