Get to Know the Season 4 'Rock the Block' Teams
Which brave designers will be competing in Season 4 of HGTV's hit competition series Rock the Block? Let's meet the new cast.
This season’s Rock the Block teams will have six weeks and a budget of $250,000 to renovate four identical 5,000-square-foot properties on a cul-de-sac in Berthoud, Colorado. The designers who net the highest appraisal get bragging rights and a street named in their honor.
Ready to meet the new cast?
Gilles Mingasson
Hosted by design expert Ty Pennington, the teams on this season of Rock the Block have unique personalities and varied pasts. To get you excited for the what’s to come, we delved into the personal lives of teammates Bryan and Sarah Baeumler (Renovation Island), Michel Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle (Luxe for Less), Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin (Farmhouse Fixer), and Page Turner and Mitch Glew (Fix My Flip). Want to take a guess at who has a crush on a heavy metal guitarist? Or who spends their downtime in a boxing ring? Or who describes themself as fierce? Read on for the answers.
The Team: Kristina Crestin and Jonathan Knight
Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin love to restore New England farmhouses on HGTV’s Farmhouse Fixer, and now they’ve united to renovate their “Modern Farmhouse” home on Rock the Block. Prior to the start of the competition Kristina exclaimed, “We’re going to pull our forces together to win this competition!”
Here’s the scoop on this dynamic duo.
They Were Both Born and Raised in Massachusetts
Kristina grew up in Bellingham, Massachusetts, and graduated from college with a degree in interior design. Jonathan was raised in the Dorchester section of Boston in a house he’s described as, “a big, old, cold and drafty holes-in-the-wall house.”
Each Had a Claim to Fame Before Farmhouse Fixer
Jonathan was a member of the '80s boy band New Kids on the Block, and Kristina was featured as an interior designer on the PBS television show, This Old House.
They Both Love Their Animals
Jonathan owns horses, chickens and ducks, and Kristina has a rescue dog named Cooper, a 12-year-old-ish Weimaraner-Labrador mix. “She’s so darn fast — no other dog can outrun her on the beach,” Kristina shares.
Their Families are Both in the Design Business
Jonathan has been renovating houses for more than 25 years after learning the trade from his grandfather and uncle. Kristina owns her own design firm. “People think Jonathan and I just do farmhouses and we don’t know what to do with large scale construction, so I was excited to show that we’re badass at everything,” says Kristina.
They Both Drive Pickup Trucks
Jonathan loves to drive his pickup truck and John Deere tractor. Kristina owns a 1955 vintage pickup truck named Dixie. “I always look forward to getting on the road in my turquoise-colored truck,” says Kristina. “I’ve been restoring it for years — every day it doesn’t snow in Massachusetts and the roads are clear I take a break from work and cruise around town. It brings me such joy.”
They Both Attended the Same Concert When They Were Younger
“I went to my first concert when I was 12 ... to see New Kids on the Block!” laughs Kristina.
They Can Define Themselves in Three Words
Jonathan: Loving, loyal, compassionate.
Kristina: Organized, fierce, outgoing.
The Team: Michel Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle
Gilles Mingasson
HGTV’s Luxe for Less stars Michel Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle are combining Michel’s interior design skills with Anthony’s couture fashion designer expertise to create one-of-a-kind looks in their “Mountain Modern” home. “I think the other teams may think we’re going to spend our money way too quickly. But luxury to us means knowing how to spend money and how to create the experience,” said Michel while filming the show.
Ahead, some more insight into this fun pair.
They Both Grew Up in the South
Michel was raised in the Lowcountry town of Thibodaux, Louisiana. “Coming from a small town, values are important and the idea of service is imperative,” he once said. Anthony grew up in Birmingham, Alabama.
Both Were Once Models
Michel tried his hand at modeling when he lived in New York City years ago. Anthony was once a drag queen and loved to compete in pageants. “Hmm, I guess that’s why creative competitions are second nature to me,” he says.
They Were on Television Before Rock the Block
Michel appeared on Bravo’s design series, Buying It Blind, and Anthony took the crown on Season 6 of Bravo’s fashion reality show, Project Runway All Stars (afterwards, he changed his name from Anthony Williams to Anthony Elle). He was also a judge on HBO Max’s Craftopia, a DIY craft competition reality show.
They Both Own Companies in Atlanta
As owner of SMITHBOYD, a design firm specializing in luxury residential and commercial projects, Michel is known as one of Atlanta’s top interior designers. Anthony has an atelier, Anthony Elle House of Fashion Design, where he creates custom couture gowns under the Anthony Elle label and also runs Anthony Elle House of Design, a subscription-based online fashion course that includes classes like Fundamentals of Fabric. When they’re not filming for HGTV or doing all of the above, Michel works on his furniture and rug collections. As well, Anthony recently landed his first acting role on Netflix’s How High 2.
They Have Three Things They Can’t Live Without
Anthony: My music, my fabric and my iPad.
Michel: My knit hat, my notebook/sketch pad and my La-Z-Boy
They Each Have a Favorite Childhood Memory
“Mine was when my mom made homemade biscuits and hot cocoa on cold mornings,” says Michel. For Anthony, it was doing arts and crafts. “At a very early age I recognized the power and joy of creating things with my hands,” he says.
Gilles Mingasson
They Love to Incorporate Sexy Design
“Nobody is going to bring more sexy to the house than us. Page and Mitch? They’re cute. The island renovators? They’re cute. And the farmhouse renovators? They’re lovely. But sexy? That’s us,” laughs Michel.
The Team: Page Turner and Mitch Glew
Gilles Mingasson
Page Turner knows a thing or two about Rock the Block — she appeared as a past guest judge on the show. On her own HGTV show Fix My Flip, she helps rescue rookie flippers in over their heads in her hometown of Los Angeles along with her Australian work partner, Mitch Glew, a carpenter by trade. Prior to the start of the competition, where they christened their house "Alpine Chic," Mitch said, “I build high-end homes and Page sells high-end real estate, and we’re going to bring that experience in here, and we’re going to dominate.”
Ahead, more insight into this powerful pair.
They're Both Parents
Page raised her three college-graduate daughters — twins Quincy and Qai and her oldest, Zaire — as a single mom. Mitch has a 10-year-old daughter named Finley and an 8-year-old son named Fletcher. “My kids are both competitive soccer players, which takes up most of my free time these days,” says Mitch. “When I’m not at work, I’m usually on the field watching them. I get so amped about it. I really enjoy watching them play and seeing them thrive.”
Each Have Places They Hold Near to Their Hearts
Nashville is where Page started her career in real estate and filmed her first television series, Flip or Flop Nashville. It’s also where she raised her family. “I give a lot of credit to Nashville and the support and stability it gave me as a single mom and small-business owner,” she once said. Mitch and his wife love to return to Australia, where he's from, to visit family and for design inspiration.
They Have Their Fun Secrets
“As an aspiring author, my mother desperately wanted to name me Page Turner (Page without an “i”), and the only way she could convince my father was to lean into his ego and tell him that "Page" would be a combination of my mom and dad’s first names — Patricia and Gene. He loved that and from then on, I was Page Turner,” shares Page. Mitch, it seems, is a sports fanatic. “I watch and follow so many different sports. I can’t get enough. My brain just retains all the players, stats and facts. I dare you to quiz me!”
They’d Love 10 Minutes With …
“Sheila Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). She’s the first billionaire African American woman and the only African American woman to own stakes in three professional sports teams, amongst many other accomplishments,” says Page. “To meet her and take notes would change my life forever.” For Mitch, it’s Tiger Woods. “I’d love to play golf with the best,” he says.
They Have Their Own Fitness Apparel Lines
Page is a certified personal trainer and co-owner of the fitness clothing brand The JoPa Life. When she’s not weight training, she’s packing a punch in the boxing ring. STIX is the name of Mitch’s company, a hybrid golf and surfing lifestyle apparel line that offers up versatile clothing “from the course to the coast."
They’re Inspired by Their Parents
“My dad, also a builder, has the most committed work ethic of anyone I have ever met in my life, and he handles stress well. He’s dedicated to his craft, his clients and his family, and I aspire to be the same way,” shares Mitch.
Page’s mother has overcome lots of incredible odds and tragedies, including the loss of her husband when Page was only 8 years old. “Yet she always finds a way to be there for my sisters, myself and my daughters,” says Page. “She ran multiple businesses, published two books, didn’t get her GED until she was in her 50s, got her B.A. and master’s degrees in her late 60s and has entered a PhD program. If it weren’t for her cheerleading, championing and unyielding support telling me there’s nothing I can’t do, I wouldn’t be answering these questions today.”
They’re Focused on These Design Concepts
“I’m in love with the bright and jewel-toned glass and porcelain tiles that are reminiscent of homes in Los Angeles that were built in the 1920s and 1940s. The classic colors — teal, green, lilac, pink — are soft but make powerful statements when it comes to class and character.” Mitch is working on maximizing the use of indoor-outdoor living in his projects and his own home. “I’m lucky to live in the mild climate of Southern California, so we’re outdoors nearly year-round,” he says.
The Team: Bryan and Sarah Baeumler
A former handyman and businessman, Bryan Baeumler translated his past careers into a series of television shows about home renovations in Canada, including House of Bryan, where he built his family’s dream home, and Bryan Inc., where he and his wife Sarah Baeumler renovate and flip homes. But what this couple may be best known for is their renovation of their tropical island resort in the Bahamas, which led to a show called Island of Bryan (renamed Renovation Island for the US market). Said Bryan during the renovation of their “Aspen Chalet” home on Season 4 of Rock the Block, “I’m cautiously optimistic and incredibly competitive — I know who’s going to win this.”
Ahead, this married couple allows us a peek into their personal lives.
They Met in High School in Canada
Bryan was a senior and Sarah was a freshman. But they didn’t start dating until 10 years later, when they happened to be on the same email chain, which got them talking again.
Their Four Kids Inspire Them Daily
The couple have two boys and two girls: Quintyn, Charlotte, Lincoln and Wolfgang, who regularly appear on their shows and who spent a part of their childhoods living at their resort in the Bahamas. Sarah has touted the positive effects of raising their kids on the island, including having the opportunity to live in a different part of the world and to meet interesting people along the way.
“Our kids are fearless,” says Sarah. “They’re our biggest supporters and always come from a place of, ‘why not’?”
They Look Forward to Traveling
The couple is currently scoping out potential projects that will allow them to continue discovering the world. “We have a desire to seek out new business ventures, explore new countries and embrace new cultures,” Sarah says. “We’ve always felt we had a home base for our family, but we really enjoy the opportunity to get outside of our comfort zones and be inspired by the world around us.”
They Have Their Favorite Song
It’s Walking In The Sun by PANG, says Sarah. “We played this song the first time we untied our boat from the dock and headed for the Bahamas to begin the hotel project. We lived as a family for three months in close quarters on that boat and this song reminds us all how much that project changed our lives.”
They Have Hidden Talents
Bryan always wanted to be a pilot and fulfilled his dream when he recently got his license to fly. “Mission accomplished,” he says. Sarah trained for years as a dancer and founded her own classical dance school in Canada. “It will forever be a life of mine,” she says.
They Have Their Favorite Home Trends
“I love embracing a more sensory experience in the home. My design aesthetic is about bringing calmness to a space but still filling it with life,” Sarah notes. “Even when using a monochromatic color palette, you can create a space that feels layered, curated and sophisticated.” Bryan is a fan of open concept with lots of glass. “It’s warm and inviting,” he says.
Their New Show Comes Out in Spring 2023
With his experience renovating a hotel property, Bryan helps his friend, HGTV star Scott McGillivray, as he renovates a Canadian lakeside resort on Renovation Resort. The show will feature four teams of contractor-designer duos who will be overseen by Scott and Bryan.
HGTV's hit competition series Rock the Block Season 4 premieres March 6 at 9|8c. Stay tuned for more new season updates on HGTV’s digital platforms at HGTV.com and via @HGTV and #RocktheBlock on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.