The Block 2018: Week 6, living and dining room reveal

COURTNEY and Hans delivered the most impressive and luxurious room, winning over the judges with their ‘James Bond’ inspired feature.

Shireen Khalil

5 min read

September 10, 2018 - 7:54AM

The Block's Sara has another dummy spit (The Block)

THE living room in Hans and Courtney’s apartment is so big it actually has two lounge areas and is the same size as an entire apartment from season one of The Block.

The couple delivered the biggest living and dining room in Block history and received rave reviews from the judges.

The best part of the room has to be the James Bond-inspired pop-up bar, but it had plenty of standout features including the Christian Cole table with its walnut finish and emerald chairs, and the sophisticated artwork.

Bianca and Carla were only half a point behind (again) for their equally impressive, stylish and bespoke room, but the judges did not think it was enough for a win.

Inside Courtney and Hans’s massive living and dining space. Source: The Block

COURTNEY AND HANS, WA, APARTMENT 2: SCORE 27.5 (WINNERS)

The WA couple filled their mammoth room with two living areas and a dining area with a pop-up bar and a custom-made Christian Cole table — their hero feature.

Judges Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer loved the walnut finish of the table, paired with the velvet, emerald chairs. “It’s cool, contemporary and edgy,” Darren said. “And the lights over the table, perfect.”

Neale Whitaker said the room had a sense of grandeur and personality while Darren said the formal living area had an intimate feel.

It was this area that featured the bar that pops up from within the cabinet. It is voice controlled, which Darren said was very “cool”.

“I love that James Bond technology and that is James Bond,” Shaynna said, while Neale asked, “why hide it?”

Despite unanimously loving the bar, Darren said something else was needed on the wall because it was a “bit boring”.

“There’s 60ml behind this slab so you can easily have artwork on the wall, then if you want a bit of pizzazz and James Bond, up she pops. I love it.”

All in all, the judges agreed the pair chose some sophisticated pieces.

The James Bond pop-up bar (right) was a huge hit but the judges said it could do with some hanging artwork against the empty, white backdrop. Source: The Block

Neale said the room had a sense of grandeur and personality. Source: The Block

The couple went for simplicity. Source: The Block

The custom-made Christian Cole table is stunning with the velvet, emerald green chairs. Source: The Block

Their scattered artwork was also a winner.

As was their hanging black feature lights over the dining table.

KERRIE AND SPENCE, SA, APARTMENT 1, SCORE: 25

The SA couple had a rough week (threatening to leave the show) but made solid progress (and won’t be leaving show). They continued their signature design element with a coffered ceiling (like the one in their children’s room reveal) and went for a modern space with feature lights, a colourful floor rug, and mix of leather, cloth and velvet furniture.

The first thing the judges noticed? That ceiling, of course. Neale said it was beautiful but the height concerned him. While Shaynna agreed it was elegant she questioned if it had too many hanging details.

Neale ended up in favour of the room, saying it had lots of features a potential buyer would be excited about. “More ticks than crosses,” he said. “The fundamentals are great it’s an easy fix and I am getting used to the ceiling height.”

Darren loved the orientation of the room, but Shaynna had issues with the overall style in the living area, comparing it to a 90s boardroom.

Overall, the judges said they did a job well done.

Kerrie and Spence’s living room. Source: The Block

And the room from a different angle. Source: The Block

They loved the coffered ceiling. Source: The Block

The judges said hanging lights was the wrong decision.

They liked their colourful floor rugs.

HAYDEN AND SARA, NSW, APARTMENT 3, SCORE: 23

Unfortunately for Hayden and Sara, they’re back at the bottom of the leaderboard — surprisingly not threatening to walk off the show this time.

The NSW couple did, however, have a major argument over a particular door that, according to Sara, shouldn’t have been there. She ended up being right with the judges questioning why the room had space for a door.

The couple went for a muted grey colour palette, electric fire place and concrete feature wall.

Neale instantly liked the modular lounge and Darren liked the occasional chairs. For Shaynna it was their venetian plaster, floorboards, colour palette and softness to the room.

However, they got knocked for their electric fireplace. Neale felt it was a metaphor for the whole room. “It doesn’t feel real,” he said. “It’s not welcoming me, it’s not drawing me in. I’m really struggling to find energy and excitement in here. To me it feels like everything is arranged around the TV.”

Darren said the orientation of the room was flawed “it’s the wrong way”. Overall, it was lacking bespoke and luxury, Neale said.

Sara and Hayden’s living and dining room. Source: The Block

Shaynna was impressed by their venetian plaster, floorboards and colour palette. Source: The Block

Neale liked the modular lounge but said the entire room lacked energy and excitement. Source: The Block

No one liked the electric fireplace.

Popping electric blue dining chairs.

NORM AND JESS, QLD, APARTMENT 4 (PENTHOUSE), SCORE: 25

Norm and Jess had the most controversial room this week — it divided the judges.

They filled their living and dining space with a six-seater dining table and indigenous furniture, with the hero feature a suspended fireplace.

Darren said “that’s hot” when walking in, repeatedly declaring his love for the entire room.

Neale loved the simplicity of the room and blue chairs and Shaynna loved the bespoke coffee table, made from fossil. She loved the lighting plan, brown leather sofa and olive tree, but that’s where it ended for her.

“Not only is this a room that has been broken up into pieces, it doesn’t function properly”, referencing the couch in the small lounge room. And now for the hanging fireplace.

“That is a ridiculously expensive fireplace which I love, but that placement is possibly the worst placement I have ever seen.” She said it could polarise some potential buyers.

But Darren immediately interrupted, hero cape and all (no, but that’s how fiercely he defended it). “I want to sit here all day with a glass of red wine and spin that fireplace around.”

Shaynna was shocked. “I am gobsmacked how you two think it’s amazing,” she said. “It will cost too much to maintain and potential buyers will just go to the next apartment.”

But not Darren. “It grabbed me by the heart,” he declared. Again.

Darren loved everything about this living and dining room. Source: The Block

Especially the floating fireplace. Source: The Block

All the judges loved the indigenous fossil table and leather sofa. Source: The Block

hanging lights. Source: The Block

Neale loved the blue chairs Source: The Block

BIANCA AND CARLA, VIC, APARTMENT 5 (PENTHOUSE), SCORE: 27

The girls always seem to be half a point behind the winning team and this week was no different. They scored 27, although, one can argue they deserved the win. They just copped slightly more negative feedback compared to Courtney and Hans.

They continued with parquetry floors, had a dark credenza (cabinet), eight-seater dining table, large rug, one fabric and one leather couch and a TV mounted on a concrete feature wall with a wax finish.

Neale felt the dining area was absolutely beautiful, in particular the cabinetry.

Shaynna felt the scale of the light, table, cabinet and artwork was great and the “complete package.”

Darren thought the black sheer curtains were the perfect choice and Neale commended the girls on being able to create a real sense of drama.

But it wasn’t all positive. Neale said the living area didn’t have the impact of Norm and Jess’s room.

He said the lighting plan in the living area wasn’t functional and felt more rustic when the dining area was more sophisticated. But, the judges thought it was still good enough to take second place.