Episode Five: Kitchen and Powder Room

Blue Team Kitchen

A great kitchen can make some people salivate and it's not just a Pavlovian response about the food either. A kitchen that is both functional and stylish can make a huge difference to the enjoyment it provides.

This week our two families had the challenge of renovating the kitchen in their homes and as if that weren't enough, we threw in the powder room, too.

Keeping with the styles that we've seen in both homes so far, the Blue Team created a classic style in muted neutrals while the Yellow Team created a more dramatic look, especially in the powder room.

Both of the kitchens were very stylish and functional and here it was the finishing touches that made the difference.

The Blue Team had some difficulties with the tile in the kitchen backsplash and a number of the tiles seemed to be cut incorrectly around the outlets. But the biggest trouble was the countertop and cabinetry. From the perspective of style alone it was a great choice - a fabulous look and a durable material for the counters and a timeless style for the cabinets. But it looks like the team forgot the old adage "measure twice, cut once." The countertop along the stove is very tight making it very difficult to remove the stove when needed and the drawers next to the stove actually overlap with the oven door making it difficult to open the drawer. Both the cupboard size and the broken tiles are tough errors to fix once installed and really detract from the otherwise great look.

The Yellow Team had much more success with the finishing touches. While some of things weren't completed on time (the handle for the dishwasher was not put on for example), and some of the bathroom wallpaper didn't hang perfectly, these were minor fixes.

The biggest difference though was the impact of the look. The Yellow Team went for broke and created a dramatic and stylish look in the kitchen and powder room. Powder rooms are a great space for some dramatic wall treatments and this is done perfectly in the Yellow Team home. While this wallpaper would be overpowering in another room, here it is a fun punch of the unexpected but doesn't overwhelm.

I don't think you'll be surprised next week to find out which team I voted for.