With identical plans but very different dreams, last night it was time for the Blockheads to jump into their first room and Scotty’s not making it easy… with a bathroom! For some, this was just what they’d been hoping for, with moodboards ready to go, but for others it was uncharted territory where tiles, fittings and fixtures were something they’d never dealt with before.
For one team it was all too much and they didn’t manage to finish, but for two teams at least, it was game on. So, who presented the winning space?
Robby and Mat (First place): 26.5
From a warm colour palette that reminded Darren of “a latte top”, to Travertine-style tiles and a vanity at the ideal height from Beaumonts, plus the common sense of horizontal Reece towel rails, the judges agreed this was “the Goldilocks bathroom” where everything was just right. Not quite as stylish as some, but far more practical. Marty was torn between choosing what would photograph better and what was more practical… and practicality won. For Darren, it was the Daylesford scented candle, now that, he said, was luxury! “It’s all in the details,” he added.
Product pick: Tetra Structured Tile 130×130 – Pavilion Sesame Matt
Sonny & Alicia (Second place): 25.5
“This is beautiful!” Marty said as he walked into Sonny and Alicia’s bathroom and took in the large format tiles from Beaumonts, the clever design that allowed for a shower-screen-free space, the perfect Reece tapware, styling including the al.ive Wash and Lotion duo and more. “This room gave me a kiss on the mouth as soon as I walked in,” Darren gushed, but for Shaynna, not everything was quite as perfect. The vanity, she felt, was too high and the lighting plan wasn’t what she wanted – who needs a light over the toilet, she asked? With a chic mid-century western style, Marty liked what he saw… but could also see room for improvement.
Product pick: Kado Aspect 1800mm Wall Hung Vanity Unit Double Bowl Timber Top from Reece
Emma & Ben (Equal third place): 24
Clearly inspired by the nature outside, the judges were impressed by Emma & Ben’s natural tones in the paint, tiles and tapware. From earth tones to greens, with even some reds hinted and brass tones in the Reece fixtures, it was a perfect mix, Darren said: “People want colour and interest. It’s definitely not a bland beige place to be here in Daylesford.” But as good as the first impression was – and with trees glimpsed through the Velux skylight, it was very good, Shaynna said – the execution let them down. The nib wall would need a redo and paint wanted touching up. A good start, but not perfect.
Product pick: The Block Shop has an exclusive 2-for-1 deal on the Noah Concrete Basin by Maark Bathware
Britt & Taz (Equal third place): 24
“How good is that!” Marty said as he took in the French pattern Beaumont tiles in Britt & Taz’s bathroom. “This is more textured.” And the Grafico wallpaper, Darren added, was a “super smart” way to avoid the expense of tiling but still get a textured effect. But once again, Shaynna felt the vanity was too high, the nickel tapware wasn’t a choice she’d have made and the all-white palette? Way too safe, she said. “Don’t go vanilla, don’t go beige – go more rustic,” she advised. “Beige is not Daylesford.”
Product pick: Concrete Wallpaper – “Stucco Veneziano”
Han & Can (Fifth place): 19.5
“Wow! Curvy!” said Darren as he took in Han & Can’s bathroom, with the smooth shapes and well-planned layout combining for a soft and calming space. But was it right for a kids’ wet room? The vanity was too high, Shaynna said and so too are the towel hooks. And the industrial-style fixtures for the shower screen? They’re a miss, Marty said. Darren could see the many positives, from the Beaumont tiles to the Reece bath, but the arched doorway was too much. The ideas were all good, the judges could see, but as Shaynna pointed out, there might have simply been too many of them. “What a pity it isn’t finished,” she summed up.
Product pick: CHAMPY Side Table
Photography: David Cook Photography.
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