Comments on: The Block 2021 Garages, Studies & Wine Cellars: Stellar Stairs Meets Horror Hacks

By: Dallas Chatman

Dallas Chatman — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 11:43:52 +0000

I also hated the sunken lounge room. It lacks flexibility re furniture placement and I can see future owners filling it in. Mitch and Mark’s room had too much dead space. The entry table should go, which would allow the dining table to be moved and the lounge area expanded. I think that the contestants walk a fine line between adding personal touches but keeping the design appealing to the widest demographic. I agree with all the comments about the skylights. Way too many. Overkill by all contestants.

By: Claire

Claire — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 00:45:38 +0000

Not sure who the target market for all these windowless basement bars in family homes would be – movie producers entertaining financiers with a drink before heading into the home theatre!? Given all these homes have limited space, a gym or storage room or even a rumpus room possibly might have been a more practical option.

By: Tess

Tess — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 22:31:41 +0000

I am wondering why no basement has been turned into a well equipped gymnasium with surround sound. Does everyone go downstairs to drink wine, when there are gorgeous lounge and outdoor areas? as a someone who is a knowledge worker, ALL the studies are on the meh side, but R & G team at least offer a view.

By: Glenda Smith

Glenda Smith — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 07:02:04 +0000

I do wonder how often families will use those “caves”. I’m not one of those people who sit around watching movies & drinking wine every day.

By: Jodie Broadbent

Jodie Broadbent — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 06:51:04 +0000

I’m a little disappointed with the basements, not a single tribute to AFL or sport! Perfect opportunity it’s to have lounge seating, with a sofa table doubling as a bar behind that seating, bar stools, leading back to maybe a games table or pool table. Sporting memorabilia on the walls, what a brilliant place to watch an AFL Grand Final! Wonderful opportunity missed in the nation’s sporting capital.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 05:10:49 +0000

R&G’s staircase was beautiful, their styling good, but how can this be classed a competition? They have won 5 times ($’$sss), of course the styling is going to be good, they had much more money to spend than other contestants put together. Where is the handicapping system? R&G professional renovators against complete novices.
All the garages were very ordinary, nothing exciting there and didn’t like wallpaper at all in any of them.

That being said I still keep watching hoping to get inspiration but not much of that this season.

Still love reading your posts Chris.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:42:06 +0000

I think we need new judges next year and no more of this fans v favs. I love the twins house and the judging has been outrageous this year. I also love Mitch and Marks house. I certainly hope these four sell their houses for the most profit . I love them and wish I could afford to buy one of them.

By: Carly

Carly — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 09:52:05 +0000

I think the boys seemed to have been judged on the other rooms than the ones they actually did. They probably could have cleaned up a bit, but either way shouldn’t have been judged on it. Also why pan them on no sink but give second place to a couple with no sink? I don’t get it.

Kirsty and Jesse did not deserve to be half a point behind. I thought everything this week was bland and agree the Hamptons look seems to have slid off the radar the last two weeks. I’m quite confused by it.

Ronnie and Georgia deserved to win, and by more than half a point. What they pulled off this week – the number of spaces and the level of finish compared to other houses was miles ahead.

I feel bad for saying it but the boys room looked mush mashed to me, nothing flowed together, even the tones were different from each other.

Tanya and Vito – Making the back of the garage into a study with double doors is a fabulous suggestion from the judges and I hope they take it on.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 09:12:34 +0000

I don’t watch the show, only read your fab reviews and view the room galleries on the Channel 9 website. The tensions, fighting, program editing, and turf wars make me too, too sad.
I’d like to think the producers, judges and contestant come here and read your reviews too, Chris.
I loved the photos of R&G’s basement. The staircase. The floor. The rustic finishes. Can I join you for a wine down there when all the fracas dies down? I don’t have kids so their space appeals to me the most. I don’t want a games room in my basement. The Dolly Parton/Johnny Cash styling by K&J in their basement was a bit too cutsie. And it’s too dark. I get your whole ’embrace the darkness with a moody look’ aesthetic, but it would make me feel like time stands still, and not in a good way, more like in a casino what-day-is-it way, and Covid has given me enough of those, besides, I’m claustrophobic. Eek! Where’s the exit?

By: Margaret Sidoti

Margaret Sidoti — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 06:17:56 +0000

The points given to the boys by the judges were disgusting and an insult to all the hard work that was put into those spaces. I would have walked off.

By: Christina

Christina — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 06:01:43 +0000

House 1, Love the basement, the floor is just divine there and it’s the only house with a powder room down there as well. Meaning, it’s self contained no matter what you want to do with it. The stairs are a work of art, I agree the structural post on the main floor is distracting, I would have considered bring the dining room wall out to it so it made more sense. I don’t see the medical bills from the mud room (I do see them from the sunken lounge). It’s a convenient place to sit, take your shoes off, drop your bag and go. I do see that bedroom 4 as a bedroom. Kids, even big kids have lived in king singles forever. If I chose this house and needed it to function as a bedroom for 2 people ie: guests, I’d spend the money to take the joinery out so as to fit a double bed and use just one of the closets in the opposite corner. The garage mural didn’t bother me, but I do wonder if they will be finishing the garage floor.

House 2 – This house needs a lot of editing in the basement, I would agree on moving the fridge and wine rack. I would leave the sofa. Other than that, maybe a small chair, I’m not sure, I know where they wanted to go, I’m not sure, maybe pick just one purpose and stick with it. I thought the study in the garage was an odd concept, putting in gym equipment would have been more suitable for the area. Other than that the garage was barren. Did they deserve as many points as they got? No, should have been no more than the 7’s from each judge.

House 3 – The garage was barren as well, why put up just a shelf or 2, it looks worse than if you’d put up none & that large window/glass door is really pretty. Do you need that in a garage? No, do you need it from a bedroom? Yes. Take the judges advice!!! As for the basement, the joinery was good, the wine barrel seating nice, but a games room? No. Pick one or the other and implement it flawlessly. Let buyers spend money to buy these arcade type games if you leave it as a wine cellar (by the way, none really hit the brief of a true wine cellar). This house deserved the 6’s it got. The garage door was fine by me, I didn’t really find it offensive.

House 4 – garage, at least it had a cool door and a graphico wall, otherwise nothing is there, not even the first coat of paint, although the floor looks interesting. That’s the one good thing in house 4. Nothing was done or done well. That couch in a room with a desk crunched in an odd corner with an ensuite type bathroom. That has to be removed right away. What a waste. They switched their rooms around so they could have a 4th bedroom, well where is it?? That sofa looked ridiculous in the room. The basement never ceases to disappoint. It looks like they went to Kmart to put the bench in. Too bad they didn’t find a buyer for that statue. That traditional theatre room is a remake of the tired, out dated approach to home theatres, go check out house 1 for inspiration. It really is that bad. The whole thing is really that bad. I assume Channel 9 will fix it up for auction. They deserved the 3’s they got. Worst reveal I’ve seen in a very long time, well besides their hallway week.

House 5 – Did this house deserve to be 1/2 a point behind house 1? NO. No toilet or water at the bar is a problem in a home, that quite frankly has a different buyer than the rest. The price will be vastly different and their requirements will be stiff. No toilet in the basement, no water or stone benchtop at the bar? This house was blessed and cursed with the 100K of wine coolers. The cheap joinery and shortage of a truly deserving fit out is disappointing. They should have sold 2 of the coolers so they could do the other 2 justice. This will be a big expense and problem should the new owner want to remedy it. The study was just as claustrophobic as house 2, just awful spatially, put in only what is necessary. For such a large house this feels like an afterthought. The garage, like the others was just plain. I was not as impressed as Neil with the 3 shelves to be used in the separate area for storage. This house deserved nothing more than 7’s.

This week irked me like none other. Nothing was close to R&G and yet they had their problems as well, fixable problems with minimal inconvenience.

By: Judy

Judy — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 04:35:54 +0000

Totally agree regarding the twins. Spoilt brats. So many things they’ve got away with. For me demanding an audit of K&J was so hypocritical when they had just whined their way to $20K worth of trees. They need to grow up.
R&G are stirrers and as professional renovators should not be on the show.

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 04:19:18 +0000

I felt like crying when you called Kirsty “Kristy” as a Kirsten who always gets Kristen I can’t tell you how frustrating that is.

The boys should be ashamed of themselves not even bothering to finish a whole space. What were they doing.

I think that this weeks scores across the board were very high and probably not comparisons with other high 20 scores that have been given out. Having a styled garage seems so wasteful to me. A waste of money and resources. It should be a functional space with no styling required.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 22:56:47 +0000

How are Luke and Josh going to fix everything inside the house and the front garden?????
They should have been thrown off the show when it was discovered that they were cheating.
It seems that all of the houses are thtee bedroom.
It’s not surprising that the average family these days have three children and need a four bedroom house.
This year’s Block should be the last. It’s lost the appeal that it had before. Plus faves vs fans isn’t good. Especially when it’s R & G and M & M. They have businesses renovating, building and refreshing tired houses.
But going back to the twins, the attitude, filthy mouthed, vile comments they have made especially last night towards Neil is reprehensible. They are sore loser’s, they behave like spoilt brats.
The show thrives on the drama more than the building and styling, it gets top ratings from it, but enough is enough.

By: Ronny Van Dorssen

Ronny Van Dorssen — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 21:07:43 +0000

Hse 1, just gorgeous definitely a winner
Hse 2, what a mess that room is, but they are always OTT
Hse 3, I liked garage door think it suited exterior
Hse 4 weren’t they boasting at the start about having the only 4 bed house, I hate everything about that hse
Hse 5 I think they did a good job but agree about a Rsink down there