This week, The Block 2018 bathroom reveals reminded me of the members of a nineties boy band; two hotties, one completely acceptable boy-next-door, and two remaining members you’re just a little bit confused about.
If you ponder this analogy long enough I’m sure you’ll agree. Every configuration of your fave five-piece pop band contains this recipe. And hey, I don’t make the rules, so as the cool kids say: don’t hate the player, hate the game! Kids probably don’t say that anymore, which just goes to show how truly out of touch I am with the younger generation.
What I’m not outta touch with though is interior design, and there was a lot of it in this week’s Block bathrooms. Come to think of it, there’s actually a lot to be learnt from the rooms we saw showcased. And I know, ‘learning’ sounds so boring, so I’ll instead say that there were a lot of delicious design nuggets to feast on this week, and some other morsels that are going to give you indigestion and are best avoided.
So let’s explore the good and the bad from this week’s Block 2018 bathrooms.
Hayden and Sara had a Lot Goin’ on
There were a lot of things I like about this bathroom. It has loads going for it, but Hayden and Sara put too many elements in there. It’s a bit over-stuffed. It’s so overstuffed it could be me at Christmas when I can’t do up my pants, have severe heartburn, yet respond with an enthusiastic “yes please” when offered Chrissy pudding.
This reminds me of a Carrie Bradshaw outfit in the SATC heyday; a little crazy and overdone. They needed to adopt the Coco Channel approach to fashion and take one element off before they walked out the door. Except here they could have lost a few elements and the room would be all the better for it.
Let’s start with the good
I love the choice of tile they placed on the floor and ran all the way up the wall. That was gorgeous. The ledge they created above the bath was so smart. I liked the vanity, I loved those mirrors, and I was also extremely smitten with the green wall (reminds me of this budget version I created recently on the blog0). I also adored the idea of wall sconces by the vanity.
The issue in this bathroom (and here’s the bad part)
That brass. So much brass. It feels very Block 2016. It feels quite unnecessary here, and a simpler colour would have made everything more palatable. There are too many focal points in the space, and a good room only needs one. One moment that commands your attention is enough. Instead, they tried to pack in three or four. There’s no negative space.
I also feel as though the green wall should have been a big ballsy moment for them. Fully commit. Cover the whole wall. This feels a little apologetic. Like they wanted to do greenery en masse but were too scared to take it all the way.
Kerrie and Spence were the Boy-Next-Door
I like the shell of this room. When it comes to a good bathroom, it’s all about material choices. You can only bring in so many smaller decorative elements to make it look nice at the end, which leaves the shell crucial to get right.
And honestly, the shell here is pretty good, so let’s touch on what I’m loving in this space. Firstly, the floor is everything. I want to stop, drop and roll around on it. I’d eat dinner off of it, I’d sleep on it, I’d like to take all of my future photos on it. You get the idea – it’s stunning! The vanity is also quite nice, the tapware is fine, the lighting behind the mirror is a huge trend coming into bathrooms in 2019, so I’m also all for that as well.
But… don’t you just feel a bit indifferent about it?
I hate to say it, but this is bit of a shrug bathroom. A bit, “yeah…ok”. It’s not take-your-breath-away, but it’s not terrible. It just feels a little run of the mill. And on this show, run of the mill won’t cut it if you wanna rake in the big dollars at the end of the season. So, I’m not getting down on Kerrie and Spence, but I do want to encourage them to get gutsy and take some risks.
PS: If you’re keen on giving your own bathroom a budget revamp, check out this post.
Bianca and Carla, I would like to Marry your Bathroom
I was hoping I’d watch The Block bathroom reveals and feel truly in awe of a space. And thank you Bianca and Carla – I AM TRULY IN AWE. Like me every time I sit down to eat Yum Cha, I don’t know where to begin. Every moment in this space is a wow moment on its own and yet these two glorious women managed to have all the pieces work together collectively as well.
We have to start by bowing down to that 450kg stone feature wall, which is almost the most amazing feature in the space. If you ended up owning this home you’d just rub that wall every time you showered. In fact, when I get to tour this apartment in a few months time (I’m lucky enough to get invited each year), I am going to rub the life out of it. It’s the sort of material you just want to touch. And that’s what makes this bathroom so amazing; the tactile nature of it.
Now onto the big kahuna of the space.
The crowning glory. The cream-your-jeans moment: that freakin spectacular slatted timber ceiling. I’m not sure a room on The Block 2018 is going to top this design moment. I live for it. I need it in my life. When I pass on, I’d like some of my ashes scattered on it. This is one amazing feature and I’m insanely jealous of the person who ends up getting to look at it every day.
Other gorg moments in this room include the round mirror, timber vanity, and the restraint the girls showed in installing silver tapware. It’s the editing of a space that can make it amazing. And this room is well-edited!
Norm and Jess got Gutsy
Norm and Jess took a few risks this week and I feel I should applaud them for it. I don’t love their bathroom that much, but I admire the design approach and I can appreciate the direction it went it. They got 24.5 for this zone which put them in third place, and I have to say it makes sense for them to land in this position.
I am going utterly bonkers in the best way possible for that jumbo potted plant in the corner. For that alone, I want to give them major props. It is stunning. I recommend fake plants of this size for my clients all the time (trust me, they look lifelike!), but to see a real one in the corner is just beautiful. I’d kill it in a matter of days, of course, but I still adore it.
The colour palette in this space is nice and calming, and I like that they went for a soothing, organic vibe. So many bathrooms on this show go ultra modern or quite luxe, so it is nice to see something different. But for me it feels a little flat, a little boring, a little ho hum.
The vanity doesn’t feel grand enough in the space for me, and I think they put too much emphasis on a big ol’ tub. Which, for the most part, I don’t think looks particularly amazing in the room. The more I look at the room the more soulless it appears to me. It’s lacking a bit of charm and warmth. Do you know what I mean?
I’m a Bit Confused by Hans and Courtney’s Score
Out of all The Block 2018 bathroom reveals I’m the most confused by this one. I love a sense of simplicity in a bathroom, don’t get me wrong. But this room from Hans and Courtney was so simple that I’m surprised it scored so well with the judges. When you consider what went into Bianca and Carla’s bathroom, and how well it turned out, it makes me quite confused as to how this bathroom from Hans and Courtney won the week.
OK, we have terrazzo tiles. I am gobbling them up, trust me, and they’re absolutely delicious. They’re a huge trend in homes right now and still will be going into 2019. But a bathroom can’t possibly win on tile alone, can it?
Outside of the terrazzo tile, we have not a whole lot else going on here. The room features a very basic wall tile, simple tapware, what could only be described as a pretty standard vanity and bath, along with mirrors that certainly aren’t winning a ribbon at the county fare.
Am I missing something? And I mean that honestly, not in a sassy way. Please comment below and let me know if there was something you saw here that I didn’t. I’m just not seeing a win here, not am I seeing anything new being delivered outside of tile choice.
Which Block Bathroom was Your Fave?
You know I love to get your take on the rooms each week, so please do drop me a comment below. Do you reckon the judges got it right this week with the scoring? Who do you think deserved the win? Spill the beans below.
20 Responses
Bianca and Carla’s bathroom won purely on design it knocked the others out of the ball park, they are thinking of the buyers and the position that the apartment holds. Although I loved every detail and finish that they used I feel they could have utilized the space better. I would have put a walk in wet area for the bath and shower they had plenty of space, the bath would have looked visually more attractive along the stone wall and the shower on the white tiled wall.
Bianca and Carla’s bathroom should have won purely on design it was the show stopper. The only thing I would have changed is the placement of the bath and shower and created a walk in wet area they had enough space, the bath should have been along the stone wall and the shower on the wall were the bath is, I think visually it would have made more of an impact. It would have filled that empty space a bit better.
Yeah I agree Shellie. Makes you wonder why they did it the way they did. Such a good eye for design though. I really hope they bring this element of surprise into the other pockets of the home! Let’s see what this week’s reveal brings 🙂
I do like the girls bathroom, but it feels a bit empty – in these photos there seems to be a big empty space between the bath and vanity. The wall was beautiful and the ceiling was also. But I actually liked Norm and Jess’ bathroom more.
Yeah I think they were going for minimalistic styling so that the materials could be the star of the show. I know what you mean though; it certainly feels sparse. Loved elements of Norm and Jess’ for sure!
I love Bianca and Carla’s. I also think the girls should have taken the win.
Same here. Let’s see what this week brings! I wonder if their amazing design is going to continue. I sure hope so. They’ve brought something to the competition I’ve not seen before, so fingers crossed!
I like Bianca and Carla’s bathroom the most in terms of colours and design, but it really falls down on functionality. Those two big windows right next to the show? The single, round window for a double vanity? They’re pretty major issues to me. The above suggestion about swapping the position of the shower and bath makes so much sense, I don’t know why they didn’t do it (perhaps the reasoning was explained in an episode – I only read the recaps)?
To be fair, the others had some big misses as well. I loathe terrazzo tiles – they make me think of hospitals, schools and other older public buildings. The tree bathroom looks oppressively small and claustrophobic and the giant tree doesn’t really help matters. The green wall is probably my second favourite, except for all of the brass – a design trend I’ve never understood unless you’re wealthy enough to pay someone to stand in the bathroom and polish your fittings 24×7. The other one is just a bit … bland. It reminds me of a public bathroom in a restaurant. A nice, expensive restaurant to be fair, but it doesn’t seem like a private, personal space.
lol I live for the day I am wealthy enough to have someone polish my fittings! Doubt it’s going to happen though. You’re right about the functionality issues. I guess that’s why they didn’t win; the judges thought it pretty important to have storage etc. I also didn’t mind the brass bathroom, if you took out the brass and some of the styling it would be lovely.
I loved Bianca and Carla’s also, but think ther should have been 2 mirrors above the sinks, and for the love of gawd, make that vanity fill the space. Maybe swap the shower and bath positions, so those windows could be dressed properly and also deal with the privacy issue. As for Hans and Courtney’s, I loved the simplicity, and maybe what you feel is missing from the room, is the emotion and nostagia that the terrazzo brings when you are actually IN the room. It’s such a subtle terrazo, that maybe the photos and footage aren’t evoking the emotional response that the judges felt. Like photos of the Ikea are nothing like the feeling you get when you are in there.
omg Raylee the moment you mentioned the IKEA analogy I got what you meant. You know me too well. Maybe that’s the issue. Maybe the terrazzo isn’t translating on film, because that bathroom felt basic to me. Can’t wait to see it in person though. I will be snapping away like mad!
I found it so bizarre that the girls didn’t win! That stone wall with the ceiling… Devine!
I have never seen a more outstanding combination of materials in a bathroom before. It was epic!
I thought the judges were way too harsh with Haydon and Sara. I’m not a fan of brass and didnt care too much for the style of the wall sconces but the look on their faces – you’d think there was a dead cat in the tub. Bianca and Carla’s had the most wow! factor for me.
Yeah I don’t have major issues with Hayden and Sara’s, but it was too busy. That’s my main concern. They just needed to take a few things away and it would have worked wonderfully.
I think if Bianca & Carla had better storage they would’ve won….but agree with you, bit confused about the winners – I still think the girls should have taken the win
I so agree Alicia. I know there were some storage issues, but even with those I still like it more than the terrazzo bathroom.
I love Bianca and Carla’s but …..the towel placement ? A long awkward walk from the shower to get your towel !
Also the sinks with the round mirror ( which I love ) visualize yourself standing there cleaning your teeth , you need to step into the middle to see what your doing ..annoying !!
lol agree on the towel placement. It would be quite a drenched little walk over to grab your towel! I am so blinded by how good the room is though that I seem to be forgiving everything!
I’m a bit late to the game here but if you look on the right hand wall there’s a towel hook just outside the shower. Would have been better to swap the bath and shower around but then again, showing with a view is something I’d want if I spent a few mil on a beachside penthouse.