It’s hard to believe that Darren Palmer has been lending his interior design expertise to The Block for 13 years.
First appearing on season three (2010) as a guest judge, the now 46-year-old continued to appear in a sporadic capacity until Channel Nine brought him on board as a full-time judge for season six in 2013.
How did Darren Palmer become famous?
After starting his career in graphic design and advertising following years of studies in technical drawing, fine art, and graphic design, Darren soon ventured into the world of interior design.
As he renovated property after property, he submitted photos for publication consideration in some of Australia’s most prolific interior design magazines.
It was there that fellow The Block judge Neale Whitaker, former editor of Belle, gave him his ‘big break’ and published one of Darren’s renovations within its pages – and the rest as they say is history!
After establishing a reputation and receiving repeat positive press for his work, a friend forwarded Darren a link to apply to homeMADE – a renovation reality series that aired in 2009 where teams of emerging designers renovated houses.
While he didn’t win, Darren did catch the eye of the production team (who conveniently also made The Block) and was given a starring role in the hit renovation reality series.
As well as The Block, Darren keeps himself busy by writing for home publications, and by running the homewares brand Darren Palmer Collections.
Is Darren the judge from The Block married?
Yes! Darren Palmer is happily married to former Ultraceuticals CEO Olivier Duvillad.
The couple met when Olivier had just exited a relationship through mutual friends. While initially hesitant about going out with Olivier, after being asked out three times, Darren finally said yes!
For their first date, the future spouses went to a gallery, their second date two days later was to a friend’s 30th – and the couple haven’t left each other’s sides ever since!
So besotted with one another, only six weeks after they started seeing each other Olivier proposed, going on to marry in Cape Town, South Africa (as gay marriage wasn’t legalised let in Australia).
Speaking with 9Honey, Darren said the success of their nearly decade-long marriage was communicating and having a “very good common language.”
“We spend time on our relationship, we spend time together, we spend time with our son, we spend time with ourselves – it comes well before work,” he shared.
“In times of stress, we get each other’s cues. I know how to calm him down, he knows how to calm me down…it’s important in day-to-day life to have those moments.”
“I guarantee you there won’t be anything in my heart he doesn’t know,” Darren added.
Has Darren Palmer got kids?
As well as their fur babies, Darren and Olivier share one child together, a teenage boy they named Hugo.
The family resides in Bondi in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
In a 2015 interview with TLC Interiors, Darren revealed that no matter how busy he and Olivier were, “nothing was more important” than their family.
“We use our time with him to do fun, family stuff that builds good memories,” he added of the quality time they all share together.
Speaking with our sister publication Home Beautiful in July, Darren revealed how he and Oliver knew the property was the home for them.
“The second my husband and I walked through the front door, we thought, ‘This is our house’,” he recalled when reflecting upon his purchase of the property almost ten years ago.
The couple also own homes in Byron Bay and at Hyams Beach on the New South Wales south coast.
