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  1. A friend has two tall pull-out columns of wire baskets as her pantry, so contents can be seen from all sides. That works well.

    I’d get rid of that stupid wasted cupboard space that is underneath the corner of an L shaped bench. It’s where rarely used items go to die, because everything else has to be moved to get things in and out. I would have that area be open shelving. I prefer functional over pretty.

    Power points everywhere would be necessary, at least five double points. And the kitchen would have to have bright lights, as in an operating theatre. Oh, a spice rack with doors that could hold 100 jars of herbs and spices, near the stove, rails for hanging a tea towel and hand towel, specific places for the bin and recycle bin, a big window with a wide sill, on which I could put little pots of fresh herbs…

    I might have a weird looking kitchen, but I’d be happy.

    • A friend of mine had wire shelves. It was a mess. And grubby. Every crumb and drip fell all the way through to the bottom. And the residue stayed on the wire on the way down.
      It was stomach churning.
      Mind you, she was a bit ordinary as a housekeeper but, nevertheless, it put me off wire shelves forever.
      I’m with you on the corner bit. I have a small pantry and one open corner only. It holds my sandwich toaster so it’s no big deal.

    • I love my wire baskets in the pantry – so easy for items that come in soft packets.

      I stole the configuration for the corner cupboard from my MIL. There is a separate cupboard and the door opens into the other room ie out of the kitchen. It is a great cupboard for serving dishes that are only used for special occasions. And there are no cupboards in the kitchen for stuff to get lost into the corner.

  2. My dream kitchen has a galley style butlers pantry with shelfs boths side, for all kinda stuff. An island without a sink or cooktop, for food prep or sitting around, with overhead lights. Cupboards above/either side of gas stove for spices, oils, etc, bins in cupboards, a small sink on same benchtop as oven, big one in pantry. Pot drawers under stove, gas & electric wall ovens. Super duper strong exhaust things that is vented down under the house to outside, or up through the ceiling to outside. No marble. It’s either too busy or too ‘loud’, for me.

    • I don’t know why people put sinks or stoves in their islands – just means water and oil goes everywhere without a splash back. Plus easier for kids to touch dangerous stuff.

      • Exactly. And who wants to eat where dirty dishes are rinsed/washed? I couldn’t relax just to sit and chat where there is a sink. Eugh, gives me the heebs.
        At a push, I could handle a cooktop down the end of a very long island, with splashyback type thing around it/different levels of bench. Some do look good – with seating way away down the other end.

  3. Team Vic $30200
    Shaynna felt the bedroom had a feel of calm. Neale felt that the geometric shapes around the room reference the art deco vibe of the house…okay…then…
    Shaynna then plugs the hydronic heating as been really good for old houses…um thought this was the new build part.
    The styling is on point this week.
    Bathroom
    First thing that struck Darren was how amazing the floor and wall tiles are. They are stunning. Darren totally loves the basin. The bathroom is calming but…the true core Bluescope steel frame is out 10mm which means Harry and Tash will need to redo the bathroom.
    Neale declares they have delivered a good bathroom despite their wall problem.

    • This bedroom was designed for a GWS supporter – just needs a Jeremy Cameron poster on the wall. Shaynna’s feeling of calm translated to bland for me. Now that the contestants don’t have to try to inject a decade into the style, some have reverted to grey on grey on black on grey, like this team’s bathroom.

      Why didn’t the tiler comment about the wall problem when doing it? A little comment here would have enabled rectification within time.

  4. Team NSW $35800
    Look at that! sighs Darren admiring the Grafico wallpaper and raked roofline. It is a breathe-taking room concurs Neale.
    The Kinsman wardrobe is fantastic. The Forty Wiks bedhead is also great. The texture is divine.

    Bathroom
    The ensuite is extraordinary. Those quilted tiles are stunning. They look like a beautifl, quilted terrazzo blanket. Shaynna goes in for the caress. Again, they have used four different tiles without it looking hodge-podge.
    Neale thinks it is a contemporary bathoom that is very well designed.
    Shaynna’s quibble is that the tap is too far away from the showerhead to comfortably adjust the temperature.
    Lights not in the optimal position over the vanity to smooth away the years.

    • Sarah and George were even worse with the blandness. The only colour anywhere was the blue bedhead, which strangely was not criticised after the same one in week one was slammed (in another house).

      The wallpaper was the choice of the week, but again I wouldn’t sleep in a room with birds flying on the walls. Someone, I think this team, also had the animal artwork, which was all the rage last year, but gone this. I also didn’t like the concrete cupboards.

      But overall, if you don’t mind bland grey, these rooms were nice. I loved the “quilted” tiles – best tiles so far, even better if they had had colour.

  5. Team SA $37 000
    It just keeps getting better and better. OMG it is so cute. What an amazing Grafico wallpaper. It is definately a boy’s room. Neale believes it is a sophisticated room as if you clear the shelves of the toys it could work as an adult space.

    On to the girl’s room….
    Oh wow…’That would have to be one of the most beautifully styled beds that I have ever seen.’ declares Neale. ‘That is a big call,’ counters Shaynna somewhat sceptically.
    Darren belives the colour pallette is extraordinary. It is femine without been girly.
    The skirts and door frames are unfinished.

    Bathroom
    Neale loves the handmade subway tiles. Shaynna loves the grey grout.
    Darren hates it. The three tiles fight against each other. They have used the lighting to highlight the grate that does not fit. The tiles are not sealed at the top.

    Darren commend what they have done with the space and hopes that they take it (the criticism) in the right way.i.e. please don’t hunt me down and murder me in my sleep because I hate the bathroom.

    • I agreed with Neale, the girl’s bed was lovely. He’s probably seen thousands of beds, so I think he exaggerated a little. Interesting that the judges agreed that the extra bedroom was a good idea, as well as the team’s agent. That’s four expert opinions against one inexperienced new agent/host.

      I feel that Darren was playing devil in this house, especially in the bathroom where the tile choices were all so similar that it would be hard to distinguish them, yet he thought they clashed. He was right to point out the lack of finishes, and yet he missed uninstalled basins in house 4?

      In all, this house had some lovely touches, but it was all a bit “make it generic for the buyer’s market”.

  6. Team WA $27400
    ‘Oh that is really cute,’ delcares Shaynna upon entering the child’s bedroom. Neale agrees. Then Shaynna sticks the stilletto in ‘and it looks really familiar.’ Have they copied Kyal and Kara on Insta?
    There is a real attention to detail (yes, if you look closely enough you can see the same monkey that was in Team NSW’s bedroom in this one) and storytelling.

    Bathroom
    OMG! (What child needs a double vanity) Anyhoo, the judges once again love the terrazzo tile in conjuction with the subway tile. It is so Federation (not!)
    The fluted glass is positioned correctly. Darren is so happy they listened.

    • Definitely not a 30 room, but a pretty effort in general. Lots of faults with the bunk – too high, too small, wrong ladder, ladder too close to chair.

      No need to put a door into the bathroom – it is only five steps through the main doors. That wasted space and made the room less configurable.

      Nice main bathroom but unecessary door. It would have to have a lock so that it couldn’t be accidentally opened when another family member was using it.

      And the two worst fault, uninstalled basins, and four hours of help to finish. To leave stuff undone without penalty just shows the other teams that they may as well not bother to do quality work, as long as it appears fancy. I wonder if the others will pull back on completing stuff now.And much as I like James and Tamara and their generosity, is it really fair to enable another team to win a room that they shouldn’t have completed?

      I would have scored 9.5 for bathroom and 8.5 for bedroom.

  7. Team QLD $27000
    Boom! exclaims Darren. This is unbelievably bright, colourful and retro. Again, another big shout out to Grafico. It still has a mid century vibe and ties in with the rest of the house.
    Judges praise the Kinsman.
    The styling is perfect. It is a welcoming room.

    Bathroom
    Now that is a colour scheme…fluro peach…’this is the hi-vis of bathrooms.’ offers Darren. No, counters Shaynna sharply, ‘this is the Donald Trump of bathrooms.’ This is wrong colour choice for a bathroom.

    Neale channeling his inner Sir Humphrey Appleby observes, “it is a very brave choice.’

    • Rip down that wallpaper and this would be a fantastic bedroom. Even better, a timber feature wall (I know, last year’s style, but I think a classic) behind the bed. Love the colours, the desk and bench, and just the general practicality of the room.

      But the bathroom? A big jump from 50s to the Apricot 80s. On the colour card it looked okay but the colour on the wall was not at all appealing.

  8. NSW were my winners. Shayna is a pain, but do agree about the tap, and the lighting.
    I thought the top bunk looked very small. And the ladder was too close to the hanging chair. That type of thing is usually called out as a hazard.
    WA woman is grating my gears a bit, farmers are a bit meh too.
    Glimpses of some kitchen islands appear to be looking a bit much.

    • Yes, that bunk was very small, and I thought it too high as well. I presume it meets Code but I would only want a much older child (a teen, really) up that high. A fall from there could be fatal.

      That bedroom was small, too. It looked smaller than either of the House 3 bedrooms, and they made it less functional by adding a direct door to the bathroom. How hard is it to walk out your bedroom door and into the adjacent one?

  9. Old-fashioned here with kitchen choice. Most of the “modern” ideas are not my cup of tea. Really dislike islands – they just encourage people to walk in the kitchen when they are not cooking. I like one single entry/exit, so you can keep people out. Butler’s pantries – meh – okay as a big storage area, but I definitely will not consent to being shut in a little room to cook. All frequently used appliances should be within hands reach. Hate, hate any sort of concrete internally, and sharp benches make me cringe with all the split eyebrows on little kids. Mixer taps give me the willies.

    Must have at least a sink and a half, oven on the wall not under the bench, dishwasher of course, durable bench surface (except concrete), separate levers for the tap, and pay close attention to the cooking “triangle”. Lots of storage drawers instead of cupboards (although they are much harder to keep clean).

    If I had a do-over in the current house, I would configure it so that a large country table was just adjacent to the kitchen. When this is done it is the heart of the home and everything happens there. Forget a formal dining room.

  10. Just a big vote for a dishwasher. Best invention, eva. It makes the kitchen tidy, it uses less water, it cleans the dishes better and it saves time, particularly after a dinner party when who could be bothered at 10 o’clock at night. What’s not to love.
    Oddly, my Mum hated them. She loved the social bonding of everyone pitching in, and sometimes just the quality time she and Dad spent together as the rest of us scarpered.
    And now, asking for a friend, what’s wrong with modern ovens? My oven hums and vibrates for at least an hour after I’ve turned it off. Almost to the point of driving us out of the room. What new devilry is this? Obviously invented by a bachelor(ette) engineer with no family and absolutely not a cook.

  11. It is kitchen week and Bryce is back!!!!

    Of course kitchen week would not be complete without dramas of the kitchen actually fitting into the space and the Gaggenau plug.

    BlueScope steel poured some significant cash into this episode with the number of name drops and the belaboured point that you van use their framing to create a curved wall.

    The fix in H&T’s bathroom seems quick so why was it not done when it was discovered.

    Drama is brewing between SA & NSW. Wilson the plasterer, who has done a couple of Blocks, was hired this season by SA and then shared with NSW admitted to SA that his team does not like working in his house. They are more than happy to stay back for NSW not so much SA. Out of there by 5 sharp.

    • Daniel was very humble about that. I would have gone into meltdown if a tradie had said that to me. Not a good look for “Wilson” – not delivering as contracted and then admitting that his workers are too lazy to keep up with the contestant.

      Once again, I think the curved wall will win the room. Annoying, as it will outweigh any other feature good or bad.

      • I don’t like the curved wall between the kitchen and butler’s pantry. It just looks bulky and out of place but then maybe it will look better to me when the kitchen is finished.

      • We were talking to someone else who watches the Block and they weren’t vibing the farmers either.

        We would be angry that the plasterers were careless around the cabinetry. We would also be annoyed that the plasterers jumped ship for next door but something must have gone down. The Block isn’t circumspect in criticizing tradies.

        The other contestants seem to be wary of the farmers as well. Something isn’t quite what it seems there.

  12. Ohh, dream kitchen, here I come. Well, Ikea. Cannot afford a proper designer kitchen. 😀 As we will start renovating in December (hopefully) in the house, I have pretty much free reign.
    So musts are a dishwasher. I bake a lot and test out recipes. Washing everything by hand stinks. Oven wall, no other way. Better for the back and I love storage underneath the induction field (we won’t have gas, so induction it is).
    No glossy counters and cabinets. I hate that. No fully white kitchen either. If I can find it in Germany, I’d love white quartz countertops (freakishly expensive here) though. Or wood (affordable^^).
    Kitchen is small, no walk in pantry, no island.
    Pretty excited about the fact I can finally design a kitchen how I want it. I never had the possibility to do so since I am properly grown up. Except for once when I was 22 and had my first non student apartment. And I don’t think I need to mention how bad the taste of a 22 year old is. Okay, I hear you, here it is: I had an iceberg blue kitchen with teddybear heads, the cheapest laminate countertop, we painted mandalas onto the walls, it was stuffed full with pots for herbs, I didn’t have one matching plate, a macramé hanging for fruit and veggies. It looked like a typical boho kitchen. I had way too many cheap wine bottles. My boyfriend back then gave me old kitchen stuff his mum sorted out because she wanted something fancier. Everything was on open shelves as I thought wall cabinets are too expensive. I just cluttered and piled everything on them. It was. BAD.

    • I love eclectic, non matching plates.
      I hate this new trend (shout out to my DD here) of all white and stuff.
      I know it looks tidy – she has a passion for skandi- but it boring.
      I love being able to pick my favourite plate with all its memories with my favourite meal.
      I still use my grandmothers plates every day. I don’t always think of her when I use them but I think of her often. I use my mothers plates when family come over. I don’t think the pattern (yellow wattle) is dishwasher safe. It’s a compromise.

      • That’s so evocative, Bobi, of a lovely comfortable home.

        I don’t mind the white, mainly as an antidote to the black/dark grey that assaulted our eyes for the last couple of years. But I like the white to have texture, and then for lots of colourful family possessions to fill the space.

  13. Looks like the Producer’s gloves are now off. There was a definite ramping up this week of attempts to create villains, and make mountains out of molehills. Then again, the copying of a room, getting 30 for it, and then suffering no consequences at all is a huge mountain to me. I feel like this couple are getting away with it because they are mostly nice and make good tv. James and Tamara are probably going to suffer for their unstinting loyalty to their new BFFs. Having sworn undying love, they have given up their chance of a fair competition. (As an aside, how pretty is Tamara when she has no makeup or hairdo – just lovely – wish they wouldn’t do her up so much).

    These teams seem to be very savvy about not saying anything that could be used to make them a villain. Note the understated reactions to Wilson’s betrayal, both George and Daniel were very careful with their words, and George even placated the producers by adding in the required praise of the tradie. I suppose the producers will have to put them all under more pressure to get some more controversial reactions.

    The last season I watched was the one with Ronnie and Georgia (replayed about a year ago on 9). That was also a row of freestanding houses, and in that season, House 3 was somewhat shunned by pairs formed on the two ends. It seems to be a natural dynamic when you have the five houses like that. In this season, 1 and 2 bond because of the Greek heritage, and 4 and 5 because they are very similar demographic. I still get confused which of those houses I am looking at (at one stage I thought the curved wall had been dismantled!), and get James and Luke mixed up. Therefore, it is not surprising that farmers from a large property would not have as much in common. Add in a very high work ethic and focus on the job in hand, and one can see why the producers are trying to ramp up a rivalry. And the same happened to Ronnie and Georgia.

    The kitchens: they all look the same, exactly the same layout which makes it clear that they had no choice with Kinsman. No wonder House 3 were pulled back into line when they wanted to change the location. At least a couple have the timber (and the pale green) to relieve the boring finishes, but House 2 have once again gone monotone. I find kitchen week the least interesting, as so little is done by the contestants and there is no scope for individuality or interesting mistakes.

    Why do House 1 think their ducted system is a game-changer? Every new house I know of uses a Roomba or similar. The ducted system implies that the home owner or housekeeper will vacuum manually. They needed to spend the money on the fanciest robot vacuum possible, with automatic disposal of the waste.

    • What has struck me this season is how tightly controlled everything is (Covid restrictions aside). The contestants don’t seem to have as much free reign to do what they like.

      Kitchens…Kitchen Week this season seems rather muted. Granted we missed a couple of episodes but we don’t recall the kitchen consults where the audience at home is lectured about the golden triangle and the contestants agonised over cultery drawers. As Fijane points out, this season is- here is the kitchen and you get to pick the colour. Makes me wonder what has happened in the past. (If we recall correctly, there was one season where Good Guys/Kinsman had designed a second kitchen as what the contestants wanted was non-functional). We are so disappointed that all the waxing about preserving the historical integrity of the houses and there is not a roll of lino in sight. 😉

      Yes, the contestants are more media savvy and less temperamental but Ch9 probably doesn’t want the endless tears and accusations of bullying thrown their way but nor do they want a personality driven drama free build.

      The whole copy-gate is such a blantant piece of producer meddling. ( Kim and Matt were not harangued when they recreated the murder/splatter room.)
      The judges have never had an issue with it in the past. You can’t award a win and then decry its creative probity a couple days later. Also, it is at odds with the messenging of Beaumont ads where they explicitly invite you to recreate this look at home i.e. Jimmy & Tamara’s pink bathroom. Oops.

      The ducted system is such an odd choice. Maybe it is a Melbourne thing??

      We would have spent it on the garden but with Scotty encouraging everyone who had not spend the money to do so this week it appears that Suncorp did not deem that a worthwhile investment (but alcohol is?)

      • Yes, a cookie-cutter approach – appropriate for kitchen week – ha. Thinking back, house 3 were pulled into line when they wanted to move the kitchen, then house 4 were continuously criticised for moving the walk-in robe, and now Dan is shaking his head over the heinous crime of wanting a real window in a living space.

        Seems like any time a team steps out to do something a bit different, they are pulled back. Some seems related to Kinsman, and some to the steel framers – have they been promised a set construction job for a set fee?

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