By Steph Sandhoff
We’ve just finished Week 3 on The Block and are officially a quarter of the way through building five holiday homes on Phillip Island. This week the couples took on ‘Master Ensuites’ or ‘Main Ensuites’ as they are now to be referred, although surely discussing the use of the word ‘master’ didn’t need that much air time on a renovation show. I can think of multiple other issues the show could have tackled, however, no matter how you feel about it, we need to move on and judge 4 out of 5 bathrooms, that will be connected to the bedrooms, that are presumably occupied by the future owner/s of the house. Did I get that right? Phew.
HOUSE 1 // Jesse and Paige
Photo Attribution: Nine
We’re starting off strong today in House 1, where Jesse and Paige have doubled down on their use of a ‘Modern Colonial’ style. You may or may not like this style personally, but I have to say it seems to come naturally for these guys. There’s no trying to make the style fit them or the house, it’s organic and hence their last two rooms have felt simple, luxurious and refined. They have used a very similar colour palette to their first bathroom but have opted for a much more timeless feature tile. The subtlety of colour and tone in the ‘handmade look’ square tile is a perfect choice for almost any location, as it will take on the vibe of whatever other elements surround it – almost chameleon like. It’s a really versatile product and I’d like to see Jesse and Paige stick with similar choices for the rest of their house, rather than the very obvious ‘fish scale’ mosaic from week 1.
Photo Attribution: Nine
I don’t have many issues with this room but I definitely have enough to argue with Darren that room doesn’t deserve a 10. Surely a 10 is a PERFECT score, which means there is not one element they would change, right? Well, for starters the judges noted some electrical issues, such as the location of the light switch and a lack of proper vanity lighting. My own issues are vanity related also, as that section of the room feels like it’s missing something. A different wall sconce might have made a difference. As a product, I think the round, metal lights are great but they add even another layer of grey to a wall that is already feeling quite one-dimensional. The left-hand side of the room is crying out for something to grab your eye, which would in turn would allow the layers of grey to be a calming respite. If it were my space, I’d think about continuing the vanity stone up behind the tapware and creating a small splashback under the mirrors. Maybe even build it out so it could be used as a shelf? It would add a sense of dimension to a wall that is feeling quite bland and overall will make the room feel more balanced.
HOUSE 2 // Courtney and Grant
Photo Attribution: Nine
Moving on to House 2, and our ‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride’ team are finally getting married this week! If that reference wasn’t clear, Courtney and Grant took out the win by half a point for their main ensuite, after coming second two weeks in a row. I don’t think it will surprise you that I love this room, and not just because it is consistent with their previously completed spaces. There is nothing worse than when each room feels like you’re in a different house but this couple has a very clear vision for their home and it’s showing. It’s yet again another very successful room and I love Courtney’s ability to layer pattern and texture. It’s so refreshing to see rooms that have personality but also feel high-end. It can be a hard combination to get right but it seems Courtney and Grant have developed a taste for the finer things that $250,000 of someone else’s money can bring, so much so that they might vomit on their return home.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Moving on to the finer details and it’s the little things that have my attention this week. I love the curve they created to inset the mirror and the fact that they opted to mitre the edge of the shower niche would have to be up there with one of the best decisions they’ve made. I hate when a beautiful wall of tiles or slab of stone is broken up by cheap metal trim. What they’ve created is a seamless connection between the beautiful checkerboard tiles and bold choice of stone, which allows both elements to feature . An element that is competing in my opinion however, is the green basins. Although Courtney has serious talent for layering pattern and texture, I think she needed to make a choice between the green basins and the tiled splash back. It’s simply one feature too many and takes away from the overall design. I like how the tiles reference their first bathroom, so I would have gone with simple, white basins for a more refined space.
HOUSE 3 // Ricky and Haydn
Photo Attribution: Nine
House 3 is up next and obviously there is very little for me to say. I feel bad for the boys this week. They tried their best and were let down by multiple trades. I’ve wondered for many years now, why trade teams and businesses agree to work on the Block when they’re very clearly out of their depth or can’t free up a straight 12-week block. It doesn’t make any sense to me that someone would not be aware they were heading to Dubai during bathroom week? For the other’s that clearly can’t keep up with the pace or standard of The Block, why advertise that on national television? Anyway, we get to see the return of builder and ex-contestant Doug, who I think will be a great addition to the boys’ team. However, nothing will make up for having to sit through the judge’s critique, where they pretended to be shocked by the unfinished room. On top of that, two of the judges scored the room a 1.5/10… one and a half points. Can someone tell me why they bothered being specific enough to award an extra half a point for an empty room?
HOUSE 4 // Kylie and Brad
Photo Attribution: Nine
House 4 is up next and Kylie and Brad were winners this week; winners of the ‘Penguin Gnome’ anyway. I do wonder if they’ll ever get a chance to use it. My prediction is kitchen week. Big call, I know but I’ll explain if we ever get there. Their room this week had to have been a relief for the judges to enter, as it feels like the couple have finally entered the competition. While it’s not a bathroom I love and I don’t think it’s anything new, it’s at least on par with the rest of the homes and I hope they continue with this style through the remainder of their house. I like the concept of ‘flipping’ their original bathroom to create a space that is predominately white with pops of black, although I will reiterate, black was never the problem. My favourite elements of the space are obviously the Japanese cladding and blackbutt vanity, as both soften the space through texture and tone, whilst giving a subtle 'kylie-style' nod to their coastal location.
Photo Attribution: Nine
I do have a few issues with the room of course and it’s the combination of tiles, bath and tapware. The tiles themselves are a ‘Calcutta-look’ marble that we all recognise and the reason we all know this marble so well is because it has been reproduced and used for every and any product you can think of… browse any home interior store for 60 seconds and you’ll find some. Unfortunately, this means that the look has been ultimately cheapened. We don’t look at the subtle marble veins anymore and imagine it being mined in big, beautiful, slabs; we picture it on the cover of a notebook or cheap mouse pad. Once you add the contrasting black tapware and bath, the room starts to feel shiny and cheap. They’re not going to change the tiles at this point so I would recommend swapping out the bath and maybe even the basins for something with a softer tone and a matte texture like a grey concrete finish. Take a look at Omar and Oz’s kitchen from 2022 as an example. It’s dark and moody but uses really high-end textures to create a really calm and successful space. It’s a space that predominately uses black but feels at home in a country setting.
HOUSE 5 // Kristian and Mimi
Photo Attribution: Nine
Last up we have Kristian and Mimi in House 5 with what has got to be one of the biggest ensuite bathrooms I’ve ever seen. I think the couple made two major mistakes this week; actually, maybe three if you count Mimi’s ‘dinner, drink and nap’ scenario. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good drink that inevitably turns into 3, but the night before reveal when your room isn’t finished? It might surprise some of you to know that I actually prefer designing smaller rooms. Although a small space means certain limitations, it also gives you very obvious guidelines. A large space can often be overwhelming and it can be harder to get the layout right. I’m sure we can all see that their shower is ridiculously large, not only does it impact the functionality of the rest of the space but it just looks wrong. I’m confused as to why they didn’t use the extra space to accommodate a bath? Personally , I would have taken a look at the house plans and worked out if any other areas could have benefited from some additional square metres. Surely everyone could appreciate a linen closet in their hallway?
Photo Attribution: Nine
The couple’s second mistake this week was to continue with their style from Week’s 1 and 2. I understand why they didn’t, they won 2 weeks in a row so why mess with what’s working? My issue is actually with the judges, who have showcased zero consistency this year. None of the judges liked this room and I would be as confused as Kristian and Mimi because the space is no different from their first two rooms. The tiles are the same cheap, overly textured ones from their first bathroom and have been paired with a shiny, dark blue feature tile. They’ve gone for similar choices for their vanity area, although this week it’s bizarrely off centre, and the ‘naff’ beach styling has been evident in every room so far; you can’t have missed the timber whales and creepy birds from last week. Finally, they’ve included an oddly sized panel of timber cladding, which does nothing but add to the public change room aesthetic. I honestly prefer the boy’s room in House 3.
Thanks for reading and see you next week for some more bedrooms. Hopefully we can move on from bedrooms and bathrooms soon! Don’t forget if you’re all for working smarter not harder and would like each week’s blog sent straight to your inbox, don’t forget to subscribe. Which room was your favourite? I’d love to hear your comments and feedback below.
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