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top of the block 2026 s01e09
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00:01It's all about the throwdown in the north end of the city
00:04as three house-proud homeowners go head-to-head
00:07to see whose home really rules the street.
00:10While the judges take some big swings...
00:13I think it's awful.
00:14The contestants watch, ready to duck, weave, and counter
00:18with some swings of their own.
00:20I am super underwhelmed.
00:21My husband likes it.
00:23This is definitely too big for the room.
00:25I think that's a personal preference.
00:26Nadia and Shahhead believe their recently-renowned back split
00:30is next level.
00:32There is no house like this.
00:34We've kept the spirit and layout that's kind of old and unique,
00:37but you've got a modern spin that's the perfect home.
00:41Lori is leaning hard into her curated vibes
00:44and thrifty flexes for the win.
00:46This house is bright and it's airy.
00:48I was able to create a high-end feel
00:51but on a shoestring budget.
00:53While Adriana expects her artful rebuild,
00:56will gut the competition.
00:57This house is a winner because there's heart poured into
01:00every little detail of the home.
01:02There's so much amazing light, character,
01:04and dimension and texture to it.
01:06When it's all said and judged,
01:08only one neighbor will serve up the swagger
01:10and claim the crown as top of the block.
01:16In this leafy north side of the city,
01:19homeowners work hard to stay one step above
01:21and keep up with the Joneses.
01:24With no breaks and no filters,
01:26these judges are ready to drive home some reality checks.
01:30Nosy neighbor, Lisa.
01:32I have a very good sense of style, as you can tell,
01:34and I am super quick to judge.
01:36Real estate agent, Josh.
01:38I'm honestly a no-filter kind of guy.
01:41I'm gonna give them the hard truth about their space.
01:43And maximalist muse, Cassandra.
01:46I have a great eye for design.
01:48I know what makes a home really pop.
01:51The rules of this competition are simple.
01:53Combination of design, function, and added value
01:56must give the winner the edge over the other houses.
01:59I'm feeling a little nervous about being judged
02:01because we've put so much into the house.
02:03It's time to find out whose home will reign supreme.
02:07Let the house wars begin.
02:12This is our beautiful back-split home
02:14just north of the city.
02:16We entered this competition
02:17because we're really proud of everything that we've done.
02:20Buying it, renovating it, and styling it the way that we did.
02:24Yeah, okay. That looks good.
02:25We had to redo the floors.
02:27We had to remove a couple of walls,
02:28really open up the space, let some light in.
02:31To the left a little.
02:32No, the other left.
02:34Yeah, that's good. Don't touch it. Yeah, perfect.
02:36This house's secret weapon is really the layout.
02:39It's very unique.
02:40The back-split design feels like you're constantly moving
02:43to, like, little different areas throughout the home.
02:46It's like an adventure going through the house.
02:48Okay, are you almost ready?
02:49Yeah, just covering up the scuffs by the stairs.
02:52We would love to win this competition
02:54because I'm six months pregnant.
02:56This house is really a family home to us,
02:58and it would just be the cherry on top.
03:00I'd really like to win
03:01because it would make my wife tremendously happy.
03:05That is powerful.
03:08True.
03:09Happy wife, happy life.
03:11I think this is it.
03:13As our judges arrive to let fly with their hot takes,
03:16Nadia and Shahid race to dish out some takes of their own.
03:21All right, I'm nervous.
03:23Okay, let's go.
03:24I love the landscaping.
03:26It's nice and clean.
03:28I like the way the plants are done.
03:29I'm so glad because that's, like,
03:31an hour of work every single night.
03:33You have, like, the white shutters, the white garage,
03:36the white beams.
03:37Yeah.
03:38I would love some more colour, right?
03:39Give it some sort of pop.
03:41I have my little three dogs at the front.
03:44That's not enough colour.
03:45I feel like that was enough quirkiness for the house.
03:51Okay.
03:53Ooh.
03:54I wasn't expecting it to be so open.
03:56I really like this room.
03:58It almost feels staged.
04:00Oh.
04:01That's a very nice compliment.
04:02That's actually how we keep it.
04:04I don't think Josh meant it that way, but okay.
04:08The odd thing I notice is where is everyone sitting
04:11when they come over here?
04:13There's no couch.
04:14We do host a lot.
04:16Our friends don't sit.
04:17That's what our parents did.
04:18I'm a mom, and kids are crazy,
04:21and I try to have a pristine house,
04:22and that's, like, impossible,
04:23so I think it's beautiful,
04:25but is it functional for a family?
04:27I don't think the first room should be,
04:30hey, I have children.
04:31I'm so curious about the little, like,
04:33a reading nook there.
04:35Would anyone ever use that in the dining room?
04:37Mm-hmm.
04:37The bay window, I think, is stunning.
04:38But yeah, I just don't know if I love how it's decorated.
04:42Like, maybe they just threw two pillows
04:44and called it a reading nook.
04:45Correct. Yeah.
04:46That's true.
04:47That's exactly what we did.
04:48That's exactly what we did.
04:49Literally before you came over, that's what we did.
04:52Ouch.
04:53Busted by the pillow police.
04:55Kitchen?
04:56New stainless steel fridge.
04:58Even, like, the flush microwave.
05:00So clean.
05:01The huge undermount ceramic sink fits the space so well.
05:05From a value-add perspective,
05:07this kitchen has done it for me.
05:09The stained glass?
05:10Are you kidding me?
05:10That is such a nice touch.
05:12I agree.
05:12No.
05:13I think it's awful.
05:15I haven't met anyone who doesn't like our stained glass.
05:18Yeah, it's colorful.
05:19And a beautiful, pristine, white, gorgeous kitchen.
05:24Why ruin it with, like, something that looks so primary?
05:28Like, it's supposed to be, like, a funky kitchen.
05:30I think Lisa's, like, a fun police for our house.
05:32Yeah.
05:33Now I'm worried.
05:34One thing I'm just curious about is, like, the flow of everything.
05:37Oh.
05:37Oh, here we go.
05:38There we go.
05:38I'm a bit nervous of it being a tripping hazard.
05:40Yeah.
05:41Come on, it's like two stairs.
05:43Yeah, I know.
05:43This is nothing.
05:45This room is more my vibe.
05:47This feels, like, warmer, luxurious, more sexy.
05:51Sexy?
05:52I don't know if that room's ever been, it's been cozy,
05:54but it hasn't been sexy.
05:55I actually don't like the fireplace.
05:57I think it feels a little dentist office to me.
06:05I think it feels a little sterile.
06:08I like a fireplace with a little bit more character.
06:11That might be Josh's first jab.
06:13Like, yeah.
06:14You know what?
06:14Lisa likes it.
06:15So that's all that matters.
06:16I'm looking for Lisa points right now.
06:18We need Lisa right now.
06:19Yeah.
06:19Okay.
06:22Obsessed with this lighting and these stairs.
06:25Oh.
06:26It makes the room sexy.
06:27And then you have, like, this giant centerpiece that is the master bed.
06:30Turns out our entire home is sexy.
06:32I didn't think we had a sexy home.
06:35I love those pillows, and I love that headboard.
06:37Hate those pillows.
06:38What?
06:39Love the headboard.
06:40I also hate the pillows, but my mom bought them for us, and I felt bad, and I had to
06:44put
06:44them up.
06:45This is my favorite room in the house.
06:46I feel like I've been in hundreds of houses at this point, and I've never seen a primary
06:50bedroom like this.
06:50I think we actually all agreed on something.
06:52Crazy.
06:53Who would have thought?
06:53High five.
06:55There's so many pros and cons of this house.
06:58I know.
06:58Yes.
06:59I think it's going to be a strong contender.
07:01If I'm judging the judges, Cassandra's my favorite, then Josh, and then...
07:06Looks like you're in Nadia's bad books, Lisa.
07:09Just around the corner, it's Laurie's turn in the hot seat.
07:12I live in a side-split house with my husband and son, and I entered this competition because
07:18I wanted to showcase the work that I've done on renovating this house.
07:22I wish this bathroom was finished.
07:25When we purchased it, it was in really rough shape, and I knew that I could make my mark
07:30on it.
07:30We spent a year renovating.
07:33Declutter, declutter, declutter.
07:35We redid the floor plan, so the kitchen that you see now was a dining room, and there
07:41was a powder room that was the old kitchen, so I re-envisioned the space.
07:46Okay.
07:49I think my house is a winner, but there are still a few things in the house that are
07:53a work in progress, so I'm hoping that the judges will be able to overlook that.
07:59Cue the drama.
08:00I am very curious to see this house.
08:03Me too.
08:04Because the judges are here to peek and pry, and they're not known for subtlety.
08:10What do we think about the landscaping?
08:13Maybe they're just getting away with all we have trees, we don't have to do too much
08:16over here.
08:16Yeah.
08:17Kind of a mess.
08:18Mm-hmm.
08:18We just haven't gotten to one side of the house yet.
08:24Oh.
08:25Wow.
08:26Okay.
08:27I was not expecting this from the outside at all.
08:29This is a very pleasant surprise.
08:32Look how functional.
08:33Look at all the storage.
08:36I love the dark wood on the floors.
08:39Mm-hmm.
08:39And, like, the wainscoting.
08:41Beautiful.
08:42I put a lot of work into that.
08:43The lighting under the crown molding here.
08:45It's just super unique.
08:47I've never seen anything like that before.
08:48No.
08:49It just is so unexpected.
08:52That fireplace speaks to me.
08:54I absolutely love it.
08:56It almost keeps, like, the construction look.
08:59I think you're crazy.
09:03No, no, no, no, no.
09:04This is not finished.
09:05You're right.
09:05It's not finished.
09:07Burned.
09:07I think Lori did this intentionally.
09:09I have to be with Lisa on this one.
09:11Oh, come on.
09:11I don't like it at all.
09:13Maybe fireplaces are just gonna be a point of contention.
09:15Perhaps.
09:16Perhaps.
09:16But what I do love, is this one of those TVs that look like a painting?
09:21Oh, I should have turned it on.
09:23You think?
09:24At the very least, it'd be a welcome distraction from the fireplace.
09:28I feel like I could just sit here all day and just binge my favorite show.
09:32Sit here all day.
09:33You can't lie down.
09:34I feel like we're missing a sofa.
09:36This would be Lori alone sitting here.
09:39But we have a family room.
09:42I love all the new appliances.
09:45From a value-add perspective, I think Lori's totally hit the mark in here.
09:49I have to agree.
09:50I'm obsessed with a built-in fridge.
09:52And I also love all the storage.
09:54Lori is an organized gal.
09:56Sometimes.
09:57And I like that it's not too white.
09:59And it feels nice and warm.
10:00I also love this island.
10:02Yes.
10:03And the skylight above it.
10:05Look at this cabinet with all of the figurines.
10:08How cool is this?
10:09Yeah.
10:09These are beautiful.
10:11These were pieces that were in my family for a long time.
10:14Even without all of this in there, just that built-in cabinetry with the undermount lighting
10:19is a value-add.
10:20But one eyesore, this fish tank.
10:23That's my son's fish.
10:25This is where Lori just went awry for me.
10:27Wow.
10:28That's cold-blooded, Lisa.
10:29What'd the fish do to you?
10:31I think it is so cute.
10:36Wow.
10:38Okay, this must definitely be, like, where the kids hang out.
10:42Yes.
10:43And here's your couch where you can finally sit down and relax.
10:46What I do appreciate is all the storage that I'm seeing behind the both of you and even behind me.
10:52From a realtor perspective, I absolutely love this space.
10:55This is, like, your lower level that would typically be your basement.
10:59And you still have full-size windows, both at the back and the side.
11:02You're laying so much natural light in.
11:04I do love the design of the bar.
11:07The copper sink is out of this world.
11:10I think it's the coolest thing I've ever seen.
11:11I'm team Josh.
11:14Okay, are we in the primary?
11:16We must be.
11:17We have to be.
11:18Lori and her storage.
11:20Very clean.
11:21Everything hidden away.
11:22I am super underwhelmed.
11:25Really?
11:26I lost Josh.
11:27This just feels a little bland to me.
11:31Aw, jeez.
11:32And I also don't know how to feel about this thing.
11:35Oh.
11:36My husband likes it.
11:37Hate to break it to you, Lori, but your husband's not judging.
11:40Is this plastic?
11:41It's plastic.
11:42Yeah.
11:45Okay.
11:46Lori might have redeemed herself with the en suite.
11:49Absolutely stunning.
11:50The double sinks and the illuminated mirror.
11:52My favorite part about this?
11:54Built-in speakers for when you're singing in the shower.
11:57I love the flooring.
11:59This is stunning.
12:00They like my bathroom.
12:01Very European, having the door separating the toilet from the rest of the bathroom.
12:06Yeah.
12:06Or like a hotel, almost.
12:08Yeah.
12:08That's what I was going for.
12:09I'm admiring the wainscoting on my way out.
12:13I think they like my home.
12:15That didn't sound very confident.
12:17But don't worry, your opponents Nadia and Shahed are here, ready to pile on.
12:22Looks wise and landscaping, I would not say it can compete with ours.
12:29I agree.
12:29Yeah, great layout.
12:30I don't agree about the layout.
12:33You don't like it?
12:34Our place is a lot more cozy.
12:36I really like our chances here.
12:38I also like our chances.
12:40Stylistically, I don't really get the vision of the house.
12:44I'm glad Nadia is not a judge.
12:46As Lori absorbs Nadia and Shahed's icy observations, competitor Adriana is about to feel the heat.
12:53For the last five years, my father and I were like a duo team building this house.
12:58I hope the judges like it as much as I do.
13:01The house is infused with an art gallery and nature feel.
13:05And that's what kind of went into the design of the home.
13:08I wanted it to be something that kind of evokes emotion.
13:12I love art and so you're basically seeing me in a nutshell.
13:18Building this home has been hard.
13:21Probably the hardest thing I've ever kind of taken on.
13:25I didn't think I would like this as much as I do.
13:29I'm not a designer.
13:31I'm not a builder.
13:32I'm not an architect.
13:33And so the most exciting thing would be to win it for my dad and I.
13:37I think we worked so tirelessly putting blood, sweat, tears into it.
13:41It would be great to celebrate that.
13:49This is it.
13:50Wow.
13:51It definitely stands out in the neighborhood.
13:54For good reasons.
13:55Yeah, I love all the glass railing that we're looking at.
13:58Oh, that's great.
13:59It seems like the house was rebuilt.
14:02It seems odd that they wouldn't also repave the driveway.
14:05Uh-oh, we're off to a rocky start.
14:09Oh.
14:10I'm almost speechless.
14:12It's like castle vibe.
14:13Yes.
14:14It's not necessarily good.
14:20I don't know if I love the white stone everywhere.
14:23Really?
14:23I feel like I'm a princess in a castle walking in here.
14:26That's what I was going for.
14:28This sculpture here, this is interesting.
14:31It's not doing it for me.
14:32Say what you really mean, Josh.
14:34It really matches the outside of the house.
14:37You know, it keeps it modern.
14:38Cassandra gets it.
14:39I love that.
14:41Interesting chair.
14:43I want to sit in it.
14:44No.
14:44Like, no.
14:45Don't.
14:46Josh would break it for sure.
14:49I don't want to like the chandelier, but I really do.
14:52From a strictly value perspective, like the high ceilings, the stonework, and the polished concrete floors.
14:59I absolutely love it.
15:01Yes.
15:02For a space that has all these great tall ceilings, I'm also getting a little bit of like dungeon-y
15:07vibes.
15:08It just kind of feels a little bit dark and dingy.
15:10Okay, we are on totally different pages because I love everything about this house.
15:14Yay, Cassandra, my cheerleader.
15:16It's not giving dungeon at all.
15:18It's giving masterpiece.
15:19Oh, that's sweet.
15:20The stone wall complements the white on this wall.
15:23It keeps the same colors, but it changes up the texture.
15:26The staircase.
15:28The wood slating is really nice there.
15:31Even the cabinets in the kitchen here have that texture there.
15:34It kind of brings more excitement to the space.
15:36Josh is coming around.
15:40Fireplace.
15:41Obsessed.
15:42Mm-hmm.
15:42I love it.
15:43Yay.
15:44Remote for it.
15:45Oh.
15:46Ooh.
15:47Beauty.
15:48That still doesn't do it for me.
15:49What else do you need in a fireplace?
15:52You know, something a little sexy or something not white.
15:55I think we've covered that.
15:56Maybe.
15:58I wonder if the design choices get a little bit more clear as you move up through the home.
16:05Whoa.
16:06Seeing this wonderful bed and this beautiful headboard.
16:10It's a hit.
16:11I like it.
16:11Everything just feels a little bit too tight.
16:14This end table is definitely too big for the room.
16:17Cassandra doesn't have to love everything.
16:19Oh.
16:20Like immediately, this shower.
16:22Ooh.
16:22I feel like I can sit in here and be with my thoughts.
16:25That's what I do, Josh.
16:26Way to go.
16:27I love the bathroom.
16:28I think it's very unique.
16:29I love these mirrors.
16:31I love the finish at the bottom.
16:33It's like very cool and different.
16:35These taps are like very unique.
16:37I haven't seen this before in a bathroom.
16:39Those took me a minute to find for sure.
16:42Wow.
16:43This is stunning.
16:45Sauna?
16:45Is this a sauna?
16:46That's what I was wondering.
16:47We can have a sauna.
16:49We can have a jam session.
16:51She's got her hard hat if she wants to do any more renovations.
16:54It's a badge of honour for building the house.
16:57Okay.
16:58This is a nice little terrace.
16:59This might make Adriana our biggest contender now.
17:03Oh, I win Josh with the view.
17:05I'm actually speechless.
17:06As we got higher into the home, I started to like it more and more.
17:10It kind of feels like you're with a princess that was captured in the dungeon.
17:15And then now you finally made it out.
17:17This is your beautiful view.
17:19You thought it couldn't get better.
17:21And then it did.
17:22Wait till the sun sets, people.
17:24I'm really torn in every home.
17:26I'm worried that we're not going to be able to make a decision.
17:28As the judges head off to the side,
17:30opponent Lori is here to break the silence,
17:33armed with her own arsenal of opinions.
17:36Oh, wow.
17:36I can definitely get a lot of my steps in.
17:38Yes, you can, Lori.
17:40Get that step count in.
17:45Just kitchen.
17:47Nice built-in.
17:48This is really nice.
17:49And now I'm not so sure about my own house because nothing in my house is polished like this.
17:55Aw.
17:57All right.
17:57So the stairs are worth it.
17:59Lori, I'm hugging you through the monitor.
18:02I'm in trouble.
18:06All right, judges.
18:07Design, function, and added value are your metrics.
18:10Time to pick which house is on top of this block.
18:13Okay, so let's look at Nadia and Shahed's house.
18:16Everything is there.
18:17It has such good bones.
18:20The kitchen was done beautifully with the gas range, the stainless steel appliances.
18:24But the stained glass, I just can't get over how terrible it is.
18:29Design-wise, the colour scheme was pretty consistent all the way through.
18:33From a functional perspective, I just saw hazards everywhere, especially with every level that we went on to.
18:38But I will say, one memorable feature was the primary and the stairs.
18:43With the undermount lighting going up to the bed.
18:46Loved it.
18:47Going to the other side of things, I was super underwhelmed with the primary bedroom at Lori's house.
18:53But that plastic fan?
18:55Ah.
18:56In the bathroom, I loved the speaker and the heated floors.
18:59Lori kind of had us on a roller coaster.
19:01I absolutely am in love with her kitchen and all the organization.
19:05It was so well designed and so thoughtful.
19:08She got me excited on the main floor.
19:10That island, are you kidding me?
19:12But don't forget Lori's fireplace.
19:14That fireplace?
19:15Stuck out like a sore thumb.
19:17I have such a hard time believing that that is not intentional.
19:21The bar level of Lori's home is a dream.
19:25For a family and for hosting, incredibly practical.
19:29Adriana.
19:29From a design perspective, we saw a lot of different texture in the house.
19:34I felt like we were in a museum.
19:35We were in a piece of art.
19:37I personally love the design.
19:38Every level of this house felt so different.
19:41Felt like we were moving from like castle to ancient Egypt.
19:45Aquatic with mermaids that she had.
19:47It felt really disjointed.
19:48The kitchen was too white.
19:50And then you take a couple steps and there's the tribal feeling in the living room.
19:54Doesn't make any sense to me.
19:56But the second floor primary bathroom hit the mark for me.
19:59That was stunning.
20:00And then we have this beautiful penthouse, treehouse vibe.
20:04The value add you get from having that in the city is like none other.
20:08We're going to have to pull the trigger and make a decision.
20:10I know who's my winner in my head.
20:13Me too.
20:14Say the name out loud.
20:15Ready?
20:21Time to find out whose house will be crowned top of the block.
20:25I'm really hoping that some of the renovations that I have done will show through and maybe they will be
20:31able to overlook some of the work in progress.
20:34It's a mix between being excited and nervous because we live in a bubble of our house is perfect.
20:40I'm so very proud of this house.
20:43At the end in terms of the rooftop I think I won some of them over.
20:47The verdict is in.
20:48I'm feeling okay.
20:51Not as confident as I was walking in.
20:53It's nice to hear what people other than my wife and her mom think about our home.
20:57I feel pretty good, but I guess we'll soon find out.
21:11Hi.
21:13Lori.
21:16You won!
21:19Congratulations!
21:20Thank you so much.
21:21Oh my gosh, I'm so excited.
21:23Thank you very much.
21:24As soon as you walk into your home.
21:26Oh my gosh, jaw is on the floor.
21:28It's so open.
21:29Your kitchen is stunning.
21:31And that collectible wall, that is breathtaking.
21:35This house isn't just pretty, it was designed to be lived in.
21:39It had a lot of function behind it in terms of storage.
21:41From a realtor's perspective, you put all the money in the right places here.
21:46The primary ensuite, your kitchen, you really nailed it.
21:50And we have a very important question.
21:52Is your fireplace intentional?
21:56It'll be complete tomorrow.
21:59It would have been nice to win, but at the end of the day, it was a really cool experience.
22:03There are no regrets.
22:04I guess I'm more surprised than anything.
22:07For me, not winning doesn't change anything about how I feel about our house.
22:10We love it and we're going to raise our family in this home.
22:15Being top of the block feels amazing.
22:17It's affirmation that a lot of my hard work spent on certain projects and spaces are recognized,
22:23that people appreciate it, not just me.
22:25I'm so excited that I won.
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