The Block 2023 room reveal recap: Steph and Gian win week 3 with a 'slick' work-from-home space

Introducing the third of our recaps from our expert panel of ex-Block contestants, who will this year get to spend room-reveal night judging from their couch rather than standing on the proverbial chopping block before Scotty Cam. This week, 2022 contestant Rachel Carr dissects the third room reveal of Season 19, 2023.

Welcome to cyclone week. And what a week it was. With Cyclone Ilsa making her debut as the 11th contestant and dropping a deluge on Melbourne, our Blockheads were certainly facing the challenge of delivering their work-from-home (WFH) space with a “bucket half full” mentality. 

From collapsing ceilings to collapsing hearts, it was a dramatic end to the week for our teams, who were madly trying to put the finishing touches on their WFH spaces, in a battle that will now forever be known as “Charming Street v Ilsa – The Most Prepared Shall Win!”

Let’s take it straight to Scotty’s HQ, where even our gnome is giving a nod to the tropical elements in his get-up. Scotty exclaims that “cyclonic conditions are the natural enemy of the renovator, especially when you haven’t got a roof!” and gracefully offers to handle all repairs needed by the contestants in the rooms affected by the rain. 

In a crazy turn of events, we’re flipping the script and starting our feedback with everyone’s favourite sisters, Eliza and Liberty in House 5. Here we go! 

House 5: Eliza & Liberty ($23,670 spend)

As the girls put a WFH space in their studio bedroom last week, they have opted to use this space as another guest bedroom instead. Enter our three judges and there is marvelling all round that they are standing in a dry, neat space, and not knee-deep in what could be confused as an indoor pool reveal.

At first glance, Darren thinks it’s an improvement from last week and Shayna exclaims, “These girls have got spunk!”

Marty thinks they have listened to the feedback and tells us that the room has a really nice feel. He also gives it a whole heap of ticks for being situated downstairs, therefore perfect for guests and easily changeable to a rumpus room. Most importantly it means they can market it as a five-bedroom house. 

The judges have some styling discussions about the deep desk and LED mirror, and I have to completely agree with them here – both are strange choices to me. But where I utterly agree with Shayna is the sisters’ choice of colour palette.

To me, it’s just simply divine and their ability to put together these beautiful choices is one that – when executed properly – is second to none.

Darren isn’t a fan of the wallpaper and calls it a replica of grass cloth, stating that in this kind of market, buyers want real grass cloth. I couldn’t agree more, and this is a stellar pick up by Darren. Which brings us to the replica artwork, and all of sudden this room has become a bit like a stall in Bali, and not in a good way.

The judges recommend moving said artwork to the pool house (it won’t be a replica out there, apparently) and Scotty drums in that even though they’ve ripped on a lot of it, all the judges agree that this is an improvement on last week. Sighs of relief all round. 

House 4: Steph & Gian ($22,381 spend)

In walk our judges, and we get a “wow?” from Shayna. She explains that the room is doing a lot of things, but she wants to commend the commitment to the beams, which she is now sold on, and Marty agrees. And as a work-from-home space, Shayna thinks it’s pretty amazing.

We discover the two desks and the fact that between them we have a hidden TV. It’s described as very slick and I definitely agree.

The thought behind this space is perfect and I love the dual usage as both a WFH space and a media room. Marty is loving the sophistication of the room, saying “it feels high-end” and noting that the buyers in this market will really appreciate all of it …  and, as a real estate agent, he should know!! 

But over to Darren Palmer, who has remained unusually quiet so far while taking it all in and listening to the positive exclamations of his fellow judges.

He’s flipped like a steak on the beams again and is back to not loving them, finding them very obtrusive and stating that they bring the ceiling lower (I have to agree here. I love a featured ceiling but not as much as I love a high ceiling; I don’t think I would compromise on my height for a feature). He proves his point by reaching up and almost touching them.

But, apart from that damning visual display, he thinks everything works. It’s a brilliant functional work space but he wants a sofa bed instead of the normal sofa. He thinks everything else is cracking.

Shayna adores the consistency in Steph and Gian’s style (say it with me guys: JAPANDI). They all love the quality of the craftsmanship and Marty is now on board the Steph and Gian train … choo choo everyone, choo choo! 

House 3: Kristy & Brett ($29,919 spend)

Immediately upon entering, our three judges are taken aback by what the room is. Being at the front of the house overlooking the pool, Marty isn’t sure if this home office is doing them any favours in regards to their floor plan. And I have to agree.

A little behind-the-scenes for you all: You can essentially make these rooms whatever you want them to be. Yes, it might be WFH week, but that definitely doesn’t mean you have to deliver a WFH space – Ryan and I didn’t. We delivered a second living/wine room where our WFH space was meant to be. 

Darren notes that this space could be used as a bedroom if the buyer doesn’t want a home office, but again, it looks out to the deck and pool area, so how does the buyer engage with them all from a bedroom?

He calls out a few positives in the Laminex panelling, the drapery and the herringbone flooring, but questions whether it’s all too corporate.

Marty “can see a TV, can see a couch, access out to the swimming pool” – can see so many other options besides what Kristy and Brett have presented, and he feels they have just missed the mark.

And while we’re at it, Marty points out that the rooms these guys have presented are not actually connected with each other, and to just really hammer it home, says, “If three photos were taken, this is a bag of Skittles.”

Darren feels like this room is the right style, though, and the other two judges agree.

Darren also notes nothing about the build needs to change, but it could be styled better to sell the dream. Marty says Kristy and Brett need to own their floor plan, and reminds them of past contestants Jimmy and Tam who had a similar block and won the whole thing. So while 95 per cent of this feedback has been utterly devastating to Kristy and Brett, just a quick reminder: you could also win. 

Wait … just before we go, Kristy lets us in on their plan for an outdoor entertainment area and exclaims that the judges are going to get a rude awakening. They’d want to win that week because we all know revenge is a dish best served in an outdoor entertaining area.

House 2: Leah & Ash ($37,586 spend)

Wow! “Pour me a drink,” says Marty. 

Shayna very quickly commends Leah and Ash for continuing to push through the eye of the cyclone and delivering a room when they could’ve simply been defeatist about it, and it’s a big well done. She also exclaims, “This is glamour zone,” and the judges note that House 2 has beaten the sisters in House 5 with the perfect interpretation of the same glamorous artwork.

Darren notes this room would have been a huge investment, and looking at the spending on this room versus the other houses, they have definitely put a significant amount of cash into this space.

As someone who struggled with budget throughout my Block experience, I don’t know if I’d be putting so much money into a WFH space or splashing out on a stone fireplace in this room (it may be better suited to a main bedroom and/or a living room ), but we shall see how this plays out for House 2 in the coming weeks.

Shayna notes the beautiful colour palette and the links from this room to the other rooms they have delivered in the house, and throws a little shade back to House 3 by comparing the two.

Marty was impressed with the boldness and the impact of the room. However – and this could be the biggest however we have this week – he notes these houses are being sold in a family area and, after the mistake of last week’s Murphy bed in the studio, and the fact they have turned this into a WFH space, this house will now be listed as a THREE-BEDROOM HOME.

In a real estate competition with your neighbours selling four and, in some cases, five-bedroom homes, some might think you have automatically signed yourself up for a fifth-place spot in a five-team race.

Marty is “telling them now” they need to have four bedrooms on their brochure, and I could not agree more. Change it, and change it immediately to a bedroom!

Darren thinks it’s a very good room on its own merits but finds it definitively clear it should have been a bedroom and says Leah and Ash have made it impossible to change without a re-do budget.

Just when we thought another couple was going to stand at the judging looking defeated, Ash and Leah spring to life.

They point out that the niches have been purposely made to be able to be wardrobes/cupboards, the floating shelves are a false wall to hide services, and, Ash boldly tells Scotty, “He should know that, being in the game all the time” (I think this is what he says – it’s hard to make out, but its definitely a little diggy dig nonetheless) and we get a shot of the contestants all having a little chuckle.

But, as Marty points out, even if a bed goes in, you’re covering your very expensive feature fireplace … so it’s a real tennis match of points being made here. 

In summary, the judges love it, but they simply can not encourage going to market with a three-bedroom house. And that is extremely valuable advice. 

House 1: Kyle and Leslie ($13,917 spend)

Before we kick off with our judges’ comments, I have to commend these guys on their spend in this room. I love this room, so to spend what they did with this beautiful space is amazing.

Shayna agrees the room is gorgeous. It has a sense of casual elegance she is loving and she notes the gorgeous aesthetic that Kyle and Leslie are executing. 

Marty agrees and simply says, “They really get it,” and notes how their consistent marketing is beautiful.

Darren says the use of the space is perfect as a WFH space and a media viewing space, but could easily be a fifth bedroom if that is what the buyer wants – and let me tell you, a buyer wants options. But we are met with our first “however …”  and it’s the fact everything is pushed up against the walls.

It’s a minor speed bump, though, because we come back to Shayna, who notes that the styling is great and she really does believe this team is selling the dream. Shayna wants to know why they are adverse to skirting boards and we find out it’s due to time.

Marty discovers what I said at the start of my recap of this room: that there has been little money spent here, yet the judges are saying how amazing it all is and how smart these guys are at marketing to the buyer who will want their home.

Darren tells us they are playing the long game, and I completely agree! For the quietest team on The Block, they are definitely the loudest where it matters. 

Well, there we have it. Another week down. Some teams are absolutely finding their stride and delivering outstanding rooms, and some have been given some invaluable feedback to work on.

What will next week bring us? It may not be a literal cyclone, but we always know there are storms brewing on The Block! 

Winner: House 4, Steph & Gian

Final scores:

House 4, Steph & Gian: 26.5 points – 1st
House 1, Kyle & Leslie: 26 points – 2nd
House 3, Kristy & Brett: 24 points – 3rd
House 5, Eliza & Liberty: 22.5 points – equal 4th
House 2, Leah & Ash: 22.5 points – equal 4th

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