Tour Scott McGillivray and Brooke Hogan’s Season 7 ‘Rock the Block’ Home

Scott McGillivray talks a big game, and he’s earned that posture: He’s one of HGTV’s best-known renovation experts, thanks to shows like Income Property and Vacation House Rules. He’s tackled more than a thousand projects in the course of his career. Television personality, singer and designer Brooke Hogan knows her way around as well: She’s been on television since childhood, though Rock the Block is her prime-time debut as a renovator.

“How are you feeling about Rock the Block?” Scott asked Brooke. “Normally, it’s like crawl, walk, run. You’re like, ‘I’m just going to start with a sprint.’”

Brooke replied: “You have to go 100 miles an hour [on the block] and that’s kind of my personality. I’m not nervous. Are you nervous?”

“Well, now I’m nervous,” Scott confessed, “because I’m like a prepare-plan-execute [guy].”

“Oh, we gotta wing it, man!” Brooke said.

Brooke and Scott weren’t the only attention-getting pair heading into the competition for Season 7 of Rock the Block. They square off against Survivor champ and Why the Heck Did I Buy This House? host Kim Wolfe, partnered with her former competitor and bestie, Chelsea Meissner. Good Bones star Mina Starsiak Hawk comes to Sin City with Super Bowl-winning tight end and interior-design-firm-owner Vernon Davis. Hospitality-property designer (and winning Battle on the Beach mentor) Taniya Nayak brings her expertise alongside 98 Degrees member and accomplished DIYer Drew Lachey.

The duos are tasked with transforming the competition’s biggest-ever single-story homes. Located a short distance from the Las Vegas Strip, the identical three-bedroom, four-bath properties have sky-high ceilings, more than 5,000 square feet of interior space and starting appraisal values of $1.9 million. Each team has seven weeks and a budget of $275,000. In the end, the home with the highest final appraisal value will earn its renovators the coveted custom street sign and bragging rights. Weekly wins come with a Vegas-inspired twist: Teams can take $3,000 to supplement their budgets for the week ahead or boost their final appraisal by $1,000. Did Scott and Brooke know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em? Here’s a play-by-play of their whole game.

Scott and Brooke wanted their primary bedroom to feel impressive but not cold, so they built out a tray ceiling feature that maintained the ceiling’s height and offered a welcoming ambiance. With arches, soft, organic tones and luxurious finishes, they envisioned their home as a modern hacienda that combined Mediterranean style and Vegas opulence.

Scott was initially skeptical about a fireplace for the main suite: “It’s already hot! We’re in Vegas!”

“But it gets cold here, too, and people like to cozy up! It’s sexy,” Brooke said. Bearing in mind that Brooke was their target client, Scott followed her lead. The linear fireplace they installed across from the bed centers a pair of built-in rustic-contemporary cabinets and a veined stone surround. These materials anticipate the elegant organic materials they intended to introduce in the bath suite.

Scott and Brooke leaned into the drama of full barrel arches. A graceful soaking tub stands beside a glassed-in shower and a personal sauna with a salt wall. “I’m glad we committed to the arches, because now everything’s kind of like Mediterranean sexy. Arch you happy that I’m your partner?” Brooke punned.

“I think that we’re a really good match!” Scott concurred.

Echoing the soaring barrel ceiling above the soaking tub, Scott and Brooke designed a wall-spanning, double-arched vanity with an extra-luxurious, four-inch-thick slab of stone that matches the bedroom fireplace. Insets outfitted with custom LEDs lend the mirrors a golden glow, and a pair of rectangular niches between them creates a functional space that doubles as an artistic display. Arched, backlit sconces on either side of the mirrors layer the lighting scheme and bring in even more of that gorgeous stone.

Judgment day turned out to be Scott and Brooke’s lucky day: They faced inspection from restaurateur and television icon Lisa Vanderpump and her longtime collaborator, celebrated designer Nick Alain. They appreciated the team’s decisions in the bedroom suite, but when they reached the walk-in closet — where Scott and Brooke invested almost $8,000 to install glass walls that made the closet a high-visibility installation and gave the space the look of a retail store — the whole game came to a halt.

“Oh, this is made for me. This is Vegas, baby!” Lisa exclaimed. “This feels great. It feels modern. It feels airy. It feels bright. The glass wall changes everything. You don’t feel so confined. I really like this idea. This is fantastic.” What she called “adventurous design” paid off as a Week 1 win.

Brooke and Scott returned to their house buzzing with pride over their first win. “Our confidence levels are on the rise because we now have proof of concept our strategy is working,” Scott said. They followed their instincts with the foyer design by adding a wall to make the space feel less exposed and create some separation within the home’s open-plan layout, then added a substantial credenza to offer an immediate stop-and-drop space. Most importantly, they chose a handsome, solid oak front door to set visitors’ expectations for the finishes and customizations they would experience within the home.

Given the truly massive size of their great room, Brooke and Scott weren’t all that keen on creating another general-use living space beside the foyer. “If our competition uses this space as a den, that’s super boring,” Scott said. “We need to elevate it!” Thinking once again of how a prospective buyer like Brooke would use the space, they decided to create a warm, welcoming formal dining room that could serve as a central entertaining space for family gatherings and celebrations. Converting an awkward area with three decorative pillars into a solid wall that created a cozy, generous room, they added another arch to emphasize their “modern hacienda” aesthetic, then gave the walls rich, terra-cotta-toned color and exposed ceiling beams.

Comprising a whopping 950 square feet, the foyer, den and great room were the home’s most substantial shared spaces — and they merited a lot of light and detail. Brooke and Scott carried more of the exposed beams they installed in the formal dining room across the great room’s long ceiling, then opened up the home’s back wall to install massive sliders. “I’m really glad we opened up the back wall here. This is [a] night-and-day difference,” Brooke said.

“Game changer,” Scott agreed.

Anchoring the room with a monumental fireplace installed and plastered to create additional seating, Brooke and Scott continued their hacienda-inspired renovation in style. At Brooke’s suggestion, they also added arched built-in bookshelves on either side of that fireplace — and still managed to stick to a budget of about $40,000 for the week.

Brooke and Scott styled their great room with textural earth tones and generous, low-slung pieces that made the sitting areas they created feel intimate. The rust-colored velvet they deployed here echoes the bold shade they chose to define the walls in their den-turned-dining-room. This home is style-conscious and customized, but it’s also perfect for entertaining a substantial, multigenerational crew.

The second guest judge was none other than Michel Smith Boyd, the Luxe for Less host who just happens to be Rock the Block’s only two-time winner. His celebrated eye worked to their advantage: “So, ‘modern hacienda’ — the architecture lives up to it!” he noted. He was especially fond of the bullnose surrounding the fireplace, as well as its custom finish. “This is the next level,” he said. “I appreciate this kind of attention to detail. Somebody hand-troweled this. That’s valuable to me.” Ironically, he did not love the custom wine rack Brooke and Scott decided to purchase with their $3,000 in Week 1 prize money — but the fact that he pronounced the property “the house you want to be friends with” boded well for how it might fare in the final appraisal.

When the competition moved to the kitchen for the third week of battle, Scott didn’t mince words. “Everything that’s happened up 'til now is child’s play,” he told Brooke. “Kitchen, make or break — so we’re doing kitchen-plus. This is a multimillion-dollar home, we’ve gone for the entertaining vibe, I think we need to lean into that even further.” They placed a bold bet on double islands and aesthetic investments. (Yep, that meant even more arches.) So, what would all of that cost them? “You could spend $150,000 on this kitchen, easy,” Scott said. “I think we need $55,000 for the kitchen.”

Brooke and Scott spent a whopping $22,750 of their kitchen budget on cabinets, a strategy that made sense on paper and felt like a major risk when all of those similar-looking boxes got delivered at once. “Cabinet, cabinet, cabinet, [and] we’re gonna have our prep kitchen back there with more cabinets, this is a lot of cabinets!” Scott noted.

Thinking on his feet, he elevated the design by building corbels into the Venetian-plastered range hood, a one-of-a-kind move that would integrate the illuminated floating shelves flanking them on either side. “It feels more custom, intentional and it looks great,” he explained.

Scott and Brooke knew their competition would be building seriously stacked kitchens, so they blew past the idea of a prep kitchen or pantry and built out a full, second kitchen with an arched shortcut to the dining room. After adding a window that poured natural light all over their space — the better for appraisers to see all of those added appliances — they floated even more underlit shelves on the walls. “The kitchen is the heart of the home, and we need big spaces!” Brooke said. “We need a lot of room for entertaining, we need a lot of stuff to cook with.”

Scott and Brooke also added interest to their ultra-generous suite of natural-wood cabinets with a “sneaky bar” zone in the second kitchen. Texturized with fluted paneling that they painted a sophisticated green and outfitted with both brass-bordered glass floating shelves and a mirrored backsplash, this space delivers the kind of speakeasy-style functionality Vegas buyers expect.

Carrying the cabinets and pale, veined-stone countertops into the morning room beyond the kitchen, Brooke and Scott created a built-in serving area that could function as a coffee bar in the morning (with even more appliances, naturally) and transition to a buffet in the evening. “This could be the morning, the afternoon, the evening room,” Scott reasoned. To make the primary kitchen’s amenities feel practically endless, Scott and Brooke built the upper cabinets up to the ceiling and added a second microwave. A lighter-than-air pendant centered above a casual, round dining table and velvet-upholstered chairs signal to buyers that this zone also supplements the larger dining area beside the foyer.

A two-time Rock the Block veteran whose most recent kitchen took top honors, Love It or List It designer Page Turner knew what she expected to see — and she found it at Brooke and Scott’s place. “This is a massively well-designed and thought-out kitchen. I feel like I’m in a magazine,” she said. “I love the extension of the cabinetry into their eat-in kitchen breakfast nook [and] all the way down.” That said, the cabinets’ addition meant the space above the windows felt a bit unbalanced. “They could have extended their plaster overhang there right up to the ceiling so it doesn’t feel so empty,” she explained. Happily, their doubling down on islands and appliances was a bold enough move to carry them past that misstep — and they became the season’s first double winners.

At long last, the fourth week of renovations brought Scott and Brooke to the space they’d been itching to transform. The 250-square-foot multigenerational suite was accessible via a separate entrance in the home’s courtyard, and it offered an opportunity to flaunt their short-term-rental design chops.

Scott and Brooke supplemented the kitchenette they were required to build by adding a dishwasher to maximize value on their appraisal. Dubbing their satellite space the “cashienda” to complement the main house’s “modern hacienda” vibe, they resolved to make strategic moves that suggested costly investments (like the range hood they drywalled and plastered themselves for this kitchenette) but would ring in around $20,000.

With $3,000 in kitchen-challenge winnings to devote to the suite’s renovation, Scott opted to add yet another fireplace ($2,840) to the property. “Adding a fireplace just is another check mark for a buyer, for a renter and for added value to our space,” he reasoned. It’s more than that, of course: Framed with rustic planks in a basketweave pattern and styled with abstract DIY art courtesy of Brooke, this focal point gives the living area that contemporary-hacienda character. “[I]t’s a fully self-contained apartment, and I want it to feel cozy,” Scott added.

After demolishing the “little cubbyhole” in the suite’s long wall, Brooke and Scott walled off a distinct bedroom and reimagined the main living area as a sitting space full of curves. A midweek design challenge scored them a brass faucet (which added luxury to the sink in their kitchen island) and a velvet bench that played with the furnishings they chose for the room. While aesthetic adds like these don’t bring value to the eventual appraisal, they do help potential buyers envision this space as one where guests and renters could make themselves at home.

While studio-style space dividers like open-backed bookshelves and folding screens can nudge buyers’ imaginations along, Scott and Brooke wanted to create a proper bedroom. They enclosed the window and closet beyond the sitting area, creating a snug sleeping space that opens into a narrow hallway. Paneling, black-and-white-patterned paper and sconces on the feature wall behind the upholstered headboard create another permanent (and space-savvy) focal point for the suite. Minimalistic window coverings filter light.

Calling the move “something pretty much insane, something I’ve never done before,” Scott talked Brooke into embracing the “funky income property” spirit and covering the entire bathroom with tile (for $5,570). “It’s either going to be the best thing the judges have ever seen or the worst thing,” he noted. The team also relocated their bathroom’s window and toilet, which cost a few thousand dollars but felt necessary in the context of the hallway they’d created beside the new bedroom. Would it all pay off? “Thinking back to Nashville, people sometimes like a little crazy — so we went a little crazy,” Brooke reasoned.

When it comes to your home renovation choices, who’s more invested in what works and what doesn’t than the other folks on your block? The fourth week of evaluations fell to the competitors themselves, and they were eager to have a look at their peers’ efforts.

“Get outta here!” exclaimed Taniya (above). "They have a fireplace! What a great use of space. I love the way they used this bench, it gives a little flow to the space.”

Love for the over-the-top bathroom was unanimous. “Is [their bathroom] bigger than ours?” Drew asked. “It feels bigger than ours!”

“We’ll give Brooke all the credit, how about that?” Taniya replied.

The fifth week on the block brought Scott and Brooke to their home’s laundry room, office and RV garage. In the laundry room, they revisited the natural-wood cabinetry and veined stone countertops that had delivered them a kitchen win. Cabinets above the side-by-side appliances and open shelving above the sink provide organic warmth and substantial storage. Though Brooke identifies as “an old-school, white-metal, top-load washer-dryer kind of girl,” Scott saved her from herself with new appliances.

Across from the appliances, Brooke and Scott supplemented their storage and counter space with what Scott pronounced “the benchy mudroom thing” — a multi-zone, custom built-in that doubles down on the room’s rustic appeal. Minimal shelving on its left side provides storage for stashing hampers and hanging coats, while a central series of cubbies and bins accommodates shoes and outdoor gear.

The office adjoining the inner courtyard offered an opportunity to get creative, thanks to its small closet and slider. Brooke and Scott took advantage of the room’s ample natural light and painted the walls black, then created contrast with pale planks on the floor and warm, neutral accessories. Here, the hacienda is at its most modern.

Beyond its narrow entryway, the office widens into a space that’s just large enough for a substantial, custom-built double bunk ($470). Painted to match the walls, that feature isn’t nearly as versatile as the Murphy bed Brooke and Scott first imagined for the space — but it was inexpensive enough to give them a bit more wiggle room in the week’s third and final zone.

As bespoke neon and more than 1,200 sawn-in-half pickleballs ($1,310) proclaim, Brooke and Scott went balls to the wall in the RV garage, where they were determined to have an impact and preserve the space’s original function. They invested $6,830 in custom-tinted epoxy flooring that turned the garage into a multiuse sports court and boosted its final appraisal value. Then, they installed a basketball hoop, a professional scoreboard and a drop-down screen for broadcasts and movies.

What did visiting judge (and designer, author, cabaret singer and original Real Housewives of New York City cast member) Luann de Lesseps think of all that? She praised the “on-trend” black bedroom and “Aspen-ish” laundry room, then pronounced the RV garage a family-friendly wonderland. “They get an A+ for creative design, that’s for sure,” she said.

Brooke and Scott entered the sixth week of competition eager to become the season’s first three-time winners. They were tasked with outfitting a massive backyard. And after competing in the week’s design challenge — during which the spin of a roulette wheel assigned teams one of four different plunge pools to incorporate in their outdoor space — they were awarded an 8' x 15' pool and tile to customize its interior. They settled on a wide stripe pattern, then hardscaped steps leading up from their outdoor kitchen on one side and into a sunbathing terrace on the other. Though embellishing the pool was a major time commitment. “I’m hoping with the differentiation of our pool having the tile, when these homes get appraised and when the judges come through, ours will be more memorable,” Scott said.

While much of the backyard’s layout felt intuitive, Brooke and Scott made an early misstep by building their bar in an awkward corner. Realizing that it would be of better use beside their fire pit, they hoisted the completed structure over their property’s exterior wall, drove it around the block and reinstalled it at the opposite end of the outdoor space. The adjustment was time-consuming and risky, but “over there it makes total sense,” Scott observed. Outfitted with an outdoor television that would be visible from the built-in seating area across the yard, the bar now anchors a functional entertainment zone.

With just $30,000 to completely outfit a truly massive yard, Brooke and Scott decided to DIY a large built-in bench to frame their sculptural fire pit. They invested a long afternoon and evening in building this structure, but the time was well spent: “This is gigantic!” Brooke exclaimed. “You and I could lay down and, like, look at each other and play footsies!” The structure’s generous proportions and natural graining echo the banks of custom cabinetry they installed in their kitchen and main suite. Yes, the modern-hacienda theme carries all the way out here.

The loggia between the sliders leading inside offered an opportunity to create an elegant, versatile lounging and dining area. Brooke and Scott installed a double-sided fireplace embellished with pale stone to anchor a sitting area on one side and a walk-out space beyond the primary suite on the other. Then, they layered their lighting with a combination of woven pendants, recessed lights and sconces flanking a second outdoor television. After dark, this versatile space’s warm wooden furniture and stone pavers will come alive with a cozy glow.

Two-time Super-Bowl-winning wide receiver Danny Amendola — who has called Vegas home and spearheaded luxury property developments — came to the block to survey Brooke and Scott’s outdoor efforts. He appreciated their attention to detail and strategic thinking in developing different zones for the property, though a large side yard, which they merely covered with turf, felt like a missed opportunity. “I thought we maybe could have had one more feature in the side area. It’s just a blank canvas right now,” he said. “Maybe more seating or a lawn game? That was really my only critique. Other than that, it was great.”

Brooke and Scott poured the remaining $40,000 of their $275,000 renovation budget into an exterior look that would set them apart on the block. “Curb appeal is where you get your biggest bang for your buck,” Scott reasoned. After texturizing their exterior with creamy stone, they added “eyebrows” ($1,120) above the windows to build character. They also invested a whopping $12,000 in terra cotta roof tiles, “because they age well, they stand up to weather extremely well, but they also look incredible,” Scott said.

Leaning into the hacienda character they’d been developing for the last seven weeks, Brooke and Scott installed a tiered, variegated-paver walkway that carries gracefully into their solid oak front door. Walnut-toned cladding on the pillar and crossbeam frame the entryway and offer an introduction to the high-end organic finishes inside.

Brooke and Scott envisioned their courtyard as a meditative space that felt like a private park. They built out their fireplace with stone left over from their curb-facing installations ($2,830), then planted a substantial tree at each of the patio’s corners. Meditation benches present places to pause, and a dramatic spherical chandelier in the space’s interior entryway introduces the foyer in style. “I just love that we’re using the stone from the front around the fireplace,” Brooke said. “Because it ties the front to the courtyard, and then the light color of the stone ties the courtyard into the interior of the home.”

Fellow Canadians (and former Vegas residents, and HGTV superstars) Drew and Jonathan Scott came to the block to evaluate their old friend’s work. “Do we think Scott’s getting a little more design savvy because he’s got Brooke on his side?” Drew mused. “Because I feel that there are some touches here I haven’t seen from Scott before.”

“They’ve added hard value,” Jonathan said. “I’m excited to see what the appraisers thought!”

After seven weeks of Scott’s ultra-confident banter, his competitors were eager for a look at the designs behind the trash talk — and they weren’t disappointed. “Stop it right now,” Taniya exclaimed. “This is beautiful! The way your color is going through this space is incredible!”

Mina admired their kitchen: “The hood is so cool,” she said. “I mean, I get why you guys won!” She also acknowledged the primary suite closet: “Like, that is the most glam, most Vanderpump closet that you’re going to get on our block.”