2024 celebrates 20 years of The Block with beautiful Phillip Island chosen as the location for this anniversary. Just two hours from Melbourne, the area is a popular coastal retreat for stressed city dwellers. Home for now though to 5 perpetually stressed teams who will be working hard to build the best holiday home that they possibly can. The Block 2024 bathroom starts the journey.
There is only one bathroom that I really like this week. A couple have quite a few merits, but two of them held little appeal, in fact one was a complete disaster. I have all the judges comments, photos and my thoughts on each bathroom below.
The Block 2024 Bathroom – week 1
First place: Kristian and Mimi
Build spend: $21,732
Spacious and with a flexible floorplan, Marty was instantly won over by Kristian and Mimi’s bathroom, saying this was a room with: “Wow!”. The Porta Timber feature, he said, warmed up the room and would definitely appeal to buyers. Shaynna agreed, loving the drama of “balance, tone and texture”, plus the usability of a wide double basin and tile choices that were the best of the week in her opinion. For Darren, it was a “tranquil, beachy” room with features that all added up to a “huge success” and showed a style he hoped the couple could continue through the rest of their house.
My thoughts on Kristian and Mimi's bathroom
- There is lots to like about this bathroom, but it just doesn't feel cohesive. I have a big issue with coloured tiles when used as a feature with a busy floor and wall tile that is in another colour. You can get away with strong colour when it is partnered with a simple tile or a classic white, but this just looks too messy and disjointed. Individually, the blue tiles look great and the grey floor and wall tile holds lots of appeal, but they don't belong together.
- The vanity is very appealing and I love the rounded edges and door profile, however a holiday home doesn't need two basins. Remember that with a basin comes lots of plumbing which removes storage space. Double basins are great for busy households where couples are getting ready together in the morning, not a lazy holiday home in a coastal retreat.
- The copper taps and accessories work beautifully with the warm grey travertine, but are completely wrong with the blue accent tiles.
- The timber ceiling is perfect and I really love the addition of the artwork in the room.
- I think this is a good start for Kristian and Mimi, but they need to consider cohesion more in their design, rather than selecting lots of beautiful pieces that don't work together.
Second place: Courtney and Grant
Build spend: $29,706
From the moment they walked in, the judges were impressed by House 2’s “amazing floorplan”, the “stunning tiles” and use of space. “You’ve nailed it!” Darren said, pointing out a holiday home needed Instagrammability, and this room certainly had it. Marty agreed, saying the room would look at home in Albert Park as easily as Phillip Island. It feels as much like a day spa as it does a beach house Shaynna said, despite the use of wall sconces that highlighted some paintwork problems, missing caulking plus light and heat controls that should have been inside the room. That aside, they agreed, it’s a great start to their home.
My thoughts on Courtney and Grant's bathroom
- This bathroom is my favourite. It has the cohesion that was missing from the winning room, as the colour palette flows beautifully. Strongly coloured wall tiles have been used here, but partnered with a similar coloured travertine floor which makes the look far more successful.
- The brass accents work really well with the colour palette, as does the warmth of the vanity unit.
- I really like the curves in the room and I love the styling with the olive branches and richly coloured olive towels. A warm and welcoming bathroom, which although compact, feels streamlined and elegant.
Third place: Ricky and Haydn
Build spend: $31,848
Flying solo for most of the week after Haydn’s emergency dash home for the arrival of his baby daughter, Ricky did an incredible job with this bathroom, the judges said. Hardie Groove on the walls with tiles below made for a great combination, Darren felt, with Shaynna taken by the bathtub and layout. But the colour choices? “A bit kindergarten!” she said, with Marty urging Rick to ditch the pale blue paint for white. “And the black shower screen frame? he continued, “too industrial”. They’re all problems that might have been solved if both halves of the team were on deck, the judges agree, so here’s to a better week!
My thoughts on Ricky and Haydn's bathroom
- The green kit kat tiles are stunning and are a perfect choice for a coastal holiday home. This colour, although very strong, sits well with the warm travertine and creates a beautiful earthy natural palette.
- The pale blue on the v groove boards is completely wrong. I agree with the judges on this, although I am not sure that white is the right option as an alternative. This would be too jarring and spoil the organic feel of the room. Possibly a soft green that toned with the tiles or a soft neutral that works with the flooring could be an option.
- I like the bath and the niche above is perfect. I also love the styling in the room with the addition of baskets and plants that adds to the natural feel the room evokes.
- I think this is a really good start and only needs a coat of paint to make it perfect.
Fourth place: Kylie and Brad
Build spend: $31,848
Kylie’s “Black! Black! Black!’ colour palette was always going to polarize and even with just three judges, it certainly did that. “I wanted drama and I got drama!” Shannya said, admitting that from the Dekton panelling to the black fixtures and neon artwork accents, this was a room that really grabbed her. Darren wasn’t so sure, wishing for a bath, a softer use of the dark tones and maybe something less busy than the herringbone pattern tiles. And Marty? He liked the skylight: “Because when I’m looking up I can’t see the room!” If Kylie and Brad continue down this path, he warned, their house could just be “the biggest Block disaster in 20 seasons.” He said. And there’s that drama Shaynna wanted again!
My thoughts on Kylie and Brad's bathroom
- Did someone say the coastal retreat of Phillip Island was the location for this season? You would be mistaken for thinking you were in an inner city, seedy nightclub rather than a relaxing holiday retreat. I wouldn't like this bathroom in the city, but at least it would hold more relevance there.
- There isn't a world where any of the choices in this room are right together. The Dekton panelling is stunning, but not for all the walls and floors in a relatively small bathroom.
- A black toilet suite is an absolute no and the toilet paper? Really, this is just awful.
- Individually, the herringbone tiles are nice, the basin is lovely, the black marble look is stunning, but it just doesn't all work together, particularly in this location.
Fifth place: Jesse and Paige
Build spend: $26,109
Already stunned that the room hadn’t been finished, the judges made it clear that even what had been done didn’t add up to the kind of bathroom they were expecting. “It’s claustrophobic,” Marty complained. “The door is wrong,” Shaynna continued. “Too many lights,” Darren added, before summing up: “There's lots going on… and I'm not really loving it.” But as harsh as they were, some elements did win points, such as the “perfectly sized” vanity, ample storage, brushed chrome fittings and underfloor heating, absolutely vital for this area, they all agreed. And the Beaumont fishscale tiles – what there were completed – were very appropriate. Time to move things up a gear, the judges agreed!
My thoughts on Jesse and Paige's bathroom
- In design, I always stress that less is more, simplicity is to be admired and good quality pieces are the key to a beautiful space. Jesse and Paige achieved some of this with their beautiful vanity, basin and tapware, but I just can't get past the fishscale tiles. A successful room doesn't need to be crammed with lots of different features. A small space like this really only needs one.
- The feature tiles are overwhelming. The mix of different tones just makes it look messy and completely detracts from the elegance of the vanity, bath and toilet suite.
- There are plenty of good points to this room, but you don't see them through the quagmire of the green tiles.
You can find out more about The Block and the contestants at Channel 9. Did you know that many of the beautiful items used on the show can be purchased through The Block Shop?
All photography credits to David Cook Photography
You can see all the rooms and my thoughts on them from previous years of The Block here.
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