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Allison Janney Surprised Her Assistant With a Stunning Renovation

Actress Allison Janney teamed up with Jonathan and Drew Scott to give back to her assistant and close friend of 20 years, Ilana. They flipped her kitchen and dining room to create a stylish and functional space to cook and entertain.

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

Allison Janney + Her Assistant, Ilana

Allison worked with Jonathan and Drew Scott to surprise her assistant, Ilana, with a renovation of her kitchen, dining room and living area. Allison met Ilana around the time she did the pilot for The West Wing, and her manager suggested she might need an assistant. "I laughed and said, 'No, Rob Lowe has an assistant. I don't have an assistant,'" said Allison. "Cut to 20 years later, and I can't live without her. She has become more family to me than anything else."

The women have helped each other through good and bad times, and Allison wanted to give her a home that functions better for her family and her love of entertaining — including continuing to throw parties for Allison. "It's not just a 9-5 job Ilana has. She's there for me in so many more ways that go beyond being an assistant. She's there as a friend in more ways than one; so to do this for her, it's just nice to give," said Allison, "I'm very lucky to have her in my life."

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Photo: Erik Voake / Getty Images

Ready for Demolition

Allison was looking forward to helping Jonathan and Drew tackle the renovation of Ilana's home. "Allison is completely dedicated to transform this house," said Drew. "Maybe too excited to smash stuff though," added Jonathan.

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Photo: Erik Voake / Getty Images

Before: The Dining Room

The space was nice but not optimized for family and entertaining needs. The kitchen was way too small, and the dining room was too big for the dining table. The solution for this makeover: flip the kitchen and dining room.

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Photo: Dennys Ilic

After: The Kitchen

The living spaces were completely transformed. They took down the walls between the dining room and kitchen and flipped the spaces to create a much larger kitchen, complete with custom cabinetry and an oversized island. The kitchen now opens up to the living room to create an easy flow between the spaces, perfect for entertaining.

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