'Battle on the Beach' Is Back—With a New Kitchen Trend That's Simply 'Gorgeous'

Nov 26, 2023

What better way to spend your summer TV time than watching designers compete to complete gorgeous beach houses?

If this is your idea of a good time (as it is ours), you’ll be thrilled to learn that "Battle on the Beach" is back for a third season.

This time, Ty Pennington of "Rock the Block," Alison Victoria of "Windy City Rehab," and Taniya Nayak of "Build it Forward" head to Fort Morgan, AL, to make over three different homes that range in value from $777,000 to $817,500 before renovations even start.

Each HGTV star leads a design team with the goal of raising their property's value the most to win. And in the season premiere, "Kitchen Knockdown," they tackle this all-important cook space, to be judged by Bryan and Sarah Baeumler of "Renovation Island."

As the sawdust flies, we get some great tips for rejuvenating not just a beach house, but also any type of home or kitchen in general. Check out what we learned this week.

(HGTV)

Two of the three homes start with long peninsulas attached to a wall, dividing the kitchen from the dining area. Both teams responsible for these homes opt to obliterate the peninsula and replace it with an island. The third team starts with a blank slate of a kitchen with no island, so one is brought in.

The designers, building teams, and judges all acknowledge that an island gives you additional seating, storage, and pass-through options that a peninsula can't provide. An island also makes a kitchen feel more spacious and less closed off.

(HGTV)

You don't have to stick exclusively to what you can find locally. Try searching the world for accessories online.

This is exactly the M.O. for Nayak's team, husband and wife duo Ryan and Kelsey Mansingh of Uniontown, OH.

‘"I found these porthole windows online that were originally from an old ship, and I just had to get them for this house," says Kelsey. She cleans and spray-paints them bronze, then Ryan installs them.

"We wanted another way to add more view to the beach," she says.

It ends up being a big hit with the judges.

Claim your home to stay up-to-date of your home‘s value and equity.

(HGTV)

Victoria wants her team, consisting of friends Ben Argall and Pete Meldrum of the Upper Peninsula, MI, to install a banquette in the corner by the kitchen. It would be the best use of the space and add invaluable seating and storage.

"I would love to do a banquette and have more storage," says Argall. "We just don't have the time."

Victoria convinces him it would be worth it to make the time, and he does, but it shows that they were rushed.

While the Baeumlers appreciate the extra built-in seating and storage, they’re not thrilled with the way the banquette was jammed in a dull corner with no view or wall decor.

(HGTV)

Nayak's team extends its kitchen so far out into the room that there's very little space left for a dining table. So Ryan and Kelsey order one of the smallest tables they could find, which proves to be a huge mistake.

"This is our dining room table?" Nayak asks. "It looks like a dollhouse. We can't sneak this. It's not like it's something they’re not going to notice," she says of the judges.

With only an hour left, the team pivots. It has some nice, long, finished planks left over from the kitchen cabinet toe kick, which Ryan will fasten together and put on top.

"It's still a little table," says Nayak, "but it's better."

The judges pick up on this immediately. While they like the rest of the kitchen, Bryan asks, "Is this a kids’ table?" You can tell he's docking major points for that.

(HGTV)

Pennington's team, friends Ashley Basnight and Steve Lewis of Oklahoma City, OK, decide to order a custom hood vent with brass straps, wrapped in wood, which they’ll stain to match the wood in the kitchen.

When it arrives, Pennington is blown away.

"The hood vent is gorgeous," he gushes. "It's like a Versailles dress!"

The hoods in the other kitchens go pretty much unnoticed, but the judges definitely appreciate this one.

You can tell that the Baeumlers have differing opinions on these kitchens.

"I was blown away," Sarah says. "And Bryan? Well, he's picky."

"I’m a little picky, but I’m also honest," he concedes.

In truth, there are problems with the workmanship throughout. Some appliances don't fit, the drywall is rough, some of the cabinets are not even level. But in the end, Pennington's team wins.

Was it the cool hood vent? Perhaps. The team takes the $3,000 cash prize home, and everyone else gets good advice to use on their next challenge.

(HGTV)

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