The big picture
The new season of Christina on the Coast showcases diverse design trends with an emphasis on wood tones, mixed metals and wallpaper. As Christina celebrates her milestone 40th birthday, she prioritizes peace and slowing down in her personal life. Christina takes on the challenge of flipping homes in a new competition show with her ex-husband and his new partner, adding drama and excitement to the series.
Real estate expert and designer Christina Hall continues to dazzle Southern California clients with her astounding renovations and unique design style in the new 11-episode season of HGTV's hit series, “Christina on the Coast.” The series drew 14.3 million viewers in its previous season. The latest season, which premiered on July 11, chronicles Christina and her team (including designer and project manager James Bender) as they transform older properties into dream homes that are key to her unique designs. The season also sees the mother of three, author, and entrepreneur celebrate her milestone 40th birthday and her daughter Taylor's 13th birthday. The season also features her estranged husband Josh Hall as she tackles her most personal project yet: renovating her childhood home for her parents Paul and Laurie.
HGTV fans were stunned when the Halls each filed for divorce while in production on the highly anticipated spinoff of Flip or Flop, The Flip Off. Shortly after, Josh was removed from The Flip Off and Christina was placed on the show alongside exes Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae. Fans of the former couple are excited to see them reunite, especially after a decade of being on TV together and going through a bitter breakup in between their marriage and divorce. While Christina and El Moussa seem to have finally reconciled, her relationship with Josh has been tumultuous. Ahead of the premiere of the new season of Christina on the Coast and before filing for divorce, Christina chatted with Collider to share a little about what fans can expect from the spinoff.
HGTV star says new season of 'Christina on the Coast' marks a change in design style
Congratulations on the new season of Christina on the Coast. There's a lot going on in terms of renovations in real estate developments. What new design trends will we see on the show this season?
Christina Hall: What I like about this season is that there aren't any specific trends. I feel like homeowners are stepping out of their comfort zones and following my lead. You're also going to see a lot of different trends. In the past, we've seen marble countertops, which is always a classic beauty. But this season, you're going to see different wood tones, dark wood tones, mixed metals, mixed countertops, fun wallpapers, and a lot of different styles.
Generally, do you talk to your clients about trends that might be going out of style and suggest they keep it a bit more traditional or simple, or do you just go with what the client wants?
Christina Hall: You have to design it to match the architecture of the house. For example, if your house is very modern, with clean lines and simplicity, and you want to go farmhouse-style, those two things don't go together. But I think you can add a little something, especially with the decor. And when it comes to adding color, I don't recommend painting an entire wall or a wall red. But if you love red, you can add an accent color with a cushion. In terms of color, I would recommend adding more color in this series. Having one color scattered all over the place tends to go out of style quicker.
Tell us about a particularly challenging project you worked on this season.
Christina Hall: We did some really big projects this season. Usually we'll just take a couple of rooms and go from there. But this season we did some projects where we literally tore down entire houses. So that creates some issues, mainly with permits and the city and delays. One project that we were supposed to do this season didn't actually make it. It was supposed to be 12 episodes, but it took too long, so it's now 11 episodes. So there can always be challenges with schedules and timeframes and things that are out of our control.
This season, you're also renovating your childhood home for your parents. Without revealing too many details, what was the conception of that project? Was it a collaboration between you and your parents, or did your parents say, “No, Christina, this is what I want to do”?
Christina Hall: They're very traditional in style, and I know what their style is. So I'm not going to say to somebody, “No, it has to be modern.” Part of the skill of a designer is to really understand your client, understand their style, and take the time to pick out what they like. So with them, I compromised on some of the things I wanted to do because they're a married couple with empty nesters and they don't need a huge kitchen island or a major remodel. So I compromised on that. Also, I'm going to keep the existing wood floors because the colors are a little tricky. But in that case, I took the time to really coordinate them, bring some colors together, and everything else. But I knew they'd be happy with this home for years to come.
Was your parent's renovation the most heartwarming project of the season for you?
Christina Hall: Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed every bit of it. I thought it would be a lot more stressful, but it was a lot of fun.
Christina Hall puts personal peace first.
Image courtesy of HGTV
We also get to see more of your personal life this season. It's clear that you're a busy mom, but one particularly sweet thing we saw on social media was the celebration of your 40th birthday. How has this milestone year been different for you personally?
Christina Hall: I think the difference now in my 40s is that I prioritize peace more. I'm so used to chaos. I'm trying to be more present and not worry so much every day. I just take it a little slower.
Are you taking more time off work to enjoy some peace and serenity?
Christina Hall: Well, not yet, because I was doing three shows at the same time. But I'll be able to get some time off soon. We're going to Maui. We're going to be in La Jolla for a week. So in those situations, I try not to work unless it's an emergency.
Christina Hall was excited about 'The Flip Off' with Josh before filing for divorce
Image courtesy of HGTV
There's a lot of promotion going on right now for “The Flip Off.” This seems like a new precedent for the network, but what made you decide to team up on this project with your ex-husband and his newfound love for this show, as well as your own husband, Josh?
Christina Hall: I'm really excited. I did 10 seasons of Flip or Flop. I missed flipping houses. Josh and I had flipped houses in Tennessee. And I thought it would be nice to do another, competitive show. Josh and I were already at the network, and of course I worked with my ex-husband before that. And I think the fans are going to love it at the end of the day. There's flipping, there's competition. There's the X-Factor. There's drama. We've been shooting for about a month now. It's going to be a very exciting show. I think the fans are going to love it.
Because there's a competitive element to the show, it's interesting that you're used to working with your ex-husband, and you're both still in the renovation and resale world, but you each bring different skill sets, and now you're bringing your partner into that world. What do you admire about his work style and about his mistress, Heather? Is that what makes this an interesting experience for you and your husband, Josh?
Christina Hall: One of the things about Tarek is he has a very strong work ethic. He's very hard-working and he's been doing this for a very long time. I've never worked with Heather, so this is kind of a wild card. I don't really know what she's going to bring to the table. It's definitely more advanced design. What Josh and I keep in mind is that ultimately the winner of this battle is whoever gets the biggest return on investment.
Josh and I are trying to be more design-conscious and do everything. But it also requires a lot of care because Tarek, at the end of the day, flips a lot of houses, so he knows what he has to do to get the best value. Because that's his biggest interest. So there's a lot of moving parts, a lot to think about. But I love a challenge. So it's fun.
“Christina On the Coast” is available to stream on Discovery Plus.
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