The Block 2022: Omar and Oz forced to deliver an unfinished work-from-home space
In the words of ex-contestant Duncan, Shed Week is “the biggest endeavour by any contestants for a week, ever”.
And no he’s not overdoing it.
While the week has been tough for everyone, it’s been even more stressful for Omar and Oz .
“Saturday was the worst morning we’ve had to date, we woke up and there was just a massive puddle in our shed,” Omar says.
After weeks of continuous rain, Scott Cam’s builders haven’t been able to complete the roof on House 5’s shed.
“We’re the only contestants on The Block that don’t have a roof on their shed at the moment,” the friends explain.
No roof means no plastered walls, no finished floors and lots and lots of leaks.
Like always, Omar and Oz say they’ll “keep pushing” but think it’s time to speak up.
They call on Foremen Keith and Dan to ask what they can possibly do at this point.
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Keith’s answer is pretty bleak.
“Not much we can do about this,” he admits.
“We both apologise, because we didn’t have this space ready for you guys and that’s on us, the weather for the last month has killed us,” Dan tells Omar and Oz.
“You can’t win this week.”
Omar says “it’s not fair, that’s for sure” while Oz finds the whole ordeal “very frustrating”.
Considering the circumstances, Scotty and Foreman Keith throw the boys a bone and say their brothers – who are still visiting – can help them with painting.
It’s the first time in 18 seasons anyone except The Block contestants has been allowed to help paint.
But Omar and Oz politely decline the offer.
“Thank you Scotty but no thank you, let’s play a fair game,” Oz says.
The boys say they’re happy to do it themselves and admit they think “100 per cent other contestants would’ve cracked it”.
Tools down rolls around and while Omar and Oz’s room is nowhere near finished, they deliver a furnished space to give the judges an idea of their concept.
“We just want to show the judges we did not give up,” Oz says. Well, no one can argue with that.
The contestants all head to Block HQ and before Scotty reveals the judges feedback, he has a special message for Omar and Oz.
“On a personal note I want to apologise to Omar and Oz on behalf of The Block. With the rain we’ve had over the last month, we were unable to finish your shed and therefore you were unable to finish your room, for that we say sorry,” Scotty says.
“For what its worth, I did instruct the judges to ignore the fact that it wasn’t finished and to judge it as if it was, because it certainly wasn’t your fault.”
Omar and Oz take it like champs and say “no grudges are held against anyone”.
And the announcements keep rolling, with Scotty revealing that they are two judges down this week after Shaynna Blaze and Neale Whitaker tested positive to Covid-19.
The Blockheads are very keen to know “who filled in?” and they’re excited to find out it’s former contestants and winners of The Block Alisa and Lysandra!
Tom and Sarah-Jane
The first thing the judges notice when judging was their $50,00 wine storage unit which Lysandra says “smacks you in the face”.
While they say they would’ve preferred a wall that concealed the unit, they appreciate what a great amenity it offers.
Walking upstairs into Tom and Sarah-Jane mezzanine, the judges are blown away.
“This is priceless real estate. It’s like they’ve built a whole new apartment in a garage in one week,” Alisa says.
With a study, a kitchenette and a powder room the judges note “the space is very well planned and executed”.
Lysandra says the addition of the skylights and the bulkheads make it “a really beautiful room aesthetically”.
Not only do the judges love what the inside of the space offers, but Darren Palmer can’t help but admire the “insane” view of the countryside.
Lysandra makes a huge call and says “this space is almost enough for them to win The Block“.
“From a buyer’s perspective it is so appealing,” Alisa adds.
Rachel and Ryan
With a wine zone, fireplace and a “stunning view”, Darren can see himself spending a lot of time in Rachel and Ryan’s second living space.
Lysandra notes the addition of the brick tiles “really gives the room that cellar feel”.
The room is a big tick for Alisa. “I don’t want to leave,” she admits.
But Darren says the room lacks functionality, with no sink in the benchtop, bar fridge or dishwasher.
Alisa says she “would normally hate the pendant light” but loves it in Rachel and Ryan’s second living space.
“Design wise and styling wise and selling a dream, it does everything it’s supposed to do,” Darren says of the room.
As the only contestants who chose not to deliver a work from home space and with no other dedicated study space, the judges question if that was the right call from Rachel and Ryan.
Ankur and Sharon
“What is that? Is that a desk?” Alisa is startled by Ankur and Sharon’s shed space as soon as she walks in.
“It is confusing,” Darren adds.
It takes the judges a moment to digest everything going on in House 3.
Lysandra says the desk is “way too deep” to be an office desk and thinks the concrete caesarstone top isn’t necessary.
But the biggest problem in the room is that there is no power to the desk, which in Lysandra’s words, is an “epic fail” while Darren brands it “useless”.
“This whole area is not functional at all,” Lysandra says
However there is one positive. The judges all acknowledge “what a beautiful fireplace” they’ve put in the room, although it’s in the wrong spot and blocking the view outside.
“We’re at the end of The Block, this is Week 1 mistakes,” Lysandra says.
Dylan and Jenny
“They’ve finally done it,” Alisa praises as they arrive in House 4.
“They’ve done a home office and living [room] in one, I’m loving that they have all the inclusions we were talking about.”
But the twins say the room is lacking pizazz and personality.
“It’s a nice room, it’s just a bit undercooked,” they say.
While House 4 has a massive TV, Darren doesn’t think it’s enough on its own to sell the space.
Even still, the judges acknowledge that so many things in Dylan and Jenny’s room are right, including the high standard of finishes.
“This is a good cinema room, it’s a good work from home space,” Darren says.
Lysandra also likes that a potential buyer could visualise the space to use it however they see fit.
Omar and Oz
Alisa, Lysandra and Darren all take into consideration Omar and Oz’s tough circumstances when judging the room.
“We’ve just got to have a little bit of foresight here,” Lysandra says.
And while the judges try to be understanding, Lysandra just can’t get past Omar and Oz’s very unique artwork selection.
“That is not The Block’s fault,” she laughs, pointing at the painting.
While none of the judges think the boys’ “gigantic desk” is very functional, they all agree their storage is a huge tick.
Even though the room is incomplete, the judges get a good taste of Omar and Oz’s style and they like what they see.
“I like what they’ve done here in terms of the style, it’s a different feeling to the rest of the house, but it’s definitely as masculine as some of the other spaces inside,” Darren notes.
“When this room is finished, it’s not just a great note on the brochure, this is a room that will make a great photo as well.
“In fact it may very well be a key selling point to their home.”
Back at Block HQ, Scotty gets busy scribbling down the judges’ scores and reveals the verdict to the contestants.
Shed Week scores:
- Tom and Sarah-Jane: 26
- Rachel and Ryan: 24.5
- Ankur and Sharon: 19.5
- Dylan and Jenny: 22.5
- Omar and Oz: 24
Tom and Sarah-Jane take out the win and Sarah-Jane says it’s all thanks to her husband.
“Tommy used his genius back in Week 2 and said, ‘I want to do a mezzanine,’ and he got all of it planned,” she says.
The $10,000 prize isn’t the only thing House 1 have won this week, they’ve also secured an “unbeatable” position on the Domain Super Power Leader Board which means they’ll get to choose the all important auction order.
And while Tom and Sarah-Jane are jumping for joy, everyone else is holding their breath waiting for Scotty to reveal next week’s Landscape Week budget.
The mood immediately lifts when the Blockheads learn they’ll get $90,000 to finish their landscaping.
One week to go! As Rachel says, “let’s bring on Landscape Week!”
This article was originally published by Nine.com.au. Reproduced with permission.
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