Photo: MyHouzz
Kate Uptonhas always looked up to her older sister, and wanted to do somethingbigto thank her for all of her hard work.
So in the latest episode ofMy Houzz, the model and actress renovated her sister Christie’s home!
“Christie is the oldest of us all and really keeps us all in line and takes care of everybody around her,” Upton says in the episode (above) of her family. “We have a very close relationship. I always looked up to her. I always wanted to wear all of her clothes and now she wants to wear all of my clothes. I’m definitely paying for those younger days.”
Upton explains that Christie, who is mom to daughter Millie, runs a foundation calledWins for Warriorsthat helps veterans with PTSD. Christie and her husband Matt purchased a house in their hometown of Melbourne, Florida, that she’s been working to renovate, but hasn’t fully completed.
“This house is so important to Christie and Matt because it’s their first time really putting down roots and really having a place of their own,” Upton says. “I think it really symbolized settling down for them. It’s an important time to do the renovation now because she keeps trying to do all of these little projects in the house and none of them are for her. I wanted to prioritize her because I knew she wouldn’t.”
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SoThe Other Womanstar teamed up withMotivo Home, a design-build firm in the Houzz community, to transform Christie’s master suite, home office and guest bathroom into a retreat where she and Matt can take time for themselves.
In the beginning of the episode, Upton announces that her sister and brother-in-law are adding to their family and bringing home an eight-week-old puppy named Rico, but when Matt meets with the designers, he hints that their family might be growing in more ways than one.
In order to create a functional space for the family, they tear down a bar that leads to the master bedroom, and instead, extend the bathroom so both Christie and Matt can share the space without getting in each other’s way.
BEFORE:
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“Even though it has two sinks, it’s not really functional because when they’re both standing there, they’re bumping into each other and they can’t both use it at the same time,” Upton says.
AFTER:
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Together they incorporated zig-zag pattern wallpaper, blue striped stools and paisley blue-and-white pillows on the bed.
“I think we did a good job of mixing the feminine and the masculine, so we remembered that you live here too,” Upton jokes to Matt.
She also wanted to create a space for Christie to do her work, so they incorporated a built-in desk with a bench beside it for Millie to sit on while her mom is working. On the desk, they framed thank you notes from the veterans Christie has helped through her foundation.
“You do so much work for so many veterans. I wanted to give you more than just a folding table,” Upton tells Christie when she finally shows off the completed room.
–Discover home office design ideas
For a finishing touch, Upton also wanted to renovate the guest bathroom, which she admits is outdated and often the one she uses when she comes to visit her sister. While making it functional for guests, she also wanted to turn the space into a “princess bathroom” for Millie, so she added a freestanding soaking tub and a crown-like chandelier along with new patterned tile.
After being given the grand tour, Christie admits she “doesn’t feel like she’s in her own house” because “it feels like a luxurious hotel.”
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“This looks like it’s out of a magazine,” she exclaims when she walks into her newly renovated bedroom. “These are the touches that I wish I had but would never know how to implement them.”
One more big reveal comes at the last moment.
During a celebration with their parents, the designer offers Christie a glass of champagne to toast to her new home, but Upton shuts her down as Christie makes an announcement.
“Actually she can’t have champagne,” Upton says as she turns to her sister.
“We’re expecting number 2!” Christie says.
source: people.com
