Wins and Sins from The Block 2022 Hallway, Laundry and Mudroom Reveals

The Block 2022 hallway, laundry and mudrooms have been unveiled. But before we examine my leaderboard, riddle me this:

What’s the theory behind ‘Hell Week’ exactly? Get burnt-out contestants, burden them with work that can’t really be completed in the allocated time, and then mark them down for it?

Couldn’t we just have more time to do less work? I know, I clearly have no career in creating drama for reality television, but the concept of Hell Week seems bonkers to me. It feels almost unfair to critique the rooms. But of course, I’m going to do it anyway.

This is the order I would have put the teams in this week:

1. Dylan and Jenny
2. Rachel and Ryan
3. Tom and Sarah Jane
4. Omar and Oz, Ankur and Sharon (joint last)

Have a read of The Block 2022 hallway, laundry and mudroom reveals below and then let me know what you thought in the comments at the end.

Dylan and Jenny Came First

Last week’s living and dining room reveal was a bit rough for Dylan and Jenny, but this week they deserved the win. 

That said, one of the main issues I see every year on The Block is crammed hallways. Like me at Christmas lunch, they always shove too much in. This issue was at play in the winning hallway, which really needed paring back a bit.

The wainscoting is lovely, and a feature that works rather well. But it’s really overshadowed. The lighting and artworks are particularly nice too, and I don’t mind the hall runner. But then the overload comes.

The console is a little pedestrian; a more solid option with doors on it would have been better. And I don’t want to see shoes in a basket. Imagine asking guests to put shoes in a basket – the horror! The styling is a bit underwhelming, and the plant is unnecessary. 

Their Seating Zone Was a Nice Idea

A hallway is a big long thoroughfare to a more usable zone in a home. So it’s good to give people a reason to stop along the way to admire something (like art) or stop altogether. In Dylan and Jenny’s case, we’re stopping altogether. I love the idea, but it needs finessing.

Without a window treatment on the window, you’re a puppy in a pet shop window. I keep mentioning this all the time, but I’m not staying in a country home without window treatments.

Call me a diva, but this diva does not want to be watched at night by (you guessed it by now) Wolf Creek John Jarrett as I sit on the set of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

All jokes aside, I like all of the furniture in this space. Great armchairs, nice rug, beautiful artwork. If they had time I would have appreciated a built-in bench seat and a feature pendant light in this zone, but for the time allocated they’ve dressed it well.

The Laundry and Mudroom Was Everything

Without a doubt, Dylan and Jenny’s laundry and mudroom was the best zone of the week. Don’t even try and debate it with me. 

The continuity as you move from their kitchen to the butler’s pantry, into the laundry and through to the mudroom is the best execution of the season. There, I said it! It’s more on-point than Madonna’s cone bra during the 1990 Blonde Ambition tour.

The cabinets, the flooring, the breakout timber shelving above the square gloss wall tiles; give me a ciggie because I am spent. The only issues that stand out to me are that the butler’s has a brass tap and the laundry and mudroom have black taps. That erks me.

I’m also not certain putting the washer and dryer right where the door opens is the best location either. OK so maybe it’s not the best execution of the season after all. Put my ciggie out. I think I arrive prematurely. Still a luscious zone though.

Tom and Sarah Jane Came Second

You know, don’t you? You know what I’m going to say. I almost don’t even need to say it, but I will. Like the 2010 Miley Cyrus song, I can’t be tamed.

The wallpaper. What is going on with the wallpaper? To quote Pauline Hanson, “please explain”.

If we’re to go along with the premise that The Block is a show about appealing to a potential buyer, what about purple tartan says ‘get out the cheque book and put in an offer’? This, like the blue version in the bedroom, is way too polarising.

It’s actually not a bad wallpaper, just not here. A kids room? Yes! A rumpus room? Yes. On the kilt of a Scotsman on a particularly windy day? Absolutely. But here it does not work. And it pulls focus from those phenomenal (but way too lowly-hung) abstract artworks. 

The Fireplace Zone… I’m On the Fence

I question the fireplace zone. And I’m eager to hear your thoughts on it. I just don’t know that I would use it. Who needs a sit-down fireplace moment in a walkway? I could be wrong. If someone is in the kitchen, aren’t guests or family by the fireplace in the living room?

Dylan and Jenny’s sit-down zone made more sense; you’re there to overlook the countryside. But this fireplace moment… I’m unsure. But what I can tell you is that I don’t want to sit here and look at the wallpaper to the left. 

The general issue here, which is made more obvious in Tom and Sarah Jane’s laundry below, is the lack of cohesion in this home. Stylistically, the entry bears no relation to the kitchen, which bears no relation to the living, the bathroom, the master and so on.

The Laundry Is Nice, But Standalone

By this stage of The Block 2022, you should be able to look at a room and kinda know who executed it based on the style they’ve shown so far. And that’s the main issue I have with this laundry. Love the look, but would never have guessed it was Tom and Sarah Jane’s.

It’s odd, because the cabinets and benchtop and tapware are the same as in the kitchen. Perhaps it’s the blue tile and rustic flooring that’s taking me somewhere else. I also don’t mind both the tiles and flooring, but I don’t see them as a pair.

Something’s not quite right here but I can’t put my finger on it. The styling up the end of the counter is nice though, as is the stacked washer and dryer location. The butler’s sink is also a winner. I just don’t see the charm that was in the kitchen in this laundry.

Overall I would have marked them third.

Rachel and Ryan Came Third

I would have scored Rachel and Ryan second this week. If nothing else, you look at the rooms and know it’s a Rachel and Ryan special. You can see the connection between these zones and the rest of the home. Continuity and cohesion: my two face C’s after champagne and charcuterie. 

On a sidenote can I say how absolutely phenomenal the art is this season on The Block? I’m yet to see a piece I’m not obsessed with. Even if it’s not ideal for my home, god is it good. Case in point: the abstract beauty above in Rachel and Ryan’s hallway. Want it, need it.

At first glance R&R’s hallway seems minimal, but it’s not. They’ve just been clever to build things in, to not cram zones with staged items, and to execute a sense of calm as you walk through. Smart material choices, great colour palette. The whole thing works.

What doesn’t work is the pendant light above. It might be me, but there’s something Crown Casino about it. Love everything in the shot below though (outside of the unfinished doors).

Rachel and Ryan’s Laundry Was Less Impressive

The first section of the laundry I’m down with for the most part. It feels very connected to the kitchen, which gives them instant points in my book. I’m not particularly blown away by the vibe, but the floor is to blame for that. 

Like me on a night out, this laundry goes from chic to rough quite quickly, and it’s not a visual journey that makes sense. The upper cabinets and countertop are giving me luxe, but the flooring is taking me somewhere else. There’s inner conflict that needs to be worked through.

The mudroom area above feels oddly proportioned. The short cabinets either side of the bench seat are a choice. Why were they not taken all the way up to the bulkhead? They look like punishment cupboards for naughty children.

A solid effort though given the insane timeframes.

Ankur and Sharon Came Fourth

I honestly don’t know what to say, you guys, and I don’t want to be mean. We all know this entryway is completely unsuccessful. To be fair though, it’s not all Ankur and Sharon’s fault.

You go on a reality show and your first few rooms fundamentally do not work, but you’re praised for being bold and daring. You’re applauded for putting padded walls in a bedroom and gothic lighting in the bathroom.

You’re told things that shouldn’t work actually do! It’s only a natural progression that we’d get to black pressed metal, shabby chic furniture and a ceramic bust as the main design moments that greet you as you step inside the front door. 

Honestly it’s too late in the game to mark them down for executing this bonkers aesthetic. They’ve been told numerous times how delightfully surprising their stroke of genius is. No wonder we ended up here.

What I would like to say about this zone is that the artwork is gorgeous. I like all of it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the artwork this year is next-level.

The Laundry and Powder Room Were OK

I feel so deflated by the entryway I don’t know if I can go on! What I would like to say about the laundry turned dog grooming parlour is that it does have a connection to the ensuite in this home. The floor tiles are a connecting moment which was smart of them to do.

The overall colour palette is similar to the one in their kitchen too, so we’ll throw a few points there way for that. What is an odd inclusion is the pop of green in those cabinets. I don’t know what that’s all about but it makes no sense in this home.

The white subway tiles with black grout feel quite dated for a design show in 2022. They’re fine, but they’re not delivering anything special, new or unexpected. The pendant lights are an odd inclusion as well. All in all I’d prefer we move on.

Omar and Oz Came Last

As hallways go, it doesn’t seem like Omar and Oz had a lot to play with. A narrow hall as you enter the home and something a littler wider around near the kitchen. At least they showed restraint in these two areas and didn’t pack them with too many bells and whistles.

The area above is particularly nice. The continuation of the timber ceiling works wonders in this zone, and the furniture and both artwork choices are rather nice as well. 

At the end of the narrower hallway the round rug needs to be removed. I’ve not seen something this round and pointless since Sizzler’s salad bar plates. Don’t think a small plate means less consumption, Sizzler. I will return to the buffet seven times over for more pasta.

I would have appreciated a more daring lighting moment in the wider hallway too. The ones they have there are nice, but there was an opportunity for something impressive here.

The Laundry and Powder Room Make Little Sense

I said it further up, but I’ll say it again: it’s my firm belief that wet zones in a home should have a relationship of some sort stylistically.

I can see in Omar and Oz’s laundry that there might have been a connection being made to the bathrooms in the home, but certainly not the kitchen. That’s why the kitchen in this property, as impressive as it looks, is so at odds withe everything else.

And what happened in the powder room? Teal has not featured anywhere in Omar and Oz’s house, so to decide on it for this room is a strange choice I wish they would have reconsidered.

Not only that, the finger tile is fighting the white subway tile like it’s Candice and they’re Monique from The Real Housewives or Potomac (if you know you know). Not a good week for these guys. Last place was the only option.

What did you make of The Block 2022 hallway, laundry and mudroom reveals? Drop me a comment below and share your thoughts.