First things first – the shakeup we all saw coming, right? Jesse and Paige have officially left the “unfinished” building, and in their place, we’ve got Sydney sisters Maddy and Charlotte – the youngest-ever contestants.
These two 20-somethings have flipped more houses than most of us can dream of owning, but barely had they fluffed a cushion before being thrown into the deep end of a main bedroom and walk-in wardrobe renovation.
And these aren’t your regular bedrooms: these are the biggest rooms on The Block this season, at over 30 square metres with four-metre ceiling heights.
That’s a lot of plaster, a lot of paint, and a lot of work. How will they go?
It’s been a tumultuous week at House 1 with Jesse and Paige’s shock exit on Monday, surprise visits from Block royalty, Ronnie and Georgia, on Tuesday, and new contestants on Wednesday. Even by Block standards, this was going to be a challenge.
The sisters hit a wall trying to book tradies – every plasterer in Victoria suddenly had better things to do. They started painting the bedroom at 3.30am on Sunday. Scotty called tools down at 9am, so to say they were cutting it fine is an understatement.
Despite their plasterer disaster, they wasted no time showing the others that they were not here to make up the numbers.
The judges are impressed with just how much Maddy and Charlotte achieved in such a small amount of time, and to be honest, so are we.
“This is such a fantastic result for the constraints they had,” Darren says.
“From what I’m seeing now, Maddy and Charlotte could be real contenders to take out this competition,” Marty says. Shaynna’s shock is palpable, and she thinks that’s a big call to make after just three days, which is precisely why Marty believes they’ve got what it takes.
They’re not exactly sticking with the Modern Colonial vibe of their predecessors, but these girls are already making their mark. Marty says, “It feels a little bit more expensive in here. It feels elevated”.
Shaynna doesn’t love the beige-on-beige, quipping, “So beige-on-beige is elevated? To which Darren replies, “There’s always a place for beige on beige.”
It’s on to the walk-in wardrobe, and Darren says, “They’ve been given a real gift here”, given the layout, fixtures and fittings previously chosen by Jesse and Paige.
The judges call this “a very successful week for Maddy and Charlotte”.
Watch your backs, folks. The new kids are bringing it.
Go big or go home, they say, and Courtney and Grant have clearly taken that to heart. With their new builder proving a winner, their Modern-Mediterranean-inspired bedroom is like stepping into a Tuscan daydream, and while Foreman Dan might’ve thought they’d gone a bit OTT, the judges are swooning.
Their mouths are agape as they step into the main bedroom. “Yuuuuuummm,” says Darren. “Wow,” says Marty. “Woah,” says Shaynna.
Darren looks like he’s convulsing: “Oooh yum – it’s visceral – I can feel this room.”
“It is nothing we’ve seen before,” Shaynna says. “I am absolutely adoring it.”
“This is the most marketable room we’ve seen so far on The Block,” Marty says. “The fact they can pull this together in the space of a week, blows my mind. These guys are operating in a league of their own.”
The one thing he doesn’t love is the faux fireplace; however, Darren is “cool with it”.
The praise keeps coming when the judges see the walk-in wardrobe, where they admire the styling, finishes and cohesive design choices.
Marty loves it so much that he wants to bid on auction day. “I’m in love with this house.” “Get your chequebook out,” Darren quips.
These auctions should prove interesting then: judge turns buyer, perhaps?
Oh, Ricky and Haydn. So close, yet so far. Their Phillip Island coastal vibe gives all the right feels, but once again, not finishing the room (thanks to messing up their flooring order) comes back to bite them.
The judges are initially impressed, commenting on the recessed ceiling feature, the “Shaynna-palm” wallpaper, as well as the bedside tables, the lamps and the mirror – “it’s all gorgeous,” Darren says. Shaynna loves the proportions.
It was all working. Almost.
The judges then notice the unfinished aspects of the room: no hanging curtains, no doona or sheets on the bed and messy styling.
Marty wishes he could give them a good score this week, but he can’t. He does offer a positive, though, saying, “In terms of the direction they’re heading in, you’ve got to commend them.”
Things don’t improve as the judges head to the walk-in wardrobe. They comment on the size, calling it “grand”, and the additional storage space is a plus. But ever-practical Shaynna questions why they’ve put carpet in the walk-in, coming straight from the bathroom. “I’m a bit concerned about the attention to detail,” she says.
“This is a competition, not a game,” she reminds them.
It’s another mixed bag of feedback for the boys, and after five weeks of being “the chumps”, they’re starting to feel deflated.
After pulling off the ultimate prank with Block royalty Ronnie and Georgia, Kylie was halfway to the airport before Scotty managed to reel her back in. (Dramatic? Absolutely)
When she returns to finish their main bedroom and walk-in wardrobe, she and Brad go big, installing copper “never before seen” Grafico wallpaper on the ceiling and in the wardrobe, pairing it with rich black-stained wood panelling, known as shou sugi ban. The million-dollar question: does it pay off?
Darren is practically giddy. “Oh yes, they did! I am so in love with this. Oh my gosh, yum!” (for those watching along at home – we counted five “yums” in total). “We’re in a really classy, luxe, sophisticated main bedroom suite that could be in any holiday destination, and it feels just right.”
Kylie looks shocked. She wasn’t expecting feedback this good. To be honest, neither were we.
Even Shaynna, who hasn’t exactly been their biggest fan, is here for it: “I’m over the moon for them because it feels like they’ve met us in the middle.”
She loves the off-centre bed and says that many people who value feng shui will appreciate it. Marty backs her up, saying, “A lot of buyers value feng shui; you are so correct on that.”
Their eyes turn to the ceiling and that wallpaper. “That ceiling is so unique and risky, but it’s actually not off-putting. It’s actually going to bring the buyer in,” Marty says.
Shaynna only has a couple of bugbears: the height of the hanging pendant lights and the see-through wardrobe doors in the bedroom zone.
Darren says the walk-in wardrobe is “like walking into a jewellery box. Creatively, aesthetically, they’re on the money.” “They have hit their look and feel now,” says Shaynna.
That’s the most positive feedback the pair has received all season. Could it be Kylie and Brad’s first win? Will they play that bonus-point penguin?
Kristian and Mimi can seemingly do no wrong. Week after week, they deliver rooms that leave the judges’ jaws on the floor, and this week is no different.
“What the actual hell?” Darren says as he steps inside. He’s gobsmacked: “It’s not just great – it’s excellent.”
They can’t get over the raked ceiling and the scale of the room.
“Not only architecturally is this house different from the rest – and that’s a gift – but they are delivering on the finish,” says Marty.
Shaynna is floored: “I was not expecting this. This takes my breath away.”
They love the wavy bedhead from former winners Steph and Gian’s Japandi Estate, as well as the bedside tables, the colour scheme, and the raked sheer curtains. The artwork is “gobsmackingly beautiful”.
There are some minor quibbles over the position of the light switch and only one bedside lamp. You can blame Mimi for that one, Kristian.
That Gucci prize looks pretty hot hanging in the epic walk-in wardrobe. The judges are opening all the cupboards and drawers and find the $300 leather coat hangers. Who knew hangers could be so expensive?
“This doesn’t feel like a holiday house at all,” says Shaynna. “This is a hotel,” adds Marty.
Kristian and Mimi are raising the bar – and showing no signs of slowing down.
House | Team | Score | Place |
House 1 | Maddy and Charlotte | 24.5 | 4th |
House 2 | Courtney and Grant | 28 | 1st |
House 3 | Ricky and Haydn | 21.5 | 5th |
House 4 | Kylie and Brad | 27.5 | 3rd |
House 5 | Kristian and Mimi | 28 | 1st |
It was another nail-biting week, but in the end, Courtney and Grant’s “Moditerranean” magic tied with Kristian and Mimi at the top.
Maddy and Charlotte made their mark with a strong debut, while Kylie and Brad continue to hover on the edge of greatness. Seriously, just play your bonus point penguin!
Ricky and Haydn must get their act together on the execution front or risk being “the chumps” all season.
One thing’s for sure – this competition will only get wilder from here.
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