The Block 2023: When should kids' bedrooms not be designed for kids?

Gather round, children and let me tell you a few facts about houses.

Firstly, kids’ bedrooms do not have to be designed specifically for kids – in fact, they shouldn’t be. Secondly, not everyone has children, nor wants a house that is designed to indulge the every whim of little people. Thirdly, you don’t need to have kids to know what people (big or small) want in a bedroom.

And so, yes, I feel a bit grumpy about the room reveals on The Block this week, maybe because it’s hitting my sore point: If you want your property to appeal to as many potential buyers, do not create a house that will only suit your needs.

The existential question this week is how child-like is too child-like for a kids’ room (or, more appropriately, a spare bedroom)?

I have three daughters, aged 17, 15 and 13. Of the 10 bedrooms delivered this week, not nearly enough of them would appeal to my own family. Logic tells me there will be lots of others in the same boat.

I know many downsizers who are on the perennial journey of looking for a house that is not too big, not too small, and who love the idea of The Block houses this year. Why? Because they want a few extra bedrooms to use as a second study, a TV room, a music room, a guest room, a gym … or a room to steer their partner towards when they’re snoring.

I also know people who don’t have children but who still want the footprint of a “larger family-style” home, without the beanbags. And I know many people with children ageing in the range from in-utero to 30 – all of whom expect to have a room in their parent’s houses (rightly or wrongly!).

So when it comes to kids’ bedrooms or spare rooms, think about needs versus wants. Sure a rock-climbing wall sounds fun to a six-year-old, but to a 14-year-old, not so much. A basketball theme may suit some, but an edgy 16-year-old – well, I can see the scowl from here.

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All this to say, when it comes to kids’ rooms – the only right way to do it is to make the fixed items neutral and, if one must, let the styling be the childish element.

Yes, pester power is real, but show me a buyer who goes to the length of purchasing a house purely because their child wants a particular bedroom. Unless you’re the parent of Veruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I think you’ll find most parents will have a limit.

Most of the teams added what I consider was too much sugar this week. The rooms were too niche, too specific; and even though Hampton East is a family-friendly suburb, a house should not be custom-made in such a way that it will only appeal to a buyer who has 2.3 children aged between five and eight.

Steph and Gian executed to perfection. You could grab the cushions and the picture books and peel the leaves off the wallpaper and the room would be perfect for a disgruntled spouse to send their partner.

Eliza and Liberty also came close … it’s not about gimmicks, size or colour. It’s about creating a space that is flexible. There is an inner kid in all of us – but that doesn’t mean we need to be surrounded by fairy tales.