Kortney and Kenny Create the Ultimate Family Entertaining Space

Huong and Jeremy are close with Huong’s parents, but they lived more than an hour away. So the couple invested in a Toronto property for their folks, with the goal of increasing the amount of time they and their kids could spend with them as a family. The problem was the house was anything but home, given its awkward layout and older finishes.

Enter Kortney, Kenny, and the entire Making It Home team. See how they transformed this outdated structure into a warm home perfect for family entertaining in just seven weeks, all on a $173,000 budget.

Watch Making it Home With Kortney & Kenny Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada. It is also available on the Global TV App and on STACKTV with Amazon Prime Video Channels. HGTV Canada is available through all major TV service providers.

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A Modern Fireplace

One thing Huong and Jeremy were especially excited about with this renovation was the chance to give their parents things they’d never had before. In the living room, that meant a cozy fireplace to create a warm ambience when hanging out with the family. The look is streamlined and bright thanks to the other light finishes in the rest of the room, and there is also plenty of seating and storage space to keep it all neat and tidy.

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Creating Extra Light

The entire structure of the home needed to be reconfigured to create a separate entrance to the basement, in case Huong and Jeremy eventually decided to hire live-in help as their parents age. In terms of design, that meant the wall blocked a ton of natural light from flowing into the space. So Kortney and Kenny created a cut-out window to help brighten things up.

Kitchen island with white and blue finishes

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A Giant Island

Huong could picture her mom cooking and making meals for everyone, which is something she loves to do for her family. So she wanted an extra-large island where all of the grandkids could sit and congregate during family time. The team delivered with this layout, which includes wrap-around seating that easily accommodates six or more people.

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Expanding the Living Space

Here’s what the kitchen looked like before – it was a tight space you entered as soon as you came into the home, and the back entrance was anything but inviting. Add in wonky floors, awkward corners and a claustrophobic vibe, and this is definitely not the kitchen space of anyone’s dreams.

renovated white kitchen with gold accents and large black island

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Infinite Storage Potential

Kortney played with dark and light colours to create a rich and dramatic finish in the new open-concept space. Now, this is a modern kitchen with tons of storage and upgraded fixtures – like the pot-filler and the dishwasher – which are things Huong’s parents have always wanted but never had. Meanwhile, the back now features a large walkout, which brings in extra light while also extending the living space outdoors.

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An Outdoor Oasis

Kortney and Kenny wanted to do a few special extras for the couple, including this outdoor living space that’s great for a relaxing morning coffee or to hang out in with the grandkids for some fresh air. And, because Huong’s mother loves to cook, Kenny came up with the brilliant idea of an outdoor hanging herb garden, where she can grow all of her own fresh flavours.

Watch: Matt & Meghan’s Stunning Suburban Home Makeover

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Updating the Main Washroom

Because her parents no longer have a need for a bathtub, Huong requested a new walk-in shower that was safer for them to use. Kortney and Kenny came up with this beautiful extended walk-in, which includes a tiled cutout for storage and a luxe, updated showerhead.

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A Pretty Powder Room

Because two bathrooms are always better than one when you plan on having the extended family over a lot, Kortney and Kenny added a second, smaller bathroom to the redesign. This powder room is small but mighty, doling out maximum design appeal thanks to the pretty wallpaper and statement gold finishes.

Light hardwood floors in kitchen and hallway

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A Bright New Flow

New, lighter floors instantly brighten up the space, as do the bright white walls and new, open layout. Now the main floor feels updated and spacious throughout – you’d never recognize it from the house Kortney and Kenny first walked into.

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The Final Touch

Kortney and Kenny knew they couldn’t do the rest of the main floor of this bungalow and leave the bedroom – not when Huong’s parents needed to move in right away. So at the last minute, they decided to finish off the primary bedroom, adding the same bright finishes to the space. The result is a thorough and complete reno that fully transformed this wonky house into a beautiful home that the whole family can enjoy for years to come.