Spice Up My Kitchen

If you're looking for a good home-cooked meal, don't stop by Clare and Steve Morrison's house. They are so fed up with their outdated kitchen, they just pick up the phone for takeout when hunger strikes.

When Sara Goldstein and Paul Boxer first saw their house, they thought they had found their dream home. Nicely sized rooms, hardwood floors and a great color scheme were just some of the pluses. That was until they opened the door to the kitchen. What they saw there stopped them in their tracks: vegetable wallpaper, bright-green cabinets, no dishwasher and yellow and black bathroom tile that goes halfway up the wall!

The Rockey family kitchen has been on rocky ground ever since they moved into their house. The large room is falling apart at the seams, and the abundance of space is plagued with problems, including worn-out blue cabinets, limited counter space and outdated appliances.

Most families try to keep their kitchens as clean as possible, with countertops and floors so sparkling one could eat on them. But since Diana and Anthony Pingicer don't have countertops, they have no choice but to keep their floors clean enough to cook on and serve meals.

As an art teacher at a local middle school, Sally DeVinney has learned to keep an objective stance on each student's attempt at creating a personalized style of artistic identity. But when it comes to the amateur artwork scribbled across all of the cabinets and walls in her kitchen, she doesn't have as much patience.

New parents Jennifer and Kent Watson have tried to maximize their time and money in the updates they have made to their first home. They have tackled the bathroom, living room and dining room, and have sprinkled a lot of finishing touches throughout the rest of the place.

Sparkle and Sean Morrissey aren't sure who designed the kitchen in their 1950s row home, but whoever did had eclectic taste, to say the least. From the laminate on three of the four walls and the shiny metallic wallpaper to poorly designed layout, this kitchen is in dire need of a complete overhaul.

Michelle Costello is a stay-at-home mom who works just as hard as her full-time working husband, Dennis. If there is one thing that could make Michelle's job easier, it's a brand new kitchen. The previous homeowner must have hit the jackpot at the laminate store, as loads and loads of the blue stuff overwhelm the small space.

Most starter homes do not include five bedrooms, five baths and 3,300 square feet. So when Jill and Jon Christopher pulled up in front of this "beautiful, spectacular and stately home" in suburban Philadelphia, they were baffled as to why it was in their limited price range. They found out when they walked into the kitchen! Blue cabinetry, extremely outdated appliances and dirty linoleum flooring are just a few of the problems plaguing this space.

Desiree and Brian Bell love their charming Old World home. It boasts a beautiful exterior, decorative exposed wood beams and stained wood floors throughout. The one caveat is the kitchen, which includes a 1947 stove, a 1968 dishwasher and a red and yellow linoleum floor. That's not to mention the crazy layout or misplaced washer and dryer.

The kitchen of Cathy Lotz and Patrick Boyle is a complete eyesore! For starters, it's got a crazy cramped layout, complete lack of storage and lousy linoleum floor. There's also bright orange countertops that clash with the mustard-colored sink and a dishwasher that no longer works — all mixed into one 91-square-foot space. Time for a kitchen intervention.

Maria and Vince Tanzola love to entertain at their waterfront home in New Jersey. In fact, the house was made for it, despite the current shape of their 1970s kitchen. With an enormous outdoor patio right outside that features a newly refurbished dock and in-ground pool, the Tanzolas want to update this space so that the entertaining can flow from the dock and pool back inside to the kitchen.