How the 'Izzy Does It' Team Transformed a ‘Blow-and-Go’ House Into a Coastal Contemporary Retreat

After spending a year in their home — which they purchased sight unseen after relocating from Washington State to Huntington Beach, California — homeowners Kelly and Ryan decided it was finally time for an upgrade. With a budget of $175,000, they called in expert builder Israel “Izzy” Battres to completely transform their existing kitchen, living spaces and primary bathroom. With assistance from his wife and designer, Lilly (pictured above), his stepson and apprentice, Joe, and his brother and project manager, Rudy, the Battres Construction team got to work immediately. Despite a few minor setbacks, Izzy and his crew set out to turn this outdated, worn-out space into a stunning, coastal-inspired contemporary retreat, as seen on HGTV's Izzy Does It.

Meet Kelly and Ryan, as well as their two kids, Cole and Conner. After spending eight years living in Washington State, Kelly and Ryan made the decision to move their family back to California. Needing to move quickly, they paid $1.6 million for their house sight unseen. After moving in, they realized that the online photos made the home look “a little” better than it actually was, and renovations were needed to fully make their house feel like a home.

Kelly and Ryan guide Izzy through the kitchen, pointing out various issues they've encountered since purchasing the home, such as chipped paint. Izzy explains that this is a common result of a quick-turn renovation approach often used by contractors preparing homes for sale. Known less charmingly as "blow and go," this method involves painting walls, cabinets and even countertops white to create the illusion of a larger, more polished space — though it often prioritizes speed over long-term quality.

To achieve the open-concept design Kelly and Ryan envision, Izzy and Joe must first construct a temporary support wall, a process known as framing. This crucial step ensures the home's structural integrity before they remove the load-bearing wall separating the kitchen and the living room.

In the kitchen, a last-minute request from the homeowners to modify the already sized and built custom cabinets sends Izzy and Rudy scrambling for a solution. Since Ryan, Cole and Conner are tall, Kelly wants to extend the 12-inch island overhang to 15-16 inches to prevent them from bumping their knees against the cabinets while seated. After careful consideration, Izzy and Rudy decide to trim one of the 24-inch cabinets down to 18 inches, allowing them to achieve the desired look while providing an additional 6 inches of legroom.

One of Ryan and Kelly’s biggest concerns was the need for more space. When they purchased the home sight unseen, the listing photos made the kitchen appear larger than it actually was. However, once they moved in, they quickly realized that the space — especially around the sink — was too small for both of them to work comfortably. Since they love to cook and clean together, having enough room to move freely is essential to make the kitchen both functional and enjoyable.

As Kelly and Ryan shared during the initial walkthrough, their family loves spending time on the water. With that in mind, Lilly carefully sifted through dozens of options before selecting a marble slab for the new kitchen island that evokes a subtle ocean-inspired feel while maintaining a warm, inviting elegance. Paired with new pendant lighting, custom cabinetry and an open floor plan, their once "blow-and-go" kitchen has been transformed into a stunning, functional space designed for both beauty and everyday living.

After many nightly battles between Kelly and Ryan, the kitchen sink is now designed to accommodate them both. Featuring two separate faucets and a large basin tub with ample space, it allows them to comfortably handle meal prep, wash dishes and tackle kitchen tasks together — without getting in each other’s way.

With the wall removed, the updated living room seamlessly flows into the kitchen, enhancing both the open feel and the walkability of the space. Staying true to the home's water-inspired theme, the design incorporates warm blues and soft, wicker-toned finishes, creating a relaxed, coastal ambiance that makes you feel like you're right by the ocean.

"This is your dining table?" Izzy asked in disbelief during the initial walkthrough. For more than a year, Kelly, Ryan and their kids had been using folding chairs and two back-to-back folding tables as their place to sit and eat together. With a rarely used yet functional fireplace and a need for better storage, Izzy and his team have their work cut out for them as they design a functional and inviting family room.

With their new kitchen island now doubling as a full-size dining space, Izzy and his team were able to ditch the folding tables and chairs and fully maximize the space. To ensure the previously uneven cabinets aligned seamlessly with the newly designed fireplace, Izzy installed shims behind the cabinets and framed out the fireplace for a perfect fit. With the addition of floating shelves and ambient lighting, the space now exudes a cozy, beach-inspired vibe — creating a perfect retreat for the family to relax and unwind.

"Look at the bar … the bar is amazing!" Ryan exclaimed. What was once an unused space beneath the stairs has now been transformed into a stunning built-in bar, complete with floating shelves and ambient lighting, adding style, functionality and "a little space for entertaining," as Kelly put it.

"Oh, they didn't do anything here," Izzy said when he first walked into the primary bathroom. When looking for their home, Kelly and Ryan said the online photos made the shower appear updated with glass doors. But, in reality, it was quite different. Instead, it featured plastic doors and a frustratingly low showerhead — forcing Ryan to "squat" just to be able to shower.

Izzy and Joe carry the new freestanding tub into the primary bathroom while Rudy measures to make sure they will be able to fit through the door.

To create a "beautiful" and "dramatic" accent wall, Izzy and Lilly covered the wall with tile from floor to ceiling in the shower. To continue the bold, cohesive look, the tile extends halfway up and seamlessly, along the length of the wall behind the new freestanding tub.

"We were bamboozled!" Ryan said with a laugh when talking about the bathroom countertop. From the online photos, Kelly had assumed it was stone, but they quickly discovered it was actually "cultured marble," which, as Izzy put it, is just a fancy term for engineered plastic.

By knocking down the original wall behind the vanity and slightly extending the space into Kelly’s closet, Izzy and his team gained an additional 25 square feet of space for the primary bathroom. Once the layout was reconfigured, they relocated the vanity to the opposite side of the room — directly across from the tub — and upgraded it with brand-new sinks, fixtures, cabinetry and a white marble countertop for a refined, modern look.