See the Winning Design! Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt's House Reveal

Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt transformed their Rock the Block house into a southern Craftsman designed for families.

By: Chelsey Bowen

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The Team: Brian and Mika

Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt from 100 Day Dream Home are used to building homes from the ground up in a tight timeframe. As the only licensed real estate agent in the competition, Mika planned on using her expertise to add value to the home.

Setting Up the Challenge

Chopped's Ted Allen showed up virtually to introduce the contestants to the Mystery Box Challenge. Each team had to use the materials — chicken wire, faux leather, white tiles and Mason jars — somewhere in their kitchen and dining room designs.

Laying Out the Strategy

After ripping out the builder-basic cabinets, Brian and Mika met with Rock the Block host Ty Pennington to discuss their plans for opening up the space.

The Kitchen, Before

The kitchen should be the heart of the home, but this kitchen seemed closed off. The pony wall made the big space feel tight, so the plan was to remove the wall and cabinetry to start with a clean slate.

The Kitchen, After

Brian and Mika delivered an abundance of storage to their family-friendly kitchen. In addition to the wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, they incorporated cabinets around the brilliant blue island, which was clad in a jumbo slab. The luxe countertop was the jumping off point of all their other design elements. When the first slab shattered, they had to quickly search for a replacement one that would still fit the bill. Fortunately, they found a second one that had the same color scheme and movement to complete their look.

From: Mika Kleinschmidt and Brian Kleinschmidt

The Kitchen, Before

Brian and Mika decided to take out the cabinetry and center island to reorient the kitchen, turning the island so that it faced the living area. Their budget for the kitchen and dining room remodel was $40,000.

The Kitchen, After

Taking into consideration the needs of today's families, they incorporated two dishwashers into the massive new island. Not only are they helpful for day-to-day cooking, but they'll make a huge difference when hosting gatherings big and small.

The Hidden Pantry

Brian and Mika created an unexpected moment to wow the judges and future homeowners. Disguised behind the wall of cabinetry, a hidden pantry was outfitted with wraparound shelving. To further delineate the space from the kitchen, the luxury vinyl plank was laid in a herringbone pattern.

Time for Judging

Tarek El Moussa from Flipping 101 and his fiancée and real estate maven, Heather Rae Young, judged Week 1. They were big fans of the jumbo countertop slab, floating shelves, double dishwashers and hidden pantry. However, Tarek would have created a more wow-worthy countertop edge, dropping it down into a waterfall, and made the dining room larger.

The Dining Room, Before

Though they're not able to increase the square footage of the home, Brian and Mika still wanted to max out every square inch of the kitchen and dining room.

The Dining Room, After

They extended the kitchen cabinets, counters and backsplash along the wall into the dining room space, adding in a beverage fridge and open shelving. They chose upholstered chairs with pleated backs to add a little detailing to the simple wooden dining table. Coordinating chrome fixtures were hung above.

Stylish + Functional Island

Brian and Mika paired upholstered barstools with the island for a ready-for-homework, made-for-entertaining, eat-in kitchen. To create a cohesive design, they laid soft gray-toned hardwood throughout the open floor plan.

The Finishing Touches

Over six weeks, they worked to add as much value as possible to the 4,000-square-foot home, starting with the kitchen and dining room. "We're going functional with a capital FUN," said Brian, as they embraced the chaos before the reveal and set out final accessories.

Spice It Up

For the Mystery Box Challenge, Brian and Mika designed a spice rack that combined all the materials: faux leather, chicken wire, tiles and Mason jars. They hung it inside the pantry to keep the most-used spices right on hand.

All About the Backsplash

For the counter-to-ceiling backsplash, beveled white tiles set in a vertical offset bond add subtle dimension to the classic Shaker cabinets. Thick, rustic floating shelves are perfect for displaying glassware and touches of greenery.

The Entryway, After

Brian and Mika worked with the existing staircase, simply adding paint to freshen up the space. Barn doors are added to the front room opening so that it can be closed off without taking up too much space in the hallway.

The Front Room, Before

Brian and Mika wanted to increase the flexibility of the floor plan by adding a closet to the front room. A closet allows the room to be considered a bedroom, which helps with the appraisal value.

The Front Room, After

With the addition of the closet, the house now boasted five bedrooms. Brian and Mika styled the room as a home office to show off the different ways the space could be used.

The Living Room, Before

The living room had a great view, but it was just a teaser to the outside since there wasn't a way to get out to the deck. They wanted to open up the wall as much as possible and include a few splurges in the space.

The Living Room, After

Since the ceilings are only 9 feet tall, they opted for decorative trim instead of beams to accent the ceiling without losing any height in the room. The most expensive element of their design — the $2,500 electric firebox — was set into a stacked stone fireplace to add instant warmth to the room. Built-in cabinets and floating shelves provided plenty of storage.

From: Mika Kleinschmidt and Brian Kleinschmidt

The Powder Room, After

Even though they stole a little bit of square footage from the powder room to create a closet in the front room, there was still plenty of space for a stylish and functional bathroom. They opted for a pedestal sink since it takes up less space (and typically costs less!) and papered the walls in a textured neutral print.

Living Space Judgment Time

Page Turner from Flip or Flop Nashville walked through the first floor with Brian and Mika on judgment day. She was a fan of the home office, electric fireplace, living room ceiling design and abundance of storage. Her only criticism was whether the front room would work well as a bedroom.

The Main Bedroom, Before

Ready to create another functional yet stylish space, Brian and Mika set a budget of $29,000 to remodel the main bedroom and bathroom. They decided to work with the bedroom footprint and bring in elements that elevate.

The Main Bedroom, After

They loved the grasscloth wallpaper they used in the powder room downstairs, so they brought it to the main bedroom as the focal wall behind the headboard. Not only did it create cohesive throughout the home, but it also added major texture to the space.

From: Mika Kleinschmidt and Brian Kleinschmidt

The Main Bedroom, After

Fresh and serene, the main bedroom was designed with relaxation in mind. Soft neutral walls paired with tactile white bedding and a soothing combo of gray, navy and mustard accents.

Making a Better Connection

Even though the laundry room wasn't a part of the main bedroom, Brian and Mika made it a part of the space by stealing some square footage from the guest room and adding a door from the main closet to the laundry room. "If you can make day-to-day tasks easier, that's a value that is priceless," said Mika.

The Main Bathroom, Before

Their first impression of the bathroom was that is had too many doors, and they wanted to eliminate the smaller areas to make space for one expansive room. "The kitchen and main suite bathroom are definitely the two areas of the home that you get the most return on investment," said Mika.

The Main Bathroom, After

Originally the layout had two walk-in closets, but they decided to eliminate one in order to create a showstopping wall-to-wall glass shower. Although it came with a hefty price tag of $10,000, they knew the shower, along with the freestanding bathtub, were the wow factors this bathroom needed.

From: Mika Kleinschmidt and Brian Kleinschmidt

The Main Bathroom, After

Brian and Mika included a large double vanity — a necessity for homeowners today — and grounded the space in luxe vinyl planking that looks like hardwood without the maintenance.

The Blind Walkthrough

Week 3 was a blind judging about which Brian said, "It's almost like a homebuyer coming through. It makes it more real." Judges Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson from Flipping Virgins loved how light and airy the spaces felt, as well as the functionality of the built-with-purpose laundry room. They were also impressed by the vanity space and extra-large shower, though they wished for more showerheads.

The Basement, Before

A big, unfinished space awaited the designers in the basement. "The basement can really make or break with the appraisal and who's going to win this overall competition," said Mika. Their plan was to break up the space into two areas: a mother-in-law suite with a full bath that feels like an extension of the home and a surprise bowling alley.

The Basement, After

Brian and Mika wanted to wow the judges with their basement. "Every judge so far has said we've been playing it safe. Well, guess what? After you see our basement, tell me we're playing it safe. Because we're doing a bowling alley in our basement," said Mika. They ran the two-lane miniature bowling alley the length of the home, installed two monitors and soundproofed the wall.

The Basement, After

The other side of the bowling alley space was outfitted for hanging out and relaxing with a cozy seating area and simple bar. At $30,000, the bowling alley took a huge chunk out of their $55,000 basement budget, but they were hopeful it would get them a win.

On the Roll

Judge Tamara Day from Bargain Mansions was wowed by the bowling alley basement remodel, saying, "It's one of the coolest things I've ever seen." She was worried, however, that it might be a negative to some people, and she felt it would be hard to appraise.

The Exterior, Before

Brian and Mika wanted to elevate the exterior of their home with different textures and create a southern feel. They set a budget of $30,000 for the exterior and $25,000 for the backyard.

The Exterior, After

They went with a mixture of materials — blue and white lap siding, cedar shake and stone — laid in horizontal and vertical directions. A white metal roof tied everything together. "We want to make sure the exterior is a showstopper when you first drive up. You only get one chance to make a first impression," said Brian.

The Backyard, After

For the upper porch, they created an outdoor dining area that can be used rain or shine. When the motorized pergola is closed, it forms a watertight roof, and then when the rain clouds pass, it can be opened to let it natural light. Glass railing added a modern look and also allowed for a view of the fire pit down below.

The Backyard, After

In addition to building a staircase that connected the upper porch to the lower deck, Brian and Mika designed an outdoor kitchen and cozy seating area to overlook the fire pit. The kitchen was outfitted with a grill, sink, refrigerator and plenty of storage.

Outdoor With the Judges

For Week 5 judging, Mike Pyle and Carmine Sabatella from Inside Out were ready to see how the designers transformed the great outdoors. They thought the exterior colors and mixed materials made for eye-catching curb appeal, but weren't sure the modern pergola matched the home's style.

The Laundry Room, After

Brian and Mika thought about how to make the laundry room uber-functional with multiple access points — one from the hallway and one from the main closet. Cabinets galore amped up the storage in the home, a necessity for families.

The Basement, After

Not only was the basement full of fun (a bowling alley!), but it was also made practical with the addition of a mother-in-law suite. Soft grays and neutrals set the tone for a relaxing bedroom retreat that also has access to the outdoor patio and fire pit.

Dumpster Dive

For the extra challenge during Week 4, the teams had to dig through a dumpster and find pieces they could reclaim and incorporate into their design in a meaningful way. Brian and Mika added lettering to the stop sign and used it as decor for their bowling alley. Stop. Drop. Bowl!

The Basement, After

The subtle gray palette continued from the in-law suite bedroom into the full bathroom, where the designers used simple yet smart materials to create a timeless space.

Raking It Out

Brian and Mika opted for black mulch to finish their landscaping and make the plants pop. They buried 20% of the stone to seamlessly incorporate the boulders and create a more natural look.

The Gym, After

After six grueling weeks of competition, the designers had three days to finish up their homes. The last week was to add a secret project that created more value. Brian and Mika transformed the third car garage into a home fitness center.

The Gym, After

To take advantage of the backyard view, they installed a glass garage door that can be opened to bring in fresh air. For a functional training area, they chose to cover the concrete with turf instead of carpet.

From: Mika Kleinschmidt and Brian Kleinschmidt

The Front Porch, After

Brian and Mika not only tailored the inside of the home for family functionality, but they also catered the exterior to the local Georgia buyers with a mix of materials that have a southern Craftsman aesthetic.

The Final Judgment

Jasmine Roth from Help! I Wrecked My House and the Season 1 winner of Rock the Block, along with Ken and Anita Corsini from Flip or Flop Atlanta, were the final judges. Ken and Anita were the real estate agents actually selling the houses, and they loved the Craftsman style, which fits Georgia to a tee, the hidden pantry and double dishwashers in the kitchen and the mother-in-law suite in the basement.

... And the Winners Are!

Brian and Mika were named the winners of Season 2 Rock the Block with a final appraisal of $625,000. After just six days on the market, the house sold for the full asking price of $635,000. "We knew we weren't going to out-design these competitors, but the whole time, we kept going for functionality, what adds true value and it paid off," said Mika.

The Celebration

Even though Brian and Mika didn't win any of the individual challenges, they got the big prize in the end. "We're up against some of the best designers in the world and now to know that we're in the same category, it blows my mind," said Brian.

Rock the Block

See the Winning Design! Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt's House Reveal

Related To:

Shop This Look

The Team: Brian and Mika

Setting Up the Challenge

Laying Out the Strategy

The Kitchen, Before

The Kitchen, After

The Kitchen, Before

The Kitchen, After

The Hidden Pantry

Time for Judging

The Dining Room, Before

The Dining Room, After

Stylish + Functional Island

The Finishing Touches

Spice It Up

All About the Backsplash

The Entryway, After

The Front Room, Before

The Front Room, After

The Living Room, Before

The Living Room, After

The Powder Room, After

Living Space Judgment Time

The Main Bedroom, Before

The Main Bedroom, After

The Main Bedroom, After

Making a Better Connection

The Main Bathroom, Before

The Main Bathroom, After

The Main Bathroom, After

The Blind Walkthrough

The Basement, Before

The Basement, After

The Basement, After

On the Roll

The Exterior, Before

The Exterior, After

The Backyard, After

The Backyard, After

Outdoor With the Judges

The Laundry Room, After

The Basement, After

Dumpster Dive

The Basement, After

Raking It Out

The Gym, After

The Gym, After

The Front Porch, After

The Final Judgment

... And the Winners Are!

The Celebration

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