Emma Roberts helped transform her Aunt Mela’s kitchen into a functional animal-friendly cooking space on Monday’s season six episode of Celebrity IOU on HGTV.
The 32-year-old American Horror Story actress gave her honorary Aunt Mela Murphy a complete custom kitchen makeover with the help of the Property Brothers star Jonathan and Drew Scott, both 45.
Emma wanted to give her aunt the functional kitchen and cooking space that she deserves after helping raise her and also devoting her spare time to making wigs for cancer patients and rescuing dogs.
‘Aunt Mela is family,’ Emma said. ‘I call her my aunt. My mom [Kelly Cunningham] calls her my sister, but we are not blood related, but we may as well be. She’s been in my life since I was born.’
Emma said Aunt Mela, who she also called Aunt Moo, was her fun aunt whose house she always loved going to when she was growing up. She said her aunt works at a salon, but also donates her time to her volunteer causes.
Kitchen renovation: Emma Roberts helped transform her Aunt Mela’s kitchen into a functional animal-friendly cooking space on Monday’s season six episode of Celebrity IOU on HGTV
‘She’s so special to me and I just would love to do something nice for her,’ Emma said.
Emma said her aunt house bought the property four years ago, but did not love how the house had been renovated. Emma showed them that there had been things in the kitchen that were not even hooked up such as the gas line to the stove.
The gray cabinets were not Aunt Mela’s style, Emma said.
‘She loves vintage, that’s her vibe,’ Emma said. ‘The gray is a little depressing.’
Emma said it was important for her rescued animals to have their own space