The Block is back for its 16th season with five dilapidated period homes, in Melbourne’s affluent suburb of Brighton, awaiting transformation by this year’s contestants.
WATCH: The Block 2020 guest bedroom reveal
From the get-go, Blockheads were tasked with building their own beach box, inspired by the iconic, brightly-coloured designs at nearby Brighton Beach.
Jimmy and Tam won the challenge with their sunny yellow and white design, which meant they got first pick of the five period homes. The eclectic couple chose House 5, a 1950s gem with irresistible mid-century charm.
This year, the budgets are being handled a little differently, we suspect, due to major blowouts the Blockheads experienced last year, which almost saw two teams fail to complete their houses.
Instead of receiving their entire budget up front at the start of the show, this year the money will be divided up and the teams will be given a set amount at the start of each week to complete their rooms.
Not only will this ensure the contestants don’t run out of money, it makes the renovations feel more realistic and achievable for those watching at home.
Following the beach box challenge, the contestants were then tasked with renovating a guest bedroom in their house with a budget of $19,000.
While contestants struggled to decipher the style associated with their home’s heritage and the design direction they would take, Scotty dropped a huge bombshell.
He revealed, along with the usual $10,000 room reveal prize money, the winners of this week’s room reveal would also get a $120,000 Gaggenau appliance voucher.
So with a lot riding on Sunday’s reveal, the contestants certainly felt the pressure the week. Let’s see how they went in the end.
Jimmy and Tam: House 5 (1950s) – 25.5/30
After winning the beach box challenge, Jimmy and Tam got first pick of the houses and didn’t hesitate to select House 5, a 1950s gem on a corner block that clearly stands out from the rest.
Jimmy and Tam decided to flaunt their home’s best feature this week – the soaring raked ceiling – by including a feature skylight in their guest bedroom.
The secret door to the ensuite was another talking point, surprising the judges just like Jimmy and Tam had hoped it would.
The custom Graffico palm-printed wallpaper reflects the period along with the beachside location but the judges – especially Neale – had hoped for more authentic 50s references.
Despite this, Jimmy and Tam were crowned the winners of guest bedroom week by half a point, starting The Block 2020 $130,000 richer!
Luke and Jasmin: House 4 (1910s) – 20.5/30
Luke and Jasmin chose the oldest house on The Block to renovate, enamoured by its period charm and beautiful bay window at the front, but when it came to incorporating these heritage details into their guest bedroom, they took very little inspiration from the 1910s.
While Darren and Neale agreed they had delivered a beautiful and accomplished room, Shaynna was disappointed they didn’t embrace the home’s Federation heritage and felt the room lacked character.
The shutters, the wardrobe and the doors got Shaynna’s tick of approval. Everything else was a no from her.
Daniel and Jade: House 3 (1930s) – 25/30
Many 1930s houses have a strong Art Deco influence in Australia and Daniel and Jade have decided to embrace this.
The old pendant they found under the floor and a ceiling rose that Jade sourced caught the judges attention as soon as they walked in the room.
All three judges agreed that Daniel and Jade created a peaceful room with a beautiful vintage feel.
While shutters are a popular choice in homes today, the judges highlighted that they are not true to the period of Jade and Daniel’s home and would’ve preferred to see curtains and drapery.
Sarah and George: House 2 (1940s) – 21/30
Sarah and George wound up with the largest guest bedroom on The Block so they decided to make the most of it by dividing it into two rooms.
Even Neale noted that the 1940s is a challenging period to reflect. At the beginning of the 40s, Australia was coming out of the late Deco period but the austerity of the war meant a lot of the houses built during the 40s were “incredibly drab”.
Despite this, Sarah and George’s 1940’s home has a strong presence of period details, from the skirting boards to the cornicing and ceilings, but Shaynna felt like they completely missed the mark when it came to restoring or continuing these details in their guest bedroom.
“They are the most divine period details I’ve ever seen in a 40s house – and they give us this.” “They have decided to create their own version of the 40s and not look at the beauty in that hallway.”
Despite failing in history, Sarah and George got an A+ in execution, with all three judges praising their attention to detail in regards to painting and finishes. They also loved the inclusion of the study but questioned whether it would’ve worked better as a walk-in wardrobe.
Harry and Tash: House 1 (1920s) – 24/30
Soon after choosing House 1, Tash started researching 1920s houses, only to end up overwhelmed and confused by the different styles prominent in this period. After a few tears, she agreed with her father, Harry, that they would create a bungalow style home with an art deco influence.
A clear design direction allowed Tash to make confident styling choices and strike the perfect balance between old and new.
“I wanted to see a home that felt contemporary and that nodded to the 20s and I feel like that is what I’m seeing,” said Neale.
Tash executed the colour palette and styling perfectly, incorporating Art Deco influences while ensuring the room still felt modern.
The only thing that judges criticised in Harry and Tash’s room was the “office” carpet, suggesting they should have gone with a dark grey colour instead.
This article first appeared on Homes To Love.
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