Pretty damn good for week two, don’t we think? Mitch and Mark went from last place last week to win this week. Nice one! Although I must admit Ronnie and Georgia’s, which came second, was my favourite. Bathrooms are not easy rooms to get right, so it’s perhaps no surprise the two experienced faves couples came first and second?
How good was bringing the judges face to face with the contestants for the first time ever?! Awkward! But I loved it! More of this please! Super useful for them to get feedback “We don’t tell you this stuff to be mean,” says Darren. “We want you to do well,” said Neale.
FIRST: Mark & Mitch
Score: 28/30 | Spent: $20,833
“Beautiful!” Shaynna said when she walked into Mitch and Mark’s guest ensuite and from the vibrant feature tiles to the double vanity, aged brass tapware, matte finish bath and basins and more, her fellow judges agreed.
Even the layout impressed, with Darren noting it’s not a larger room than their competitors, but a better room, with more thought put into placement including the toilet tucked out of sight, the central door and the wall to wall strip drain. Throw in the fun touches like Mitch’s unique gold bath ducks and they were in love. “It’s a jewel!” Neale summed up.
“It’s punchy as hell,” said Darren. “This is a bathroom which is really making me smile because I feel that Mitch and Mark are back in the game and I’m seeing some of that old spark,” added Neale.
Get the look: Their own brand candle
SECOND: Ronnie & Georgia
Score: 26½/30 | Spent: $24,500
Mirroring the soaring ceilings of the bedroom it services, Ronnie and Georgia’s guest ensuite wowed the judges with its skylights and feature slab behind the bath.
The marble-effect slab behind the bath married into a very calming colour palette, Darren said, with the soft tones of the finger tiles and accent tiles working against the brass fittings to create the same amount of drama as its neighbouring room – but still pared back. Add in ample storage and it is, Shaynna said, a room that will last well into the future.
Shaynna would have preferred a matte rather than gloss bath and basin. And also thought that the mixer taps were too far away from the shower.
Set aside the little details and the execution made it very luxe, according to Neale. Darren said they’d got the lighting right.
Got to say, this was my personal favourite!
THIRD: Tanya & Vito
Score 24.5/30 | Spent: $35,237
Terrazo flooring? Check. Bold feature wall? Check. Exotic ceramic pendant? Double check! And it all added up to a functional bathroom just dripping with Tanya and Vito’s unique style and a definite Moroccan feel – and the judges were happy to have made the trip.
No toilet in the room was controversial, as were the lack of towel rails, but the benefit was a huge shower area and uncluttered walls that all combined to create a feeling of space. On pure ambiance, Neale said, this room delivers.
Shaynna thought they’d perhaps taken too much floorplan for this en suite though. And didn’t like the design or position of the black lights above the bath either. Neale said the plant was too spindly and Darren didn’t like the bath mat.
Get the look: Peach concrete basin
FOURTH: Kirsty & Jesse
Score: 24/30 | Spent: $19,022
Neat, compact and well appointed, Kirsty and Jesse’s guest ensuite skated the edge of being too small, the judges said, but managed to glide past any potential issues to win them over.
With space created by the skylights over the perfect vanity, blue sink and matching colour palette that married well into the existing bedroom outside, Shaynna said a few styling touches – and possibly some additional towel rails! – could bring what is already a functionally perfect space into a slick coastal chic bathroom.
The judges questioned the need for the nib wall and said it made the room feel even smaller. Shaynna said the brass shells were cute but they weren’t needed to tell people they were near the beach! Neale said despite the small size it felt very appropriate for the other rooms and the execution was to a high standard.
Get the look: Brass scallop wall clip | Powder blue concrete sink
LAST: Josh & Luke
Score 20.5/30 | Spent: $25,356
From the dark colour choices, Venetian plaster feature wall and ceiling to the massive shower screen, varied metals in fixtures and unusual chocolate and cheese styling on the bath board, this was a room that polarised the judges.
Too large? Too generic? Too dated? They all had criticisms, but even they all agree on one thing. As a Jack-and-Jill bathroom to service not only the guest room already in place but a future room planned on the other side, the size was enough that things would never feel cramped.
Darren wasn’t into the Venetian plaster ceiling and thought it was a waste of money. Shaynna agreed, saying it was beautifully done but not the place to spend money. Neale said it felt “incredibly dated” and cold. “I never want to see this grey-grey-grey palette again.” Shaynna didn’t like the “weird” shower niche that was smaller than a tile or the under vanity lighting highlighting the waste! And the styling was “atrocious”! “One wall does not make a room.”
Get the look: Timber bath caddy
NEXT WEEK: Master bedrooms, and it’s looks like it’s going to be good!
