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Surprise Remodels From HGTV's Cousins Undercover

November 25, 2014

By: Jennifer Brake

While the neighbors are away, the cousins will ... renovate. Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri give total home makeovers to unsuspecting local heroes on HGTV's Cousins Undercover. Check out their best remodels here.

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Before: Dining Room on Cousins Undercover

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Dumpy Dining

DINING ROOM, BEFORE: With the table and chairs shoved in the corner, this was more of a walkway to the kitchen than a dining area.

Antique White Dining Room with Live Plant Wall

From: Cousins Undercover

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Defined Space

DINING ROOM, AFTER: A dramatic light installation and centered table define the space as a dining room. The neutral walls and chairs avoid being boring by emphasizing the accent wall of mounted greenery at the back of the room.

Open Living Room With White Walls and Awkward Design

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Too Spacious

LIVING ROOM, BEFORE: This large living room let in tons of natural light but lacked warmth and personality. Even in such an open space, the dark furniture looked cramped and awkward.

White Living Room With Vaulted Ceiling, Cream Sofa & Multicolor Rug

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Warm and Bold

LIVING ROOM, AFTER: Bright patterns in the area rug and throw pillows provide a focal point and draw the eye down to the living space instead of letting it wander up to the high ceilings.

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Surrounded by Taupe

KITCHEN, BEFORE: Dated tile and a bland color scheme made this cookie-cutter kitchen about as exciting as plain toast.

Gray Kitchen With Mint Green Cabinets and Stainless Steel Appliances

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Spring Green

KITCHEN, AFTER: Using the homeowner's favorite colors, the kitchen looks cool and fresh with minty cabinets, gray walls and new stainless steel appliances.

Bland, Neutral Dining Room With Outdated Furniture

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Awkward Furniture

DINING ROOM, BEFORE: This dining room wasn't functional or beautiful. The dated furniture was in poor shape and didn't utilize the room's space well.

Eclectic White Dining Room with Orange Chairs

From: Cousins Undercover

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Pop of Red

DINING ROOM, AFTER: Bold red chairs and unique bare-bulb pendant lights made with nylon ropes give the dining room a modern feel while remaining practical for everyday living.

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Bare Stairs

STAIRWAY, BEFORE: There was nothing exciting about climbing up and down this neglected flight of stairs. Because of their placement on the room's main wall, a lack of design and color results in a missed opportunity to create a unique focal point.

Red Stairway With Framed Photos and Black & White Patterned Steps

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Stairs With Flair

STAIRWAY, AFTER: The simple steps are much more fun to walk up now as you follow the family photos to the top. A bright red wall pops perfectly against the black-and-white branch details on the steps.

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Lacking Depth

LIVING ROOM, BEFORE: The vaulted ceilings in this living room are an interesting feature, but the 360-degree white walls, white fireplace and white furniture make this room appear small and stocky.

White Living Room With Blue Accent Wall and White Fireplace

From: Cousins Undercover

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Blast of Blue

LIVING ROOM, AFTER: Painting the back wall blue and adding long horizontal bookcases on one side help elongate the space and draw people in for chats by the fireplace.

Dated Kitchen With Ugly Green Cabinets and Red Wallpaper

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Dated Disaster

KITCHEN, BEFORE: Peeling green paint, patterned red wallpaper, cracked tile and deteriorating appliances were enough to drive anyone away from cooking in this kitchen.

Country White Kitchen With Stainless Appliances and Open Shelving

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Simple and Clean

KITCHEN, AFTER: New hardwood floors, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances are simple solutions to the overbearing green-and-red color scheme that once plagued this kitchen. A large farmhouse sink makes cleaning up easier, and new shelves provide an open alternative to the closed-in cabinets.

Unfinished Room With Exposed Insulation and Studs

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Blank Canvas

KITCHEN, BEFORE: The majority of this home's upper level didn't even have walls, forcing the cousins to start from scratch.

From: Cousins Undercover

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Beautiful Master Suite

KITCHEN, AFTER: The bare studs and exposed insulation were transformed into a lovely master bedroom that's simple but stylish with orange and navy accents.

Drab Deck With Old Furniture and Tattered Tiki Umbrella

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Wannabe Tiki

PATIO, BEFORE: The back of this house was old and in need of repair and a splash of color. The tattered tiki umbrella and worn patio chairs are bland and scattered all around the deck.

Contemporary Patio With Blue & White Striped Siding and Wood Furniture

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Perfect for Parties

PATIO, AFTER: Built-in wooden benches replace the boring, unorganized patio furniture and provide seating for the large wooden table that swivels in and out to accommodate any number of guests while entertaining. Blue and white panels, an outdoor flat-screen TV and white string lights polish off the space.

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Drab Surroundings

LIVING ROOM, BEFORE: The furniture in this living room was nice, but having two large pieces in such a dark color made the room feel tiny.

Transitional Light Gray Living Room With White Sofa and Sliding Doors

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Airy Comfort

LIVING ROOM, AFTER: Less furniture in a lighter color opened up the space, and a pair of automatic sliding doors was installed to provide some privacy for the home office.

Cramped Living Room With Old Leather Furniture and Damaged Ceiling

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Crumbling Ceiling

LIVING ROOM, BEFORE: Gaping holes in the ceiling caused by water damage loomed over worn-out leather furniture that crowded this room and made it feel small and dreary.

Transitional Blue Living Room With Gray Armchairs & Round Coffee Table

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Pretty and Polished

LIVING ROOM, AFTER: With the holes in the ceiling patched and painted, pale blue walls and modern furniture have turned this living room into a spacious, cheerful oasis.

Photo: Chris Amaral. From: Cousins Undercover

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Cramped Quarters

KITCHEN, BEFORE: There wasn't much counter space in this narrow kitchen, making the lack of design and color even more unattractive.

White Kitchen With Gray Cabinets, Tile Backsplash & Exposed Wood Beam

From: Cousins Undercover

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Elbow Room

KITCHEN, AFTER: Soft gray cabinets and a new backsplash give this kitchen the modern update it needed, and an additional row of counters was added on the right to add functionality as well as beauty.

Surprise Remodels From HGTV's Cousins Undercover

Dumpy Dining

Defined Space

Too Spacious

Warm and Bold

Surrounded by Taupe

Spring Green

Awkward Furniture

Pop of Red

Bare Stairs

Stairs With Flair

Lacking Depth

Blast of Blue

Dated Disaster

Simple and Clean

Blank Canvas

Beautiful Master Suite

Wannabe Tiki

Perfect for Parties

Drab Surroundings

Airy Comfort

Crumbling Ceiling

Pretty and Polished

Cramped Quarters

Elbow Room

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