The Block 2021 Front Garden and Facade

The Block 2021 has been an interesting series as the houses are all so different and the front garden and facade reveal show they all have merit.  It's much harder therefore to judge them fairly as they all hold appeal.  Personally, I love Mark and Mitch's house as this is the style that I like, so it is easy for me to say yes, I agree entirely with the judges choice for first place.  However when you look at all the houses objectively, I feel that Tanya and Vito were very harshly judged.  Their front garden and facade was a faithful renovation of a mid century home.  In fact it was beautifully executed and so true to the style of many of these houses.

Take a short drive from Hampton to the nearby suburb of Beaumaris and you will see some of the best examples in the country of mid century homes that have been lovingly restored.  Tania and Vito lost points as there was no barrier to the street.  However, the point of mid century homes in these suburbs was to connect them with the community and gardens were meant to flow into the street.  Large front windows were meant to be left unadorned.

The colour palette too was perfect for this house.  I haven't always liked what Tanya and Vito have done as I felt the house needed to be a little more grown up, but I have to say, their front garden and facade was a masterpiece.

The Block 2021 Front Garden and Facade

All the front garden and facade reveals are below and I have added my comments about each.  Scroll through and let me know if you agree with me or not.

First Place: Mark and Mitch  ||  Score: 29.5 / 30

My thoughts on Mark and Mitch's front garden and facade

• Picture perfect are the words to sum up Mark and Mitch's front garden and facade.  Everything about it is pretty, and if this is what you like, then you will love it.  From the Lych gate, perfectly positioned off centre, to the reclaimed brick path that looks like it has been there forever, this is a house and garden to delight.
• They were blessed with a gorgeous established tree in their front garden, which they made great use of with the circular bench seat.
• The colour palette works perfectly with the soft pink front door picking up the natural tones of the brick path.
• The pots are elegant and I love the veranda seating.
• With the soft grey of the Colorbond Basalt roof and garage door, this is a very pretty house which has been completed really well by Mark and Mitch.  The only part I didn't like were the cut out garden beds in the front lawn, but really, it is pretty perfect.

Second Place:  Kirsty & Jesse  ||  Score:  28.5 / 30

My thoughts on Kirsty and Jesse's front garden and facade

• Kirsty and Jesse's house facade and garden suit the look of their interior perfectly.  A classic Hamptons home.
• From the simple Colorbond Monument roof and gutter to the soft white on the weatherboards, this is a look that is completely on-trend.
• The crisp white Hamptons style garage door is perfect, as is the oversized Monument painted front door.
• The driveway is understated, the plantings are lush and the pathways to the front door and to the side of the house, leave no room for ambiguity.  No stunning wow moments but a very nice, on-trend family home.

Related: Hamptons Style – 7 steps to achieve this look and How to use Colorbond Monument

Third Place: Ronnie and Georgia  ||  Score 27 / 30

My thoughts on Ronnie and Georgia's front garden and facade

• I really had no idea what to expect of the exterior of Ronnie and Georgia's home.  The interior of Mark and Mitch's and Kirsty and Jesse's suit their exteriors perfectly, but I couldn't get a feel for how this house would be outside.
• It turned out to be a fresh, contemporary home that does suit the interior – it was just surprising.  With Colorbond Surfmist standing seam walls, roof and matching garage door, this home is sleek and contemporary.
• Black windows, pergola and front door, prevent this exterior from being too one dimensional.
• The statement sandstone coloured garden wall and honeyed tone driveway and pathways are a great foil to the monochromatic palette and the planting are soft and should mature well.  I would have loved to see a statement advanced tree planted in the front garden rather than the circular feature.  Perhaps the new owners could do this to anchor the home in its surroundings.

You can read more about Colorbond Surfmist here

Fourth Place: Josh and Luke  ||  Score: 24.5 / 30

My thoughts on Josh and Luke's front garden and facade

• Out of all the contestants, Josh and Luke have planted the nicest gardens.  These will mature nicely and will soften the house beautifully.  And it needs to be softened.  I love the mature olive tree at the entrance.
• As popular as grey and black tones are for exteriors, they do need lots of greenery.  Although, their plantings are generous, they could be more dense to really embed this house into the neighbourhood.
• The soaring roof line is a great feature and the platform stairs make a nice architectural feature.
• The judges thought that the front wall had a jarring rustic note in an otherwise minimalist facade, but I thought it was a breath of fresh air.

Last Place: Tanya and Vito  ||  Score: 24 / 30

My thoughts on Tanya and Vito's front garden and facade

• To place Tanya and Vito's perfectly executed mid century modern front garden and facade in last place was an absolute travesty.  In terms of a colour scheme and style to suit their house, Tanya and Vito deserved a joint first place with Mark and Mitch.
• The judges marked them down on a lack of a barrier to the front street, but this was the point of mid century modern houses.  They were designed and built to connect to the neighborhood.  The partial wall without gates suits this look perfectly.
• The colour palette is perfect too.   The orange front door is absolutely right and I love the garage door.
• The only thing amiss were the two pots at the front door.  These were completely out of keeping and out of scale but otherwise a great exterior renovation of a mid century modern home that absolutely didn't deserve last place.

Related: Colourful front doors – what they say about you

My favourite pieces from The Block front garden and facade reveal

What did you think about The Block 2021 front garden and facade reveal?  Did you agree with the judges?  Or would you have preferred to see Tanya and Vito with more points?  I would love to hear what you think.

More information about the show and the contestants can be found at Nine Now.  Many of the gorgeous pieces shown here can be sourced through The Block Shop.

Photography by David Cook Photography

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