Hell's kitchen? Not any more...
He’s known as the foul-mouthed presenter of Hell’s Kitchen, and a Michelin starred chef in his own right, but now Gordon Ramsay can add another string to his bow; fixer upper.
The famously fiery Ramsay chose to surprise his protégée, Hell’s Kitchen winner Christina Wilson, with a complete home renovation as a recognition of her hard work and character.
Wilson won the tenth season of Hell’s Kitchen in 2010 and was the first winner of the show to be given a head chef position in Ramsay’s company, heading up Gordon Ramsay Steak in Las Vegas.
With her $250,000 winnings from the show Wilson bought her first home - a row house in Philadelphia that she had previously been renting. Now her home has been entirely renovated as a surprise thanks to Ramsay.
The project, which was documented by online series My Houzz, which follows people as they renovate the homes of people close to them, shows Ramsay singing Wilson’s praises as he explains his reasons for transforming her home.
“Chefs don't spend that much time at home. So when we are at home, we want to relax, enjoy and unwind,” Ramsay said.
“This home is something that she’s never had the chance to reinvest in,” he added.
“I’m gifting this incredible transformation of a house to Christina Wilson because this lady’s so humble, and the amount of times she’s in the limelight, she’s asked for nothing, and this is the least I can do.”
Wilson’s brother and sister-in-law, Jon and Jenny Wilson, joined forces with Ramsay and designer Matthew Ferrarini to give the chef’s home a cool, industrial vibe they were sure she would love. In just a month, the space was entirely transformed.
The dated kitchen was given a new lease of life with the same on-trend navy cabinets that Ramsay also has in his home, smart wooden floors, original exposed industrial-style beams on the ceiling and plenty of nifty additions perfect for a chef, from the living herb garden to the pull-out cutting board.
The living spaces were also transformed, benefitting from a more open-plan layout, which knocked down obstructive walls, opened up formerly narrow spaces and allowed more light into Wilson’s home.
Statement pendant lights, framed artwork on the walls and painted brick walls added a modern vibe to the house, while a fireplace, cosy furnishings, thoughtful accessories and smart rugs brought in a homely atmosphere.
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When Ramsay saw the renovation for himself, he was uncharacteristically lost for words, saying: “Wow! Oh my goodness. Are you kidding me?” and describing the colours and textures as “breathtaking”. He added that the surprise would transform Wilson’s life “tremendously”.
Naturally, once Wilson walked back into her home and saw the remarkable transformation, she couldn’t contain her joy, saying: “I had no idea this could happen”.
“I cannot believe that this is the house that I have been in for the last six and a half years,” Wilson said. “It is completely different and not one thing looks familiar, even though it all feels familiar. I am just overwhelmed and have never had such a generous gift given to me.”
While the video is certainly heartwarming and gave us plenty of design inspiration, it was also surprising in the best of ways: who knew the acid-tongued chef had such a big heart?