I’m going to leave this week’s drama and cheating scandal at the door because if you watched The Block this week, I’m sure you’ve already had enough! Onto the media rooms!
First up, I have to admit I hate the idea of a whole room dedicated just to movies and/or TV. It seems such a waste! Add to that their reputation for dodgy recliners with cupholders and a lack of windows and they are just not my bag! But we’re not talking about my house (which will never have a media room). Mitch and Mark’s spa-like steam room was a little more up my street, but give me a luxury bathroom with a great tub any day.
So yeah, I didn’t love this week but it’s a competition so let’s dig into the rooms and the scores!
Ronnie & Georgia: joint second
Score: 28.5/30
Spent: $23,410
Ronnie and Georgia’s luxurious cinema room set a sky-high standard with its star-covered acoustic panel ceiling, comfortable lounge seating, velvet floor-to-ceiling curtains and hidden lolly cupboard for movie snacks. And behind the style the build impressed too, with a huge screen, state-of-the-art sound system, dimmable lighting married to strip LEDS and sound insulation throughout. It’s a space that even made Neale rethink his views on home cinemas.
Darren was happy to see regular, comfy lounges (I’m guessing he meant not ugly recliners), Shaynna loved the colour palette and Neale thought it was very luxurious. “It’s so desirable.” Darren did spot though that the sound insulation out didn’t exist and it sounded very noisy from outside the room!
Get the look: The cloud sofa
Mark & Mitch: joint second
Score: 28.5/30
Spent: $31,975
While the other contestants went for the cinematic experience in their basements, Mitch and Mark thought outside the box once again, offering up an underground space with a day-spa style steam room. Fully tiled and plumbed, with underfloor heating and what Neale called “perfect” lighting, the downstairs wet-room featured a full steam facility (complete with steam-proof speakers!); the perfect addition to a home with everything. Once again it was a room that had Neale envious.
Neale said he felt like he was up in the clouds. Darren said the feeling of light, bright and airy was clever considering they were underground with no windows!
Get the look: Pascal stool
Tanya & Vito: third
Score: 27/30
Spent: $32,106
It’s off to the movies for Tanya and Vito from the recessed cavity slider door to the banked seating – with luxurious electric recliners complete with side tables, perfect for taking in the huge-screen, ceiling to floor boucle curtains to block out distractions and even a snoozing couch at the back! Not as versatile a space as some others, Shaynna pointed out, but hard to fault as a cinema, which is exactly what they’d set out to achieve. Complete with blue LED strip lighting, the result is a space Darren pointed out is rare in this market and once again perfect in a post-COVID world.
Neale said it was taking luxury to a new level. Although the judges couldn’t ignore the terrible matte black ceiling paint job.
Get the look: Perry recliner chair
Josh & Luke: last
Score: 21 /30
Spent: $28,321
Forget the cinema, the boys went all out this week to create a multimedia space where movies might be one option, but certainly not the only one! Flanked by a snack and drinks station and that huge Iron Man sculpture (they spent thousands on that and, like Darren, I wouldn’t want that in my house!), the big screen faces a bank of recliners (my favourites!). With an emphasis here on fun, it’s the perfect place for gaming, watching sport with friends or just relaxing. Architecturally, it was the stepped ceiling that impressed the judges most.
I’d personally call it everything I hate about media rooms and more! Shaynna said the choices were dismal and lazy and didn’t work. Neale said it totally lacked finesse and was too like a bachelor pad. Darren hated the recliners and Neale said it showed their lack of experience and it was downmarket. Shaynna went one further and said cheap and nasty and even “it’s crap”! Tell it like it is, Shaynna!
Kirsty & Jesse: first
Score: 29 /30
Spent: $34,117
Recliners with cup holders, stepped seating, huge screen… even Darren had to admit this wasn’t just a home cinema, it was a cinema in a home! Filled with the latest technology and a few retro touches – the judges loved the classic movie posters and projector – the feel here was classic Hollywood, but with the potential to be a performance space as well, something they were sure singer Kirsty had thought of. And even better, when they checked the foreman’s report, there was only one line: “Nothing to report!”
Darren said the recliners with cupholders were allowed in this one because of the finesse and how well it had all been done. “Everything that I always thought I didn’t like, I really do.” Shaynna said the panelling was beautiful and she loved the old school movie poster styling. Darren said they needed to add some acoustic product though to stop the echoing.
Neale loved the vibe of it. “I feel like I’m in an old-fashioned picture house.”
Photography: David Cook Photography.
