Aptly dubbed HELL Week, our couples faced more than a few hurdles in their renovations on The Block, bringing the interior work on each home to an end while we move to the outdoor spaces next.
One thing that has really confused me with the homes this year is the actual placement of the laundry room in each home’s floorplan. The laundry spaces are situated towards the front of the house for the most part which is a rather strange and unusual layout; A laundry space would usually be placed away from any bedrooms and living spaces and most often towards the back of the home with a doorway leading to the outdoors and an outdoor clothesline. Considering the overall size of these properties, it wouldn’t be outlandish to assume that they are designed to be family homes, meaning that the amount of laundry the family would be washing and hanging out to dry would simply not fit on the little drying rails that most of these laundry designs have included.
An interesting floorplan choice on the show’s part! If you are in the process of designing or renovating your own laundry though, you’ll find some helpful advice in our Laundry Room Design Guide as well as some helpful tips on decluttering and maximising your laundry space in our Guide to Cramped Laundry Rooms!
Harry and Tash – Judge’s Score: 25/30
Simple, balanced, and neutral – Harry and Tash’s finished work this week included an elegant Colour Palette that combined timber and concrete finishes with pure whites and bold blacks. A very safe choice of interior finishes that is usually perfect for creating a home to sell (the buyer can easily customise the home to suit their own personal tastes against a neutral colour scheme) however, their designs seem to have fallen flat with our judges who were left feeling rather underwhelmed.
Harry was somewhat discouraged throughout the week as their home was the only one that had to use and restore the original front door – a move that really paid off (and didn’t warrant so much carrying on after all!) as the restored door turned up a treat, with judge Neale being especially impressed with the team’s restoration efforts. There were a few issues here and there with the actual finishes of each space (painting, finishing touches in the bathroom, etc.) but all in all, their designs are functional and I do feel that buyers would easily be able to add their own personal touch on these areas.
Sarah & George – Judge’s Score: 25/30
Again sticking to a simple Neutral Colour Palette that has been paired with a warm timber flooring, Sarah and George have finished off their interior renovation with the completion of their entryway, stairwell, powder room and laundry design. The spectacular black steel door perfectly connected the old with the new part of the home, making for an excellent and unique touch. Although the pair included a decent amount of colour in their designs, it didn’t seem to pay off for them as judge Darren commented that he would have liked to see a more pared back look.
The powder room featured a lovely Spring themed colour palette, creating a whimsy vibe in the home while the laundry design included some interesting features with the inclusion of a little nook for a family pet and a mud room section. Our judges did feel that the spaces simply did not flow or connect and I would have to agree with them on this one! The home would have benefitted by a few more connecting touches that would have unified the entire design – the only element I see that flows into each space is their use of black!
Daniel & Jade – Judge’s Score: 25/30
Shaynna described Daniel and Jade’s completed designs as ‘Vanilla’ – not as delicious as it sounds! The finished look is quite clean and crisp however, it does unfortunately veer into ‘too basic’ territory with a consistently bland design scheme throughout. The powder room in particular gives off some serious public bathroom vibes with a poor choice of wall finish that leaves one questioning if the team could have used some guidance on their materials and finishes selections. I also wonder why the wall mounted basin is slammed up against the wall with an off-centre mirror hanging above it as this gives off a very rushed and poorly planned vibe for what should be a luxury Melbourne home.
Daniel and Jade seem to have started off on the right track by using a simple and neutral colour palette however, their finishing touches seem to have let them down, resulting in a dull and lifeless design.
Luke & Jasmin – Judge’s Score: 28.5/30
Chevron timber flooring, gorgeous artwork, hidden storage, an incredible laundry and a golden powder room – What more could you want! Luke and Jasmin absolutely nailed their designs, delivering an absolutely show-stopping look in each space. Their laundry room was simply perfect for the luxury home, complete with a Samsung AirDresser Clothing Care System – WOW! The powder room boasts the luxurious vibe one would expect in a Brighton home while also showing the 1910’s era inspiration of the property. Each space has been carefully connected with their use of black, light timber and gold touches for a wonderfully unified and cohesive palette – It is clear that the team have paid close attention to their planning while also making the extra effort to include wonderfully luxurious elements in each space.
An incredible effort from Luke an Jasmin – The clear winners of the week in my book for sure!
