Step Inside the 'Ugliest House in America' Renovation Season 8

It's been a season of ugly in HGTV's latest odyssey of Ugliest House in America starring comedian, actress and home enthusiast Retta. From a slew of 20 houses (spread across five regions of the U.S.), this year's "field of ugliness" was narrowed to just five finalists. Bearing names like "The Condo of Technicolor Chaos," "That '70s House" and "The Castle at the End of the World," these domiciles (such as they are) are some of the most unsightly and dysfunctional homes around. Well, judging is complete. The final results are in. This year, HGTV's most dubious honor goes to the home Retta has dubbed the "The Mosaic Museum of Westeros." Located in Miami, it's also the house designer Alison Victoria has called her ultimate renovation challenge. (Pictured: Homeowners Michael and Naye, who purchased the house 10 months prior to filming, are presented with their home's radical makeover.)

"Right from the curb, the 'Mosaic Museum of Westoros' lets you know that ... this casa was crazy!" said Retta. "Every room in the house is a combination of baffling mosaics and menacing medieval décor." (It's the latter observation that prompted the Game of Thrones reference in the home's unofficial moniker.) "There's so much sensory overload, you'll want to hide in the closet," added Alison. Only one problem with that: The house has no closets.

Built in 1926, the house came with five bedrooms, four baths and an interior of 2,670 square feet. Though not as shocking as what lay inside, the home's exterior prior to the renovation was drab and ordinary — in basic beige with dark ornamentation and black trim. The front stairs give preview of the "mosaic museum" theme that awaits within, with stairs surfaced in tiles of assorted shapes forming a geometric cobweb design. Offbeat features notwithstanding, the exterior was in good shape. "With a paint job and some fresh landscaping," said Alison, "it's not going to take much to make the outside look amazing."

Alison freshened up the textured stucco exterior (and the awning) with white paint. Sky blue window trim and a matching front door add color and character. The old patterned mosaic on the stairs has been replaced with Spanish Saltillo tile in terra cotta — offering a more uniform look. Colorful mosaic window accents shine against the new, lighter backdrop. Alison also added turf to the once-shabby front yard.

At 2,700 square feet, the home's interiors were fairly roomy and open. But, in its "before" state, a lot of the spaces were essentially unused and had no real function. This family room was an example. Homeowners Michael and Naye looked to Alison for expertise and guidance on how to — not only "clean up the crazy" in terms of décor — but also to render the spaces more logical, user-friendly and welcoming. In terms of style, they hoped to incorporate elements of a traditional Spanish look, keeping with the home's original architecture.

The combined living space gets converted back to a single showpiece living room with a new, light palette, casual-comfortable furnishings and the original artistically designed fireplace as its focal point. (The piano did survive the reno, btw — as a purely decorative piece.) Archway entries were widened, giving the space a more grand and spacious feel.

The kitchen was perhaps the purest example of the "artistic license" taken by the previous homeowners whose tastes leaned heavily into the, um, eclectic. Clearly art lovers, they evidently took their passions to great lengths — treating nearly every surface in the home as a blank-canvas and festooning walls, doors, floors and fixtures with a dazzling array of tile mosaics, reliefs and sculpted ornamentation. In the kitchen, odd color choices (blood-red walls?), a generally dark palette and elaborate ornamentation gave the space a heavy, somber (and frightening) vibe. The walls, aside from being bright red, were decorated with monkey figurines. As a room, this was definitely a conversation starter. As a kitchen, it was a long way from chef-worthy.

Alison's design plan included a radical kitchen makeover. An expanded archway opens up and frames the renovated space. Alison replaced the dated tile flooring with wood floors in a light finish. The palette is now natural and serene, with ceiling-height, wooden cabinets offset by deep, green stone for the countertops and backsplash. The custom island, with its curvilinear design and integrated sink, is paired with unique carved wood barstools. Recessed lighting and twin sconces highlight the kitchen's star feature: a custom hood vent with a brushed brass finish.

Prior to renovation, the main hallway was, like several of the other areas throughout the home, suffering from the dreaded "Three-D Syndrome" — dark, drab and dated.

Alison's design plan emphasized brightening up overly dark spaces and accessorizing with a slightly reserved, less-is-more approach. Here she makes use of fresh white paint, open glass shelving, curated decor and live plants to offer a warm and tasteful visual. The decorative alcove is enhanced with a veined, gray-and-white marble backdrop. In this space, and the adjacent large foyer, Alison replaced the dated white tile flooring with new wood flooring in a light finish.

The combination living-and-dining area of the pre-reno floorplan didn't make sense. Additionally there was a "piano room" adjacent to the space that wasn't being used. (Neither of the homeowners play piano.) "Why have a shared dining-and-living room?" asked Alison. "There's an entire room [right next to it] that's not being used."

The newly reconfigured dining room (a.k.a the old piano room) is far more elegant, making use of a light touch in terms of visuals. Alison's sparse design approach keeps the space serene: Complementary black trim offsets clean, white walls. She retained the owner's original dining table since it played well with other elements of the new look. The space is further elevated by an art-deco style armoire, sconce lighting and a statement chandelier with natural textile shade.

The guest bathroom was one of the home's more visually striking oddball spaces — with a floral themed 3D tile mosaic and cacophony colors and shapes. The owners actually admired the uniqueness of the colorful mosaic and wanted to keep it. What they didn't like was room's dark and somber ambiance. "There is a way to have this art stay on the walls and not look like an absolute mess," said Alison. "By brightening up the floors and installing new drywall, we can still pay homage to the original owners — and give you a stunning bathroom."

The stars of the bathroom transformation: a new white tub, brushed brass fixtures and a contrasting dark-slab bench and surround. Other additions include recessed lighting and a new vanity with an engineered-stone counter in a terra cotta hue. Alison kept the colorful mosaic mural, leaving the home with an homage and lasting visual memento to its former personality. "Now," says Alison, "this looks very Miami."

The backyard of the home was overgrown, untended and, much like several of the interior spaces, unused.

The patio now boasts fresh white exterior paint on the home, improved landscaping, oversized planters and an outdoor dining area with a table and chairs in bent rattan design — echoing a retro Miami style. Alison's aim was to create a tranquil and private oasis, easily accessible just outside the dining room door.

Alison pauses for a portrait shot in the redesigned kitchen, now with a far more easy-on-the-eyes color palette.