Christina Anstead's Biggest Challenge on Her New Show? Decorating with Her Husband, Ant

From House Beautiful

After eight years filming Flip or Flop, Christina Anstead’s well-versed in what America wants. “Most people want things that are light and bright-open floor plans, light cabinets-things they won’t get sick of quickly,” she says.

At this point, she could probably decorate a flip in her sleep, based on what she’s seen sell fast (and above list price). While she’s happy to keep doing that-there’s a good chance the show will get a ninth season-she’s even more excited to push herself further, working one-on-one with clients to design houses that reflect who they truly are. And, in the process, she'll be revealing a lot about who she is, as she lets cameras follow her every move.

On Thursday, May 23 at 9 p.m. EST, Christina’s solo show, Christina on The Coast, debuts, and while to some, it may seem like another HGTV show spinoff, for Christina, it's a chance to cement her role as a designer-and show the world what she's about. "My style has evolved a lot," she explains.

Since she isn't decorating for the masses on this show, her design process has gotten more personal; phase 1 is all about learning who she's working with. "I ask things like, 'What has been working for you in this house?' 'What would you love to change about it?' 'How is it functional for you?' and 'How would you describe your design style?'" Christina says.

Those are questions Christina's had to answer for herself as well, as the show tackles one of the biggest challenges she's ever faced as a designer: merging her and her husband's differing tastes.

"Being married to Ant, he's a little more industrial than I am," Christina says. "I really wanted bohemian, patterns, black and white, lots of plants, bold metals."

They found a way to meet in the middle, with Ant actually building some of the designs Christina loved, creating his own riff on her inspo.

"He loves to build," she says. "He made the light fixture in our master bedroom. We were out shopping, and I saw a light and said, 'Oh my god, I love that,' and he said, 'I can make that,' so he did. He built a metal staircase in our bedroom, too."

Though Ant's known for working on cars, not furniture, he proved to be quite the craftsman, even creating a wine storage center for the house, based on photos Christina had found online. And no, the end result wasn't an "aw, honey, you shouldn't have" moment: "I love it," Christina says.

You'll have to tune in to the show to see Ant's creations-and Christina's designs-for yourself.

Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.

('You Might Also Like',)

• 7 Secrets HomeGoods Employees Won't Tell You

• 19 Closet Organization Ideas You'll Want to Steal Immediately

• 15 Styling Tricks That Make A Small Living Room Seem Bigger Than It Is