7 Super-Cool Design Styles to Try From HGTV's 'Mash-Up Our Home'

Designers Kele Dobrinski and Christina Valencia are working matrimony magic — when it comes to home design, that is. They're blending live-in couples' polar-opposite design ideas with an inventive 'mash-up' approach. Check out their coolest redesigned spaces.

March 23, 2022

By: Mariah Bowers

Show: Mash-Up Our Home

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Photo By: Martin Klimek/Getty Images

Let's Mash It Up

Sacramento-based designers Kele Dobrin ski and Christina Valencia know the key to living in harmony with a significant other is compromise — interior design preferences included. In their show Mash-Up Our Home — airing Saturdays at 9/8c on HGTV — the Colussus Mfg. founders find tasteful middle ground for homeowner couples with drastically different style sensibilities. For each renovation, Kele and Christina draw up a plan that reflects the preferences of both parties. The result? Win-win, one-of-a-kind "mash-up" designs we'd never think to put together. And the best part is, you can use Kele and Christina's fun hybrid concepts to punch-up the personality in your house, too. Read on for all the details on our favorite mashed-up styles.

The Mashed-Up Style: Pan Zen

When updating this small 1950s home with a main suite addition, Kele and Christina needed to fulfill a couple's dueling vision for their made-over space. While she dreamed of an eclectic, globally inspired menagerie displaying tchotchkes from their travels, he preferred a simple and serene oasis with natural wood accents. The result is a "Pan Zen" new wing with a resort-like bathroom featuring a custom vanity and shower screens that pay homage to the traveler's spirit while satisfying a need for meditative minimalism.

From: Christina Valencia and Kele Dobrinski

The Mashed-Up Style: Bernese Farmhouse

Two soon-to-be empty nesters had competing visions for the renovation of their dated 1990s ranch home. She wanted a bright farmhouse feel, while he envisioned a darker industrial vibe. To solve their design conundrum, Kele and Christina pulled a color-palette wildcard and drew inspiration from the only thing the couple agreed on: their beloved Bernese Mountain dogs. The updated "Bernese Farmhouse'' kitchen takes color cues from the coats of the resident four-legged furry friends with complementary blacks, whites and browns. Sleek onyx hardware, factory-esque lighting and an oversized iron vent hood bring industrial oomph to wood cabinets and alabaster uppers that anchor the modernized space.

From: Christina Valencia and Kele Dobrinski

The Mashed-Up Style: California Cottage

Kele and Christina faced quite a challenge while remodeling this 1970s house for a multi-generational family moving to live under one roof for the first time in Northern California. The common areas needed to match the tone of two age groups in very different stages of life: grandparents looking to put the past behind them and live in a contemporary, sunlit home and young parents searching for a moody, cottage ambiance. Kele and Christina transformed the shared dining area into a cohesive "California Cottage" canvas. Vintage art, floral curtains and a handmade basket weave wall surround a light oak dining table, creating a nautral, airy ambiance.

From: Christina Valencia and Kele Dobrinski

The Mashed-Up Style: Stark Punk

When it came to revamping this ranch-style home's old-fashioned kitchen, a stark-white minimalist and a steampunk enthusiast were caught in a style stalemate. With no room for compromise, Kele and Christina found a "Stark Punk" path forward to satisfy both parties. They created a clean and modern kitchen with ample space and tons of sunlight. Several key elements add industrial flair: neutral oak cabinets, a surprise set of walnut uppers, "shou sugi ban" charred wood facing the front of an expansive island, and copper accents (to punch up the custom light fixture, naturally).

From: Christina Valencia and Kele Dobrinski

The Mashed-Up Style: Mission Tudor

Fundamental design disagreements had the owners of this charming 1920s Tudor at a standstill. While one side insisted on a wide open concept with a vibrant Spanish color palette, the other was adamant about maintaining the historic home's traditional design, muted tones and all. Kele and Christina were able to merge the couple's contrasting vibes in this cozy "Mission Tudor'' living room by showcasing original character (rustic beams and windows), while infusing Spanish panache (pops of red and orange in the furnishings). The fireplace, a tastefully blended focal point, boasts a traditional wood mantel and mission-style terracotta tiles on the hearth.

From: Christina Valencia and Kele Dobrinski

The Mashed-Up Style: Bright Harmony

Torn between a musician's desire for a colorful, energetic atmosphere and a lawyer's hankering for monochromatic simplicity, this couple couldn't agree on how to update their quaint midcentury bungalow. Kele and Christina met both sides halfway: at the design intersection of color and calm (a style they coined "Bright Harmony"). The main living area embodies the mood perfectly with restrained color, cozy furniture and plenty of lush greenery for an inviting combination that strikes the balance between low-key and lively.

From: Christina Valencia and Kele Dobrinski

The Mashed-Up Style: New Old World

Caught in limbo between Old World flavor and modern elegance, Kele and Christina had their work cut out for them while renovating this ranch-style home's drab kitchen. Their solution? A "New Old World" approach that injected warmth and texture into the liveable, open-flow layout. With muted hues and materials in mind, Kele and Christina reworked the original brick pizza oven into a snazzy dry bar. In the final space, a hand-thrown ceramic pendant adds color above the sink, while rustic stone and wood accents pop against creamy, white cabinets with brass hardware. Venetian plaster and marble subway tile bring the pizzazz.

For more fun designs, follow Kele and Christina on instagram at @colossusmfg.

see more: Explore a California Cabin With Adventurous Style

From: Christina Valencia and Kele Dobrinski

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