Brother Vs. Brother in King of Kitchens
In the spring of 2022, John Michael Studio was approached to collaborate with HGTV’s Brother vs. Brother show where the twin Property Brothers Jonathan Scott and Drew Scott compete against each other to see who can flip a home for the highest selling price.
“Jonathan and Drew came to us genuinely interested in our custom stainless steel custom kitchens because they are very unique in the space,” founder and CEO Michael Sloan said. “I felt some natural synergy between our brand and what they were trying to accomplish, which made it a natural fit for pushing creative boundaries through the competition on the show.
Airing in January, season 2, episode 8 of of Brother vs. Brother focused primarily on an indoor kitchen competition between the two brothers, with John Michael center stage. After a typically heated bout of one-upmanship between Jonathan and Drew, it was the latter who proved victorious.
"Whether you’re a professional chef or an amateur still getting your bearings, you deserve a space that’s both fun and functional, Co-Host and winner of the King of the Kitchens Comp, Drew Scott said, "I wanted to focus on color as well, from the subtle plaster wash on the wall to the teal storage cabinets, this is a very unique kitchen space buyers can’t find anywhere else".
The winning kitchen was designed by our senior designer Amanda Lardie. Among the standout features which helped Team Drew notch the win included an entire wall of pantries with concealed refrigeration, fully custom hardware and ‘Green Smoke’ powder coat, and also a fully integrated island dishwasher that blends seamlessly into the run. The entire kitchen was done in ‘Alta’, a modern shaker-style trim that was pioneered by John Michael in early 2020.
“It was a surreal experience to see a project that I put a lot of time into come to life on a national platform,” Lardie said. “We don’t usually get to see the finished product aside from photography. To see people react so enthusiastically to something you designed was humbling.”
Johnathan came with a more modern design, stormy gray cabinetry to create a bold, modern look and complement the light hardwood floors. The dark countertops act as a beautiful contrasting accent, ending in a waterfall edge.
"Having enough prep space is super important, Johnathan Scott commented, "so I installed a ginormous island and made sure it came with an induction cooktop, combined with the flush ceiling vent hood, potential buyers now have plenty of space and open sightlines."
Not to be outdone, Team Jonathan’s competition kitchen was designed by Kaylee Neal, the longest tenured designers on board with us. Amongst the features which turned heads on Brother vs. Brother was an invisible cooktop that wowed celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli. The kitchen also boasted a traditionally flat panel design with John Michael’s in-house ‘Storm’ powder coat, and a double-sided island which took advantage of additional storage space.
“Working with Team Jonathan was a fun experience,” Neal said. “They provided the measurements and design intent, and trusted me to take the reigns from there. I was happy with the resulting kitchen, and I believe it closely matched their team’s original vision.”
“When we were given the chance to be on Brother vs. Brother, we immediately saw this as a great venue to showcase something unique,” said Sloan, the CEO and co-founder of John Michael. The resulting kitchens both introduced full interior and exterior powder coats, a first for John Michael’s line of indoor cabinetry.
“It was amazing to show off a product that we’ve never done before, and by extension, no one has done before.”
Mirroring the show, the competition spilled onto the John Michael design floor, as Lardie and Neal each playfully tried to outdo the other’s design. Ultimately, this competitive spirt bred a wholly new look for John Michael’s indoor kitchen design menu. Multiple kitchens have since integrated the full-bleed interior and exterior powder coat into their designs, to wildly successful results.
Co-Founder / CEO Michael Sloan and Johnathan Scott
