With The Block homes nearly done, it was time for one last bathroom and the much needed chance for the Blockheads to rectify their biggest mistake – whatever it was! – with a redo room. Phew! It was the perfect time to get back on track and to finish off the interior before heading out to the back and front yards.
Eliza and Liberty (First place). 27.5/30
Transforming a room Marty said would have been better off empty, to a studio that earned a “Bravo!” from Shaynna, Eliza and Liberty’s redo studio was a huge success. A Laminex VJ timber feature wall replaced the Grafico roadmap, the microwave was hidden away and the television relocated for a change that truly worked, the judges said. Only the furniture location needed a tweak, Darren said, but that was easily fixed.
Into the final bathroom and the jumbo terrazzo immediately caught the eye, paired with dark green tiles, oak and brass for a sophisticated winning aesthetic. Neale wasn’t sold on the styling, marking down the bathbombs and kids robes, but Shaynna was quick to point out the layout, execution and finish were near perfect. “A standout today!” she summed up.
Leah and Ash (Second place). 27/30
From a weather damaged office to a perfectly executed fourth bedroom, the transformation of Leah and Ash’s redo room was “stunning”, Shaynna said. Playing the solidity of the marble fireplace off the Palm Springs aesthetic in styling choices, this was a room all agreed fit the home’s eclectic style well. Their only fault was the missed opportunity of no seating in the bay window, but in all it was a successful redo that added a lot to the home.
Upstairs, Darren was immediately taken by the statement bathtub, “superb” tiling choices, and the fact the toilet was perfectly placed. The basins sparked debate, but with horizontal towel rails and a functional floorplan, it was “a near perfect room” Darren summed up.
Steph and Gian (Third place). 26/30
Flipping the vanity to a different wall and adding Venetian plaster transformed Steph and Gian’s master ensuite redo room, bringing a sophistication that was missing and adding the perfect finishing touch to their master wing. Shaynna was still chasing more storage, pointing out the lack of face-level cupboards and the shallow vanity drawers, but overall, the room finally had soul, they decided.
Into the kids “Jack and Jill” bathroom and the praise continued. “Very sophisticated!” Shaynna said, noting the added storage, but there were problems. Narrow shower doors could be tricky for kids, she said, the lighting was “gloomy” and functionality such as high towel hooks just didn’t work. It’s beautiful, Neale said, but flawed.
Kyle and Leslie (Fourth place). 23.5/30
With Darren clapping and Shaynna dancing, it seemed Kyle and Leslie had found a way to open up what had been a cramped living and dining area and bring it into line with the rest of their home. “It just works!” Neale said as he took in the new curved wall that brought a flow from the front of the house, Porta moulding features reflecting the sheers and finally, the perfect place for the Christian Cole dining table.
In the upstairs kids’ bathroom, the terrazzo tiles and Velux skylights wowed and the judges agreed it was a beautifully styled space, perfectly suited to its needs… if only the toilet wasn’t facing the bath. It’s the one tub in the house, Shaynna said; it deserved a better view.
Kristy and Brett (Fifth place). 18.5/30
Clearly time had gotten the better of Kristy and Brett, the judges saw as they walked into an incomplete redo bathroom with missing fixtures, unfinished tiling and more. “This isn’t a redo room,” Darren joked, “it’s an undo room!”. Was it just time? Or had budget hit hard as well, Shaynna wondered. Clearly something had gone wrong.
Upstairs in the kids bathroom, the same problems showed once again and although things were more under control, with a replication of the master ensuite clearly intended, the work was incomplete once more. Darren admitted he loved the face-level storage and vanity styling and Neale said with the colour palette, timber tiles and layout, he could see this will be a great bathroom when it’s finished… but it simply wasn’t.
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