It looks like Keith was right — waterproof Wednesdays do lead to wins!
Given the original building and its new extension meet smack bang in the middle of the bathrooms, The Block’s Bathroom Week was never going to be easy. This year’s Blockheads tackled challenge after challenge during the week, and still somehow managed to meet their waterproofing deadlines, purchase stunning products, complete a challenge, and deliver some pretty impressive bathrooms.
The teams seem to have to caught on to Mitch and Mark’s tendency to alter the plans for a competitive edge – a total of three teams submitted modifications to the architect’s original plans for the bathroom, and several requested further modifications too. Will these changes assist or complicate their chances of winning The Block? Only time will tell, and I for one can’t wait to see the homes on Auction Day.
Back to last night’s bathroom reveals:
The Block House 1: Mitch & Mark
Last week’s winning couple have developed a habit of going against the curve, and it has certainly paid off for them in the past. This week, they decided to use their master bathroom space to build an ensuite as well as a European laundry with plenty of storage.
Darren was impressed with the neat, well contained space, and commented of the succinct transition of workspaces for dirty clothes to workspaces and storage for clean clothes and linen. Neale commented on how the space was “delivered with characteristic attention to detail”. Shayna, however, questioned the necessity of the bifold doors, and the entire space will probably be closed up with a wall later on.
As the judges stepped into the ensuite, “the boys know luxury!” was the initial reaction all around. Shayna was pleased with the size of the shower and the beautiful tiles throughout, and Darren struggled to find fault with the space.
The judges questioned if this space would have as much impact as the main bathrooms the other contents will be revealing, given the smaller floor space.
“Yes, it will!” the boys exclaimed as they watched from HQ.
The Block House 2: Tess & Luke
With their budget running out at an alarming rate, Tess and Luke knew they needed to hustle for a win this week, and hustle they did. They managed to make it to waterproof Wednesday despite earlier dramas, and powered on to build an elegant main bathroom complete with two hand-held showers, two rain showers, a beautiful bath placed right under the skylight, a double vanity, a privacy nib to hide the toilet, and all the bathroom storage you could ever want.
“Wow!” Shayna exclaimed as she walked in and noticed the feature tiles. “Maybe what they’ve given us is the perfect main bathroom,” Darren said. He then proceeded to get into the bath to check out the view of the skylight, which received a tick of approval. Neale loved the brushed steel tapware, and commented on its modern, aesthetic. Shayna was impressed with the couple’s styling, and Neale stated that this space “demonstrated luxury that can come out of simplicity.” All in all, “excellent” was the general verdict from the judges.
The Block House 3: Andy & Deb
Andy and Deb hit a few roadblocks this week. First, they decided to change their floorplan halfway into bathroom week to create space for a separate powder room, which meant they had to get things done a lot faster than originally planned. About 24 hours before the reveal, they realised their bath was too large, and then found out the floor beams under the bathroom weren’t actually bolted. They somehow managed to overcome these obstacles by reveal day and also win a challenge tasks, which resulted in the first bonus point gnome win for the season.
“It’s beautiful, as soon as you walk in,” Shaynna explained upon entering the space. “One of my favourite tiles, the subway,” Neale commented. “It’s inviting”, Darren said. “The thing I love the most of this custom-made piece of joinery,” he said, of the timber vanity.
Though the judges were impressed with the integration of smart tech to the space, they were concerned about the lack of toilet, and seemed underwhelmed by the bath and single shower. It’s “feeling like an ensuite”, Neale said.
The Block House 4: El’ise & Matt
El’ise and Matt weren’t thrilled about being beaten by an entertainment space during main bedroom week, so decided to shake things up by altering the location of their main bathroom to create a large ensuite for a second master bedroom. Of course, they required extra hands on deck to pull this off, so the hipages lever was pulled first thing Monday.
The couple opted to feature three separate tiles for their space this week, which unfortunately lead to three separate unforeseen tile-related dramas. Despite this, the couple finished on time, and presented a stunning space to the judges.
Though Neale thought the bathroom was “glamorous” at first, he then grew concerned about the “alarmingly glossy” floor tiles. Shayna loved the lilac feature tiles, and the couple’s styling received a big tick from the judges. Darren noticed the lighting around the mirror wasn’t ideal for make-up application at night, but this minor flaw was forgotten when the judges stepped into the shower area. “Oh my god, this is beautiful!” Shaynna exclaimed. The double shower and skylight were clearly a winning combo, as far as the judges were concerned.
The Block House 5: Jesse & Mel
Jesse and Mel began the week by voicing their displeasure about always being last where building is concerned. The Blockheads agreed to switch the order up in the future, and the couple shifted their focus back to the bathroom build at hand. Jesse the real estate agent felt that in his professional opinion, having a separate powder room would increase the home’s value.
They opted for travertine-look tiles and a double shower for their main bathroom, and Jesse the former tiler set out to build a seating block for the shower area as well.
“There’s a lot to love!” was Shaynna’s initial reaction upon entering the room. The judges agreed that the vanity is a piece of art, the tiling is excellent, and the space is a lighter version of what the couple aims for in their last bathroom. Darren stated that the “lighting choices and configuration are fantastic”, and Neale commented that he wasn’t impressed with all the chrome. The judges were all a little perplexed about the seating block, feeling it was redundant and didn’t quite work.
Given the judges’ reactions during their walk the bathroom in House 2, in comes as no surprise that Tess and Luke received the top score this week.
Interestingly, we’ve had five reveals so far, with five different winners. It’s anyone’s game at this point, so it will be interesting to see how the Block All Stars impact the homes this week.
