Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent's House Reveal

Nate and Jeremiah revamped their Rock the Block home into a European farmhouse full of Old-World charm.

By: Chelsey Bowen

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Photo By: Mark Hill

Photo By: Daniel Delgado Jr

Photo By: Mark Hill

The Team: Nate and Jeremiah

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent from The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project had never competited on a show before, but they were ready to show off their family-friendly, elevated design strategy.

Creating a Hybrid Style

The New York City designers were ready to show that their designs translate to a wide audience. Jeremiah is more minimalistic and modern, and Nate says he's secretly a traditionalist who leans into antiques, but they find a way to marry the two distinct sensibilities.

Open the Box

Chopped's Ted Allen introduced each team to the Mystery Box Challenge. They had to use their expertise to incorporate the materials — chicken wire, faux leather, white tiles and Mason jars — somewhere in their kitchen and dining room designs.

The Walk-Through

Nate and Jeremiah talked Rock the Block's host Ty Pennington through their plan. They had six weeks and $225,000 to add as much value to their home as possible.

The Kitchen, Before

The builder-basic kitchen was uninspiring and closed off. Nate and Jeremiah set a $50,000 budget for remodeling the kitchen and dining room.

The Kitchen, After

Nate and Jeremiah embraced a lived-in, Old-World aesthetic, starting with the custom-made island they had designed to look like a Belgian antique. They wrapped a built-in banquette around the entire dining room wall and paired it with an elegant light-toned table.

The Kitchen, Before

It was time to say "so long" to the pony wall and plain cabinets. They wanted to open up the kitchen to the dining room so all the space would work together beautifully.

The Kitchen, After

Artistic, custom-made brass shelving tops the lower cabinets for handy, open storage. Nate and Jeremiah hid the refrigerator behind cabinet doors that flow with the rest of the kitchen, and design elements, such as the brass pendants lights and hutch, were added to bring in a sense of history.

Time for Judging

Tarek El Moussa from Flipping 101 and his fiancée and real estate maven, Heather Rae Young, judged the Week 1 challenge. They were fans of the island and detailing of the countertop, built-in fridge, leather insets and custom banquette. On the other hand, they were afraid there wasn't enough cabinetry and that the open shelving would look cluttered.

The Kitchen, Before

The designers started with basically a blank slate. The three-floor, almost 4,000-square-foot home had only drywall, doors and a few basic elements.

The Kitchen, After

Nate and Jeremiah designed a space that flows seamlessly together, from the kitchen and dining room to the living area. Not only is the island the showstopper in this kitchen, but it also cost the designers $0. The contractor was able to salvage all the wood from his lumber graveyard.

Ready for Family and Entertaining

Nate and Jeremiah not only built a family-friendly kitchen and dining room that could handle a crowd, but they also created small destinations throughout the space for intimate conversations, such as the pair of armchairs. Additionally, next to the door heading outside is a small desk and chair for tackling bills or making grocery lists.

The Just-Right Appliance

Since the stove is the only appliance you will actually see when looking at the kitchen, they decided it had to make a statement. They opted for a luxurious $5,600 dual oven with six burners to amp up the chef's kitchen appeal of the space.

From the Ground Up

Another spot that took a big portion of their budget — $6,130 — was the flooring. To add major value to their home, Nate and Jeremiah chose classic, rich brown hardwood.

Details in the Pantry

For the Mystery Box Challenge, Nate and Jeremiah inset the faux leather into the countertops of the pantry and incorporated the chicken wire in the cabinet doors. The tiles found a new life as a serving tray.

The Front Room, Before

The builder basic entry opened up to the front room, where Nate and Jeremiah were met with uninspiring, bland walls. "We want the first impression of the home to be really elegant when you walk in," said Nate.

The Front Room, After

Nate and Jeremiah created an atrium-inspired space that seamlessly blends the indoors and out. Two sets of French doors are added to flood the room with natural light, and they also opened the room up to the butler's pantry to create an easy flow throughout the home. Black-and-white French marble grounded the front room and entry in timeless appeal.

From: Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent

The Living Room, Before

Nate and Jeremiah wanted to take advantage of the view, but weren't fans of the trio of windows. They decided to open up the space to the outside with French doors and create a fireplace focal point. The living space is "so important for potential buyers. It's basically the length of the whole house," said Nate, and Jeremiah added, "The plan is to make it elegant, but also very approachable."

The Living Room, After

To add dimension to the space, Nate and Jeremiah framed the living room with wooden beams, and they designed a faux fireplace focal point, complete with a vintage limestone mantel and herringbone-laid brick façade.

The Living Room, After

Extending the indoor space to the outdoors, three sets of iron-and-glass French doors wrapped around the living room and dining room. Neutral furnishings in curved lines added a cozy softness to the space.

The Powder Room, After

The designers dressed up the powder room with an elaborate gold mirror, marble accents and a streamlined pendant. However, the real showstopper is the gold stone basin that was salvaged from a hammam in Turkey.

Judging Week 2

Page Turner from Flip or Flop Nashville judged Week 2, where the designers remodeled the rest of the first floor, including the front room, foyer, powder room and living room. Page loved the iron-and-glass doors, wood beams, powder room and fireplace, but felt that the spaces might be too customized for potential buyers.

The Main Bedroom, Before

Architecturally, the main bedroom was a box with no personality. "You can't just spend all your money on the floor that people mainly see. We both feel that the main bedroom also has to be just has luxurious as everything else," said Nate.

The Main Bedroom, After

Nate and Jeremiah draped the whole back wall of the bedroom to create a purely luxe environment and topped the space with a wholly unique pendant. Mismatched nightstands and an antique mirror added to their collected-over-time design philosophy.

The Main Bedroom, After

To reflect the European farmhouse style, Nate and Jeremiah installed 100-year-old doors found at an auction as a transition between the bedroom and the bath.

Sneaking in the Red

For Week 3, the designers were challenged to incorporate a randomly chosen color. When Nate and Jeremiah discovered their shade was red (their least favorite color!), they decided to hide it behind their wall of drapery.

The Main Bathroom, Before

With an estimated budget of $30,000, Nate and Jeremiah wanted to expand the footprint of the main bathroom and flip the layout so that the shower would be on the other side of the space.

The Main Bathroom, After

The designers flanked the door with matching floating vanities clad in custom stone countertops that will give homeowners a space of their own. Marble floors conveyed complete opulence underfoot, and a linen closet was built out in the space for additional storage.

The Main Bathroom, After

By sliding the shower to the opposite side of the room, Nate and Jeremiah were able to maximize the space and still create a beautifully adorned retreat. The freestanding slipper tub reflects the history the designers infused into the home while being totally-of-the-moment.

The Main Closet, After

Smart storage is key to a well-designed closet. Nate and Jeremiah made the most of this walk-in closet with streamlined built-ins that utilize multiple layers of shelving, drawers and rods.

A Blind Judgment

For the first time, the designers' work was judged blind with Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson from Flipping Virgins not knowing whose space they were viewing. They liked how the closet was uber functional and full of storage, the history added by the reclaimed materials and the double vanity. They felt that the draped wall shrunk the room, though.

The Basement, Before

Nate and Jeremiah had a vision to transform this unfinished basement into a two-bedroom, fully functional rental with an estimated budget of $40,000. "This is our sneak attack," said Jeremiah.

The Basement, After

The designers added an additional 1,000 square feet of useable, livable space to the main home with their basement redo. "All the finishes and materials are consistent from the house above, so if you want to absorb the basement space and have two additional bedrooms, an office and another game area for your kids, you could easily do that. Or you could lock the door and you have the opportunity to rent out the space and subsidized your income," said Jeremiah.

The Basement, After

The home office will double as the second bedroom. They built a custom Murphy bed (hidden in the wall behind the desk) and flanking custom closets.

The Basement, After

Nate and Jeremiah reused the cabinets from the upstairs kitchen and topped them in marble countertops with an 18-inch backsplash. The rental unit (or extra living space) was outfitted with everything needed, including a breakfast area, cozy seating space and another bedroom closed off by sliding barn doors.

Heavy Metal

For Week 4's extra challenge, the teams had to dig through a dumpster and find pieces they could reclaim and incorporate into their design in a meaningful way. The designers sprayed painted pipes and industrial bolts to make candlesticks.

Hidden Surprises

Week 4 judge Tamara Day from Bargain Mansions was a fan of the marble countertops, built-in Murphy bed and closets and the simple yet luxe finishes of the full bathroom. Her only worry was having a gas stove in the space if the buyers decided to use the space for kids instead of as a rental.

Winners of Week 4!

Nate started out Week 4 by saying, "I feel really good about this week," and his feeling proved true. Tamara chose Nate and Jeremiah as the winners because they added the most value to their home.

The Exterior, Before

The Week 5 challenge was to take on the great outdoors. Way back in Week 1, Nate and Jeremiah decided to go all out — with a price tag of $40,000 — to cover the house in brick on all four sides.

The Exterior, After

Nate and Jeremiah wanted to give potential buyers an home that would last forever, so they did an all-brick exterior. "We want to invest in curb appeal because we want to make the outside feel just as custom as the inside," said Jeremiah. They designed a two-tiered lawn with the upper level framed in a stone-filled border. The scalloped corners mimicked the corners of the kitchen island to create a continuous design.

The Front Porch, After

Since there wasn't much of a backyard, Nate and Jeremiah made the most of the front. They created elegant indoor/outdoor living by screening in the front porch and continuing the marble floors from inside.

The Front Porch, After

The screened porch was a big selling point for the final judges, knowing that bugs are out most of the year in Georgia and this would give homeowners the opportunity to be outside without dealing with annoying insects.

The Backyard, After

They worked to extend the home without actually expanding it by creating a welcoming flow from the kitchen out to the terrace. Occasional seating, an extra dining spot and outdoor lighting elevated the upper porch and brought the living outdoors.

The Backyard, After

Stone steps were added around the side of the house to lead to the lower terrace off the basement. As part of their rental unit concept, they fashioned a separate entrance from the main home, as well as an inviting spot to enjoy the backyard.

Winners of Week 5!

Week 5 judges Mike Pyle and Carmine Sabatella from Inside Out loved the brick exterior, overall curb appeal and layered landscaping. They thought the screened-in porch was a great use of space and chose Nate and Jeremiah as the winners for the exterior challenge.

The Home Theater, After

For the final challenge week, the designers were tasked with adding one last secret project to their home to bump up the value. Nate and Jeremiah decided to tackle the unused room in the basement and turn it into a home theater.

The Home Theater, After

Working with a $6,800 budget, they draped the entire room in suede to make it feel more luxurious and help with sound quality. Comfy furniture, a big-screen TV and well-placed lighting was all they needed to transform the windowless room into a cozy hangout for the whole family.

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 brick exterior, screen-in porch and basement rental property.

The Reveal

After six grueling week of competition, it all came down to this moment. "I really believe we gave this house a soul, which as a creator is all we ever want to do," said Jeremiah. Though the judges agreed their home had a soul, the winners were…

The Winners

The final appraisal value of the top three houses was less than $6,000 apart with Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt coming out with the big win. Happy for the couple, Nate and Jeremiah were proud of what they had accomplished. "This house has no tricks. It has no gimmicks. This house we designed and built so that 100 years from now, these finishes will stand the test of time," says Nate.

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