The Block 2018 hallways, laundries and powder rooms were unveiled this week and I can’t say I’m tickled pink by much of it. I’m not sure I’m tickled any colour, actually. I might not even be tickled at all.
The hallways, for the most part, were long white corridors with random artworks hung along them in different sizes, colours and styles. They all suffered from a case of the blands. Or they went the other way and felt a bit multiple personality disorder, don’t you think?
You know what those walls needed. I’m not even going to say it because you know. You know you come here every week and I say the same thing about the bloody white walls. So I won’t even say what they need. We’re on the same page about what they need 😉 So let’s just accept that I’m never going to get what I want out of the walls this season and be done with it.
The powder rooms and laundries. Meh. I could take them or leave them. They’re like ham sandwiches. Sure you’ll eat one of it’s on offer, but you certainly never crave a ham sandwich, and you most certainly aren’t excited to see one.
God I sound so grumpy already, don’t I? I think writing Block recaps with a hangover is clearly a bad idea. I’ve eaten a cheese and tomato melt, a hamburger and chips, half a bag of lollies and a few cans of Coke (sugar free because #fitspo) and I still feel dusty. Time to pep up and get on with this recap! And book in for a stomach stapling ASAP.
Hans and Courtney got 24 Outta 30: Fair Call.
Hans and Courtney had some wow moments this week, so we should call them out first. The hallway was interesting. And usually when I say something is ‘interesting’ I’m actually kinda bagging it out, but that’s not the case here. And for future reference, it’s when I say “oh that’s cute”, that I’m actually saying it’s not very good at all.
I feel like the hallway had some character and interest. It didn’t feel too new, store-bought and run-of-the-mill. So props to Hans and Courtney for that.
The sideboard was nine flavours of deliciousness and the mirror that sat across from it was divine. I love a mirror in an entryway. I feel an entryway is incomplete without a mirror. To not have one would be like not having a sofa in a living room, or not having a secret stash of chocolate in your bedroom drawer. Just bonkers in every way.
I thought the palm tree art was an odd choice. It makes no sense to me in a luxury Melbourne apartment. It’s a very tropical Queensland reference. And the leather occasional chair was also quite an odd inclusion. It’s not grand enough to really claim the space, and there’s nothing near it to give it a proper sense of purpose (a side table would have been nice, at the very least).
I thought the laundry and powder room were OK. Nothing to write home about. Nothing to tickle and delight. Apart from that backlit mirror in the powder room; THAT is a killer design trend coming to homes in 2019 and I’m all for it.
Random sidenote: every time I write the name Hans in these blog posts I think of the deli meats. Always makes me hungry.
Hayden and Sara Came in Last – Ouchies!
Hayden and Sara’s three spaces this week reminded me of the Jonas Brothers; one was gorgeous, the other not bad, and the last one is what I’d call a ‘two drink minimum’. Not working for me at all unless I’m under the influence of a few vision-blurring Savvy B’s.
The hallway was the gorg-a-rama zone, no doubt! I actually think they produced one of the best hallways of the week. The lighting was phenomenal, for starters. It certainly made the entryway feel warm and welcoming. I also enjoyed their floating shelf, and the art was everything! I’m frothing at the mouth a little over those amazing orange artworks. They feel luxe, they feel upmarket, they feel right at home here.
The one thing I will say, because I can’t help myself even though I told you I wouldn’t say it, is wallpaper. Or dark paint. Imagine if those artworks were against a nice black or brown cloth wallpaper. It would be so so good. A nice long runner would have gone a long way to help this zone feel warmer as well. Bianca and Carla were the only team to do a runner and I have no idea why everyone else neglected this inclusion.
The laundry and the bathroom were a bit Beyonce and Jay-Z circa 2006; very deja vu (if you don’t get this pop culture reference I’m not sure we can be friends). Seen rooms like this a thousand times before on The Block, so it feels a bit lazy.
Jorm are my New Best Friends
I kinda feel Jorm (Jess and Norm) did such a phenomenal job in their kitchen last week that I now view them through rose-coloured glasses. From here on in they can do no wrong. I have been looking at pictures of their kitchen all week. And like a fine wine, or Kerri-Ann Kennerley, it just gets better with age (seriously Kerri Ann has been 40 for three decades – unbelievable!).
When it came to their hallway, good Lord were they stuck with a narrow zone. After looking at all the other hallways this week, Jorm’s looked so thin in comparison. And a thin hallway like that is tough to decorate on a show like this, when judges are looking for wow-factor. They were very smart to keep things minimal though. I love the floating marble shelf, adore the pendant lights, and am gaga over that large round mirror.
The laundry, as I’m sure you’d have predicted by now, I’m obsessed with. It’s very in-keeping with the look and feel of their kitchen, so naturally I can’t get enough of it. The space is subtle but sophisticated, minimal but still interesting. There’s a lot to like about this zone, you can’t argue that.
The powder room I was a bit let down by. It’s just not doing anything for me. Feels a bit… nothing. No focal point. No wow. Just… a powder room. I like me a powder room with a bit of drama (like these ones). And this is anything but dramatic.
I Still Heart you Bianca and Carla
There’s still a lot of love in my heart for Bianca and Carla. There’s a spot right beside the arteries that are currently clogged with hamburger and hot chip oil. I’ve reserved it just for them because I still adore their style. They have slipped a little bit the last few weeks, but I’m confident that when I see the home overall the whole thing will make perfect sense.
Good designers never look at one room in isolation. So I’m telling myself that B&C have a grand plan that they’re executing with great aplomb. And I can’t wait to see it in-the-flesh. I think the apartment is going to have great visual highs and lows, and I’m certain I won’t be let down.
That said, the hallway was a bit on the bland side for my taste. Just so much white. I also feel, when it comes to design moments in a luxury Melbourne apartment, fixing things to the wall wins out over freestanding furniture. I would have loved to see a floating hall table in this zone, to give the area more interest and elevate it. But what I will say, is thank the Lord above there was a hall runner on the floor. Loved that moment.
The laundry… yeah, she’s a bit of all right. I think it’s those tiles that are the element I want to go away. The cabinetry colour is nice and I love the light timber, but I think we needed a more impactful tile in this zone. It falls a bit flat.
The powder room I am not a fan of. I can’t say there’s one thing I love about it. Sorry girls.
Kerrie and Spence took the Win
I can’t say that I see what the judges see regarding Kerrie and Spence’s hallway. I think the art choices were a bit bananas. Every piece was lovely in its own right, but all of them together in the one small zone was pretty overwhelming.
It would have been wiser to stick to a narrower colour palette here. One or two colours for the art collection in this hallway would have worked out nicely. But as it stands… way too hectic. I don’t get this hallway as a winning zone at all. To me is feels like an afterthought. Random abstract artworks thrown onto blank walls does not a winning hallway make.
The laundry and powder room make up for the bad hallway though. Sure, I’ve seen this vibe rolled out a lot, but at least it was done well. At least it feels consistent, it’s executed properly, and the styling was quite nice. Did they deserve the win? I don’t think so. But that’s just me. I’ll let you know what they looked like in-person when I tour the space in the coming weeks.
WIN A $100 BLOCK SHOP VOUCHER
Every Sunday night I’ll be giving you the chance to win a $100 voucher for The Block Shop. The winner will be announced in next week’s Block recap (right here on the blog), where you can then enter again to win. Repeat each week until the end of the season. How exciting!
LAST WEEK’S WINNER: Ash Alarca
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Simply pop a comment below telling me what you thought of The Block 2018 hallway, laundries or powder rooms. It’s that easy!
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This season is boring and these rooms are boring! The show is encouraging the contestants to design saleable apartments but saleable apartments are white and boring. How many times has Shaynna told off an adventurous designer by calling their work “polarising”? Well let’s just go watch Selling Houses Australia where they paint everything grey, no matter the era or style of the home.
Liked K&S nook and art work. Always love the girls work as well. Feeling a bit bad for H&S.
No wow factor for me.
Bianca and Carla’s hallway looked cheap to me, didn’t like the styling at all. It was all just thrown in together, mix and match. Only liked the tiles in the laundry.
Hans and Courtney had great floorboards in the hallway and that sideboard was gorgeous, however the artwork distracted from the overall tone and style. Artworks not cohesive. Loved the lighting though.
I don’t think Hayden and Sara should have been scored so low – I loved the artwork in the hallway, and the mirror.
Norm and Jess have such a narrow hallway! The artwork overpowered the space I thought, however I like the marble and mirror.
Kerrie and Spence didn’t stand out to me. Hated the nook. Artwork was hit and miss. Great tiles in the laundry and bathroom.
Chris! I was in withdrawal mode last night. I needed my fix of your brutally honest play-by-play after another week of meh room reveals. I was lost.
Again, for me, the girls should have taken the win this week. I think it’s just the consistency that I’ve grown to expect from them. And Jess and Norm’s laundry was a tiny slice of beautiful. But as every week, it’s all “old news” that we’ve all seen years ago. Nothing screamed out ‘wow’ this week. Colour, wallpaper, creativity… maybe they’re all banned this year and the audience just don’t know it.
I really wish next season of The Block shakes it up big time. I’m thinking some run down houses in Newcastle or somewhere else the opposite of “high end” where the contestants can literally go design crazy.
I loved the artwork but was the floating shelf in H & S apt a weird height? Jorm’s apt with the glass door at the end looked very elegant and was my pick although laundry-wise S&K got my vote – I would love to fold clothes in there!
Hans and Courtney’s has too much white for my liking! I like Bianca and Carla’s best actually, I think it’s the most interesting.
I know there’s nothing new under the sun but can we rotate the earth slightly? It’s all abit , “seen it.” I feel like Kerrie and Spence won only because they didn’t make a flop of all areas. For me that sums up the series.
If only Jess and Norm had spiced up the loo and laundry.
Boring! So over the white walls, incohesive art choices, random decor selections and rooms of just, well, blah. The Block used to be inspiring to watch…not so much anymore. Where is the actual creative design element? Where is the clever use of colour? and where oh where are the unique furniture pieces that we drool over and fall in love with and just have to have? (The sideboard in Hans and Courtney’s hallway I lusted over 2 years ago…) Really disappointed this year. As for the judges, don’t get me started. The only saving grace is Kerrie and Spence’s attention to detail, work ethic and willingness to not cause too much drama. When did The Block become a high school drama show? Sorry, but I’m no longer interested.
Jess and Norms for the win for me, simple, clean and fresh. Plus Jess is hilarious and my stand out favourite think I will love everything they do JUST BECAUSE I CAN.
COMpletely agree. I feel like they have been told they all need to choose between a limited palette for sale. Jorm’s work was the best by far and YOU are hilarious x