The House Rules 2019 Tim and Matt reveal proved that when asking other people to design your home, you really shouldn’t request too much.
Things were going so well the past few weeks on House Rules, weren’t they? We’ve just come off two reveals that looked rather divine for the most part. Even I (a cynical ol design aficionado) had been singing the show’s praises. But then we had Tim and Matt’s reveal. And guys… it was not cute.
Here’s the thing though: I actually blame Tim and Matt for some of what happened. I mean, they were honestly asking a bit much of people who aren’t designers.
Asking for industrial is one thing. Most people get what that means. But then asking for it to be fused with sleek is where things get confusing. Then asking teams to work in specific colours and materials is a toughie. Then you want it to be ‘Melbourne’. Oh and also make it graphic. But warm too.
How many different design considerations can novice contestants take into account in the space of a week? Tsk tsk, Tim and Matt, tsk tsk!
Anyway, let’s take a look at what worked, what kinda might have, and what just didn’t from the House Rules 2019 Tim and Matt reveal.
The Bathroom gets my Vote for Best Space
Let me start off by taking the sheets of metal off the table. I’ve never met a sheet of metal I’ve liked in an indoor space. And I don’t think I ever will. Don’t try and change my mind. I’m 37, set in my ways, and I just cannot with sheets of metal. It’s very Supa Cheap Auto. Who wants to take a bath in Supa Cheap Auto?
If we remove those from the equation, the bathroom is quite nice. It’s definitely industrial. It’s definitely sleek in ways. There’s a combination of cold and warm textures, and the black and white colour palette does make it feel a bit Melbourne. So there’s a lot to appreciate.
I quite adore a concrete basin and an industrial vanity, so they get points for that. And the concrete tiles were to die for. However, more greenery was needed. It does feel a little harsh. A big plant moment would have been nice here.
It goes without saying, the styling needs work. I mean, they’ve literally grabbed baskets from IKEA and chucked in some razors.
The Kitchen was Kinda Almost There
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something is missing in this kitchen. It just doesn’t feel particularly industrial, nor does it have a sense of aspiration to it. I can’t help but think of the stunning industrial kitchen that The Block did last season (take a look and compare here). Now THAT was a kitchen that would have scored beyond 100 out of 10 in this series. It was sleek, industrial, and very Melbourne.
I can’t help but feel this kitchen looks a bit cheap, a bit too dark, too imposing and a bit claustrophobic. I love a kitchen that has some airiness to it, but I don’t feel it here.
I do like that they used Terrazzo. No issues there. It actually looks nice. There’s probably a bit too much of it though. I like the flooring; a great rich colour. But it’s too much with all that black cabinetry. They needed some overhead shelving without doors, or doors with glass fronts. It feels almost there, but I’m left wanting more.
I do love the ‘real world’ styling of the whiskey on the bench a metre away from where you’re feeding bub lol. Hey, why can’t Mum and Dad have their bottle white baby is having theirs?
The Nursery was quite Adorable
Of course, there’s nothing industrial about this nursery. That is a shame. I would of loved to have seen an attempt to create a nursery that included some industrial moments but still felt soft and inviting. Actually, maybe I don’t want to see that lol. Who knows what it could have turned out like.
But taking the house rules out of the equation, this is a cute space. Don’t get me wrong; it didn’t reinvent the wheel or anything. But it feels soft and cosy and inviting. And I’m sure a little girl would love it.
I love the giant floral moment on the wall. I love the rug. The sloth is beyond charming. And who doesn’t like a chunky cable knit throw?
I have issues with the name on the same wall as the artwork. It’s all a bit too much crammed into one space. But let’s put our cynicism aside for a moment and just ooh and ahh over a cute baby’s room. It was hands-down the only space capable of giving you warm and fuzzies this week, so let’s just appreciate that for a second.
I like the Vibe of this Mudroom
The floor ticks the house rules off. The cabinetry is a nice colour and the storage is a much-needed element for an entry area like this. I enjoy that they can sit down and put their shoes on and off. Although the bench seat needed padding. Make it a real, actual bench seat with some comfort to it.
I’m also not angry about the peg board. It’s a cute idea. Not every home has to be so serious. Not every area when you come in the door needs to feel chic, or have just a console and a mirror above it. I like that there’s something quirky and out of the box here. When I looked at all the images of the rooms this week, this one stood out as delivering something unexpected. And I like the unexpected.
I mean, the storage boxes at the top are ridiculous in that you’d never be able to get up to them. That’s where you’re safe to store life’s biggest secrets because nobody will ever be able to find them. But apart from that, I’m cool with this space. The screen wasn’t needed, but let’s just leave it at that and move on.
Both the Living and Dining Didn’t Work
I have to come right out and say it. And I’m sorry to whoever it is that supplies these. But those wall panels in the dining room are a crime against interior design. It looks like the design version of cellulite. And I can say that because I’m pretty sure after a month in Europe eating my own body weight in pastry, I have cellulite. That wall needs to go into a hypoxi chamber, or whatever other crazy inventions they come up with to treat cellulite.
Side note: you cannot treat cellulite. Or if you can, please tell me where to go to sort mine out in the comments below.
That wall, I just can’t get on board with. And then they installed lights to showcase the rippling effect even more. And then they put pendant lights over the table. There’s too much going on here but none of it works. I also can’t help but feel the tolix chair has had its day. They peaked in 2012 but it’s time to bid them a fond farewell. And in an industrial space it’s just so expected.
If it counts for anything, I do like the plant and pot on the dining room table.
Outside of the floating entertainment unit in the living room, there was no design in this space. It was just furniture plonked in a room.
I also don’t appreciate the laziness of a tan leather sofa in a space because it’s for men. It’s so cliche.
OK I gotta rein it in now because I’m starting to sound horrible lol.
That Galactic Countertop is Back to Haunt Me
The laundry countertop is the same one used in the kitchen of this season’s first reveal. Didn’t like it then, still don’t like it now. The reflective quality and speckle effect feels quite cheap to me, and I don’t think it brings any level of sleek to a space. Outside of that, it’s a pretty basic laundry and I don’t see any industrial elements at play, which is a shame. Concrete would have been nice here.
It would have also been nice to see some exposed brick somewhere in the internals of this home. That would have been a glorious industrial moment all on its own.
Below in the ensuite, I fully appreciate the concrete basin but that’s where the love ends. The large hexagonal tiles aren’t rocking my world, and the timber vanity doesn’t look successful. It needed more polish. This room feels a bit rough, which is kinda the exact opposite of how you wanna feel when you use an ensuite. (I’ve felt rough in many ensuites, btw, but that was always after a night on too many champers!) 😉
What did you think of this Week’s Reveal?
I have to point out the styling in the den above before I sign off. They literally placed a bottle of booze and a bowl of what looks like chips on a side table. Voila! Styling complete. I just can’t!
Anyway, what did you think of the House Rules 2019 Tim and Matt reveal? Let me know in the comments below. Onwards and upwards for next week’s reveal I hope. Things were going so well up until now.
Drop your thoughts below re what you loved and loathed.
Worst renovated house is Tim and Matt house ,all around black, black and more black, this is no industrial design Any neutral colours is industrial, from beige ,creme, grey to dark grey ,even green-grey , blue -grey , any shade of this colours. This time Carolyn was not be seen at Tim’s house to help contestant. From start we like public see the chanel 7 and judges , they were not honest about Tim and Matt . Shame on you LLB, Vendy , just Jamie is right
I wish Tim and Matt more luck in the future, they like my sons
Kathy
The Batman door looked impressive but is anyone really going to leave that open for a few hours and let the house full up with birds, and every creepy crawly in the backyard?
The whole house looks like a garage man cave.
How hard did the teams work tho to polish this tiny old Melbourne turd. Anything they did was going to be an absolute bonus. I mean to get that fabulous Batman door extension and super modern kitchen is a total win. What is it with both Melbourne teams wanting green and blue colour schemes? Overall I think it was a sad choice to go with the near black flooring when the rule asked for timber. Nothing beats a mixed hardwood polished floor in my opinion. Also the teams went with too much black making the house far to masculine, considering Matt has a wife and a baby also living in this space?
Mel
I agree with nearly everything you have said. I didn’t like that wall in the dining room at all! Not industrial at all, more Austin Powers. I hated the blue tiles in the ensuite. They didn’t go with the floor tiles either. Yuck, I would rip that out in a heartbeat. The kitchen and laundry were ok, a bit dark, a bit bland and lacking personality. The living room was boring and didn’t look like much thought had gone into it.
So many things wrong wit this reno – you are right, the rules were not that difficult but the contestants heard industrial and went black black black. LLB was correct – in parts the black looked very cheap – eg the laundry granite – so tired of that sparkly black granite – and why on the backsplash also? I know why – because it’s quicker than tiling – ditto the kitchen, but it looked so heavy and dull. The floors were the first disaster and Kate and Alex were over-confident and decided that was the way to go and everyone (except the dancers) fell into line. Huge error and very expensive to rectify. This house was tricky to reno in a week because it had the most demo and messy demo at that, bricks and new walls to be built etc so it was clear that time was an issue, but with all that time they should have spent more energy designing the feel of the place and doing some shopping – they did a better job shopping in WA when the shops were 3 hours away! They did seem to forget about the female element in this house also, it looked a lot like a bachelor pad – with artwork featuring cars everywhere. They deserved the low scores sadly, yes they worked hard but still did a bad job.
Bet you if the boys get garden done fence will be painted grey and a wall garden will be in feont of the picture window. Seen this before? Maybe
I agree that the rules were a bit tricky but still..a cursory glance through pinterest etc. would have revealed that this type of interior doesn’t have to be stereotypical black, black & black. It was disappointing that some of the design lacked taste (the blue hexagonal tile +terrazzo in particular made my eyes bleed) and was unimaginative and cliché in other areas. However, I do think that the judges (especially LLB) need to pull their necks in a bit – their comments often go beyond judging the respective spaces and come across quite spiteful and personal, making it unpleasant to watch. (I was an avid watcher of Changing Rooms in the UK in the 1990s and LLB was responsible for so many criminally-designed spaces that I’m surprised he was allowed entry into Australia :-O)These are amateurs after all and regardless of how successful their spaces, you cannot fault their commitment or work ethic (This season’s contestants in particular seem to be a nice bunch). Additionally, I feel that the judges shouldn’t be aware of which contestants have completed which space – there is often a bit of bias apparent.