Monday, May 20, 2013

The Block Sky High | Week 1 Bedroom and ensuite reveals

Brought to you by The Block Shop

This week on The Block Sky High, the couples were tackling their first bedroom and ensuite. Looking at the basic floor plan for the apartments, there's still plenty more to go! The first room is usually an indicator for how the rest of the home will develop...let's see what direction The Block couples have gone in...
Bec & George - VIC
This week's reveal winners! Bec and George delivered this stunning bedroom, with a bold striped wallpaper feature wall that gives the room the illusion of extra height. It's striking and graphic, yet not too overpowering in this space. I love that it's not placed behind the bed, where you'd normally find it. The bed, simple linens and bold side tables look quite restful together. This is an impressive and mature bedroom, with just the right amount of whimsy. Bec and George have made great use of space, recessing a bookshelf underneath the window...styling the shelf with a few books in the same colour scheme, finishing it off with a fun pair of Skipping Girl bookends.
The stand out feature of this bedroom is an original Bally poster...the first thing you notice when you walk in the room. The poster was the jumping off point for the colour scheme of this space, and Bec and George must be commended for their restrained use of red...just little hints sprinkled around the room. Bec and George were able to incorporate a small study nook in this bedroom, without compromising on storage space in the wardrobe. This would make a great dressing table as well, simply by adding a small mirror. I love that they also showed restraint in their styling here. The Three Wise Bunnies are seriously cute! It's a beautiful room, and well worth the win.
The classic clean lines of the bedroom extend through to the ensuite. White subway wall tiles, combined with the oversized dark grey, work really well together. The high gloss black vanity looks sophisticated, and perfectly sized for this space. If this is Week 1, I can't wait to see how the rest of their apartment develops!
1. Bally vintage canvas print | 2. Three Wise Bunnies | 3. Skipping Girl bookends

Trixie and Johnno - NSW
Trixie and Johnno came in a very close 2nd...just half a point behind Bec and George. I adore this room! The colour combination is so fresh and gorgeous. The stand out feature of the room is the hand painted wood tile feature wall, giving this room a modern Moroccan feel. If I were to replicate any of the rooms delivered this week, this would be it. The artwork and feature wall work so well together. The judges suggested that they didn't need to add the timber wall vases, but I disagree. That natural element helps bring this room alive; softening the hard wall, and adding a little extra dimension
My favourite accessory in the room has to be the Sulphur Crested Cockatoo lamp...it's kitsch, it's fun, and it seriously works! Trixie and Johnno have a great eye for design...raising the height of the doors, and installing flush skirting boards, lift this room to another level. They are THE couple to watch imho.
The quality and attention to detail continue through to the ensuite. The tiles Trixie and Johnno selected blend seamlessly with the carpet in the bedroom. This ensuite is well appointed, and dare I say, sexy. The teal cage pendant light above the sink reminds us that this couple may have a load of style, but are still fun! This ensuite doesn't have a door, and judge Darren Palmer said it best that you need to consider the "acoustic privacy" and "visual privacy". I would prefer a door, that's for sure. A girl needs her privacy occasionally.
1. Timber wall vase | 2. Sulpher Crested Cockatoo lamp base

Madi & Jarrod - NSW
My home team! Madi and Jarrod are the youngest couple on The Block, and their first room delivery is fun, young, and hip, just like them. Their colour scheme of hot pink, orange, and yellow works really well together, in what is essentially an all white room. This room does feel a little immature in it's design, and that's not a bad thing. Given that this is a three bedroom home, this room would suit a tween/teen to a tee.
To me, the bedhead and side tables reinforce that idea...they're raw, unfinished, young, and yet to develop. I am not a fan of the metal reinforcement attached to the wall, and I can imagine this would be the first thing removed by the new owner...though, how cool do the pendant lamps look threaded through the metal.
Madi and Jarrod's youthful design extends through to their ensuite. Classic subway tiles, laid out in a more modern design. You've got to love a bathroom in classic white with clean lines...with just pop of colour to lift the space. Love their choice of a pink neon dot towel, with little baubles around the trim.

Alisa & Lysandra - SA
As with their room challenge, Alisa and Lysandra have delivered a soft and feminine bedroom. I really want to like this room, but for me it's a little flat.  I really like the glass pendant lights, and artwork, and unfortunately not much else. Don't get me wrong...this is a nice room...but this is The Block, and I want more than just nice. This space has been restyled since the room reveal. The original room featured the most stunning teal floral bench seat at the end of the bed. The judges commented that it was too large for the space, which was true, however it could have been moved where the mirror is, perhaps? I hope it turns up again in another room. On the plus side, the girls did pare back the pillows...down from eleven to eight.
Like Bec and George, Alisa and Lysandra added a small desk nook beside the wardrobe, which is a great use of space. I love the dark wardrobe surround, and how the twins have mimicked the same colour in their bed linen. The styling of the nook needs a little work though. The items they've selected, while fab, don't gel together all that well, nor coordinate with the feminine bedding. I so hope Alisa and Lysandra add a little more pop in their next room reveal! I really like them as contestants, but so far their styling hasn't been as great as it could be.
The saving grace for this room reveal is Alisa and Lysandra's ensuite. This space is bang on. Love the over sized tiles, love the basin, and I particularly love the recessed mirror cabinets!  One of the worst things about bathroom storage, is the inability to stand up bottles of hairspray, deodorant etc. The girls have addressed this in spades! The textured white feature tile in the shower is just gorgeous, and helps to bounce shimmery light around the room. Kudos too for addressing the sometimes ugly extraction fan issue, by inserting it into a bulkhead above the shower head.

Matt & Kim - WA
Drumroll......
THE single most controversial room reveal in The Block history! I'll admit, this room scares the living daylights out of me. Matt and Kim had serious guts to deliver this Jackson Pollock inspired space. This couple certainly thinks outside the square. I'm surprised that twitter didn't collapse last night, with the number of Blockheads expressing their opinion...to me, it looked pretty divided. You either love it, or you hate it. I will be honest and say that I could never sleep in a room that looks like this...however, that's not to say there aren't some elements worthy of mention. The simple white bed, with built in storage, and floating side tables are fab, though I would have liked to have see them stay white.
The concept of this room is really interesting...clean white in one corner; crazy colour in the other. Let's address the "white" side. Matt and Kim have installed floor to ceiling wardrobes, with shelving at the end to display the room owner's favourite knick knacks. This is a great use of space...a plethora of usable storage. Matt and Kim have styled the shelving well, showing restraint with their carefully chosen objects. The ceramic high top sneakers (love!), and ceramic jam jars are perfect for their white on white scheme, while the pink flamingo just screams fun!
Matt and Kim's ensuite continues the white on white theme. I'm so glad they didn't go colour crazy in the space as well...though tell me, where can you buy hot pink toilet paper? Looking from the ensuite back into the bedroom is a really nice vista...the over-sized hot pink pillow and wall-mounted television are a great touch. Matt and Kim were the only couple to install a shower/bath in their ensuite, and I think it's a great addition. With each of the apartments featuring several ensuites, and no "main" bathroom, a bathtub could be easily overlooked.  I am a little scared about the future room reveals by Matt and Kim. If this is Week 1, where will they take us next?
1. Ceramic Jam Jar | 2. Ceramic High Tops

This week, the couples will be tackling the "his and her's" bathrooms of the master bedroom. Will they remain gender neutral to cater for any couple combination? Will they stick to one bathroom, and use the remaining space for another purpose? Stay tuned for the next reveal.

So, which bedroom is your favourite? And more importantly, what do you think of THAT room?

[Room reveal images sourced from the official The Block website]

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