‘Rock the Block’ Through the Years: Tour All the Winning Spaces

Rock the Block has more in common with Ironman Triathlons than typical makeover shows. In mere weeks, contestants are given supersized budgets and tasked with reimagining entire blank-canvas homes from the ground up. This is renovation as an extreme sport. As Season 3 champ Egypt Sherrod (Married to Real Estate) advises future competitors, “You're working so hard that you have to stay healthy and hydrated. Also, come in knowing that this will be the hardest you've ever worked in your life.” So, what does it take to secure a Rock the Block win? Have a look at every jaw-dropping before-and-after that’s taken weekly top honors.

Jonathan Knight and his brother Jordan Knight went with what they knew in the backyard of their Season 6 Grantsville, Utah home. “I love the greenhouse at my house,” said Jonathan. “You can use it to grow plants, [but] if you don’t want to grow plants you can use it just to hang out.” He and Jordan outfitted their home’s greenhouse with electricity and plumbing that made it the perfect setting for a garden or a gathering. Who wouldn’t love to have a dinner party in this space? At Jordan’s suggestion, they extended the yard’s capabilities even more by building raised beds to accommodate more crops.

Jon sensed the backyard needed another showstopper. “What if we do a small barn and we put it back here? And we could either do chickens, we could do goats…” “Goats!” Jordan exclaimed. And so, Rock the Block scored its first-ever goat enclosure. (Though adorable, it does not double as a space for human dinner parties.)

The lower level challenge in Season 6 was a daunting one: The designers has to tackle 1,300 square feet of empty space, which included building a fully-functional second kitchen. Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama (hosts of Renovation Aloha) created a second kitchen with solid value adds (a hood vent, a stained tambour wall and handsome cabinetry) and calculated savings (a DIY island made of salvaged wood, which spared them a $5,000 spend, and linotile for the vent and backsplash). The combo was enough to score them a weekly win.

Adjacent to their lower-level kitchen, an additional unfinished space presented another opportunity to take a risk. Outfitting one larger room was an option, but the Kalamas chose to take advantage of the area’s L-shaped layout and create two rooms with distinct purposes. First up? The Kalama Lounge, a luxe entertaining space with both a built-in bar area and a dedicated wine cellar. “We have the sexiest wine rack,” Kamohai said. “With big glass doors, you could fit a hundred, a hundred and fifty bottles of wine in there!”

During the Season 6 bonus room challenge, competitors were assigned themes and materials to complete their spaces. Tristyn and Kamohai lucked out with their first choice — a playroom. “We’ve gotta channel the keiki [Hawaiian for “child”] in here,” Tristyn said. With their own children’s energy and creativity on their minds, they designed a graphic rock wall, a layered and backlit mountain-themed play area (complete with storage) and a floor-to-ceiling chalkboard-paint corner. “There’s big families in Utah. You want to make sure you’re catering to families,” Kamohai said.

The two-story wall beside the landing and stairway up to Tristyn and Kamohai's play room took on a life of its own. “I have always wanted to do a living plant wall,” Tristyn said. “We called around and found a local landscape artist that could quickly get us the material for [one]. It actually comes with a health certificate!” Textural mosses share space with trailing plants and glossy foliage in a downright showstopping feature. Verified, improved air quality and literal promotion of health and wellness: Does added value get any cooler than that?

The main bedroom battle was a close one, but Jonathan and Jordan's cozy space took the win. “We put some stained wood up on the walls and the ceiling. This is our take on a modern canopy bed,” Jon explained. Dissatisfied with the second-floor layout, he and Jordan swapped the main suite’s bedroom and bathroom to arrive at this best-case layout: Flanked by a chic fireplace, the bed now faces a sitting area that gives way to bifold doors and spectacular Utah views from the balcony. Clean lines and neutral hues strike a balance between the farmhouse character Jon loves and the modern details that catch Jordan’s eye.

In their adjacent Season 6 primary bath, the Knights created double arches leading to an expansive shower, where pecan-colored grout frames rust-glazed tiles arranged in an on-trend herringbone pattern. Each of the bath’s vanities is centered in a wall’s worth of slab marble and lower cabinets, and a spectacular, Old-West-evoking copper soaking tub has pride of place at the center of the room.

Chelsea and Cole designed their Season 6 entryway as an unforgettable opening. They installed large-scale tiles to create a durable, elegant entry for guests — then splashed out in the hall leading to the second story and the first-floor living area with a wall of cowboy hats above a long console table. The mudroom where family members would be tumbling in and out of the house on a regular basis offers more functionalit so this zone, by contrast, is a warm welcome for guests.

The den beside the entryway at the front of the DeBoer's Rock the Block house could have been a home office, but where’s the fun in that? Instead Chelsea build it out as a relaxation space for tired parents. The space also doubles as a guest bedroom, thanks to a cozy daybed tucked beneath the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that arch over a pair of windows. A color-drenching paint treatment that envelops the walls, ceilings and molding in on-trend olive green balances out the dazzling light from all those windows.

Alison and Michel's Season 6 living area blew the judges away. The meager window at the rear of the house wasn’t anywhere near the access to the outdoors Alison and Michel envisioned, so they installed massive glass doors. “We doubled our living room by opening up to the deck,” Michel noted. “Did the house grow?!” Utah’s chilly winters (and this house’s aesthetic) called for a fireplace, but the extra $5,000 a gas installation would require wasn’t in the budget — so this electric version represented a strategic pivot. Flanked with floating shelves and a dimensional custom mantel surround that carries seamlessly into the ceiling beams that extend from the dining area, this space feels cozy and integrated — and, as Michel observed, it flows right out to the deck.

A sleek, dark-stained floating bench beneath the dining room’s picture window made the most of the space on the far side of Michel and Alison’s fluted-base table. Fluted paneling that echoes the pantry walls creates flow through the arch from the kitchen and across the dining room ceiling. Faux ceiling beams installed perpendicular to that paneling integrate the dining room with the living room that occupies the back of the house on the other side. The kitchen’s recessed lighting continues here, and Michel and Alison layered in a contemporary chandelier at the center of the dining area to define the space a bit more.

Both Alison and Michel adore the color green, so going all in on showstopping slabs of exotic green quartz for the backsplash and countertop, investing $6,380 on an opulent green hood, framing the window with green subway tile, installing a green sink and committing to green appliances — including a 10-burner range (another major investment at $12,500) — was an easy power move to make. “Bringing in the green has been something I have just been obsessed with,” Alison said. “It’s calming and at the same time energizing, so you’re going to be seeing a lot of that throughout the house.” She and Michel were also eager to wrap their island in rich, warm brass. They rounded out their kitchen with on-trend, pale wood cabinetry and elegant arches that transformed the transitions into the front hall, living room and pantry.

Rock the Block’s fifth season was all about redemption, so each pair of contestants had previously competed and lost out on the final victory. The four teams faced off in Treasure Island, Florida — a barrier island on the state’s central Gulf Coast — and renovated three-story duplexes on Boca Ciega Bay.

The season of returning players was also a season of firsts, as in the 48-hour “surprise space” challenge, where Sarah and Bryan Baeumler of Renovation Island earned a weekly win by creating this multipurpose children’s bedroom and craft space plus a full bath in just two days. Thoughtful details like the applied molding and pitch-perfect, lived-in styling wowed the judges, who happened to be their fellow competitors. All four teams scored each other on their designs, and the duo with the highest average score came out on top.

Bryan’s contribution in the other half of the space was equally impressive: He laid kid-friendly penny tile on the bathroom floor and applied three walls’ worth of stone all the way to the shower’s ten-foot ceiling in just two days. Sarah selected crisp, black hardware and an arched mirror during a whirlwind, 15-minute shopping spree to add a bit of contrast to those neutral surfaces.

Sarah and Bryan also took the win when it came time to finish their second-floor balcony, a space they approached as an intuitive extension of their tranquil, contemporary living room. They installed a fireplace that elevated the balcony, as well as adjoined the home’s bay view for homeowners in the living room. They also outfitted the home’s monumental glass doors with automatic screens that welcome Gulf breezes inside, but turn away Florida’s summertime bugs.

That same week, Team Baeumler created another “outdoor room” on their home’s bayside dock: Bryan built and installed a pergola to create a sense of privacy in the shared space. Benches outfitted with a casual, contemporary dining table, a fish-cleaning station for prepping the catch of the day and a grill to cook for guests complete the breezy vignette.

Another returning team with local Florida know-how took top honors when it came time to design pools and covered patios. Unsellable Houses’ irrepressible sister act, real estate agents Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb, came to Treasure Island with a tropical retreat in mind. Their undulating pool and hot tub is all curves, featuring iridescent accent tiles that glitter in the sun like scales. A grass-covered palapa on their pebbled patio offers shaded space for supervising swimmers, while summery textiles and pretty peach loungers on the sun deck make the yard as refreshing as a cocktail.

The twins' covered patio, in turn, was a nonstop party. Hanging egg chairs, woven barstools and textural pendants continue the bubbly boho vibe the twins established indoors, while luscious, jade-green paint layers complement the live plants used in each of their outdoor and indoor spaces. Their masterstroke was the same one Sarah and Bryan would later deploy on their upstairs balcony: Automated screens lower to keep the indoor-outdoor entertaining space critter-free after dark.

Fix My Flip’s power broker Page Turner and her can-do contractor, Mitch Glew, returned to Rock the Block determined to surpass their previous season’s efforts. In their transporting principal suite, they created both graceful inset arches and a platform that elevated and oriented the bed toward the home’s spectacular bayside view, a power move no other team made. Organic shapes and serene symmetry make the space an ideal retreat after a long day on the water.

Their best-in-class bath featured more meditative interior architecture in the form of elegant interior archways coated with a waterproof Moroccan plaster treatment. With a regal shower at one end, a soaking tub at the other and a sculptural drop ceiling that feels like installation art, this space functions as a personal spa.

Competition was so fierce among the returning teams that Season 5 saw the block’s first-ever tie. In the second week of renovation, Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas of Bargain Block shared the win with the Baeumlers for their Old World-influenced living room. Majestic beams crisscross the shiplapped ceiling above a minimalistic, Mediterranean hearth and the built-in seating area. Biophilic driftwood sculpture and organic furniture punctuate the monochromatic gathering spaces.

The other half of the living-room win went to the Baeumlers, whose decidedly New World space featured wall-to-wall glass sliders overlooking Boca Ciega Bay (to the tune $24,000) and the block’s first-ever floating ceiling — an installation created by stretching material over a mounted form and then heating it to shrink and tauten it. They used every bit of their experience creating high-end tropical resorts to make this living space feel like a permanent vacation.

Page and Mitch pulled out all the stops in their Tulum-inspired kitchen, where a grocery lift concealed in the cabinetry beside the pantry conveys cooking supplies from the ground floor all the way up to counter level. A 10-foot island is rounded and finished with more textural tambour beside the pantry, while a waterfall edge toward the balcony showcases their gorgeously veined stone. Best of all, accordion windows beside the countertop create a pass-through that maximizes homeowners’ indoor-outdoor entertaining capabilities.

They paired their contemporary-casual eat-in kitchen with a more formal dining space, where the warm tambour carries up and across a monumental wine-wall installation. Formal doesn’t mean fussy, mind you: The sleek, organic shapes of the interior arch and the dining area combine with the gallery wall to cultivate an eclectic, artistic feel.

Designer Michel Smith Boyd and couturier Anthony Elle of Luxe for Less elevate cost-conscious creativity to an art form. Case in point: Anthony outfitted this dedicated maker space in his and Michel's Berthoud, Colorado home with a storage island and tables for both seated and standing work. As a DIY phenomenon, he took extra care to build a surprise into the room: The tall cabinet at the rear of the space opens to reveal a secret exterior door. That element of playful privacy was central to his concept. “I think that when people are working on their projects — I know when I’m working on my projects [and] you’re working on yours — you want a space [where] you don’t actually have to be disturbed,” he explained. “I like the idea of separating work from creative work because that’s two very different spaces,” Michel concurred. “It’s totally different, and it’s necessary in these times,” Anthony said. There's a reason these two were crowned the champions of Season 4.

In Season Four, Sarah and Bryan Baeumler worked overtime to harness the Aspen chalet vibe they wanted for their home. They used natural stone and wood juxtaposed against white siding throughout their entire exterior. “With all the Colorado stone and wood materials we’re using on the exterior, it’s really helping the home blend in with the natural surroundings,” Bryan said. The duo also added upper and lower decks with ample seating and an outdoor barbecue. In the yard, they created a massive red-rock fire pit with natural seating, inspired by Colorado's iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Genius.

As soon as Farmhouse Fixer co-hosts and longtime friends Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin walked into their basement, they marveled over all the natural light and its sheer size. With visions of a family-friendly space in mind, they vowed to make their lower level the ultimate hangout spot. And their intricate efforts won them the week four challenge. The judges were wowed by their cool bunk-bed guest room (fit for both kids and adults), billiards room, wraparound banquet for together time, brick-backed bar and vintage arcade area.

Behold Michel's masterpiece in paint. “In the bedroom, I was originally going to paint a mountainous kind of landscape, but with [host] Ty [Pennington]’s design surprise challenge and us getting these saddle blankets” — a characteristic-of-Colorado material they needed to highlight in their home — “it would have felt like a dude ranch if we had mountains on the wall and plaid on the bed,” he said. With the hand-painted ombre effect he chose instead, “those two tones will be a much better backdrop, and since I’m painting the walls myself, we’re also saving on labor.” Michel carried the treatment across the ceiling to enhance the room’s intimate feel. Their cozy-cool space (complete with an impressive $11,500 deck extension) won them week three and, eventually, the entire competition.

“We want to make a statement in our alpine-chic house as soon as you pull up,” Page Turner told Mitch Glew before the week two living room challenge. And make a statement, they did! Backlit custom shelves (complete with a library ladder) rise on either side of the finished fireplace, carrying the eye up to Mitch’s tongue-and-groove cedar woodwork. This feature cost $15,500, and Page was glad to spend it. “This is my heartbeat, this whole library. I’ve always wanted to be able to build a library filled with books with a ladder, for my mom [who loved reading]. I absolutely cannot wait for her to see this,” Page said.

As an extension of their kitchen design, Jon and Kristina stuck to a high-contrast palette in the dining room, opting for a subtle chandelier that wouldn't block the beautiful views. Then, to bring the outdoors in, they installed sliding glass doors that open onto the porch, showcasing the perfect spot for barbecuing.

The first reno challenge of Season 4: Make over the kitchen and dining room, the adjoining pantry, study, mudroom and powder room. Sheesh. Jon and Kristina vowed to spend no more than $70,000. Right away, Kristina got creative. “We’ll create a stove cove — a stove set into a wall,” she said. To make it stand out, she and Jonathan outfitted the cove with a stone backsplash and deep-green cabinetry. Then, to add contrast and character, they opted for a stark black island with uniquely rounded edges. Cane counter stools offer a touch of added texture. Even cooler, they created a back kitchen to serve as a casual spot for cooking and family hang time.

For its third season, Rock the Block went south to reinvent a quartet of homes in Charleston, South Carolina. Strategy kicked into high gear for this third-floor space, where Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson (Married to Real Estate) planned to present a screening room that just so happened to double as a legal en suite (thanks to a closet that they’d convert to a full bath). They decided to convert a second closet to a dry bar that could also function as additional bedroom storage. Egypt brought the drama with a deep shade of almost-black gray that carried a cool blue undertone; the walls, molding, doors and ceiling all fell under its spell. A cozy caramel-colored leather sofa and sleek modern chairs and tables can be mixed and matched for entertainment of all kinds. Appraisers love this kind of versatility, and at the end of the week and the competition, Egypt and Mike won it all with a total appraisal value of $913,000.

Egypt and Mike paid close attention to moves contestants made in previous seasons, and they knew brick exteriors could have a major impact on their home’s ultimate appraisal value. They planned to supplement that look with porch accessories that would cultivate Southern style and romantic landscaping to complement the property’s coastal location. A pair of crepe myrtles and textural greenery flank the driveway of the lime-washed home. Egypt was inspired by the quirky-charming houses she saw on Charleston’s historic Rainbow Row, and she channeled all of that personality into this new construction. Blooms spill from a wrought-iron Juliet balcony and armchairs beckon guests to stay a while on the spacious porch.

To squeeze every bit of functionality out of the finished room over the garage, aka the F.R.O.G., Jenny and Dave Marrs, the husband-and-wife team behind Fixer to Fabulous, decided to create a space that could serve as both a home office and a mother-in-law suite for visiting family. They allocated $13,000 for the transformation, which Dave would supplement by building both a custom drop-down desk and a trundle bed. All in a week’s work, right? Sea-green paint infuses the F.R.O.G. with Charleston character. Truly the Swiss Army Knife of spaces, this part of the home now boasts a kitchenette with a wine refrigerator, a finished half bath, an overhead projector and screen, stained glass, style for (nautical) miles — we could go on. The judges were smitten with how Jenny and Dave packed the space with both style and practical perks.

Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb plotted to spend a whopping $35,000 to fill their home’s main suite with high-end amenities that would win buyers’ (and appraisers’) hearts. They also focused on functionality by adding doors to a private outdoor patio space and a fabulous walk-in closet featuring a washer and dryer. What’s not to love? With gorgeously weathered-looking floors, a dramatic four-poster bed and quirky accents galore, this sumptuous suite already boasts a lived-in feel. The twins balanced their design by pairing metallic details like the gleaming mirror and console table with cozy textiles and organic accents. Velvety gray accent paint beside the door and behind the bed, in turn, anchors the ethereal space. Did we mention that they outfitted that spectacular closet with reclaimed pine to meet the requirements of a weekly challenge? Well done, ladies.

Pay close attention to the windowed hallway to the right of this space, because the way Egypt and Mike transformed it is one of the big reasons they went on to win the third season of Rock the Block. They bumped out their home’s entryway to create both a hidden and highly functional stop-and-drop space and a hallway that would connect the main house to the garage. That power move would add more than 150 square feet to their property’s footprint. Visitors enter the finished home and can hang a right to stash coats and belongings — or keep on going to the garage and the finished rooms above it. On the other side of the foyer wall, a powder room with a chic Charleston-blue-tiled feature wall adds functionality to the first floor. Exposed ceiling beams carry the eye through the space, and a wrought-iron chandelier adds historic flavor to a coastal seating area that Egypt created with two slipcovered white sofas and a live-edge coffee table. Mike built a massive white fireplace and surround to bring warmth and coziness to this gathering space.

For the first challenge of the third season, Jenny and Dave wanted the open-plan first-floor space of their Charleston home to feel light-filled and breezy, so they earmarked $50,000 of their total $225,000 budget to make it happen. Southern breezes and dazzling light pour into the finished space from three directions, thanks to the large sliders the Marrs swapped in for French doors and the massive windows they added in the kitchen. A rotated island lets hosts and guests flow freely through the space, while a stunning custom dining table (courtesy of Dave) is able to seat a substantial crew. Coastal and industrial pendants add punches of style to the airy, elegant space.

Competing in the second season of Rock the Block in Paulding County, Georgia, Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt, the husband-and-wife team behind 100 Day Dream Home, decided a third garage space wasn’t doing their home any favors. They reasoned that potential buyers would appreciate a bit of customization that could potentially see much more day-to-day use; views from treadmills, please try harder. The Kleinschmidts installed a glass-paneled garage door that opens to offer direct access to fresh air and the bucolic landscape behind their home. That clever move, taken into consideration with value-building strategies they’d followed throughout the competition, landed them a final appraisal value of $625,000 and the overall win. Now that’s what we call a hard-working gym.

The backyard of Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent (The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project)'s house was limited. Its front and side porch — and the face of the home itself — offered little flexibility. Knowing they'd need to make a statement, the duo decided to sink $40,000 into wrapping the home in gorgeous brick that would withstand the test of time. This bespoke home pairs all that gorgeous brick with crisp black trim, warm wood and stylish sage-green accents. A handsome screened porch with marble floors offers indoor-outdoor living and an elegant respite from Georgia’s infamous insects. Balanced container plants and a terraced lawn present handsome, formal curb appeal.

Nate and Jer reasoned that they could get the most bang for their buck by investing $40,000 to turn their basement into a two-bedroom rental unit (that would add 1,000 square feet to the home). With a lockable door between this floor and others, the renovated space functions as either an income property or bonus rooms for the family living above. The duo chose finishes and furnishings consistent with the ones they used in the rest of the home. This multipurpose space features a custom Murphy bed, a home office, cabinets repurposed from the upstairs kitchen, opulent marble countertops and a full bath. Touches like sliding barn doors and glass-paned French doors make the rooms feel both divisible and spacious. Those value adds dazzled the judges, and Nate and Jer's serious investment paid off.

Alison Victoria (Windy City Rehab) returned for Rock the Block's second season and partnered with renovation phenom Mike Holmes (Holmes on Homes). They liked the layout of their home’s main bath, but they knew they needed to invest a substantial portion of their budget to outfit it with top-of-the-line materials and treatments. Alison envisioned a one-of-a-kind treatment that would make it unforgettable. The stunning finished space features nearly $8,000 in ombre tile, which, for obvious reasons, is incredibly difficult to install and grout. A glass shower with brass accents allows the tile effect to take center stage, while a drop-in bathtub surrounded with opulent veined stone balances a glamorous wall of custom cabinetry and gleaming installations.

David Bromstad (My Lottery Dream Home) and HGTV Smart Home designer Tiffany Brooks joined forces with the goal of demonstrating that bold color and pattern choices could have broad appeal, and they planned to put an exclamation point on that statement in their home’s foyer. The final design boasts an ombre-effect treatment on the stairs’ risers, which pops against a sleek black wall adorned with vintage mirrors. On the opposite wall, peacock-pattern paper and graphic black-and-white canvases texturize the once-blank hallway. Don’t let this zone’s whimsical movements fool you: David and Tiffany also built functionality into the area by using adjoining rooms to create an in-law suite and a mudroom connecting the garage. They also toned down the second-floor landing to give the eye an opportunity to rest.

With Mike at her side, Alison dominated the kitchen competition for the second year in a row. They decided to infuse the space with Old World style by including details to develop its character. Architectural adds create texture, while custom cabinetry has the look of antique furniture. A handsome arch in weathered brick forms a shroud to conceal the vent above the range, and glass-paneled cabinetry is now embedded in the wall. Exposed beams draw the eye upward, making the kitchen and dining area feel even more expansive. Customized storage in the island is both beautiful and functional. The $48,000 Mike and Alison spent to reimagine this kitchen was well spent.

Jasmine Roth (Help! I Wrecked My House) knows a thing or two about making epic alterations to cookie-cutter southern California homes. Competing in the first-ever Rock the Block challenge in Santa Clarita, California, she knew that curb appeal would influence every opinion the judges formed about her ranch-style house. She envisioned upgrades that would differentiate it from the rest of the development and add character that improved over time. Handsome stone skirting offers an elevated, organic look, while a coat of creamy white paint brightens the home’s face and pops against stained wood on the garage door and shutters. The new framed walkway has a feathery grass border that will add movement to the front yard as it grows, and new, double-headed sconces on the garage gleam like bits of statement jewelry. It’s the perfect introduction to the family headquarters Jasmine designed — and it led to a final appraisal of more than $1 million and bragging rights as the first-ever Rock the Block champ.

Jasmine planned the ultimate upgrade for her home’s main space: Blow out the back wall and add an in-ground pool, a move that would cost her $30,000. A win made it worth it, of course. Crowned with a sculptural chandelier, this custom vaulted ceiling is a power move. Massive glass stacking doors facilitate indoor-outdoor living and frame the hillside pool, outdoor bar and sitting area out back. When the sun goes down and it’s time to towel off and come in, an elegant electric fireplace offers a cozy gathering spot.

Alison Victoria was made for the second week of Season 1 competition: She’s renovated more than 140 kitchens and knew this one would be the star of her home. She hit the ground running with a plan to create a space “dripping in luxury.” Mission accomplished. The showstopping, waterfall-edge quartz island features practical adds like a microwave drawer and porcelain sink. It also boasts a gorgeous layer of brass Alison carried through the custom hood and the floating shelves. Shaker-style cabinets with luxe hardware frame a stone-slab backsplash and a commercial-grade stove, and a pair of stately globe pendants add a focal point.