• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Interiors Addict

Heart Your Home

@interiorsaddict on Instagram   @interiorsaddict on Facebook   @interiorsaddict on Pinterest  
Subscribe
  • Job Board
  • About
  • Before & Afters
  • RENO ADDICT
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Kids Rooms
  • Bedrooms
  • Living Room
  • Shopping
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipes
  • Parenting
  • Travel
Interiors Addict
  • Job Board
  • About
    • Our Story

      Australiaโ€™s largest interior design, styling and renovation blog for the everyday Aussie. By former journalist and magazine editor Jen Bishop, the original interiors addict!
      READ MORE

      Weโ€™re big on Instagram!
      @interiorsaddict

      • About
      • Contact Interiors Addict
      • Work with Interiors Addict
      • Advertise / Find a job in Interiors
      • Press
      • Get Your Free Ebook

        This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • By Room
    • Browse by Room

      Where you can search for all our posts about a specific room. Only interested in kitchens and bathrooms? We got you!

      • Kitchens
      • Bathrooms
      • Kids Rooms
      • Bedrooms
      • Living Room
      • Home Office
      • Dining
      • Laundry
      • Outdoor & Exteriors
      • Renting
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • Before & Afters
    • Before & Afters

      Who doesnโ€™t LOVE a good before & after? If you want to be inspired by the whole reno process, and not just the shiny photos at the end, this is the place for you!

      View Articles

      • Before & Afters
      • Jen’s reno
      • Real Renos
      • RENO ADDICT
    • AFTER kitchenBefore & after: Hunting for George’s latest transformation
    • AFTER front elevationDated Sydney Hills District home given new life
  • Reno Addict
    • RENO ADDICT

      Looking for reno inspo? Find it all here, from other peopleโ€™s projects to the latest trends, tools and products, whether youโ€™re DIY-ing or employing trades.

      View articles

      • Reno Products
      • The Block
      • DIY
      • Reno Trends
      • Before & Afters
      • Real Renos
    • AFTER kitchenBefore & after: Hunting for George’s latest transformation
    • image014Catherine Martin’s new carpets are as stunning as her film sets
  • Shopping
    • Shopping

      Want to know where to buy the latest furniture, homewares, rugs, art and more? Weโ€™re always sharing our latest finds and telling you where you can buy them.

      View Articles

      • Furniture
      • Homewares
      • Art
      • Smart Home
      • Appliances
      • Reno Products
    • image014Catherine Martin’s new carpets are as stunning as her film sets
    • MHP_290817-9What you should snap up in Contents ID’s bi-annual sale! + win!
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      While Jenโ€™s a legitimate interiors addict, sheโ€™s no design professional, so she calls on an army of the countryโ€™s best to share their expertise with you. Be inspired by their stories too!

      View Articles

      • Decorating 101
      • Interviews
      • Expert Tips
      • Before & Afters
      • House Tours
      • Designers
      • Styling
      • Renovating
      • Real Renos
      • Covet my coffee table
    • AFTER kitchenBefore & after: Hunting for George’s latest transformation
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle

      Weโ€™re mostly about the home but Jen also likes to share other things she thinks youโ€™ll love, like food and travel.

      • Recipes
      • Travel
      • Parenting
    • DSC_8605Foodie Friday: Family-friendly French onion soup
    • Isla-MotelHip new motel renovation on NSW South Coast
  • Jobs
    • Advertise on our job board
    • Job Board FAQs for advertisers

Block room reveals 2018: master ensuites

August 27, 2018 1 Comment

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Gosh, it was a good episode wasn’t it?! Plenty of things which had to be redone because they weren’t to code (including two shower screens so large and dubiously fixed they could probably kill a person!), the most expensive bathroom in Block history, THAT gleaming brass bath, a walkout by Sara in tears after her and Hayden came last for the third week in a row (after producing aforementioned $75,000 bathroom!), and a close win by Kerrie and Spence due to using their bonus point gnome. Reality TV at its finest!

THAT bath: Hayden and Sara’s expensive mistake? Incidentally, I kind of love the bath, but not the rest of the room.

I can’t not mention the Sara walkout. Will she really walk out on the show? I highly doubt it but time will tell. That’s been left on a cliffhanger for obvious reasons! But I have to say, her attitude irks me. Yes, I realise people are passionate and criticism is hard to take (and boy that was some hardcore criticism last night) but they went into the judging way too confident they’d won and looking arrogant. And then the way she swore and carried on made it really hard to feel sorry for her, although I totally did (you’d have to be pretty cold not to feel bad when you see someone that upset) but I also wanted to her to stop embarrassing herself on national television! Gah!

Just goes to show, spending all of the money doesn’t guarantee you a win. Or even a second or third…

I was impressed with the way other couples seemed to genuinely feel bad for them rather than revel in their continually coming last (it is a competition after all) and Bianca and Carla and Norm and Jess are fast emerging as my favourites in both the design stakes and in terms of seeming like genuinely good sorts!

This week, real estate veteran John McGrath stood in for Darren Palmer as a guest judge. Here’s what they had to say about the master ensuite bathrooms.

KERRIE AND SPENCE: 1st
There was a lot riding on this for Kerrie and Spence, who used their bonus point to take out a win for their sophisticated bathroom, which featured a feature marble vanity top, herringbone tiles and matte-black finishes. Their simple, understated room was a big hit with all three judges.

Shaynna Blaze used words like ‘glamour’ and ‘beautiful’. Neale Whitaker said they’d taken it to another level and improved on the last bathroom.

He loved the subtle details like the herringbone tiling. They all loved the face height cabinets, as did I! Divine! The curved edge! Shaynna said they’d nailed the styling.

Shaynna did knock the too-obvious floor wastes though and would have preferred a tile version. John McGrath said he couldn’t see anyone walking in and not being impressed from a buyer’s perspective.

Our pick to buy: Missoni towels

HANS AND COURTNEY: 3rd
Topping their deluxe main bathroom was always going to be a challenge for Courtney and Hans, but they managed to deliver a striking ensuite, which featured more terrazzo tiles, simple white walls, a free-standing bath dressed with a wooden stool and a gorgeous double vanity.

John thought the dark terrazzo might be polarising but Shaynna thought the St Kilda market would love it. Neale said the spaciousness was very luxurious. Shaynna thought the dead space was wasted and they should have had a bigger vanity. She also disliked the bulkhead for the glass and thought it looked clunky.

Neale and Shaynna agreed they should have amped up the luxury on the last bathroom and they’d relied too heavily on the scale and size of this room without doing that.

I personally much preferred this darker terrazzo and the contrast it provided. The bathroom was clean and spacious. but perhaps not quite luxurious enough.

Our pick to buy: Wooden stool

SARA AND HAYDEN: Last
Sara and Hayden might not have won over the judges but there was still a lot to love about the coupleโ€™s ensuite, which included marbled herringbone tiles on the floor, black fittings and fixtures, a black vanity and that stunning (and indeed love/hate) brass bath.

Shaynna’s first words were “oh my God!” Neale said he’d never seen a bath like that before and “wow”. Shaynna thought it was a feature and a different kind of luxury. Neale liked its placement on its own at the end of the room, allowing it to be the hero. John thought it was extremely memorable and something apartment three needed.

Shaynna loved the herringbone tiled floor. But then it all started to go downhill. Neale said the bath was a risk-taker but didn’t think it belonged in that bathroom. The rest of it didn’t feel like it worked and it wasn’t coming together for him. He found the tiles very drab. John said three dark walls was hard to come back from and it was too much black overall. Shaynna agreed and would suggest that they overlay two of the walls with white tiles.

Neale said he felt like he had to like the bathroom because of the bath. But he still didn’t! Shaynna offered to spend some time with the couple one on one to discuss their future apartment and the other couples (clearly feeling bad for them) generously agreed to let them.

Our pick to buy: THAT bathย (if it floats your boat) and Triumph and Disaster toiletries

NORM AND JESS: 4th
It might be the smallest ensuite on The Block, but Norm and Jess made sure their space had impact, choosing a stunning four-metre piece of marble for a feature wall. They matched this with a marble vanity top and beautiful simple tile choice, producing what Neale thought was โ€œa small bathroom punching above its weight.โ€

I really liked what they did in this small space and loved many of their choices. John said it didn’t have the sense of luxury because it was small but it made a great first impression. All the judges loved the marble. Shaynna however felt the scale was wrong and it didn’t need two basins. The lack of shower door also made ย it impractical.

Shaynna couldn’t understand why they would have a black trim on the shower glass when nothing else was black. And the brushed chrome next to polished chrome looked cheap.

John said overall they’d started with a good palette and had a good feel. He and Neale thought they had done nothing which would cost them buyers.

Our pick to buy: Omvivo timber vanity from Reece.

BIANCA AND CARLA: 2nd
If Kerrie and Spence hadnโ€™t used their bonus point this week, the girls up in apartment five would have walked away with another win for their stunningly executed ensuite, which featured another, albeit smaller, marble feature wall, a custom-made vanity, double sinks and a gorgeous stone bench top.

Shaynna and Neale were immediately in love with the stone bench top and the timber joinery. They also loved the long shelf on the marble in the shower.

John said the palette was very complementary. Neale said the styling was less is more and the girls really understood luxury.

Then Shaynna noticed the strip drain and said it looked seamless but getting hair out of it would be a nightmare. John said the room was pretty close to flawless.

Our pick to buy: Custom timber vanity by our favourites, Ingrain Designs

What did you think? Are you annoyed Kerrie and Spence won due to using their bonus point? Was the girls’ bathroom your favourite? What about that brass bath? I’d love to read your comments below!

All our Block coverage

Last week’s guest bedrooms

This season’s main bathrooms

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Primary Sidebar

Popular This Week

  • Australian kitchen dimensions: standard sizes for every last detail
  • Palette Cam 15 apps to help you build your dream home
  • Dining room Canadian home reno is a riot of colour and fun and we love it!
  • AFTER bedroom Before & after: Luxury Sydney apartments go from drab to fab
  • studio xox Bathroom store specialising in Australian made opens in Sydney

Follow us on Instagram

Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping ALL the character!

What a great example this is by @huntingforgeorge 

See all the details, and the laundry, on the blog now, via link in bio.
The patient has very much bounced back! Letterbox The patient has very much bounced back!

Letterbox kinder egg deliveries from a friend, dressing changes without a flinch and refusing to nap despite all the bribes (check the face on him in pic 3!).

Thanks for all your care and messages/comments for this tired and shaken up mama! Now very relieved and grateful ๐Ÿ™
Before & after It's not just the award winning de Before & after

It's not just the award winning designer houses that get us excited here. It's also the beloved family homes which are renovated and extended to make them fit for purpose so people can continue to live where they love ๐Ÿค—

@inspiredspacesaus helped her clients with teenage kids transform this house in Sydney's Hills District inside and out, making it their forever home. 

Due to the nature of the block they could only extend sideways and then gave it street appeal with render, new windows and doors.

See inside on the blog now, via link in bio. It was completely overhauled!
Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into tiled steps ๐Ÿค•

Oh what a night. Thankfully Hornsby Hospital were as amazing as always and we avoided stitches. All taped and glued  back together and now to keep him calm for the next few days (๐Ÿคช) and watch for signs of concussion. 

Bravest little patient ever. Yes I've had a ๐Ÿท

Funny how we go into super organised mama mode in times like these. Grabbed dinosaurs, textas and scrapbook on the way out in case we had a long wait!

UPDATE: thanks for all the love! Charlie is so well this morning after a big sleep!
Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressi Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressive!

The new @studio.xox ONLY sells Australian brands. Like @nood_co coloured basins, lead-free eco brass from @faucetstrommen and @lindseywherrett's  ceramic basins made by hand in Tassie.

And as for their Sydney showroom (they also sell online): WOW.

See and read more on the blog now via link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop
#creatingbeautifulspaces #homestylingdesign
#designbywomen #homestylingtips #sydneycreatives
#homestylingsydney #interiorstyling #interiordesignsydney
#everydaydesign #interiortrends #renovationinspiration
#homedesigninspo #lovemyhome #stylingdetails
#loveinteriors #homeimprovements #interiordesignaustralia
#dreamhomeinspiration #homemakeover #personaldesign
#interiordesignaus #creatingbeautifulspaces
#creativehomes #housestyling #sydneyhomes
#interiorinspiration #myhomedesign
I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new @madeinaustshow in Sydney this August.

๐Ÿฆ˜๐ŸจForget every tacky association you ever had about touristy Australian made and prepare to see a showcase of the best of home, lifestyle, fashion and beauty made right here. If the pandemic has made you appreciate buying local even more, this is for you.

It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers๐Ÿ™

Apply to exhibit or find out more at their website, via their bio, now!

Are YOU buying more Australian made post covid?

#madeinaustralia #australianmade #aussiemade #aussiedesign
Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Follow on Instagram
Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

Get Your Free Ebook

Ebook cover

Never miss the latest renovating and interiors products, news and inspo again! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you the best bits from the blog, direct to your inbox. Plus you'll get our latest eBook: What Made The Biggest Impact in Jen's Own Reno.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Avatar

About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

More from The Block

Michael and Carlene’s latest vintage caravan is for sale!

Kitchen

Past winners of The Block Hayden and Sara’s new kitchen and reno…

The Block auction results 2021

The Block 2021 exterior facade and front garden reveals

The Block 2021 garage (and more) reveals and some harsh words!

The Block 2021 reveals: back yards and pools

Block 2021 room reveals: “hell week”

The Block 2021: Living and dining reveals

The Block effect: how being on TV can shine a spotlight on…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarCarolyn says

    August 27, 2018 at 12:14 pm

    I thought the girls bathroom was the best but the others had every right to use their bonus point so nothing wrong there. I did however find it hard to be sympathetic to Sara when it is after all a competition and someone has to come last. As has been shown over many years you donโ€™t have to win rooms to come out with the overall win at the end! She needs to dig deep, stop swearing and carrying on and act with courage and grace, that will win her more friends!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Footer

Interiors Addict

Interiors Addict

  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Jen
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Browse

  • RENO ADDICT
  • Jen’s Reno
  • House Tours
  • Real Renos
  • Interviews
  • Styling
  • Designers
  • Bedrooms
  • Covet My Coffee Table
  • Expert Tips
  • The Block
  • Art
  • Furniture
  • Recipes

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RENO ADDICT

Copyright © 2011–2022 Addicted Media Pty Ltd
Website care by ClickWP ยท Log in

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!