Battle on the Beach: The Home Exteriors Challenge and Finale

The Gang's All Here. The entire cast of judges, mentors and design teams from HGTV's Battle on the Beach assemble outside the newly renovated beach homes in Gulf Shores, Alabama. With the help of HGTV all-star mentors, three teams transformed three homes, inside and out, as they battled for a $50,000 prize in the ultimate beach house competition. The images that follow detail the before-and-afters from each team's exterior renovations — followed by the final reveal of the winning design team in the overall competition. The Teams & Judges (L to R): Shonnie and Josh Thomas and Ty Pennington of Team Ty, competition judge Mina Starsiak-Hawk, Darryl and Sunjay Williams and Alison Victoria of Team Alison, competition judge Mike Holmes, and Kerry and David Kersh and Taniya Nayak of Team Taniya.

Before. The project homes for the Battle on the Beach are these three outdated and rundown beach houses in Gulf Shores. The houses, in a beautiful gulf-coast location, each gets an exterior facelift by their respective renovation teams.

After. Each of the homes gets an updated color palette in more subdued shades, as well as fresh updates to the exterior decks and porches and new outdoor features and furniture.

The Contestants. Contestants — and up-and-coming renovation pros — Darryl and Sunjay Williams pose for a pic outside Team Alison's newly renovated project home.

Darryl and Sunjay worked with design mentor Alison Victoria (left), host of HGTV's Windy City Rehab, to turn their project home into an inviting beach retreat.

Before. The house transformed by Team Alison, is seen here before the renovation. One of the first things to go in the upgrade is the peachy-orange exterior paint color.

After. Team Allison's transformation of the home exterior includes new exterior paint in a more visually soothing nautical blue with white trim and new outdoor sconce lighting.

Before.

After. A focus of Team Alison was to create plenty of outdoor lounging space. Featured additions include an outdoor shower and fire pit with adirondack chairs painted in a vivid shade of blue.

Before.

After. The porch is arranged to provide two distinct spaces — an informal outdoor dining space and this seating area.

After, Deck Detail.

Before.

After. Updated windows, trim and a new door with natural wood frame freshen up the home's exterior profile.

After. A traditional picnic table in raw wood finish ties in visually with the new privacy wall.

After, Deck Detail.

After, Deck Detail. The upgraded porch columns get a more substantial profile, with a new wood wrap, accent trim and fresh white paint.

After, Deck Detail. An outdoor shower with rain showerhead is added next to the front stairs.

After, Detail.

Team Work. Design mentor Taniya Nayak works with contestants Kerry and David to choose exterior colors and stains for their project beach-house.

Team Spirit. Taniya, Kerry and David discuss some of the final changes and additions they can make to the beach house to improve their winning chances.

Before. The house transformed by Team Taniya, seen here prior to the renovation

After. A key feature in Team Taniya's exterior design is the signature red door, with adirondack chairs and outdoor throw pillows, also in red, that tie in visually.

Before.

After. The exterior of Team Taniya's beach house gets an exterior transformation with new siding and addition of a new pergola in natural wood finish.

Before.

After.

Before.

After. For the outdoor dining area, Taniya's team went with a wood farmhouse table with a set of matched black chairs.

Before.

After.

Before.

After.

After.

After, Deck Detail. A high-top serving-bar-for-two and matching bar stools provide additional space for outdoor dining or cocktails.

After. The exterior upgrades in Team Taniya's design include addition of an outdoor shower as well as a separate seating area below the raised porch deck.

After. A second seating area below the deck provides an additional spot for conversation and relaxing.

After. The lower lounge area includes additional outdoor seating, a hammock, tiki bar and corn hole game.

Team Photo. Team Taniya (L to R: Kerry, David, Taniya) poses for a group pic, clearly exhibiting justifiable pride in their newly completed renovation.

Team Pride. Contestants and experienced house-flippers Shonnie and Josh Thomas worked with design mentor Ty Pennington.

Team Planning. Ty works with Shonnie and Josh on picking exterior colors and stains for their beach-house exterior.

Before.

After. The newly transformed exterior takes the paint color from the rather daring shade of mint green to a more neutral and classic battleship gray.

Before.

After.

Before. The spacious decks of each of the project homes offers potential for imaginative makeovers.

After. This end of the deck is defined by a patterned area rug in shades of blue and gray, contemporary outdoor furniture and a striking high-contrast palette.

Before.

After. A rustic porch swing and contemporary chairs create a fun and relaxed second seating area in the section of porch beneath the metal-roof overhang.

Before. As seen on HGTV's Battle on the Beach, team Ty will renovate the exterior and deck of this outdated and rundown beach house in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Before)

After. Design highlights and additions in Team Ty's deck improvements include a gas grill, beach shower with a steel basin and outdoor projection TV.

Before, Rear Exterior. The home's back stairs and rear entrance, prior to the renovation

After, Rear Exterior. The old siding was replaced with new wood siding with a vertical profile.

Before.

After.

After, Deck Detail.

After, Deck Detail. The newly added outdoor shower with industrial steel tub/basin

After, Deck Detail.

Design mentor Ty Pennington beams with pride over his team's newly transformed home-exterior and outdoor lounge area.

The Judges' Decision. Contest judges Mina Starsiak Hawk and Mike Holmes prepare to announce to the teams the final appraisals of their renovated beach houses.

The Judges' Decision. Mina and Mike's announcement of the final overall ruling, as determined in part by a group of expert local realtors, reveals the ultimate winners of the Battle on the Beach and who gets to take home $50,000 prize.

And the anticipation builds ...

(It's not a proper finale without fireworks!)

And the winner is ...

Wait for it ...

... Team Taniya!
With design contestants Kerry and David Kersh, led by team mentor Taniya Nayak, Team Taniya was chosen as the overall winners of HGTV's first-ever Battle on the Beach.

Team Taniya celebrates victory in HGTV's first-ever Battle on the Beach competition.

Kerry and David celebrate their victory in HGTV's Battle on the Beach.

To the Winners Go the Spoils. Taniya Nayak and contestants Kerry and David pose with a briefcase containing the $50,000 cash prize for the winner of Battle on the Beach.