Christina Hall Reveals the New Kitchen Trend She Says 'Everyone's Going To Want'

Christina Hall, the host of “Christina on the Coast,” sure knows how to make a party house!

In the Season 5 episode “Friendship for the Ages,” Hall helps her childhood friend Carlos and his wife, Natalie, renovate their home. The place is nice as is, but Carlos and Natalie plus their three kids want a more updated design and functional party space.

So Hall spends $209,179 renovating the space—updating the kitchen and bathroom and adding a new bar. Her friends seem thrilled with the results and will no doubt be inviting Hall back to enjoy the fruits of her labors.

Meanwhile, the rest of us can enjoy the view and consider it a great inspiration for what we can add to our own home to make it more stylish and entertaining, both for ourselves and our guests. Here’s what Hall’s latest moves taught us this week.

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Carlos and Natalie have wanted to update their kitchen for years, but they can’t decide what style would be right for them. While Natalie wants a white-on-white look, Carlos isn’t so sure about this lack of color.

“It’s a kitchen, it’s supposed to be fun,” he explains.

Hall and her clients decide on white cabinets, white countertops, and a white oak island. But to bring some “fun” to the space, Hall suggests something unique: a stone backsplash that will continue up the wall. It would feature light beige tones and add texture to the space, making it seem unique.

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Hall also suggests using a creamy color grout, rather than gray, to keep the kitchen looking bright and warm.

In the end, the stone brings texture and a natural element to the space. Hall is so satisfied, she says “Everyone’s going to want it. That stone is seriously my favorite new backsplash; it adds the rustic hacienda vibe. And I feel like the stone brings the outside in.”

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While Natalie and Carlos want to improve their kitchen’s look, they also want to improve its function.

“We love entertaining, we love having pool parties,” Natalie says, but notes that the food they prepare is usually “scattered all over the place.”

When the couple inquire about bi-fold windows, Hall suggests a much more affordable option: a window that pops up and out. It allows a large space for passing plates back and forth from the backyard.

The pop-out window is a smart way to connect the inside with the outside without spending a fortune.

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With the kitchen getting a full update, Natalie think it’s only right to give the living room fireplace a new look, too.

“I definitely feel like this has to go,” Natalie says of the dark tile. “It matches the kitchen, it matches the bar, and the laundry room. If we’re touching all that, I feel like this needs to be updated.”

So Hall covers the fireplace in the same stone and light grout that she uses in the kitchen. It looks just as good in the living room as it does in the kitchen, and the update gives the two spaces cohesion.

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While Natalie and Carlos are excited to update the kitchen and living room, they also want to turn a hall counter and cupboard into a true bar area. Hall has plenty of experience creating stylish dry bars, but there’s just one problem: the location.

“My big thing that I don’t like about this situation is that the bar faces the bathroom and not the party,” Carlos says of the space.

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Hall suggests moving the bar to a different wall that faces the living room. Carlos and Natalie love the idea, so Hall gets to work.

The designer gives this new bar area a dark tile backsplash, shelving with underlighting, and lots of storage. The design complements the kitchen, while the location provides a perfect flow.

“Not only is it a bar, but it’s a statement piece,” Hall says.

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While Hall works hard to make sure both Carlos and Natalie love their kitchen, she wants to make sure they both agree on their main bathroom design as well.

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Hall and her team consider both of their clients’ styles before suggesting a unique porcelain tile that looks like wood to use in the bathroom.

This tile is bright and neutral and brings a natural element and hint of color to the bathroom. Meanwhile, the extended placement of the tile makes the space look bigger and very sleek.

This bathroom is a perfect balance between Natalie’s love of light spaces and Carlos’ desire to have a space with character.

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Jillian Pretzel is a Southern California writer who covers lifestyle, relationships, home, and money management.