Before and After: On HGTV’s “Celebrity IOU,” Cindy Crawford Opens Up a Cramped, Outdated Kitchen and Family Room
When Cindy Crawford’s personal trainer-turned-close friend, Sarah, and Sarah’s husband, Rick, announced that they were finally moving into a home of their own after years of renting, Cindy knew exactly how she wanted to give back. In the latest episode of HGTV’s “Celebrity IOU,” Cindy called on Drew and Jonathan Scott to help her renovate her friends’ home in the weeks leading up to their move-in date.
The biggest renovations took place in the kitchen and family room. The two spaces lacked character, color, and were disconnected by a wall. “The main thing that doesn’t work in this house is that the kitchen is separate from the family room, which I know was the way things used to be, but that is not how families live today,” Cindy said. “It’s about creating an open area where you cook, you hang out, you watch TV.”
The kitchen began as a cramped room with outdated cabinets, countertops, and hardware. While the space had definitely been renovated at some point, the design was still too old for Sarah, Rick, and their family. The overall layout of the kitchen wasn’t conducive to their cooking and hosting needs and required a renovation more in line with the couple’s warm and welcoming lifestyle. A poorly placed laundry room was located off of the kitchen, so Cindy wanted to move it to another spot in the house in order to extend the kitchen into a larger entertaining space.
Jonathan, Drew, and Cindy kicked off the renovation by ripping out the old cabinets and countertops. They demolished the walls between the family room and laundry room, which opened up the space. The team replaced the old cabinets with warm brown wood and installed quartz countertops for a clean and modern look. They also brought in sleek new appliances and a kitchen island, which featured built-in gray bench seating. From there, they brought in a wooden table and four additional chairs, which maximized the number of people that could comfortably dine in the kitchen at the same time.
The team tore up the old flooring and installed medium tone hardwood floors throughout the house. Cindy wanted to pick flooring that was lighter than the original, but dark enough that it wouldn’t show every single dog hair or scuff mark. Later, they painted all of the walls a soft white color. They also switched the large window and door in the kitchen and living room area. “We love reusing what we can so it doesn’t end up in a landfill, and the backdoors and window are in great shape, but for us to maximize the function and flow in this space, swapping them is a must,” Jonathan said.
The family room was in similar shape as the kitchen and was in greatest need of cosmetic updates. After tearing down the wall between the kitchen and living room, Cindy wanted to make the remaining wall into the new focal point of the family room. She opted to have the team extend the wall and build in a trio of arches (along with white shelves and cabinets). They put a large flat-screen TV in the center arch and added various accessories to the others. They also brought in comfortable gray furniture, a small coffee table, and a new rug. “To put in arches and custom bookshelves, it just brought this depth and warmth,” Sarah said. “It just really took my breath away.”
“Celebrity IOU” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV and discovery+.