Before and After: Allison Janney Surprised Her Assistant with a New Kitchen on HGTV’s “Celebrity IOU”

It’s incredible what the right color combination can do for a room. In an episode of HGTV’s “Celebrity IOU,” actress Allison Janney wanted to give her friend (and assistant of 20 years) Ilana the kitchen makeover of her dreams — and brought in a soothing palette of white and blue to do the trick.

Janney convinced Ilana to go on a vacation with her husband and kids while she and the Property Brothers got to work on the renovation. The living room and dining area were in need of some updating, but it was the galley kitchen that needed the biggest facelift — especially since Ilana cooked and entertained all the time. And so, Janney wanted to give her a more spacious kitchen that could be equal parts cooking area and hangout.

The first order of business was opening up the living spaces so that they flowed into one another. In order to do that, Jonathan and Drew Scott knocked down the wall separating the kitchen and the dining room to create an uninterrupted room. To prevent the cooking area from being isolated in a corner, the Property Brothers decided to swap the dining room and kitchen. That way, the cooking quarters and living room all made one large room, while the dining area was a cozy nook, space-saving dining banquette and all.

As for the kitchen, white shaker and deep blue cabinets were installed on the walls as well as underneath the kitchen island. The color combination created a calming sensation while adding a sleek, modern look into the space. The center stone countertops and backsplash brought in some texture, and lightwood floors connected all the rooms together while adding an extra touch of warmth.

For the living room, they replaced almost all the furniture with new pieces that followed the blue and white color palette. Since a lot of Ilana’s furniture was hand-me-downs from Janney herself, she wanted to make sure that her friend had a living room set that she could call her own.

From the comfy blue sectional to the dark wood entertainment system—not to mention the massive plasma screen TV—Ilana’s new living room set her and her family up for future hosting. The Property Brothers spruced up the already existing multi-sided fireplace in the corner, too, to highlight an original element of the room. Oh, and the glass wine cabinet (!!) was a nice addition as well.

For all the humorous, challenging, and emotional moments throughout the renovation, check out the episode on HGTV (check your local listing for air times).

Celebrity IOU airs Mondays at 9/8 central on HGTV.

This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Before and After: Allison Janney Modernized Her Assistant’s Dated Kitchen