The Block 2023 front yards reveal is the last recap of the year. You guys! It’s been so much fun writing these design critiques, and even more enjoyable knowing how many thousands of you read them each week. Thank you for sticking by all season, and for sharing your take (even when we don’t agree).
It’s not easy dropping truth bombs like this in a public forum, but facts are facts. To quote RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Tamisha Iman, I said what I said. Comments are always design-focused and based on experience, and this week was no different. After reviewing the front yards and remaining rooms, this is how the scoreboard should have looked:
- Leah and Ash for first place
- Steph and Gian for second place
- Kyle and Leslie come third
- Kristy and Brett come fourth
- Eliza and Liberty for Last
Scroll on as we delve into The Block 2023 front yards reveal and drop me a comment at the end of the post (or on socials here or here) to let me know what you thought.
Leah and Ash Came First
It’s a strong front yard from Leah and Ash, there’s no denying it. The battens, which I admired so much in their backyard last week, are present again here and make the yard feel warmer. So many of the facades this year are quite aggressive, but not this one. Leah and Ash have the most texturally diverse frontage of the lot, which I appreciate.
I have to admit though, I’m not sure about the contoured fence. I might change my mind with time, but it’s currently giving me water tank vibes. There’s nothing luxurious about a water tank. To quote Satan’s mistress, Pauline Hanson, I don’t like it.
I kinda want all or nothing when it comes to the granite paved steps. Or keep it concrete all the way until the step near the front door and have just that one section paved. Other than those small tweaks, I’m diggin’ it. I also really enjoyed the wallpaper in the garage.
In fact, the longer I look at this front yard the more I like it.
The Internal Staircase Fell Flat For Me
Remember Ronnie and Georgia’s curved staircase a few seasons back? That was a staircase. I was more in awe of that than I am of Madonna’s body dancing onstage at 65 when mine can’t climb a set of stairs at 41 without needing a defibrillator.
Sadly Leah and Ash’s staircase looks like an optical illusion. Something about the angles are not quite right, especially on the upper section. It’s as though you’ll fall off them, or as you get to the top the space gets smaller like that hallway in Willy Wonka.
I also find, in such a light-filled space, the glare you’d get on the art isn’t ideal. Canvas artworks would work better here. Love the idea, but the execution could have been better. All in all though not crazy-bad elements going on so I feel they deserved the win.
Steph and Gian Came Second
There’s texture in this facade, but not enough for me. I’m a hungry hippo in that respect. The stone stack pillar is delivering joy, no doubt, but I can’t get past how imposing all of that black is on the facade of the home. I need the upper section to be in another colour or material.
The magnolia in the front yard I adore; it does bring this wonderful sense of charm to the yard. But what the hell are owls doing in it? I’m sorry, I can’t. If I was coming home in the dark and an owl hooted at me as I walked up the path… let’s just say the path would need a serious gurney.
The travertine paving and small pebbles I quite enjoy, and the planting is all rather luscious. I just don’t get a connection between indoors and out here. The inside is so light and soothing, but the facade is so dark and heavy. I need the in and out to be cohesive, but they’re not.
The Entry Hallway Was Indeed a Letdown
I don’t have much to add here that the judges haven’t already mentioned. The entry hallway is indeed rather dark with the front door closed, and they certainly made choices in terms of installing a solid door that allowed you to take in none of the garden.
The wall lighting also felt out of place for the style and design of their home. It feels quite corporate in look and feel. Something softer would have been divine. Maybe a frosted bulb, something fluid or organic in shape that draws you down the hallway.
All in all though, as I’ve said from the start, Steph and Gian have a really cohesive interior so there won’t be any issues with them raking it in on auction day. Please though, someone tell an Irwin to come gather the owls at once.
Kristy and Brett Came Third
Another black facade. What is going on with the black facades? Kirsty and Brett’s feels particularly imposing. The upper section with the paneling and battens is more dark and moody than a gothic teenager. I don’t get welcoming suburban home from this facade at all.
The lower section is better, but doesn’t save it for me. The timber decking as you approach the entry of the home breaks up the black and allows some warmth to shine through. And while I don’t enjoy the brick they used, at least it introduces another material into the mix.
The multiple doors and windows as you approach the home don’t work. It’s confusing. It’s giving me backyard vibes. I want my front door to tell me it’s there, to be a focal point, to command attention. Their front door is in witness protection. Where you at, boo?
The Internal Elements Were Better
The second living room from Kirsty and Brett was nice. It’s not blowing my skirt up, but it’s wise to offer a potential buyer an additional living space. The projector was a nice touch too; it allows people to imagine themselves there, which is also a positive. Gotta sell that dream!
Above you can see the dining room that leads out onto the deck, which just furthers my point about how confusing the entry point to this home is.
All in all it was an average week for Kristy and Brett, but they’ve ended up with a home that’s definitely above average (if only they could correct all that black on the facade).
Eliza and Liberty Came Fourth
You know I’m going to tell it like it is, so here it is: Eliza and Liberty’s facade is not cute. It feels dated, and there’s so much of the one tone going on. It’s similar to Kristy and Brett’s in that respect. Kristy and Brett went too black, and here Eliza and Liberty went too beige.
Now, the timber clad garage door I do love. It’s like I always say: there’s no such thing as bad products, just bad execution. Unless it’s a boomerang pillow or mirrored furniture. Anyway, the garage door is lovely, but surrounded by all that brick the beauty of it is completely lost.
Materials aside, we need to talk about the layout of this yard, because it really is an epic fail I don’t think I will ever recover from.
I’m Thrown By the Arbour
It looks like the arbour is where you enter the home, but there’s furniture blocking it. But that’s not the front door. It’s so confusing. When they showed where the front door was, all the way down this thin narrow path, things just got worse for me.
I’d be in that front yard for 15 minutes knocking on doors and windows wondering how I get into the joint. Neighbours would assume I was an intruder. It’s a planning fail for the history books and I’m really confused as to why they chose to lay out the home like this.
And then when they did unveil the entry, three glass panels await you. Which one’s the front door? Where do I knock? My nerves can’t take it. Someone make me a mug of warm milk and put me to bed.
Inside, There Was Ample Entry Space
Eliza and Liberty’s entry certainly has a lot of space to play in. I’m not sure the buyer needs that much room in an entry, and it could have been allocated somewhere else, but at least it delivers a sense of grandeur when you enter the home. That’s a positive.
The stairs are lovely and worthy of a mention. The skylights they installed above really do flood the zone with light and it makes for a nice impression as you approach the stairs.
The interior was definitely better than the exterior.
Kyle and Leslie Came Last
You know what I’m going to say, but let me do it anyway. The black accents. Again. Why, when some of these homes are so neutral and warm and filled with creams and beiges and browns, are the facades so black? It makes for such an odd disconnect between indoors and out.
The brickwork on the front fence feels cohesive, and right at home given what they’ve done inside, but that cladding is a no go for me. If you showed me a photo of this home and asked me to guess who it belongs to I would never say Kyle and Leslie. And I adore their interior. But what about their interior is black, white and grey?
That aside, I don’t mind this front garden. It does feel calm and serene if you don’t look at the facade and concentrate on the planting and water feature alone. The round pavers leading up to the door are quite lovely, giving you a hint of the shapes to come once you enter the property. It’s just a pity about the colours here, as with most of the facades this season.
Things Were Nice Inside, But Not Epic
The remaining internal elements from Kyle and Leslie felt nice stylistically, although the wall hitting you as soon as you walk into the entry felt a little odd.
I’m not sure it was the best layout for this zone, but I do like the curves and paneling. It’s definitely a hint of what’s to come, and what’s to come across this home is pretty special.
The mesh on the stairs is everything. I’m currently in a love affair with mesh that I see lasting quite a while. Though it must be said, how elevated would the staircase have looked if the metal details were white, not black?
Thank you again for all your support this year throughout The Block 2023 recaps. I’ve loved every minute of it, and look forward to seeing you on the blog once the season ends (because there’s so much to see here bedsides Block recaps!).
What did you make of The Block 2023 front yards reveal? Drop me a comment below and share your thoughts on how you’d score each room.
Images by David Cook Photography, courtesy of The Block Shop. For more info on The Block 2023 front yards reveal, check out NineNow.
They were there first and should be left alone. Our wildlife can only take so much.
I’d love to know your view on the spinning driveways that houses 1 & 2 have. What is the purpose of them, really?
Well you obviously hate the black but for me Steph and Gian were clear winners 🙂
Agree totally. Steph and Gian for me for the front yard.
Tawny Frogmouths (not owls). Their more closely related to Nightjars – and there’s a few around Hampton
The facades are mostly a fail. They are either geometrically disturbingly irregular as with house 5, supporting a shipping container re house 3. giving off spooky vibes with house 4, or beach vibes meets 50’s suburbia with house 1. Leaving house 2 as the most acceptable, which was then blighted by the plastic fence.