32 Comments

  1. It would be hard listening to the judges hating your room but deep down you need to remember they aren’t buying the house.

    • Agree. And also remember that the house isn’t for you, the renovators. House 4 are getting a bit too attached to their own design style, and not adapting to the house or the market.

  2. We are bit behind at the moment. Haven’t seen an episode yet but intend to catch up.

    The only noteworthy items we can gather from someone who has watched it are they changed car sponsors and the winner of kitchen week is already decided.

    • Gaggenau is overrated. There are other very good German products which are cheaper. But well, that’s just me. 😉
      And I wouldn’t say the winning team for the kitchen is already set in stone. Last year E’l’i’s’e won the prize and still came in last because the overall kitchen was not good.

  3. A few questions have been answered. No, the vintage of the houses is not really being respected. So disappointed that the best house (1910s) was chosen by a team who had planned all their rooms (ultra-modern style) in advance and can’t adapt. I like this team as people, but if they continue down this road, I will cry in frustration. Apart from a few choice items, most of the rooms were more modern than retro.

    Yes, the judging is still inconsistent. Although, this week it wasn’t too bad. It irked me that one team were given a three-decade leeway in their styling (and then won), while others were brought down by small issues. And, again, two rooms praised for skylights and cathedral ceilings, which were pre-determined by the architect. I hope the other three houses get similar wow-factors in other rooms.

    Clearly, house 5 team are the darlings at the moment, although house 3 farmers are quickly becoming Keith and Dan’s favs due to their superior work ethic. House 1 are the whipping-boys, the mandatory “lazy” team. I have to admit that the dad and daughter irritate me – I FF through their interviews.

    There are some good things: Finally, budgets! (maybe they have done this for the previous seasons but I haven’t watched for years). I like the random scribble art on the screen explaining things. I also like when a building technique or term is explained with a diagram eg the change in the shower bases. Also, how nice is George with helping, and offering to share everything. A sweet nature but I suspect that team will not be at the top many weeks – too in favour of the fun life.

    Ensuites all look terribly bland. Beaumont should be ashamed to show that massive wall of graduated shades of grey tile. These period houses should be incorporating the colours of the era, not the Moroccan geometrics that are popular in 2020. And all suspended vanities – how about some gorgeous vintage pieces?

    • I agree with just about evrrything you’ve said. I did like 1910s couple, but her inability to adapt and decide she is mostly right has turmed me off.
      I like 50s couple, I hope they get more 50s into the house though.
      I was hoping for more period character in the bathrooms too.

  4. An extra episode this week (unless I had last week wrong?) with a few surprises.

    Extra money available for just one special feature? Good idea. Cumulative scoring? Good idea. Prize for highest cumulative score? Good to have a prize, but choosing everyone’s auction order is way too much power. Just choosing your own would be enough. This twist is obviously designed to stop the teams ignoring the judging and focusing on the market only.

    House 4 now have an extra problem to go with Jasmin’s inflexibility – Luke’s extensive experience makes him want to cut procedural corners. I have some sympathy here – this is the reason my DH could never go on this show. The rules and supervision would drive him mad. And Jasmin’s statement -“1910s is the hardest era” – what? If House 5 can cover three decades, then House 4 can take inspiration from 1890 onwards. I think of my Gran’s gorgeous Victorian home in Ascot Vale, and the inspiration is huge. Jasmin just doesn’t want to do it. I wish they hadn’t chosen that house now. I would rather they ruined the 20s or 40s houses.

    So, why do some teams get “help”. Not quibbling here at all about the farmers, their work ethic has earned them all the help they need during a family crisis. But Luke and Jasmin get a whole session with Darren, where he gives them bad, confusing advice, takes them to a poorly renovated example (yellow light shade in the hall, anyone? So sad to see a lovely house outside with such a boring modern inside), with the result that Jasmin decides his advice is rubbish. Clearly, the show is really worried about how that house is going to end up.

    I don’t know how any of the teams can make these houses true to the decades when they seem to be restricted to the same old suppliers. I mean, seriously, every bathroom has a suspended vanity, and basins that sit on top – unheard of until a few years ago.

    The judges and teams needed to be strapped into chairs and forced to watch the mildly annoying Brett on the show Restored. He really knows how to find the keys to an architectural style and then reintroduce it. Or even just look at what Ronnie and Georgia did a few years ago.

    On a brighter note, I really like the Block logo this year – fresh and bright, fitting in with the more casual feel of this episode.

    • Yes! Why did these teams not channel Restored? Though, guttering the house prior to the contestants getting there does make it harder for the contestants to pick up on the clues. None of them, seem cluey enough to have a close look at the skirts and architraves. You just need to evoke the feel. Not recreate it.

  5. So I’ve just found the dan vs Dani clip as well as the contestant walk through on you tube. Why o why don’t they make this part of the actual show instead of the drivel that actually makes the edit.

  6. Week 1:
    The alloacted budget for the bedrooms was $19 000
    Harry and Tash (VIC) Spent $14150

    Darren namechecks the key sponsor Velux. The skylights have a lot of impact. It is so amazing. Very Aussie.
    Shaynna thinks the room is very comfy and very nice. She commends the use of venetians.
    Neale is blown away. He feels the room is contemporary with a nod to 1920s colours. It is a very confident room with little touches to the era (oh…is that what we are calling Kmart tat this year).
    But…the painting needs another coat particularly on the picture rail and door.
    Shaynna feels the carpet is more office than luxury.

  7. Sarah and George (NSW) Spent $15 100
    Oh dear, when the most complimentary thing the judges can nominate about the room presented is it is well painted and they ‘really love the colour pallette’ and carpet bed spread then you are in trouble.

    The judges like the sposnor products but they are not the right ones for this house. Sarah and George who have never seen an episode of Restored ignored what the house was saying to them. Shayna pointed out the beautiful detail shelving in the hallway, the sharp angular skirts and architraves and the very square ceiling detail. The house is about angles and they have gone with curves.
    Neale is equally non plussed. Houses in the 1940s were either asutere or coming out of late deco.They ignored the house.
    Moving onto the study, it is denouced as a generic botique apartment renovation inclusion. The space would have been better used as a walk in wardrobe.
    To the camera, S&G look confused as to what the judges mean. Both are too stupid to breath types…God this is going to be a long season.

  8. Dan and Jade (SA) Spent $15700

    Darren never failing to impress with his fabulous vocabulary, “Oh wow, look at the ceiling rose and the light (that was conveniently found in the house). It is absolutely beautiful.
    Shaynna notes that they have been faithful to the skirts and architraves as well as the doors.
    Neale thinks it is a pretty room. Restful and relaxing. It feels vintage and modern at the same time. Loves the combination of the greys and greens and the marble sheets.
    It is noted that the plantation shutters are wrong for the house and they should use drapes. They also clock the lack of bedside tables.
    Darren declares the wardrobe handles to be absolutely delicious. Yummy.
    The painting is literally perfect and they are in awe of the hydronic heating.

  9. Luke & Jasmin (WA) Spent $17150

    ‘What decade are we in?’ asks Shaynna
    ‘The 1910s.’ rejoins Neale, “You wouldn’t know would you?”
    Shaynna is aghasted that they have completely ignored the house. 1910s is all about stapping and panelling. Think the beach without been twee.
    Darren counters, perhaps a buyer would be stupid enough to think that this is evocative of the 1910s.
    Shaynna reminds Darren that federation houses are not exactly an unknown architectural style in Australia.
    Jasmin, who likes to tell the audience she is nice decides she will completely ignore Shaynna’s advice and continue to destroy the house.

  10. Qld Couple Spend $14250

    Wow Four Velux skylights and drapery! Darren immediately declares his undying love for the room. Shaynna does her Elvis dance…so guess we are not talking fat 1970s Elvis here.
    The Tardis (otherwise known as the seeekret passage to the ensuite) is done with such finesse it blends into the bank of wardrobe.
    It is not the room that I expected it to be ponders Neale. The curtaining is divine, the wallpaper is divine and there is an immediately attraction but its not 1950s. The wallpaper is more 1970s. The furniture 1960s. People think of the 1950s as mid century modern but that is more the 1960s with the Scandi vibe. They decide that it is 1959.

  11. Day 1 of Ensuite Week ($22000 budget) and we are slowly catching up.

    We do wonder if you could edit scenes from previous seasons and notice the difference. Agonising over tiles at Beaumont. More tears. No screed this year as it is all to be gyprocked.

    House One can’t find a tiler.

    The WA team is still bitching that they are stuck with a 1910s house. Now, was it just me or did she appear to have a book indicating that the production team where practically telling the teams what to feature in their homes.

      • It appears to be rolled over into the following week encouraging the teams not to blow the budget. They seem to be really antsy this year about having trades standing around or doing jobs that a contestant could do (like the underfloor installation). Interestingly, they are telling the viewer at home what that is costing the team.

  12. Day 2
    Like WTF? How does a 1910s house in Melbourne become a Queenslander? The mind boggles that no preliminary research was done on the types of houses that were going to be renovated this season.

    Harry’s tale of woe of the missing tiler continues until HiPages (*cough* the producers) step in and find him one.

    The annual failing of the tarp occurs (FFS…source and secure your own tarp) and water pours into the QLD & SA houses. Production once again intervenes to make things right.

    The SA couple begin to grate with the reality TV family cliches. We are doing this to make the kids proud. Then they pull the ultimate card…dead grandpa. Even Scotty is going to paint to get them across the line while they attend the funeral.

    Mmm…QLD team is allow to demolish ahead…that is a new one.

    WA has a builder that has done the Block twice before *Karlie & Will + Carla & Bianca)

  13. Day 3 of ensuite week.

    How much money did the Block lose last season if we are introduced to yet another budgetary constraint? The teams are allowed to go out just once on an extra special feature and Suncorp will pay for it after approval.

    The second twist announced is that whoever has the most culmutive points at season’s end shall dictate auction order. This will be either a gift or a curse. It will also ensure that the teams don’t out and out sabotage each other.

    Team WA still don’t get what a 1910s house is. Darren comes over with pictures and practically says THIS IS WHAT WE WANT YOU TO DO!!!! Nah, counters female WA, we still don’t get it and I am gonna to do what I want.

    George (NSW) gets a splinter. Cue a montage it was this big and a reference between Tash and George about the healing powers of Windex…(a cue to My Big Fat Greek Wedding not Donald Trump as the producers presume).

    Walkaround occurs…omg the tiles are horrid. Tash & Harry had the advantage with the small bathroom (https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/tiny-tiles-are-back-in-a-big-way/2019/10/14/9ebd92f4-e91a-11e9-9306-47cb0324fd44_story.html) and could have chosen a mini hex tile…I just can’t…Couldn’t Beamont tiles save the contestants from themselves.

    The QLD team seem to be front runners.

  14. Harry & Tash Spent $18600

    Darren once again utters the word ‘Wow’ as he enters the room. Stroking the wall of Agean Sea tiles he declares his undying love, ‘they are so impactful’.

    Neale loves the Velux lighting. Who doesn’t when it is paying the bills?

    Shaynna loves the curves but and there is quite a shopping list of what is wrong:
    – too many tiles in such a small space
    – It is not a 1920s bathroom. It is ‘generic’ heritage.
    -Should have used terrazzo flooring
    -no underfloor heating
    -shower screen is not high enough
    -tiler didn’t pay attention to the direction of the floor tiles around the grate
    -should have used a pedestal basin. There are many modern examples to choose from
    It is well executed but they are not paying attention to the brief.

  15. George & Sarah $20 000
    Wow!…OMG!….P!nk!
    The 1940s have never looked so glamourous, the judges assure us. Even Shaynna is impressed. This is luxury off the charts. The vanity is ab-so-lute-ly divine. The details are on point and there is even underfloor heating.
    For Neale, the space is part bathroom, part cathedral. They have nailed the period reference.
    Darren thinks they have the best layout for the space. His only quibble is the shower diverter is too high.

  16. Team SA Spent $24,900

    The judges question if they have landed in the 1930s? Where are the 1930s references they lament?

    It is a hot 2020 bathroom offers Darren. Shaynna is not drinking the same Kool-Aid. This is the worse lament vanity they could have choosen. Paired with that floor tile-it is already 10 years out of date.

    Neale points to the home’s original bathroom. They could have taken inspiration from that.
    We cut to the Farmer who looks like he will inflict some sort of violence upon Neale for daring to question his choices ( I am sorry but is anyone else getting bad vibes from the farmer? He is creepy to the point that the Block is not pleasant to watch).

    Neale declares the bathroom a cop-out. Farmer’s wife then speaks up, we knew we did not have enough time this week…hang on…when did Pop die again?

  17. Team WA Spent $25300

    Oh la la the panelling is devine. The regency profile is spot on

    The reeded glass is a sympathetic nod to the 1910s (but hung the wrong way and at an awkward angle).

    Neale loves the softness of the tiles’ pattern and how the eye is drawn up to the Velux.

    Negatives:
    No face level storage (seriously, do none of these contestants watch the Block?)
    No towel rail.

    Overall, it is federation soul and coastal luxury.

  18. Team QLD Spent $15700

    Stepping through the Narnia wardrobe, Darren confesses that the bathroom reminds him of a public pool changing room of yesteryear with its retro feel.

    The bathroom is highly finished with its attention to detail.

    Shaynna concurs that the bathroom reminds her of the 1950s.

    For Neale, the choice of glossy tile in the colours chosen remind him of a swimming pool. The change of colour of the tiles on the wall is simple and effective.

    For Shaynna there is a beautiful connection between the bathroom and bedroom.

    The only flaw is the lack of handles to close the door from the bathroom side.

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