HGTV's Christina Hall Shares A Great Design Tip For Homeowners Who Can't Agree On A Style

HGTV's Christina Hall is known for her stunning transformations in her series "Christina on the Coast." In a 2023 episode of the series, she highlighted her way of getting two homeowners to pull together on a kitchen renovation when choosing counters, cabinets, and other design elements (via YouTube). Because let's face it: Home renovations can be a tricky matter, particularly when it comes to homeowners who might not always see eye to eye on design. While the couple initially disagreed on the cabinets, Hall managed to get the pair to strike a balance by taking into account both of their preferences regarding finishes, tiles, and countertops. She then used those elements to help guide the couple to decide on two colors of cabinets, one on top, and one on the bottom, leading to a unique and stylish kitchen that appealed to both of their tastes at the same time. 

Ultimately, mixing and matching details that reflect each person's preferences paves the way for a healthy compromise. If you and your fellow homeowner can't agree on a design style, it pays to keep an open mind and combine elements that you each like to find a happy middle ground. Rather than settling on only one design feature, let your ideas work together so that both people are satisfied.

In the episode of "Christina on the Coast," Christina Hall was working with a couple remodeling an outdated kitchen with wood-finished cabinets. She presented them with several options for their cabinet design, including a white-washed oak wood finish, a pristine white, a soft gray, and a deep navy blue. As the couple struggled to harmonize their different tastes — one being more contemporary and one being more rustic — Hall suggested a veined quartz marble countertop to appeal to both of their styles. Similarly, she suggested a marble backsplash which extended up around the windows to the ceiling, a design trick that opens up the space dramatically. Its modern geometric pattern could be considered both contemporary and traditional. 

Then to ensure the two homeowners really were compromising, Hall suggested mixing the colors of the upper and lower cabinets, allowing them both to have elements that they liked. From there, they were able to choose the brass fixtures and hardware. By imagining the cabinet finish in conjunction with the elements they did agree on, Hall was able to help them meet somewhere in the middle. The result was a balance between his desire for a classic look and her love of modernity.

If you are intent on marrying two design visions for a space, using dual-colors is a great solution. In the case of kitchen cabinets, a lighter shade on the top cabinets will often make a room feel more open, bright, and spacious, and please those with classic and understated tastes. Meanwhile, a darker shade on the bottom will ground the room and add dimension and layers to the kitchen while creating a more modern aesthetic. While many people like the classic look of all-white cabinets everywhere, recent trends in kitchen color favor deeper and more dramatic cabinet colors like blue, green, or black. By using the white up top, many homeowners can remedy a fear that the deeper colors will be too dark.

When you're unable to agree on color combos, begin by finding an element each homeowner loves, like countertops or hardware, and work from there. These finishes often set the tone for a room's style by reading traditional, rustic, or modern, which will help with determining color choices. By combining these elements with dual-colors, the homeowners will usually be able to get a look they are both happy with.