Alison Victoria's House Reveal

Alison Victoria transformed her Rock the Block house to reflect her unique personal style of vintage and modern.

October 21, 2019

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Photo By: Erik Voake/Getty Images

Photo By: Mark Von Holden

Photo By: Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images

Photo By: Erik Voake/Getty Images

Photo By: Mark Von Holden

Photo By: Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images

Photo By: Matt Harbicht/Getty Images

Photo By: Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images

Photo By: Erik Voake/Getty Images

Photo By: Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images

Photo By: Erik Voake/Getty Images

Photo By: Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images

Photo By: Erik Voake/Getty Images

Photo By: Mark Von Holden

Photo By: Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images

Photo By: Mark Von Holden

Photo By: Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images

Photo By: Erik Voake/Getty Images

Alison's Awesome Makeover

Windy City Rehab's Alison Victoria has a simple Rock the Block approach: “[It's] all about curb appeal. It's your first impression. I want to make sure it looks like a million bucks,” Alison said.

The Exterior: Before

A brand-new home like this one doesn’t require much work to the exterior. Alison’s main goal? Bring some of the sophistication from the inside of the home to the outside.

The Exterior: After

“First impressions are everything when it comes to upping the value,” Alison said. To bring more of a wow factor to the exterior, Alison added shrubbery to cover up the stucco. She also painted the home a more neutral color and added accents of brass as a nod to the home’s interior.

The Front Door: After

Alison upgraded the home’s original front door by wrapping it in unlacquered brass. “We added some nail heads to it and then we patinated it. All of it just looks like a solid brass door,” Alison said.

The Den: After

While some of the other designers chose to convert the den into a fourth bedroom, Alison decided to go a different direction. “People are not having as many kids these days; there’s no need for more than 3 bedrooms,” Alison said. Instead, she created a wine room complete with vintage doors and a fun wall feature.

Surprise! It's Diana

On the fourth episode of Rock the Block, Drew Scott surprised every designer with an extra pair of hands. Alison was totally shocked when her sister Diana walked in. “It’s great to have my sister here,” Alison said.

Alison's Great Room and Outdoor Space

For the great room and outdoor space, Alison had no concerns about how she would approach her design plan. “With my kitchen being the winner, all I’m going to do is take that kitchen feel and look, and marry it into those two spaces," Alison said. In keeping with her sophisticated style, Alison incorporated gorgeous stacking doors, custom built-ins and vintage pieces from Chicago.

The Great Room: Before

“I want to make my great room, greater,” Alison said. Taking into consideration form, functional storage and of course, aesthetics, Alison turned her living space into a chic great room with urban loft vibes.

The Great Room: After

A large portion of Alison’s budget ($20,000) went towards the grid stacking doors which replaced the home’s rear wall. To add further value to the space, she added beam work to the ceiling and a bold, built-in with a fireplace. To top off the gold fireplace, Alison brought in an antique mantel from Chicago.

Flea Market Finds

With $1,000 to spend at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, California, Alison and Ari wasted no time locating interesting pieces to incorporate into their great room and outdoor spaces. Within their flea market haul, they brought home vintage 1960s flush mount lights that they used as sconces on either side of the fireplace. A wall fountain and large rope were additional finds that they utilized in the outdoor space.

The Great Room, Another Angle

If anyone could make a home in California feel like a refined, urban loft in a big city, it’s Alison Victoria. Despite that, Alison wanted to play off the soft colors of the desert with her furniture. These neutral touches help to balance the black and gold accents throughout the space.

Brick by Brick

As part of the design for her outdoor space, Alison created an accent wall off the patio. The first step was to add some texture (and value) with bricks which were ultimately painted white. “I have so much empathy for anyone who lays brick,” Alison said after lending a hand.

The Outdoor Space

Alison’s brick wall became the backdrop to a vintage pier mirror from Chicago. Pier mirrors were often designed to fit between two windows and hang above pier tables. For Alison’s purposes, the pier mirror became home to a faux-living wall and fountain. To increase value to the space, she also installed a large outdoor fireplace which offers both warmth and privacy.

Alison's Kitchen

"I've designed over 140 kitchens, so if I don't know what I'm doing here, then I don't deserve to win," said Alison. "I know what's going to up the value of any property — the kitchen being the most important." A nine-season Kitchen Crashers alum with a knack for mixing vintage pieces with modern design, Alison was ready to rock (and win) the kitchen challenge.

The Kitchen: Before

Alison knew exactly what she had to do to transform this kitchen into a room that buyers couldn't refuse. Her strategy? Use the same sophisticated, high-end finishes from her main suite renovation to totally transform this kitchen.

The Kitchen: After

To achieve this "dripping in luxury" look, Alison installed floor-to-ceiling Shaker-style cabinets, a stone slab backsplash, a kitchen island with a quartz waterfall countertop and a commercial-grade stove topped with a custom brass hood. Although she spent the biggest chunk of her budget in the kitchen, it was well worth it.

SEE MORE: Alison Victoria's Amazing Kitchen Remodels from HGTV's 'Windy City Rehab'

From: Alison Victoria

Added Value

Alison added brass shim stock — a thin layer of actual brass — to the outer wall of the kitchen island for an extra-luxurious look. When working with a tight budget, brass shim stock is an inexpensive way to up the value in a home. Alison also added this decorative element to the kitchen's open shelving, creating a real brass look for about $38 per shelf.

Brass Shelving

Because brass is one of her favorite design elements, Alison incorporated it as much as possible in the kitchen. She installed three brass shim stock shelves where the refrigerator used to be, adding a functional, decorative element to an otherwise bland wall. Below, she installed a coffee bar with a built-in cappuccino maker.

Dripping in Luxury

The crown jewel in Alison's kitchen design, this waterfall-edge quartz island takes the space to the next level. Within the island, Alison included luxury elements like a microwave drawer and a porcelain sink, finishing the luxurious look with glass, globe pendant lights and a brass faucet.

The Dining Area

Featuring a mix of vintage and modern furniture pieces and an industrial-chic chandelier, the dining room is the perfect complement to Alison's sleek, updated kitchen. Warm vinyl plank flooring flows seamlessly from the kitchen to the dining area, creating continuity in the open-concept space.

Alison's Kitchen and Main Suite Renovation

So far, on Rock the Block, Alison has tackled a main suite and kitchen that needed a style upgrade. The designer went with her trademark mix of modern style infused with vintage touches. "I love vintage and modern," Alison said. "I want it to be beautiful, luxurious and sophisticated."

The Main Bedroom: Before

Although spacious, the original main bedroom lacked color and character.

The Main Bedroom: After

Alison saved money in the main bedroom by installing light-colored laminate flooring rather than hardwood. She also created a custom headboard wall with trim and paint, adding a much-needed focal point in the previously bare space.

See More Photos: Alison Victoria's Top Transformations

The Main Bathroom: Before

Back in Chicago, Alison rarely gets to work with bathrooms this large, so she was excited about the remodel.

The Main Bathroom: After

Alison took advantage of the bathroom's spacious layout by replacing the plastic, built-in tub with a gorgeous, freestanding soaking bath. She covered two walls and the shower floor in a beautiful mosaic tile, adding luxury, style and value.

Vintage and Modern

Alison incorporated her affinity for bronze and white in the bathroom by adding twin vintage mirrors, chic wall sconces, marble tile flooring and two sleek, modern vanities.

A Sophisticated Space

Alison paired oversized art and lush greenery with the luxurious elements in this main suite to create a stunning, spa-like bathroom any buyer would love.

The Appraisal

Once the house was complete, Drew brought in a team of appraisers: real estate experts familiar with the area. The most value-increasing features of Alison’s home according to the appraisers are the built-ins, high-end kitchen appliances and the private backyard. As for what they didn’t like, the appraisers thought Alison should’ve put more thought into the floors.

Rock the Block

Alison Victoria's House Reveal

Related To:

Shop This Look

Alison's Awesome Makeover

The Exterior: Before

The Exterior: After

The Front Door: After

The Den: After

Surprise! It's Diana

Alison's Great Room and Outdoor Space

The Great Room: Before

The Great Room: After

Flea Market Finds

The Great Room, Another Angle

Brick by Brick

The Outdoor Space

Alison's Kitchen

The Kitchen: Before

The Kitchen: After

Added Value

Brass Shelving

Dripping in Luxury

The Dining Area

Alison's Kitchen and Main Suite Renovation

The Main Bedroom: Before

The Main Bedroom: After

The Main Bathroom: Before

The Main Bathroom: After

Vintage and Modern

A Sophisticated Space

The Appraisal

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