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

By Amy Collins-Walker •

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Since winning The Block in 2018, Hayden and Sarah Vale have been busy renovating a former beach shack on the NSW South Coast (Stanwell Park to be exact), turning it into their forever home. With enviable ocean and parkland views, the five-storey abode ‘SouthHouse’ has four large bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms and three separate living spaces.

“We were after the perfect balance of a retreat for our family as well as a hub for entertaining. We knew we’d have guests staying so wanted to give them their own space,” says Sara of the home that features a lower guest floor.

Kitchen
Sara and Hayden’s new kitchen is the home’s hub

The bedrooms are all on another floor because Sara, who shares the home with Hayden and her two children Harlow and Lawson, wanted everyone nearby. For convenience and accessibility, the bathrooms and laundry are on this floor too. The top floor is the designated kitchen and entertaining space, and it’s the gorgeous kitchen that we are touring today.

Here, Hayden and Sara shared the things to keep in mind when designing and constructing a kitchen with wow.

Take inspiration from your surroundings
For our home design, we simply looked outside for inspiration. We realised we lived in such a stunning part of the world that we wanted to bring influences of that inside, as well as join elements of it on the outside. For that reason, SouthHouse features a modern urban aesthetic with a neutral palette that provides the perfect backdrop for accents of colour, texture and coastal influences. Think high quality, hand-picked materials and finishes to deliver a timeless style, like concrete and timber, while presenting a balanced, yet luxurious feel. 

Kitchen
The kitchen features the Electrolux 90cm Multifunction Pyrolytic oven

Plan, plan and plan
No matter what scale the renovation, superior time management and organisation skills are a must. With any renovation, big or small, you need to be on top of everything – from your ideas to planning, trades to styling, have your end goal clear in your head, so you can see every detail. One of the areas of the home that requires the most detailed level of planning is the kitchen. In the kitchen you’re after the golden triangle between fridge, cooktop and sink with the right amount of bench space in between to make preparation convenient.

Kitchen

Consider feeling over trends
Rather than being beholden to changing trends, focus on creating that homely feeling you’ve always dreamed of. Because we both come from large extended families, an entertainer’s kitchen was key, and we wanted it to be the showstopper. We knew we had to make a statement here, making sure we had a kitchen that could do a dinner for two, take on a party of 50 and anything in between.

Kitchen

Know what you want your kitchen for
While on planning, purpose plays a big role when it comes to your kitchen design. Ask yourself will it be for entertaining, quiet nights in, a family or singles or everything? Use your response to that question to help decide what appliances you will need. If the space allows for it, we always go for a big cooktop and oven because we like to entertain.

For more on Electrolux | Follow Hayden and Sara

The kitchen trends from The Block 2021 and how to steal them
The Block 2021 has sadly ended for another season! Beyond the drama, the show remains an ongoing source of inspiration for our homes and we saw trends that will no…

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December 1, 2021

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Brand new furniture in an 1877 house and IT WORKS! Brand new furniture in an 1877 house and IT WORKS!

@castleryau have named the talented stylist @stevecordony as their first Australian brand ambassador and he's curated a capsule of their furniture which he styled to perfection at his stunning country house @rosedale_farm 

I was lucky enough to see the pieces in situ last week and I honestly couldn't believe how well it all worked! They were going for accessible luxury and well, he delivered, and then some!

Head to the blog via link in bio to read more about the partnership.

#castlery #castleryau #stevecordony #rosedalefarm #affordablefurniture #australianstylist
If you pick your restaurants for the interior as m If you pick your restaurants for the interior as much as the food, you might want to add @pinosalmare  by @nicgrahamandassociates to your date night list! 😍

@smartstoneaustralia's stunning Calacatta Viola sintered stone surface features throughout, making a bold statement while being durable enough to be used in the busiest areas.

Inspired by Puglia, Pino's (named after the owner's father) in Cronulla has a real seaside vibe. The Smartstone was also chosen for the outdoor tables due to its UV stability.

#calacattaviola #smartstone #restaurantinteriors #restaurantinteriordesign #italianrestaurantsydney #engineeredstone #sinteredstone
SPA VIBES was the brief for this bathroom and @jas SPA VIBES was the brief for this bathroom and @jasminemcclellanddesign delivered. And then some!

"With a keen eye for design, they wanted their main bathroom to feel calm, spa-like and elevated with more storage, better layout, and soft, layered textures in a neutral palette. Lighting was another big focus, with the goal of creating a space that felt luxurious enough to unwind in, preferably with a glass of champagne in the bath.”

Is it a yay or a nay for you?

Head to the blog via link in bio/stories for all the suppliers as well as a look at the powder room with its bold wallpaper 😍

#spabathroom #zenbathroom #spavibes #bathroomremodels 

📸 @jonathantabensky
Vacuums, mops, empties itself. Slim enough to get Vacuums, mops, empties itself. Slim enough to get under the lowest furniture and beds.

Comment 'enter' and we'll DM you the link to enter for your chance to win this top of the range $1499 robot from @ecovacs_anz, the DEEBOT T50 PRO OMNI.

Good luck!

#robotvacuumcleaner #robotvaccum #robotvacuummop #robotmop #smarthome #houseworkhacks
>>>Swipe for the transformation! 😮 From cold t >>>Swipe for the transformation! 😮

From cold to cosy!

This primary ensuite for a successful career woman working in luxury cosmetics and homewares is sexy, strong, girly, but sophisticated. We love its warmth and personality.

If you'd like to take the tour and find out where everything is from, comment 'luxe' below and I'll send the link to your DMs!

Bravo @howardlanedesigns 👏🏼 
📸 @capturedbykels__

#ensuiteinspo #ensuitedecor #ensuitegoals #marblebathrooms #statementstone
The latest addition to my @kirstenjackson_gallery The latest addition to my @kirstenjackson_gallery collection. This is a framed canvas and the quality is amazing. I feel like beautifully framed canvas prints are the perfect affordable halfway point when it comes to art.
What's your decor style? Spring, summer, autumn or What's your decor style? Spring, summer, autumn or winter?

I could have told you I was spring even before I took the quick quiz to find out, and pleased to report the quiz gave me the right result!

Comment the season you THINK you are below (spring, summer, autumn or winter) and I'll send you the link to the quiz so you can double check!

Fun!

This quiz from @templeandwebster jumps on the colour analysis trend for fashion and applies it to interiors!

#seasonaldecorating #seasonaldecor #colouranalysis
The @thermomix_au TM7 launch in Sydney yesterday w The @thermomix_au TM7 launch in Sydney yesterday was a real treat. Such an exciting and sleek looking upgrade to my favourite kitchen machine!

The new look speaks for itself and, as usual, the engineering is impressive. Here's the biggest changes that stood out to me:

1. It's SO quiet and in fact SILENT up to a certain speed 
2. It has a much bigger 10 inch screen
3. A new insulated, cool to touch bowl (the inner metal bowl detaches to wash)
4. A gorgeous new matte black design with fluted and herringbone details and made of 30% recycled materials 👏🏼 

Enjoyed a beautiful lunch all prepared, naturally, in the Thermomix! Was great to meet @mise_en_place_aus in real life as well as special guest dessert queen @kirstentibballs and catch up with the lovely Thermomix team.

Tag a friend who'll be coveting the TM7! It's available from next week!

#thermomixtm7 #thermomix #thermomixaus #thermomixlover
Awards are always a great place to get inspo. Chec Awards are always a great place to get inspo. Check out the kitchen and bathroom of the year winners in this month's @hia_au @csrdwelling Housing Awards. There's more winning homes and rooms to check out in our blog post on the homepage, via link in bio or stories now. 

Kitchen by @build.theory Bathroom by @birdblackdesign and @aspire_constructions 

#hiaawards #hiaawards2025 #awardwinninghomes #australianinteriordesign
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Amy Collins-Walker

About Amy Collins-Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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