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It’s kitchen week and beware - the knives are out, and they’ve been sharpening for weeks! The contestants are cooked, there’s a lot of simmering going on and tensions are just about to boil over. All five kitchens were stunning, so the judging was down to personal preference and functionality. We loved seeing the fabulous Provincial Home Living products the contestants of all 5 houses chose to display in their kitchens and pantries.
Final Scores:
1st – House 5: Eliza & Liberty with 29 points (+ a secret gnome point)
2nd – House 3: Kristy & Brett with 28.5 points
3rd – House 1: Kyle & Leslie with 25 points
4th – House 2: Leah & Ash with 23.5 points
5th – House 4: Steph $ Gian with 22 points
THE BLOCK KITCHEN WINNER – ELIZA & LIBERTY
Their relationship with their builders reached boiling point this week and they filed for divorce! The breakup was a long time coming as they felt they didn’t receive the same commitment from them as the other contestants enjoyed with their builders. There was nothing wrong with the work of the builders because they won a special Block prize for quality and praise from Keith and Dan. Relationships end and new ones start - they’ve already secured their replacement builders – let’s hope it’s not “out of the frying pan and into the fire”.
The girls had a much-needed boost with their first score of 10 (from Shaynna), their first win of the series with the assistance of a surprise gnome giving them a half-point victory over Kristy and Brett – and no, that did not go down well!
Their $23,669 kitchen ticked all the right boxes for the judges. The neutral hues used in their finishes were beautiful and their unexpected pop of orange for their range hood and oven was just enough colour.
"It’s the first bench that we’ve seen today that doesn’t have either a cooktop or a sink in it, it’s just pure, unadulterated bench,” noted Neale. “This is the correct way to do an island bench,” added Darren.
"They’ve taken butler’s pantries back to what they were originally, and that’s a pit stop to put things out of the line of sight,” Neale says.
KRISTY & BRETT
Kristy and Brett’s $29,878 kitchen with its marble island bench in an eye-catching purple was the highlight of their kitchen and had all three judges excited. Neale was not happy with the impractical white boucle stools around the bench and Shaynna noted that the dining chairs are too large for the space.
The white cabinetry and the butler’s pantry were also appreciated. “This time we have a butler’s pantry that makes sense, it’s not compromising anything,” Neale said. The only structural issue was the lack of counter space in the laundry.
KYLE & LESLIE
They presented some more of their signature curves in their $33,740 kitchen which is probably why they spent more than the other teams this week. Curves obviously are not cheap! They also did a bit of tweaking with their floor plan to gain some extra bench space but lost an opportunity for an outside door, and again creating a butler’s pantry didn’t do justice to the kitchen or the pantry.
“Floorplan is their kryptonite. It brings them undone each week,” Shaynna says.
But it’s not all bad. “There’s a lot to like in this kitchen and this laundry,” says Neale. “In this instance, less than perfect is still exceptionally good,” Darren adds.
LEAH & ASH
The $22,083 kitchen that Leah and Ash presented was stylish and the judges were in love. “These tiles … absolutely gorgeous benchtop. It is so beautiful,” Neale said. Darren’s commented everything is “bold and courageous”. After their initial visual appraisal, they then concentrated on functionality.
Unfortunately, Leah and Ash sacrificed some of their kitchen space to create a butler’s pantry, making their island bench small, with a sink located right in the middle, which the judges did not like and consequently, their layout makes the laundry only accessible through a bathroom.
STEPH & GIAN
They stayed true to their Japandi aesthetics with their sophisticated $25,304 kitchen. Remember they changed the layout of their living and dining rooms, which they were adamant the judges would understand when they saw the kitchen. So now it’s time to see if they’ve made the right call. The judges do agree – it’s bigger, better, and more functional.
"If we were judging on aesthetics, it would be a winner,” Neale says. “But …” “A butler’s pantry is to hide the mess,” Shaynna points out. “The kitchen is going to be where all the mess is because you’ll want to have everything out.” “It was designed by someone who doesn’t cook,” Neale says. “It’s beautifully dysfunctional.”
We can’t wait to see what happens this week as the teams work on their master ensuites. Could Leah and Kristy be the next breakup?
Photography by David Cook. All products available through The Block Shop.
