Before and After: This Home’s Coastal-Inspired Redo Shows How to Incorporate a Theme in the Chicest Way

There’s a lot to love about modern homes with simple styling — for one, it makes it easy to envision your own decor changes, and it also offers up a blank slate that’s versatile enough to transition to any style. But the character in homes like this can be lacking, resulting in a depersonalized space that doesn’t reflect the homeowner.

That was the challenge HTGV hosts Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson faced in the latest episode of“Married to Real Estate.”Homeowners Lateisha and McKinlay started off with a contemporary but run-of-the-mill house; Egypt and Mike wanted to help them create the coastal blue paradise of their dreams.

Although the kitchen was already large and had an open layout, the overall vibe was bland. Lateisha didn’t like the backsplash tile or island, which featured an old black countertop with two levels. She also requested updated cabinets with no paneling.

The office space, too, was dull and in need of some reorganizing. While Lateisha wanted a mostly white home, including the kitchen and office spaces, she wasn’t afraid of a pop of color. Egypt helped her pick out a striking midnight blue to carry throughout the home’s decor and help the entire space feel cohesive. “That will really give you the perfect combination that you’re looking for, some color with some light,” Egypt explained to the homeowners.

Mike and Egypt kicked things off by getting rid of the flooring in the kitchen, which had a decidedly 1970s yellow tint to it. They laid down sun-bleached light wood flooring to fit into Lateisha and McKinlay’s airy and modern vision. The team gutted everything except for the appliances and closed up one of the windows along the back wall to create more room for cabinetry — meaning more storage! That coastal-inspired midnight blue color Egypt and Lateisha chose shows up in the new base and upper cabinets, as well as the new kitchen island. Lateisha and McKinlay picked out white countertops with gray veining, which the team ran along all countertops and up the backsplash for an impressive waterfall effect.

To gain evenmoreorganized storage, Egypt opted to close off the back area with cabinets to create a hidden walk-in pantry. The space offers a clean and organized way for the busy family of three to stow all of their excess kitchen supplies and food out of sight.

The coastal influence extended to the new range hood, which features a subtle sandy texture. Finally, Egypt and Mike installed gold-toned fixtures throughout and added matching curtains to the remaining windows.

Egypt wanted to create a similar coastal effect in the office, which was on the other end of the house. To achieve it, she looked for for a way to seamlessly incorporate ocean blues into the smaller space without overwhelming it. Here, once again, Egypt opted for the lighter flooring that mimicked the neutral color tones of a beach. For the accent wall, she picked out an abstract mural that evokes ocean waves — something that would suit the aesthetic without being “too literal,” she said. In addition to new, lighter flooring, Egypt also brought in sand and driftwood colored furniture (including a large desk and two shelves).

“I’m absolutely speechless, to be honest,” Lateisha said after seeing the final reveal. “It’s just everything that I wanted. I never thought that this house could look like this.”

“Married to Real Estate”airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.