Behind the Build: An Inside Look at Vanilla Ice and His Crew

Rob VanWinkle -- also known as Vanilla Ice -- and the crew of DIY Network's The Vanilla Ice Project work together to make incredible changes to some of Florida's largest mansions. See the behind-the-scenes pics here.

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April 01, 2015

By: Jennifer Brake

Related To:

Pop Icon & Home Rehabber

Rob VanWinkle might be best known for selling 11 million copies of his first album in the 1990s, but now he's made a name for himself in the real estate business. With 20 years of house flipping under his belt, Rob is an expert in converting beat-up properties into big profits.

Early Start to Greatness

Rob started renovating homes in his late teens with some smart property purchases, including his first remodeling project, his personal 15,000-square-foot mansion in Miami Beach.

Meet the Team

Rob relies on his construction crew to get the job done right and on time. From left: Jim Block, Jeremy Brenner, Wes Kain and Frank Morales

Right-Hand Man

Rob's right-hand man is Wes Kain. When Rob can't be on the job site, it's up to Wes to make decisions, catch problems early on and keep things running smoothly.

Game On

There's always time for hoops once the job is finished. Rob and Wes break in a newly installed basketball court with a little friendly competition.

Father-Daughter Duo

Rob had his daughter Keelee help him design a few of the rooms in this Florida home. It seems she inherited her dad's eye for bold visual statements, as evidenced in this wall-to-wall mural that she suggested to help bring this formerly drab bedroom to life.

True Techies

Rob and Keelee show off a super high-tech Murphy bed equipped with LED lighting and controlled by a remote control that quietly lowers the bed to the ground.

Demo Day

This bathroom needed to be gutted, so Rob grabbed the orange safety paint to mark the areas that would get the sledgehammer and those that would live to see another day.

Art of Tagging

Since this wall had to go anyway, Rob took the opportunity to practice his graffiti skills before tearing it down.

Group Effort

Rob knows his crew can get a little crazy with the sledgehammer, so he makes sure to clearly mark what stays and what goes. Wes is less concerned with the demo and more concerned with Frank having some screws loose.

Hands-On Host

Sometimes if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Rob never hesitates to jump into the construction action. Here he installs the final tile pieces on the mansion's exterior.

Air Time

Rob tests out his custom swingset made from two 30-foot telephone poles secured into the ground. There's no doubt you can get a lot of air on this gigantic swingset.

The A-Team

Frank, Wes and Jeremy take a break from smashing up a Palm Beach mansion before the real remodeling can begin.

Leaving His Mark

Embedded into the rocks of this at-home waterpark feature is the Vanilla Ice signature cupid logo. Rob tries to leave his trademark cupid at every house he renovates.

Finished Product

Rob shows off the end result of a long overhaul project. This Florida mansion was a maroon eyesore before he gave it the Vanilla Ice touch.

VIP Status

The Vanilla Ice Project team puts their contracting skills to use to turn rundown houses into customized cribs. They have a lot of fun on set but always get the job done to turn Rob's vision into a reality.

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Photo By: James McEntee/Gettyimages

Photo By: James McEntee / Getty

Photo By: James McEntee/Gettyimages

Photo By: James McEntee / Getty

Photo By: James McEntee/Gettyimages

Photo By: James McEntee / Getty

Photo By: James McEntee/Gettyimages

Photo By: James McEntee / Getty

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The Vanilla Ice Project

Behind the Build: An Inside Look at Vanilla Ice and His Crew

Related To:

Pop Icon & Home Rehabber

Early Start to Greatness

Meet the Team

Right-Hand Man

Game On

Father-Daughter Duo

True Techies

Demo Day

Art of Tagging

Group Effort

Hands-On Host

Air Time

The A-Team

Leaving His Mark

Finished Product

VIP Status

Shop This Look

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