With news of Christina Hall‘s husband, Josh Hall, moving out of their shared home, it’s clear the two are moving on. And while Josh still appears on “ Christina on the Coast“—since these episodes were filmed before their split—Christina’s behavior on the show hints she’s nearing the end of her rope.
In the Season 6 episode “Coastal Country Refresh,” Christina actually opens up to Josh, telling him she’s “overwhelmed” with work and says “it’s time to bring someone new in.”
A new beau, perhaps? Not quite yet. Christina reveals she’s hired a new designer to join her team.
That would be Kylie Wing, who jumps right in and helps Christina pick out furniture for a client. So, while Josh appears in this episode, it seems Christina now has another person to bounce design ideas off of. So we’ll likely see less—and less—of Josh.
Meanwhile, Christina is busy with two different projects: a major home renovation for new clients and a redecoration job at her old friend Kristin‘s house.
Both projects require a unique mix of styles: country/coastal and modern/Southern—and both clients want to make their homes look completely different. And as usual, Christina is up for the challenge!
Read on to find out how she helps two clients blend design styles; and pick up plenty of tips for making big changes in your own home.
Brown is making a comeback
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In this episode, Christina meets with her long-time friend, Kristin, who reveals she’s moving back to Southern California after a year in North Carolina. Her new house is modern, but she wants the home to have a “modern-Southern-beach-farmhouse” vibe. Kristin gives the designer $20,000 to paint the kitchen cabinets and fill the place with furniture and decor.
New to the design team, Wing tags along with Kristin and Christina when they search for furniture. They see a white couch Kristin likes, and Christina asks if she also likes the brown pillows on the sectional.
“You know, brown’s making a big comeback right now,” Christina says.
Kristin says she likes the look, noting that it’s warm but still feels neutral.
Christina ends up using a lot of brown tones in Kristin’s design, filling the Newport, CA, home with “subtle pops of color.” She includes warm tones that are reminiscent of farmhouse style and sandy beaches, while also making the space feel clean and modern.
Vertical shiplap makes a space feel tall
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Meanwhile, Christina also helps Ray and Kelley, parents of two, renovate their home in Huntington Beach, CA. The couple love their house; but after Kelley had a stroke five years ago in the home, she started associating the place with her health struggles.
“It’s been really challenging to be in the house where you’ve had such a massive, life-changing thing every day,” Kelley shares. “So I would love for Christina to come in and just kind of change the vibe.”
Now, she and Ray want to open the living space and give it a fresh look, with a blend of country and coastal designs.
One of the big things they change is the fireplace wall, adding some shiplap to give this space a country farmhouse look.
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When Kelley sees the newly installed paneling, she’s impressed.
“I totally thought we were going to do horizontal, but I love the vertical,” she says. “It makes it look so tall.”
Reuse stone for a design that flows
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Once the shiplap is up, it’s clear the brick fireplace needs an update, too.
Christina says she can paint the brick for just $100 or, for a more luxe look, she can use some of the same stone she chose for the kitchen countertop for the face of the fireplace. This would be much pricier, coming in at $3,500, but Kelley thinks it’s worth the splurge.
“If we’re gonna do it, let’s just do it right,” she says. “We’ve done brick for 17 years; like, I’ve seen it.”
Christina agrees.
“Updating the fireplace is a bit over budget, but I think that it’s definitely worth it,” she says. “It’s gonna tie the whole place together, and I know that they’ll never change it.”
In the end, the designer tops off the sleek, new fireplace with a distressed wood mantel, which she says “adds a little bit of country.”
Mix cool and warm tones
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Another way Christina is able to fuse country vibes with coastal design is by choosing a warm tone for the flooring.
“I know that we like cool tones, but I am going to suggest that too much cool could feel a little sterile,” Christina says when comparing flooring samples. “You want it to feel a little bit warmer in some areas.”
In the end, the carefully chosen floors are a perfect match for the blue kitchen cabinets and the cool taupe backsplash.
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Cover up unused spaces
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To finish off this renovation, Christina suggests refreshing the office and bar area.
“I’d love to recreate that but in a way that we can sort of hide it when we don’t want to use it,” she says of the dual-purpose space.
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She suggests adding a barn door that will hide the bar or the office space, depending on what Kelley and Ray are using at the time.
“When we’re done with work, we just slide the door over and now the bar is open,” Christina says. “So it’s kind of like a day and night situation.”
It’s a smart upgrade that adds lovely new storage while also making the space feel cleaner. Plus, the barn door adds some extra country charm to this coastal home.
