Dynamic duo Courtney and Sev dominated The Block’s Rumpus Room and Laundry reveal on Monday night, winning the week (again!!) with an impressive 29.5 out of 30.
In a controversial choice, judges Shaynna Blaze and Marty Fox awarded perfect 10s, while Darren Palmer gave 9.5, even declaring that their luxurious rumpus was his favourite room of the season. Lisa and Rosco finished second on 28 points, ahead of Adam and Jolene on a score of 26.5 out of 30.
On the flip side, Rick and Tayla scored 23.5 after judges criticised their room’s awkward layout and scale, while Chantel and Wyatt finished last on 23, with their rumpus labelled more of a second TV room than a welcoming family space.
However, Chris Carroll of TLC Interiors had a whole lot to say about this week’s judging. The Melbourne interior designer told Chattr in an exclusive interview that he actually believed Tayla and Rick had the best room.
“Bad rumpus furniture layout aside, Rick and Tayla were the epic surprise this week. Not only did they deliver a show-stopper kitchenette in their rumpus (undoubtedly the best of the lot), but their laundry was almost faultless,” the interior designer told Chattr.
Chris was especially impressed with one detail. “The raised washer and dryer was a genius move; a decision in future-proofing that the other four teams completely missed. Nobody spending that much money on a home wants to bend down to their laundry appliances. Bending down is not for the wealthy – you heard it here first!” he joked.
He believed that the worst room was actually Lisa and Rosco, who the judges claimed was the second-best room of the day. “Lisa and Rosco’s was the worst rumpus of the lot, it pains me to say. They have done so well so far, but the rumpus design fell flat in so many ways,” Chris told Chattr.
Chris went on to detail some of the design issues he noted. “The sofa was oriented more toward the joinery than the TV. The wall lights either side of the TV were spaced too far apart. The entertainment unit was too low for how high the TV was mounted on the wall. And the joinery was overdone. I’m not sure what you’re meant to use all that benchtop space for,” he said.
“It was a dire week for these two.”
Interior designer defends Tayla and Rick on The Block
Regarding Tayla and Rick’s continuous bad scores, Chris actually wanted to stick up for the father-daughter team. “They are better in wet zones like kitchens, laundries and bathrooms than they are in living spaces and bedrooms,” he said.
“I would redo every one of their living zones and bedrooms because they’re all pretty unsuccessful. And that pizza oven fireplace is criminal in every way. But having said that, they have shown strength in the kitchen (stunning), the laundry (amazing) and the bathrooms (while not jaw-dropping), have been pretty solid.”
Chris said that he suspected Tayla and Rick approached the show differently to their competitors. “Some people are more practical designers, and some are more emotive with a natural flair for style. Rick and Tayla are more practical. And that’s okay, it just doesn’t bode well in zones like a living or bedroom where colour, texture, size and scale, harmony and more all need to come together to create an amazing result,” he noted.
“They prove, if nothing else, that design is hard when you haven’t trained in it!”
The Block 2027 airs on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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