After last week’s exciting kitchen reveals, this week our teams have created some spectacular living and dining rooms on The Block, completing the open plan of each period style home.
Harry and Tash – Judge’s Score: 28.5/30
This week’s winners, Harry and Tash created a cosy looking living and dining area. All three judges were impressed with the size of the space as it was the largest of all the team’s living and dining areas with Shaynna being especially fond of the Freedom sofa the pair have used, as well as the dining setting. Harry had a rough week, butting heads with foreman Keith over issues concerning the painting of the architectural feature ceiling which eventually did pay off for him as the judges enjoyed this element of the design.
Perhaps a set of open shelves on the right hand side of the television would have filled this space rather nicely as it was a touch bland or empty, providing a perfect spot for books and the like. The area rug too could have been a touch bigger, with the ends sitting beneath the furniture to keep it in place. An unsecured rug can be a tripping hazard after all! A lovely clean and crisp design but otherwise, not all that memorable. Still though, I’m happy to see these two doing well in the competition especially after the week Harry had!
Sarah & George – Judge’s Score: 25/30
Sarah and George received some mixed reviews from our judges this week who seemed rather torn over the white washed brick feature (which I quite didn’t mind to be honest – it suits the house!) The judges all commented that the design was simply lacking in that all-important emotional connection… Sarah does seem to be taking the feedback rather seriously – she clearly has an emotional connection to the space and seems to have tried her best to show that in her styling which included a mixture of deep rusty tones paired with mossy greens and a range of neutrals for balance. Perhaps she missed the mark a little in her choice of coffee table and couch while the room’s accessories seeming to be more placed at random rather than thoughtfully planned out. Once again, a little storage wouldn’t have gone amiss in the living area – perhaps a different coffee table that was a little more substantial (and included a small drawer or two) would’ve done the trick.
Daniel & Jade – Judge’s Score: 28/30
A lusciously modern design by Daniel and Jade this week, their living and dining area perfectly reflected the same textures and colour palette of the connecting kitchen, creating a wonderfully unified space. After having included a custom designed and made kitchen island by the renowned Christian Cole, the South Australian duo once again included a spectacular Cole piece in their dining table, setting their whole design apart. A bit of storage space would not have gone amiss in the design however as the family living area can become overrun by little bits and pieces – Am I too old fashioned in thinking a lovely timber buffet would have been a lovely finishing touch?
I especially loved the textured finish on the TV wall, creating a delightful feature element in the space that is not too overpowering but instead, perfectly complements the room’s overall colour palette. Daniel and Jade only narrowly missed out on the win this week which was definitely a shame however, I’m looking forward to seeing what the weeks ahead have in store for these two!
Luke & Jasmin – Judge’s Score: 24.5/30
Keeping a consistent theme throughout the property with their use of light toned timbers Luke and Jasmin created a very warm and coastal inspired living and dining space this week with the judges really enjoying the overall colour palette and the team’s choice of dining setting. One major drawback of their design however was the very unfortunate placement of the fireplace; the fireplace is situated right in the corner of the room with an armchair placed almost directly in front of it. Ideal if you’re wanting to burn yourself to a crisp but not so much fun for the rest of the family.
Their styling and layout were absolutely impeccable however, I would have preferred to see a little more storage included in the space. As it stands, there is no space for the assorted accessories (DVD players, TV speakers, etc.) and general nick-nacks that always make their way into the family living room, from unfinished novels, children’s toys and throw blankets for those chilly nights.
Jimmy & Tam – Judge’s Score: 21.5/30
Brisbane couple Jimmy and Tam received the lowest score for their living and lack of dining area after struggling with the smallest sized space of all the teams this week. The judges commented that the exclusion of a dining area in their room’s layout was a big mistake, especially for the affluent buyers one would attract in Melbourne’s Brighton suburb who would expect there to be a dedicated dining space. I suppose the team’s thought process was that the kitchen island would act as a multi-purpose area that could be used as a casual dining setup for the family however, this is not always the case in the home. Kitchens get messy, kitchens can be loud and a kitchen island isn’t always the most comfortable spot for a proper sit down dinner, especially if the new owners wanted to get really crazy and invite guests over for a meal…
The judges also noted that even with such a small room to work with, there was still much wasted space that could have been better utilised (maybe a dining table would have been nice?!) Hopefully Jimmy and Tam take the feedback on board and include a dining space before auction day! On another note, the styling was lovely if a little on the cramped side. The living space could have benefited from being a little more spread out as the couch and the coffee table leave little to no room for spreading out one’s feet after a long day. I did appreciate the team’s inclusion of storage beneath the TV – always handy to have! Lovely furniture and accessories with the added storage space being a point in their favour however, their cramped layout and lack of dining area let the whole design down.
Join our discussion about The Block 2020 in our Facebook Group: Home Design & Decorating 101, where we’ll be running through each week’s room reveals!
