The Block 2020 recap: Kitchen reveals | Photos

One couple ignored the warnings about their X-rated kitchen bench detail and now judges have had their say on the controversial decision.

The Block judges were on a high this week, praising all five teams for some phenomenal kitchen design. Did I drink the Kool Aid? No. Were there some issues to discuss? Most definitely. Install some under-bench power points and let’s get into it.

DANIEL AND JADE CAME FIRST

Daniel and Jade scraped into first place this week with the help of the gnome, delivering a kitchen that featured a curved island with fluted joinery. The estate agent claimed the island looked like a penis, to which I say: Please see a GP immediately if yours resembles this.

The Block Kitchen week. And more copycat drama.

Outside of that creepy moment, I’ve gotta say I’m not as smitten with the island as much as the judges were. The thin profile of the countertop stone looks cheap, and if you stood inside the kitchen, where the joinery is not present, everything reads as the same colour.

Sliding windows near the cooktop seems like an odd (and dangerous) choice, as is the oven placement in what will be a high-traffic walkway. Overall this kitchen reminds me of a 1997 Shania Twain: That Don’t Impress Me Much.

Hotspot – the oven is in a potentially high traffic area. Picture: Channel 9

HARRY AND TASH CAME JOINT SECOND

Harry and Tash unveiled a luxurious kitchen, don’t get me wrong. It feels far more impressive and high-end than Daniel and Jade’s, so I don’t take that away from them. But it’s minimal. Borderline too minimal. Something about it also reads as a kitchen in a corporate office. I feel like my boss is going to walk in at any moment and tell me to have the Mackenzie file on their desk by COB.

Feels a little 9-5. Picture: Channel 9

Where are some wow-factor pendant lights? Where is the focal point in this space? Like anyone after eating Lean Cuisine, I’m hungry for something else.

The flooring and cabinetry is too close in colour, and it has resulted in a really warm-feeling zone. The strip lighting only added additional heat. Someone pass me a frozen Coke and some SPF sunscreen. Overall it’s nice, but missing something special.

Lacking the wow factor. Picture Channel 9

JIMMY AND TAM CAME JOINT SECOND

Jimmy and Tam showed restraint in their kitchen design this week. After seeing their bathrooms I was worried about where they’d go with the hub of the home, but it’s actually not bad.

Not a fan of those green cupboards. Picture: Channel 9

The green cabinets have to go though. It’s yet another room with an off-putting colour. We have turquoise, hot pink, peach and now mint green. Sure, hallways don’t sell houses, but neither do mushy pea cabinets. And pairing them with gold handles is a crime worthy of its own six-part Netflix documentary.

The pair went for peach in one bathroom. Picture: Channel 9

And pink in another. Picture: Channel 9

The space felt light and bright, spacious and contemporary. They just need to calm down the colour and think more about the market they’re selling in. And remove those cat-bum stools. The puckering is seriously disturbing.

The stools need to go as well. Picture: Channel 9

SARAH AND GEORGE LANDED JOINT THIRD

Sarah and George’s kitchen deserved the win this week. The island alone is giving me a serious case of objectophilia. I would have done more than hug it except I don’t like to touch anything without its explicit consent.

This is the kitchen that should have won.

The stunning curvature of that stone is a gift from the design gods. Give me the number for Richard Mercer, I have a love song dedication to make!

There’s more vein in that stone than on a bodybuilder’s arms and I’m here for it. Paired with the moody dark timbers and Shaker cabinetry, it’s the sort of kitchen any potential buyer would give their right arm to snap up.

This kitchen is indeed a forever kitchen, the judges got that right. The only thing I wanted to see here was a more wow-factor pendant. The one they used is a little underwhelming. Like all of my clothes during isolation, it’s too small.

Just needed a larger pendant.

LUKE AND JASMIN CAME JOINT THIRD

Luke and Jasmin have once again delivered a space that relates perfectly to all the other rooms in the home. Their zones are like a post-surgery Kardashian family; the resemblance is uncanny.

The Block Kitchen week. And more copycat drama.

The curves of the kitchen island give a nod to the wall in their ensuite. The corrugated timber speaks to the reeded shower screens in their bathrooms. The cohesion is always front of mind with these two and it’s going to pay off come auction day.

That said, they should have chosen one moment of corrugated timber. It, with the warm flooring, was a texture and colour overload that made the impressive nature of the timber get lost. I would let it shine on the island and remove it from the wall.

The other elements I’m not sold on are the pendant light and the brass trim on the drawer. It brought a bit too much bling to the party.

The corrugated timber is beautiful but pick one spot for it to shine.

Chris Carroll is the Melbourne-based designer behind TLC Interiors; an interior design studio and home style blog helping everyday Aussies transform their spaces without breaking the bank. www.tlcinteriors.com.au | Instagram