Getting to know The Cousins

Last month, HGTV brought to this side of the world two of its home renovation stars, the good-looking cousins you know from shows like Kitchen Cousins and Cousins Undercover, John Colaneri and Anthony Carrino. They were in town not just to greet their fans in the region but to also promote their new show that’s now airing on HGTV America’s Most Desperate Kitchens.

Advertisement

John and Anthony had three stops in the region and we were one of the lucky destinations (the other two were Singapore and Malaysia). We got to know more about them during an intimate House Party with members of the media and a few fans of the cousins and their shows. We learned quite a few things about the two charming gentlemen:

• John can do more bench presses. Starting a quick round of Him or Me, Anthony begrudingly had to admit that John can do more bench presses. He said John’s his trainer as well.
• Anthony makes better design decisions. Both were in agreement that Anthony makes better calls when it comes to design. But John makes better on-the-spot decisions. That’s why they agreed that they work well together.
• Anthony is stricter. But when it comes to cracking the whip on the site, Anthony is the one who won’t hesitate to “kick their butts to get things done” as John said. Expanding on this point, Anthony said, “It takes a village to get done what we get done but every now and again there’s somebody who thinks they’re a hot shot. They think we’re just TV guys they don’t understand that we know what we’re talking about and they get real nervous when that three days start rolling through real fast and we got to kick it into high gear.”
• They know how to joke around. When asked who is the better looking cousin, both were quick to state that they were definitely more good-looking than the other. Jokes aside though, John and Anthony were also quick to admit they’re best friends and they love working together. But work isn’t all serious as that would make for some pretty boring television. John has said he likes to play pranks on Anthony on the set. And Anthony said he’s had to walk off camera twice for the season because he was laughing so hard.
• No balut for them. Not as adventurous as other foreigners who’ve been to the country, the local staff couldn’t get the two to try balut. Perhaps, devising a way to trick them next time might work. They’re a big fan of the pork dishes, though. And said they’ve enjoyed cassava.
• Anthony knows our kitchen utensils. Throughout this tour, the men have been tested on local kitchen utensils and if they know what they’re for. Anthony got both the ice shaver for halo-halo and melon scraper down. John was left to figure out what to do with the traditional grater for coconuts is for. Yes, the blade sort of scared him.

Tales from the Kitchen
The House Party was a great venue to ask the two about tips for renovating kitchens. And when asked what to advise someone who wants to renovate their kitchen, Anthony was all about the planning and John talked about making it unique and personal.

“The number one thing is planning,” Anthony said. “It is all about planning. In America’s Most Desperate Kitchens, one of the things we’re trying to bring to the show is tips that you can takeaway for your practical use, whether it be space planning, whether it be color theory, or whatever it might be. Just any little takeaway. Simple takeaways that’ll be helpful to homeowners. But the biggest thing we can tell anyone is the mistakes we usually see from people are in poor planning. And one in being so excited that you just have to get started, but you didn’t order this and that. You have no idea what the layout is. It gets very expensive very quickly and if you have a plan, you save yourself time, you save yourself money. And you save money no one’s screaming at each other.”

“The biggest thing that we tell people since the kitchen is the heart of the home, the one area where you get the most value… make your kitchen unique,” John added. “That’s where your home stands out from your neighbors, your friends, your mothers, or sisters. You don’t want it to be like someone else’s. Make it unique to you and how you cook and how you entertain.”

And if you’re the type who wants to keep up with the trends, Anthony and John foresee colored appliances and lots of texture—using things like reclaimed wood and steel as well as mixing metals.

You’ll John and Anthony in action and rescuing the desperate homeowners in dire need of a major kitchen overhaul on America’s Most Desperate Kitchens. The new show adds an extra challenge for the boys, including having to work in different cities all over America. They said they even go to remote locations and they don’t know what to expect there. Plus, they won’t be working with the same team all the time, so that adds a different element.

America’s Most Desperate Kitchens airs every Tuesday at 8 p.m. on HGTV. You can catch it on SkyCable Ch. 88 (SD)/ Ch. 246 (HD), Destiny Cable Ch. 88, and Cignal Ch. 101.