The Block 2026‘s controversial “light, bright and white” design direction has been a major talking point this season, and on Monday night, judge Darren Palmer shook things up by changing the brief.
ICYMI, Chantel and Wyatt followed Darren’s original brief to a T for their bathroom in week two, only for judge Shaynna Blaze to call it “boring”.
Then, in Monday’s episode, Darren went against his own advice, and encouraged the contestants to include colour in their smaller spaces, like bathrooms and bedrooms. He even went as far as showing a bunch of colourful tiles, and recommended the cast incorporate something similar.
However, Lisa and Rosco told Chattr in an exclusive interview that Darren’s original “light, bright and white” advice has actually been “taken out of context”, revealing contestants have had more freedom with their designs than viewers may realise.
“I think it’s been taken out of context. That was said once at the start of the season: light, bright, and white,” Lisa said.
“That was one interaction where we were told that by Darren Palmer, and then as you’ll see throughout the season, lots of people have introduced degrees of wood, which we were told, you know, not to do.”
Lisa and Rosco reveal they went against Darren Palmer’s advice on The Block
On Monday, Darren told contestants to keep the larger spaces more minimalistic, while encouraging them to experiment with colours and textures in smaller rooms. However, Lisa and Rosco told Chattr they tended to trust their own instincts when it came to their designs.
“We do a very dark kitchen, which we were told not to do. So, we can take the judges’ advice on board for sure. But it’s not like all season they’re like light, white, and bright. You must do this. You could do whatever you want,” Lisa said.
Lisa and Rosco’s decision to trust their own instincts over the judges’ advice isn’t without reason. In previous seasons, the houses that scored the highest with the judges haven’t always walked away from auction day with the biggest profit. In 2024, Kristian and Mimi won the most room reveals, but Maddy and Charlotte ultimately won the competition at auction.
With that in mind, Lisa and Rosco said they weren’t afraid to push outside Darren’s brief, as long as their choices still captured the “quiet luxury” aesthetic.
“If you could go outside the brief and still meet the brief, if that makes sense — still meet quiet luxury because that’s what ultimately they wanted,” Lisa said.
“You got rewarded for doing things [outside of the brief], you did get good feedback. You just had to make it work, I guess,” Rosco added. “If you did it well, then absolutely you were rewarded for your efforts.”
The Block airs Sunday – Wednesday on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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