This week’s “Rock the Block” sinks to a whole new level—all by bringing an oft-overlooked room to whole new heights.
In the episode “Lower Level Face Off,” the four design teams are challenged to renovate the basement—only, everyone shies away from calling it that, since the space is not completely underground. Windows allow in plenty of natural light, and you can walk right out into the backyard without climbing any stairs.
So instead, the competitors refer to the space as a “walkout.” Host Ty Pennington describes it another way, calling it “1,500 square feet of lower-level goodness.”
The teams—Bryan and Sarah Baeumler from “Renovation Island,” Michel Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle from “Luxe for Less,” Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin from “Farmhouse Fixer,” and Page Turner and Mitch Glew from “Fix My Flip”—are excited about all the possibilities in this giant space. But all are running low on cash, since most of them blew the bulk of their budgets on kitchens, living rooms, and main suites.
The best basement, er, walkout, wins an extra $4,000 for the next challenge. This week, the teams will be judged by Alison Victoria of “Windy City Rehab” and Veronica Valencia of HGTV’s new series “Revealed.”
While only one team can clinch the $4,000 prize, all four pull off some impressive stunts to wow the judges. And though we might not agree with all the upgrades, many are pretty genius and might inspire you to reimagine your own lower-level space, too.
Tambour is an inexpensive wall covering that looks like a million bucks
Tambour paneling
HGTV
“I am kind of in love with tambour,” says Smith Boyd as he nails curved, wood-slat paneling to his feature wall. “It’s really a super contemporary and super popular way to design right now.”
And the judges love it, too.
“You have done something that cost almost nothing, and you have made a million-dollar wall here,” says Victoria.
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Watch: We Got All the Stars of ‘Rock the Block’ in One Place To Spill the Secrets Behind Season 4
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Does a home really need three kitchens?
Kitchen with swinging barstools
HGTV
Turner and Glew decide to add another kitchen to the walkout basement, because it opens up to a patio where they plan to put a barbecue. Who wants to run all the way upstairs to the kitchen for the condiments they forgot?
“Let’s add up our kitchens,” says Turner. “Lower-level kitchen: one. Main-level kitchen: two. Prep kitchen: three. Value, value, more value,” she cheers.
To make theirs extra fun and special, Turner and Glew add swings instead of barstools to the island. Yep, basement swings.
And they’re not the only ones who add a kitchen. Last week’s winners, Smith Boyd and Elle, add a “sexy” kitchen to their lower level; the Baeumlers add a smoothie bar with kitchen facilities; and Knight and Crestin add a bar with kitchen accoutrements.
A smart window is a smart move
Smart window that shades itself
HGTV
The Baeumlers transform their lower level into a chic spa, and they install a window separating the gym from the massage room.
“But this isn’t just any window,” says Sarah.
The pair install a smart window with a shade that morphs from clear to opaque—and back again.
They tell the judges that you don’t want your neighbors looking in on your massages, and the judges totally get it.
But this feature isn’t cheap: The one window comes with an astonishing $2,220 price tag.
“We want as much natural light as we can, but we want to make sure that there’s ample privacy,” says Sarah. “This sort of allows us to have the light we need and the privacy feature of the screen.”
Don’t make spaces too specialized
Massage room in the lower-level home spa
HGTV
While the Baeumlers’s spa and gym impress Victoria, she does acknowledge that it isn’t for everyone.
“I’m wondering if this room may be too specific,” says Victoria. “I love it, but then I’m going, ‘Not everyone likes that.'”
Turner and Glew’s giant golf room also seems too specialized. Even the most avid golfer might not want to devote so much space to their sport, especially with plenty of outdoor golf courses nearby.
Extra bedrooms and bathrooms always add value
Custom bunk room
HGTV
Surprisingly enough, Crestin and Knight are the only ones who add a bedroom to their lower level—and that bedroom sleeps six! They make it into a bunk room, so the owners can easily accommodate a family reunion. The duo also adds an adjacent bathroom and an arcade room with a snack bar.
“I think the bunk room is going to be the biggest reason why we win this week,” says Knight. “Everyone knows the more bedrooms, the more bathrooms, the higher value the house is. And these bunks are going to be built-in, which is going to add another check mark to the appraisal.”
“That’s super smart,” says Victoria. “You put your money there. That’s a big deal.”
Who wins this week’s ‘Rock the Block’?
It looks like Knight was prescient. He and Crestin win again! They get an extra $4,000 to use on their next challenge, and boy do they need it—they still have the upstairs bedrooms and the exteriors left to complete.
“They saw how hard we worked,” says Knight. “That made it even sweeter.”
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