IT was victory — by a gnome — for Leah and Ash who used their bonus point to snatch the win from their best mates Kristy and Brett in a tightly fought bathroom battle.
After weeks of tough feedback from judges Shaynna Blaze, Marty Fox and Darren Palmer for their bold and lavish styling choices, Leah and Ash got a far better reception for their paired-back grey marble bathroom.
Shaynna felt the marble tiles in the bathroom created a sense of cohesion with the other rooms in the house, which have all featured similar lavish stonework.
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“These guys love luxe luxury. Expensive!” Shyanna said before adding that she was worried they were flushing too much money down the drain on high-end decor and could end up with an empty kitty.
Marty simply felt “relieved” that the couple had finally listened to their (mostly negative) feedback on previous rooms and presented something that was more user-friendly for buyers.
They were likewise full of praise for Kristy and Brett’s room. The couple had gone all out with the bells and whistles this week hoping to secure their first win.
There was venetian plaster, a custom-made fluted glass shower screen and lots of glamorous tiling. Their one misstep: no underfloor heating.
Darren said while he was a “little worn out” by Venetian plaster, here he thought it added a lovely sheen to the room.
While Shaynna enthused: “Kristy and Brett have found their groove!”
The glowing feedback left Kristy and Brett elated but it brought a definite scowl to the faces of their besties and neighbours, Leah and Ash (who would later steal their thunder with the gnome).
The praise kept coming even in properties where couples Kyle and Leslie and Gian and Steph had opted to present little more than a fancy spare toilet.
Marty gushed of Kyle and Leslie’s powder room, which featured finger tiles caressing curved walls and a $3000 smart toilet: “There’s a lot happening in such a small space and it’s all working in harmony.”
All three felt that downsizing the bathroom was a shrewd move and that less definitely was more.
The trio were likewise delighted by Gian and Steph’s uber glam (but predictably beige) powder room, pointing out the stone vanity and light fixture as showstoppers.
Despite Keith’s earlier concerns that the vanity was an eyesore with no functionality, the judges felt it was spectacular and, because it was a powder room, didn’t need to hold a myriad of cosmetics or towels.
Darren was impressed by the fiscal planning of the room, commenting that Gian and Steph had been savvy in balancing the big expenditure of their stone basin with the otherwise simple styling of the room.
He was less enamoured with their lay-out, pointing out that despite all their glorious fixtures, “the first thing I see when I walk in is a dunny!”
Marty agreed, saying it was like investing in a piece of art only to have it hidden in the corner.
It might have been better if Eliza and Liberty had hidden their showstopper in a darkened corner of their bathroom because the judges weren’t wowed by their controversial moss wall.
A confused Marty said: “I have literally seen thousands of properties for sale, and I have never seen anything like what I am looking at right now.”
He said the green wall would be better placed in a bowl of soup than as a feature around a shaving cabinet.
Eliza was less than impressed by his snide jokes, rolling her eyes as she reflected sarcastically: “Parsley, broccoli. We’ve heard it all before hilarious. Lol.”
Moss wall aside, Shaynna was horrified when she looked in the mirror, exclaiming that the lighting was terrible.
Through all this Darren was noticeably quiet until Shaynna asked him for his thoughts on the offending greenery.
“It’s growing on me,” he smiled.
“Acoustically, it has benefits. It filters the air. Two great qualities for the bathroom.”
Ultimately though, he felt the placement of the moss had let them down. And so, it seems it isn’t easy being green at all.
JUDGES’ SCORES
Kyle and Leslie: 26
Leah and Ash: 28
Kristy and Brett: 27.5
Steph and Gian: 25
Eliza and Liberty: 25
MISSED AN EPISODE?
Ep 15/16: Block team rushed to hospital after falling down manhole
Ep 14: Block sisters plot bizarre bathroom feature
Ep 13: Blockheads baffled after being punished for following orders
Ep 11/12: Dangerous near miss as Block home’s ceiling collapses
Ep 10: ‘A***hole real estate agent’ — new judge cops massive spray
Ep 9: ‘Better if left empty’: Block judges deliver brutal feedback
Ep 7/8: Real reason Block team is shielding their windows
Ep 6: ‘Don’t speak to me ever again’: Rogue dad brings Block drama
Ep 5: Block team gets dad to help, accused of rule breaking
Ep 3 & 4: ‘Secretive and fake’ — Battle lines drawn over Block agents
Ep 2: Stumble out of the blocks: Team demolishes wrong room
Ep 1: ‘Fugly as’: Contestants unimpressed with Block houses
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Originally published as The Block 2023 episode 17 recap: Leah and Ash steal victory in bathroom week, Eliza and Liberty’s moss wall leaves bad taste
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