Christina Anstead is known mostly for her coastal decor, but in the latest episode of her new show, “Christina on the Coast,” she dabbles in a little modern farmhouse style. Watch out, Chip and Joanna Gaines!

In the episode called “Tore Down From the Floor Down,” Anstead helps her friends Missy and Jesse, the owners of her favorite flooring materials supply store, with a remodel of their master suite.

You’d think, since they work in the home materials field, that the couple would know exactly what they want in their own house, but nothing happens quite as you’d expect. As Anstead attempts to work within their budget of $40,000 (reminder, she’s overspent in every episode so far), we get some fascinating reality checks that could be useful in our own renovation projects, big or small.

Missy helps clients with their design plans every day, yet she still wants outside advice with her own project. Why? She and her husband have different tastes: She likes rustic, he likes modern.

So they bring in Anstead as a mediator, hoping she’ll be able to merge the two styles—and she does! They may be paying more for Anstead’s help, but at least they won’t have to spring for a marriage counselor. Plus, Anstead has relationships with other suppliers, so she can get better deals on the materials they don’t carry in their store.

“If we can live here during the remodel, we’ll have more money to spend on it,” says Missy as she ushers Anstead through her downstairs great room, which has been stripped to the studs. She shows Anstead how one upstairs area has been set up with a toaster and a refrigerator. They are about to move into a tiny bedroom with their daughter, while Anstead goes to work on their master bedroom and bath.

Staying home during a renovation is not for everyone, but if you can handle it, you could save hundreds of dollars every day on the cost of living in a motel.

In the 1980s and ’90s, big, chunky, jetted tubs were considered the ultimate luxury in a master bath. But something many builders failed to consider was how much time and money it takes to fill and heat a giant tub. Some water heaters couldn’t handle it, rendering the tubs obsolete before their first bath was drawn.

These days, the more efficient, stand-alone soaking tub is all the rage. But if you’re redoing your bathroom, ask yourself if you really need a tub at all.

Anstead asks Missy when was the last time she used her tub, and she replies it’s been at least five years. If you’re not the soaking-in-a-tub type and you don’t have young children to bathe, why have a tub at all?

Anstead opts to completely do away with the tub. In its place she’ll expand the shower, which is currently the size of a phone booth, and add a nice double vanity. This is a no-brainer for the couple, considering the amount of time they spend in the shower versus the tub.

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Jesse and Missy decide that they love Anstead’s idea of a wood floor in their bedroom, but they want it to be laid in a herringbone pattern to add interest. Anstead explains that even if they can get materials at cost, labor and installation for herringbone will be a lot more expensive, costing them an extra $2,500. But they’re fine with that, so herringbone it is.

In a surprising twist, Anstead creates an accent wall out of shiplap—a staple of the modern farmhouse style. At first, Jesse says he’s concerned that it will appear “too country.” Anstead assures him that installing it vertically looks “more modern,” but to really do the trick, she’ll paint it black. And it works!

Anstead wants to divide the master bathroom from the bedroom with a sliding barn door, but here, too, Jesse is concerned that this will look overly rustic. She says if she has the door manufactured out of steel, it will look more industrial than country.

There’s a craftsman on hand who is so excited about building it, he says he’ll throw in the cost of the labor for free, and construct it for the price of the materials, which is $1,000. So it’s not exactly a bargain, but it does look cool.

As usual, she blows through the couple’s $40,000 budget, spending a total of $49,600 on the extras Missy and Jesse requested. And they’re just fine with that.

“It was worth every single penny,” says Missy. “This is something we’re going to love for years to come.”

Anstead is pleased as well, knowing that working professionally with friends can either make or break a relationship.

“I know they’ll love their new master suite, and it’s really brought us closer together,” she says.

With another finished project and happy clients under her belt, she decides to jet off to Ireland with her husband, Ant Anstead, for a well-deserved break.

Watch: This Gorgeous New Farmhouse by Chip and Jo Gaines Is No ‘Fixer Upper’

Lisa Johnson Mandell is an award-winning writer who covers lifestyle, entertainment, real estate, design, and travel. Find her on ReallyRather.com