28 Comments

  1. The dancers fulfill their brief by upping the ante in obnoxiousness. How mean-spirited considering the generous scores they got for their disastrous unfinished zone from Lisa and Andy. Their opinions as expressed as a ranking were fair, but other teams would have scored, say, 9, then 7, then 6.

    And the script was followed to the letter: the boys rise from the ashes of last week (and are scored over what the zone deserved – nice well-done zone but not in any way exceptional, and the hanging plants should have added a minus point), Shayn and Carly take their turn as the whipping boys, and then passed for the re-do room to make them even.

    This episode left a sour taste, which I would hope was not the intention of the producers. It makes me less invested in the grand final.

    • “The dancers fulfill their brief by upping the ante in obnoxiousness. ” Well said. I was so disgusted with P/C. It seems they didn’t even give S/C credit for the front facade of the house which was a major transformation. If they weren’t satisfied with what was done by S/C they should have given more specific rules.

      • I did think the zone was a bit weak. But the facade was great, the front courtyard was good apart from the chess (nice pond, screening, path, turf, seating etc), and the porch was just under-furnished. I can understand P&C being a little disappointed, but the score was way out of proportion compared to scoring throughout the competition. The hope of knocking out a team is the only conclusion you can make. It didn’t matter which team they guessed might have done it, they just took a shot in the dark knowing that someone would be in trouble with that score.

        For once, I thought the judges scored about right in all the zones. But I didn’t agree with their comments re the carport. A carport is for parking in – it should have been designed for practical purposes such as wall racks for bikes etc. Who would ever sit there?

        Considering the show stated clearly that plants were bought en masse on behalf of the contestants, I wonder if the prickly pear plants were a set up, knowing that whoever used them would be criticised?

  2. Also, where was the consideration of the child. He seems to be invisible to both the contestants and his parents. The porch will be quite dangerous to a toddler boy, especially with the bar on the rail – just right for climbing upon.

    P&C seem to think he will be a little immobile baby for ever, and none of their rules or comments seem to plan for the future.

  3. No railings on the steps. Nothing really blocking the area where Tim and Matt created the area for the toddler. There were other areas were the little one could walk and fall off. Scary. Definitely safety concerns with the garden reno and I was surprised none of that was considered. I think P & C could have at least given S & C a 5 although that wouldn’t have helped them. The deck was lacking and the chess area was just a waste of space but the facade, pond and plants were wonderful. At least give them more credit for their work. I’m not a fan of S & C. She just seems to whine too much. I don’t really think P & C were being strategic. I think they just really hated S & C’s zone. However they also seemed to hate L & A’s front garden area so seems to me that L & A were scored too high by them but then they loved the carport and the hot tub.

    • The “what if..” about the scoring is, what if P&C had received 3s for their disastrous zone at Lisa and Andy’s place. If the scoring had been logical then, it is possible that P&C could have been eliminated last night. After LLB’s scathing critique about the unfinished and badly designed outdoor kitchen, I expected about a 2 and yet he pulled out a 5 or 6. At the time, we wondered whether that overly generous scoring would be important in the end.

  4. Anyone read anything about why there are 3 finalists this year instead of 2?
    Did S & C plan the facade or was that planned and designed by the tradies?

    • They showed Shayn coming up with the idea after seeing something similar online. However, I am always doubtful about structural changes, as many need council approval, but I don’t think this would. So I am inclined to think that he did find the idea, but the tradies’ adapted it and implemented it.

  5. Shayn and Carly’s zone was definitely pretty lacking (facade notwithstanding). The chess board was odd (the home-owners could’ve easily removed it and sold it, though) and the deck looked sparse and empty. I agree with LLB, the furniture looked tacky and cheap. But even the judges managed a 5 and two 7s. A 3 was just spiteful. Particularly when they monologued for so long about how much they loved the facade.

    (contrast with the rocky wasteland that was the street-front. Lisa and Andy were lucky their hot-tub was a crowd-pleaser)

    The thing is? It didn’t matter. I looked at the overall garden round scoreboard, and even if the obnoxious dancers had given Shayn and Carly a perfect 10, it still would’ve left them *behind* Lisa and Andy, which means they were going home regardless of the dancers being jerks.

    I’ve waited all season to say this. I’m sure they have a happy, healthy relationship, but Pete is as camp as a row of tents.

    Really, the only team to cheer for, at this point, are the boys. The dancers are obnoxious and hard to like, and Lisa is just *so* loud.

    In contrast, with the critiques upthread, I thought Tim and Mat’s zone was pretty flawless, last night. I loved their deck (although it needed shade), and I thought their deck was gorgeous. Maybe 9s, but it was the last semi-final episode and the show needed to be dramatic with some 10s. Eh. Having said that, I don’t have any small children, so I couldn’t comment on how suitable the area was for a young family.

    I’ll say this about the redone bedroom? I thought it was brilliant. It looked so luxurious and opulent without being tacky or over-the-top, they deserved a pass mark for that.

    • Yes, Lisa is loud and she is also rather ditzy. I have been wondering what is wrong with Andy as he seldom makes any comments, we don’t see him contribute much to the design, planning etc and at times I thought he looked very bored. The judges always speak to Lisa and not Andy when commenting too.

    • Windsong, did you speculate with the overall garden scoreboard whether it would have been different if P&C had been scored 3s for A&L’s yard? I lost track of the actual scores, but I know that they got quite reasonable scores for a failed zone.

      I though Matt and Tim’s zone was worth 8-9s – not perfect but pretty close. The plants ruined it for me. I agree that they pull out the big scores in the later renos, just to increase the dramatics.

      Interesting comment re Pete. I was glad to see a feminine man portrayed with a loving wife. I wish that feminine traits in a teen or young man would not automatically make people box them in to a stereotype. Men who dance or like musicals can also be attracted to women. On the other side of the ledger, girls who like playing footy can also be interested in guys. Outward appearances can be deceptive.

      I also thought the re-do room was better, although I still don’t like black walls. Pity they didn’t have time to repaint them also. I particularly liked the casualness of just one burgundy cushion and one fluffy one – it was a lovely little touch of quirkiness that saved the bed from looking matchy-matchy.

  6. Disappointed that the Grand Final seems to be a bit of a bland reno. Combined with a straight scoring by the judges, and no input from the public, it feels like the season is limping to the end and will finish with a little fizzle.

    There was evidence everywhere of the original challenge in that apartment, but they ripped it all back to a blank canvas, but some teams get the benefit of good previous design (eg the curved walls in the bedroom).

    I am not sure that the three zones are equivalent in size/complexity. P&C’s has one less room, and it seems less difficulty (dining rooms are the easiest, I think). I think the wine wall is a waste, especially right in the middle of the room.

    I am worried about the desk issue in the boy’s study, but I think the tackleblock will be a winner with at least two of the judges.

    Best moment of the whole season: the look on the tradie’s face when Lisa came into the bathroom and shrieked in this ear! He is the new star of the show.

  7. More than anything else, I feel like, last night’s episode showed off the role of the poor, long-suffering tradies who’ve followed these losers around for six months.

    It wasn’t just the one tradie, reacting to Lisa screaming at him, but there were several moments throughout the episode of tradies seeming quite unimpressed by Lisa’s histrionics. And then we had the entire team of tradies who had to carry that 350 kg stone table-top up two narrow flights of stairs, which I’m sure was a fun job.

    The loft looked gorgeous, I’m envious of anyone who can afford an actual breakfast room in their house. I also liked the two guest bedrooms on either side of the lobby. That make the whole loft quite private, and it’d be great for inviting friends from out-of-town … because they’re staying at the front of the house, so they can come and go as they please without traipsing through the rest of the residence.

    Still. For the most part, the rooms looked amazing. I loved Andy and Lisa’s secret doors (not only to an ensuite, but also through to the master retreat). I didn’t mind the “Fabulous” sign, but I thought the wine holding wall was a little tacky, to be honest. As for the crane in the bathroom, my gosh, I loved that. I would’ve kept it, hell, I wouldn’t have even changed it that much (although the hook was probably an OHS thing).

    Hope the boys win.

  8. Just jumping on mid-show to say that these are the ugliest rooms of the whole season. “This wallpaper is ….beauttiful” no, sorry, Wendy it is the ugliest I have every seen.

    Actually, no, the ensuite wallpaper is worse. And since when are red, blue and yellow tertiary colours?

    Maybe Lisa and Andy’s will be better.

  9. Way to ruin what had been a reasonable season. Such a fake finale. The teams clearly had very little input into the last challenge – all the artwork was a job lot, the paint colours bought altogether, and the whole apartment harmoniously awful. In fact, I suspect the design choices were nearly all Carolyn’s, with just a little wiggle room for the teams to have a small say.

    Feeling incredibly cheated tonight. The teams finishing order should have been T&M, A&K, S&C, A&L, P&C, then E&M.

  10. I liked the overall design of the loft, although like I said upthread, I thought some of the design features were very tacky (and while I loved Lisa and Andy’s hidden study and mini-library, the lack of windows and awful wallpaper made the whole thing seem very cavey and claustrophobic).

    But when LLB revealed his scores for Pete and Courtney? I honestly exclaimed, “Fuck off” very loudly indeed. He criticised them for the neon sign, all three judges criticised them for the wine rack (which even I thought was tacky), but then rewarded them with a 10? No. Just … no.

    And, I think, the thing that bothers me most is that, Tim and Mat consistently did the best design work and building, from start to finish. What did they end up with, after all that time and effort? Well, Tim leaves the competition with a crappy house. Mat leaves … with absolutely nothing.

    It’s true. When you have a bad finale, it just retroactively screws up the whole experience, really, doesn’t it? Not a fan.

    And I’m just gonna say it. Tim was smokin’ hot. I would’ve given him a perfect 10 for that alone.

    • Both the boys were very easy on the eye. I liked the way they dressed them (just for a change, but I love tradie gear as well). Interesting how, as Tim has fined down during the show, they have become more alike in looks.

      And agree about their reward for being the best on the show. Winning the money would have been compensation for the terrible reno done, inside and out, to Tim’s home.

      • I was never into Mat, because he looks a lot like one of my favourite cousins (although he has a very kind personality). But I was definitely a bit into Tim, the whole way through. And towards the end, when his hair was growing a bit? He was very easy on the eye.

        It’s just such a shame that, for all their work, they leave the show worse off than when they started.

  11. I wonder how long ago the producers decided on the winner. Perfect 10 is supposed to mean total perfection and nothing wrong, and there were things that were wrong. Horrible horrible wall paper. Wall paper in a bathroom?? how long before it starts to peel off from the steam?
    Grand final should be about every single thing they did over the whole show, Mat and Tim won hands down.

    • Oh, it was extraordinary. Pete and Courtney’s design choices were tacky and cheap. They put together an awful bedroom which all the judges criticised, and the wine rack looked terrible. But LLB still gave them a 10.

      Meanwhile, the boys created the “best room ever, in the history of the show” and a kitchen that Wendy literally called “sexy”, and got 8s and 9s?

      Eugh. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. People on FB are going to town on channel 7 for the finale result, and I don’t blame them.

      And what idiot puts wallpaper in a bathroom?

  12. Of course, a controversial finale equals lots of social media attention, which translates to ratings and ads. In some ways, we reward the producers for their antics.

  13. I was feeling very let down as I watched last night, suspecting that the teams had very little to do with the design etc. Then disgusted with the judges scores and who they made the winners, so I was pleased to see I wasn’t the only one thinking that way. As well as the wallpaper in the bathroom and laundry, the judges thought it a great idea that the boys had also put wallpaper in the outside area. However, in saying that I think the boys were the best team overall.

    • You are in accord with the vast majority of commenters, Daffydill. There are very few lone voices out ther who are suggesting otherwise. Many are also saying that Andy and Lisa should have scored higher than the dancers – I think I agree with this, too, mainly because they like light and bright, not black and gloomy.

  14. Amazed that P&C were the winners. How could they be scored 10s when judges pointed out things that they did not like. I really thought that a lot of what they did was tacky and too dark and dreary. I would pull that ugly wallpaper off the walls, take down the fabulous sign, remove the words that they put on the mirror, get rid of the wine rack. M & T were the best and I was surprised they didn’t win especially after hearing the judges’ comments. They got very little wrong except for the study. Even A & L should have scored higher than
    P & C.
    If there had been a vote this season I do think that M & T would have won.

    • Adding to what I posted…in addition to the fabulous sign the bedroom wasn’t liked all that much by any of the judges. Comments made about the bad color scheme, muddy carpet color, and poor proportion of items such as the small side table lights and the chair. How were they awarded two 10s?
      The final results were fixed. P & C did a good job but they didn’t deserve to win.

  15. I just saw an article on my Yahoo newsfeed.

    Apparently Jo just quit as host of House Rules.

    After the uproar of this season ending the way it did? Hmm. I wonder if there’s a lot more to this story, too.

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