The Block Front Garden and Facade

The Block contestants are now on the home stretch with the commencement of the outdoor areas.  This week sees the reveal of The Block front garden and facade, which is a great opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the era they are designing to.  We had joint winners this week, Jimmy and Tam with their Retro 1950s Palm Springs inspired garden and Sarah and George with a 1940s inspired scheme.

The Block Front Garden and Facade reveals

Sarah and George | Front Garden and Façade Week     29/30

The judges' views

After a slow start to The Block, it’s wonderful to see Sarah and George hitting their straps as we near the end. Their Front Garden and Façade was simple and elegant, and the judges loved it. They had a secret weapon this week, a man called Dave Franklin. He and his team landscaped beautifully. Perhaps a highlight was the 200 year old grass tree that Sarah named Lola. She is a beauty. The coloured bricks impressed the judges, very fitting for the 1940s era. Overall, not much to fault for Sarah and George.

My views

Sarah and George's house facade is lovely and I really like their choice of recycled bricks.  A nod to the era of the 1940s but also a very on-trend choice.  The colour scheme is simple to not distract from the bricks and the warm creamy tones suit the era well and give the house a lovely welcoming feel.   The front door colour choice is nice and smart and ties in the other elegant black accents.   I did feel that the light silver travertine was a step too far though with too many different colours and textures fighting with the brick.  Overall though, I think that Sarah and George have presented a pretty good front garden and facade.

Jimmy and Tam | Front Garden and Façade Week   29/30

The Judges' views

Wow, this is what you call Palm Springs.  What a unique and original Front Garden and Facade from Jimmy and Tam, and we would expect nothing less. The low maintenance garden featured no lawn but stone, which fits the Palm Springs style that the Brisbane married couple are going for. The spacious decking was relaxing to sit on and perfect for a G&T after a long day at work. The only negative Darren had was he wanted to see more plants like the impressive cactus in the front garden. What about the front door painted peach? Shaynna loved it – very 1950s.

My views

I was disappointed to see that Jimmy and Tam chose to opt for a Palm Springs inspired garden without considering the front facade colour scheme as they don't work well together.  Palm Springs is in the middle of the desert and the houses are all in a crisp white with colourful accents.  In fact Palm Springs is white, white and more white.  It's hard to replicate the look with a weatherboard house, but if it was at least painted in white tones I would have felt it was more successful.  I just don't feel that the house and garden suit each other.  Both really great but not cohesive in style.  The bricks in the fireplace wall work and the stylised signage on the house is a nice Palm Springs touch, but the grey colour scheme is not working for me.  I do however love the front door.  If you're a fan of the Palm Springs look, then this garden is perfect.  I like it, but only in the Californian desert.

Related: Colourful front doors, what they say about you

Luke and Jasmin | Front Garden and Façade Week  28/30

The judges' views

The ‘house of curves’ is what Luke and Jasmin are going for, and that theme continued this week. They had a very unique curved chair to the left of the entrance, that will only add value to the house. The trees that Luke and Jasmin planted at the front of the house will also grow and come together and provide privacy from New St to the house. What a winner for Luke and Jasmin. The only thing Neale didn’t like was the water feature, but that didn’t bother Jasmin. It is staying.  Another very high score for our married couple from Perth.

My views

What is there not to like about this facade and garden?  I feel that Luke and Jasmin should have been joint winners with Sarah and George.  The Colorbond Dune roof is a lovely soft grey that works well with their choice of white and the smart black front door.  The look is simple and elegant and a taste of what is to come inside.  I really like the natural timber decking as I'm not a fan of fake grey decking.  This adds a nice natural contrast which is always a winner for an exterior colour scheme.  The landscaping is elegant too with the grey pavers a beautiful choice for the Brighton location.  As usual, a lovely, elegant home by Luke and Jasmin, which I am sure will sell well at auction.

Related: How to select roofs, gutters and facias

One of my favourite pieces this week are the Malawi tub chairs.

Daniel and Jade | Front Garden and Façade Week  28 /30

The judges' views

It’s all about the detail for Daniel and Jade this week, and they nailed it. Their façade is one of the biggest on The Block and it took a lot of work to make it so special this week. The traditional plants Daniel and Jade chose were a hit, fitting the 1930s brief. The decking to the entrance of the house was a catwalk for Darren Palmer, but all the judges thought it could have been finished off better with steps being dressed with black paneling. Other than that, not much else wrong with Daniel and Jade’s effort this week.

My views

I really like the strong contrast in the colour scheme of Daniel and Jade's facade.  The entry veranda is gorgeous with the dark details and I really like the Colorbond Monument flat seam roofing over the window.  The garden is elegant, and I am sure will mature nicely.  However, I really don't like the path in timber decking as it overwhelms the entrance to the house.  Even if it were finished better, which it needs to be, and taking into account that the plants will grow and soften it, I think it is an eyesore.  When you look at the close up images of the house, it is absolutely perfect.  The colour scheme, detailing and styling are divine.  The timber runway though spoils the look entirely and is also not in keeping with the era.  A simple bluestone path would be perfect.

Harry and Tash | Front Garden and Façade Week   26/30

The judges' views

Tash was in tears this week after hearing the judges feedback, not only for herself and Harry, but for her trades who put so much effort in. It was a must win for the Melbourne father and daughter, as they are facing huge budget issues but it wasn’t to be. The judges did love the white bricks of the steps and the archway, but it wasn’t enough to win them over. The plants were beautiful, but in the eyes of the judges, the garden was too busy. Harry and Tash would have been better with more lawn for children to play in, which could be very important for a family friendly buyer in Brighton.

My views

I'm not a fan of the design of the facade of this house but that isn't Harry and Tash's fault.  I do feel however that it might have looked better with some contrast.  Everything is just so white.  You can clearly see though how hard the team has worked as the landscaping is very good with a lovely range of traditional plants.  The choice of pots is inspired and I like the choice of seating in amongst the very pretty plantings.  But, even the pebbles are white.  Hopefully, once the garden matures, this will offset the white in the design.  I don't understand though how the judges could place Jimmy and Tam's house first with no lawn at all and Harry and Tash last, stating they should have more lawn for a house in Brighton.  I feel that poor Harry and Tash were harshly marked this week.

The garden arch mirror is sublime – I just love this.

Related: How to find the right white for your exterior

What did you think about The Block front gardens and facades this week?  Do you agree with the judges or me, or do you have your own thoughts?  I would love to hear them.

Many of the gorgeous items here can be bought from The Block Shop and more background information about the show and the contestants can be found at Nine Now.

I have all the reveals of The Block 2020 on my site.  If you haven't seen them yet, you should start at the beginning with the Guest Bedroom Reveal.

Are you planning a renovation or new build or are you just undertaking a weekend decorating project, perhaps inspired by The Block?  If so you should sign up for My Free Resource Library where I have comprehensive checklists and e-books for you to download.  If you are stuck, I also have an online colour consultation service to help you.

Photography Credits: David Cook Photography