Written by Steph Sandhoff
Happy Monday everyone. You can all relax now, I am here as promised. Just because The Block has been pushed to Tuesday night this week doesn’t mean I was. This design Queen isn’t easily pushed aside. We’re officially halfway which is just as important as something that has come to an end. Let’s get cracking on some kitchens, because I’m honestly not sure what’s upset me more - Rachel’s choice of pendant lights or the lack of options on TV right now. You have no excuse not to read this tonight.
HOUSE ONE // Tom and Sarah – Jane
Photo Attribution: Nine
Let us start with House 1, or maybe we should start calling them ‘Money Bags’ because once you’re on a roll not much can stop you; this is the only team that has really dived headfirst into the country style and ultimately nailed it. Their kitchen, with views to the North and West, sits side on to the remainder of their new house extension. Walking in on a timber, herringbone floor all three judges were wowed. Not one of them were able to find anything bad to say about the warm, country style room. Immediately the room feels light, bright and warm. This is because of the white, timber and copper colour palette. The white provides a base, the timber and copper adds texture, warmth and a rustic, country touch. The addition of the grey also adds a pop of interest, draws the eye and makes a connection with the local landscape.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Copper or rose gold finishes went through a really popular stage about 10 years ago and have since been over-taken by matte black, and then lately brass. Although I tend to stay away from specifying copper finishes in residential homes due to its ‘trendy’ look and ability to date houses it can still be used successfully in some instances. House 1 is definitely one of them. Some country homes would have traditionally had copper finishes and by using modern copper finishes it is a great way to achieve that contemporary, country mix. I also love the repetition in the way it’s referenced in the appliances eg. the fridge, stove, pots, pendants, etc. However, one thing I think the judges were so, so wrong about is the mixing of metals. For me, this is one of the biggest rule’s in the book and again it comes straight back to consistency; one metal finish per house. If you want to argue that the copper appliances are a separate feature, I might be able to agree with you on that but then the handles need to be brass. In my opinion, I would have left off the handles altogether and made them ‘push to open’ cabinets. There is already so much going on in this kitchen.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Let’s move on to functionality and the actual layout and cabinetry design because other than being happy about having a bin on one side of the sink and a dishwasher on the other, the judges didn’t really talk much about it. (Well, compared to last year anyway when the couples were literally slaughtered on bin selection and placement). Let’s start with their kitchen triangle, this is the connection between their sink, fridge and oven/rangehood. It’s definitely there although I’ve always preferred my sink under a window. This is merely personal choice though; each to their own. I do love the farmhouse sink but thought with everything else going on it could have had a plain profile rather than a ribbed front. Lastly, one of my biggest frustrations when it comes to kitchen is when it looks like cupboards are just awkwardly hanging off walls. This usually happens when you have high ceilings and your cabinetry hasn’t been designed to go all the way to the ceiling. This isn’t a problem because most the time you can’t reach it anyway. However this means you need to put in a bulkhead. If you look above the window in House 1 you will see there is a large gap going all the way from the cupboard in the corner on the left to the fridge on the right. This needed a bulkhead to connect all the cupboards to the ceiling so it doesn’t look like they are hanging off the wall with the strength of a glue stick.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Moving into their Butler’s pantry and I don’t have much to say. It’s a lovely miniature version of their kitchen; the same flooring, tapware, sink, benchtop, splashback, cabinetry. Seeing as their butler’s pantry is behind closed doors and is beside the grey part of their kitchen it might have been an idea to have their pantry cabinetry done in the matching grey. This additional reference would give the house a sense of sophistication and forethought. I also think the barn doors look a little skinny. They need to be a standard width of 820mm each at least to look in proportion. When open at their current width, they look cheap and unfinished.
HOUSE TWO // Rachel and Ryan
Photo Attribution: Nine
Onto House 2 and it’s definitely been a rough week for these guys. I do think it must be hard when you design your kitchen back in the early weeks, start getting feedback, learning, growing and potentially even changing your style before getting stuck back with a kitchen your old brain designed. It’s got to be frustrating but I feel like House 2 gave up well before they needed to this week. The judges described the room as “a kitchen without a soul” and although I do agree, I actually think the room has great bones. For me, this couple has so much potential but 50% of their choices are sitting in 2022 and 50% are stuck in 2012; this is what is letting them down. Now make a couple of mistakes under pressure because you’re on The Block and damn you’re struggling at the bottom of the group, even though you’re rooms are pretty good.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Let’s start with the flooring because as beautiful as polished concrete is, it is not automatically going to make you think country, and it is not a material that brings a sense of warmth to a space. So any team that has timber floorboards automatically has a head start on character, warmth and texture. Adding in the fake timber beams on the ceiling was the right idea but it needed to be worked on and I guess this is the problem with the lack of time on the Block. The beams were the 2012 idea and it needed to be brought into 2022. Since the space had such a contemporary feel, the beams felt inauthentic. Firstly there weren’t enough of them, they weren’t anywhere near big enough or rough enough and the architecture of the new addition didn’t suit them. They knew they needed the timber element but they went about it in the wrong way. They would have been better off with a timber floor, a timber wall or even some timber cabinetry.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Their choice of cabinetry I actually love, the skinny shaker style is very popular at the moment but I also think quite timeless and would suit most styles of home. As you can see, it sits well with both the modern fridge and the more traditional oven/stove. The judges were worried about the height of the above bench cupboards and shelves. Without measuring it is hard to comment but the standard height for a splashback is 600m high. This then guides the height of your cupboards, which then decides the height of your shelves. Honestly, from looking at the photos it does look a little high but surely that is on the kitchen designers to pick that up, who literally get paid to do this for a living. Now, my major suggestions for improving this room are all relatively easy. The tap and handles are great but swap them out for the brass options. The stools are giving a waiting room vibe so let’s find new ones. I’m thinking timber legs, a textured seat and they need to be round. Everything in this room is square and it’s just adding to the square, cold, clinical, sharp edges feel… We need some smooth curves up in here. Most importantly, we need new pendant lights. I actually couldn’t sleep last night because every time I closed my eyes those horrific giant Christmas baubles were all I could see. It’s like revenge of the never sold Beacon stock.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Anyway, into the pantry and I am very grateful to see some bulkheads because after House 1 I’m not sure how many glue sticks would be left in Gisborne. The styling though leaves a lot to be desired but then again without the styling, there’s not really a lot going on, is there?
HOUSE THREE // Sharon and Ankur
Photo Attribution: Nine
Ooh my favourite, House 3; let’s get stuck in. My initial thought is that I love the herringbone floor. My next thought is didn’t my Mum teach me that if I have nothing nice to say, I shouldn’t say anything at all? Yeah, yeah if that were true I would have nothing to write about. But really, why am I looking at a client’s ‘before’ picture? You know the one that comes with the message “I’m so sorry, please ignore the mess, I haven’t had a chance to clean up all the crap”.
Photo Attribution: Nine
I’m honestly sitting here, trying to come up with things I like about this room and I’m struggling. All I can say is I like the shaker profile they chose for the cabinetry, the herringbone floor, which I mentioned previously, and they got the layout right. They have the triangle correct and a massive island bench, however they don’t have much island space on the back wall for passing things between the two. I also think their choice of cabinetry on the back wall looks like a bizzare game of Jump. Although the judges praised them for their inclusion of traditional moulding, I feel like their execution is messy and disorganised. The depths and heights of the cupboards are all different and have no consistency, which doesn’t allow the eye to relax and competes with what should be the features in the space.
Photo Attribution: Nine
So what should have been the feature then? I really don’t know because there are so many competing elements. The massive black stone island bench? I’ll give them this, it’s a great size and it definitely suits the room. With an island that large and with stone that dramatic they really needed the rest of the kitchen to support it. The massive slab of contemporary stone really clashes with the traditional moulding and gives the impression that they are mid renovation and the back wall has yet to have been pulled out. The sink should also have been much larger because it looks ridiculously small in comparison. I assuming the copper sink was meant to reference their choice of pendant lights but I don’t’ love either and they both date the space. Add to that their choice of pink fridge and I’m at a loss for words.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Heading into their pantry and I do like it’s position behind the kitchen rather than off in another room like in other houses. Similar to the other houses it’s a mini version of their kitchen, having repeated the same fixtures and finishes. These guys do have the added inclusion of their winning mirror, which is super helpful when all the hidden mess is reflected as your guests walk down the hallway. Their cabinetry is again missing bulkheads but I have more of an issue with the positioning of their ovens. If you have a look, they have been bizarrely placed below the bench height, meaning that the drawers below don’t line up with the cupboards beside them. A very obvious gap then had to be filled in above the ovens so the cupboards above could still line up with those beside them; a massive mistake in the planning phase of this design.
HOUSE FOUR // Dylan and Jenny
Photo Attribution: Nine
Next up is House 4, who were seriously in with a chance this week. They were the only team to actually think outside the box and extend their island bench past what was written on the original plans. Although the position of their kitchen is similar to some of the other houses their layout is actually slightly different. Unlike any of the other couples, these guys have placed their sink under the window, leaving their island completely bare. This is probably a good choice; having reduced the size of their dining room, having a clear island that can be used for daily dining will be useful. The fridge too, has been recessed on the other side of the room next to their pantry. Although they still have a successful kitchen triangle, it is quite large and one you have to walk around an island to move between.
Photo Attribution: Nine
The room itself is a beautiful feeling space. A perfectly contemporary country kitchen if you ask the judges and I do agree. Timber flooring, shaker style cabinets, paneling and brass finishes; all references to previously completed rooms in the old part of their home. The sage green colour they chose for their cabinetry was a much more sophisticated and appropriate choice for their location than some of their previous choices and a lovely base for the rest of this open plan area. The successful extension of the island bench suggests that it extends beyond the functionality of the kitchen. I love the way it and the two pendant lights above it will connect with the living and dining. I think we have moved past the point where three pendant lights, evenly spaced above a bench is good design and this solution for me is a great alternative for this roofline.
Photo Attribution: Nine
There are a couple of issues that I believe detract from what could have been a perfect space. I love the choice of the traditional oven/stove as I have in all the other houses and although I don’t love the Rangehood I do think it matches. My problem is that the fridge is very modern in comparison and a completely different texture. I would potentially have picked something that coordinated better. My other issue is that there is quite a lot going on and no one has even moved in yet. I feel like this kitchen needs editing. Looking at the wall with the rangehood and the cabinetry to the left of it, I would rather see another set of inset glass cupboards rather than the open shelving. I think it would make the kitchen feel more complete and allow the features already chosen to shine. I would then remove the horns to the left of the window as this is an American country reference and place open shelving here so the kitchen feels finished and we don’t have to look at a forgotten about rectangle of splashback. I wouldn't suggest placing a cupboard here because it would appear ‘blocky’ and you’ll often look at the side of it.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Into the pantry and I personally would prefer to have my butler’s pantry attached to my kitchen but I can’t see how that would be possible with this layout. The layout of the pantry however, is well laid out. I like the way the bench extends all the way along the window side and the floor to ceiling cabinetry along the other. Again we need some bulkheads but at least this time we have walls on either side holding the open cabinetry up. The styling could do with some editing also but all in all, it’s pretty damn good.
HOUSE FIVE // Omar and Oz
Photo Attribution: Nine
Lastly we have House 5 with their $250,000 of appliances. Personally, all I can think of is what else that $250,000 could have been spent on. You know, like poverty or world hunger or something. I guess two big sinks are pretty worthwhile too but we’ll get to that. Let’s start with first impressions. Throughout the entire week I hated this kitchen. It was dark and dull and I was so unimpressed with their choices. The dark laminate could easily be used in commercial toilet dividers and the concrete bar finish, as beautiful as it is, feels very cold and commercial. Add to all that the concrete floor and I was not looking forward to the finished product. However, seeing the finished product for the first time… that timber ceiling and secondly those white sheers saved the entire room.
Photo Attribution: Nine
I do struggle a little bit with this room for a few reasons. Firstly, I don’t love that you walk straight into the back of the island. It’s like that awkward moment in a store when you end behind the counter by mistake and you try to get around the right side before any of the workers realise where you were standing. I don’t think the island bench is too large, not in proportion to such a large room so I personally would have moved the fridge to the other side of the hallway. Whether or not this is possible is hard to tell without a floor plan but I do think the current layout is a little strange. To have to walk across the hallway to the fridge is not recommended. The island itself looks squished into the corner, leaving a strange amount of wasted space in front of the bar. The cabinetry of the bar itself has also been designed without a lot of thought. If you compare the bar side with the fridge side, none of the cabinets or cupboard heights line up. This would have been easily fixed had the fridge moved across the hallway but had that not been possible I would have extended the hidden cabinetry above the bar area for a cleaner look.
Photo Attribution: Nine
Looking at the boy’s finishing touches I commend them on their choice of pendant light; the best choice of the houses by a long shot. If you still have multiple pendant lights in your kitchen please don’t go out and change them, I’m sure they look great. I’m talking to anyone designing a new space and especially those working on multi-million dollar homes like The Block. These guys have access to money, suppliers and inspiration at every turn. They also have so many different quality features going into these rooms. Don’t take away from them or compete with them by adding multiple pendant lights. Just add one or highlight what you’ve already chosen with some gorgeous downlights. Omar and Oz are right on the money with their lighting choices this week. It may not be expensive or exciting but anything else would have taken away from the rest of the room. You need to know when to go big and when to go home. It’s always a balancing act. There is nothing dated about this choice of track light, it’s timeless and that’s something everyone should always aim for.
Photo Attribution: Nine
I do think the boys' splashback looks unfinished and this feeling continues into their pantry. Again, there doesn’t seem to be one. I’m assuming they think Venetian plaster is a solid replacement? It may be a paint replacement but it’s not sufficient for a splashback. Although the room is properly decked out and coordinated perfectly with their kitchen it still looks unfinished. Without bulkheads and a splashback, the only window looks ridiculously small and the room feels like a servant’s quarters. It’s the most expensive, cheap looking room I’ve ever seen.
Thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed your funeral break! See you guys next week for Living and Dining Rooms. Don’t forget if you’d like each week’s blog sent straight to your inbox don’t forget to subscribe. I’d also love to hear your comments and feedback down below.