The Block: Week 4, main bathroom reveal

A couple’s decision to create a unique way to shower “after a few beers” has been slammed by The Block judges who branded it “ugly”.

No prizes for guessing which couple was in the judge’s firing line during The Block’s main bathroom reveal on Sunday night.
Yep, Jesse and Mel, the couple who can’t seem to catch a break.

The cause of the judges’ consternation was the “ugly box” - as described by Neale Whitaker - situated in the middle of the shower. The feature copped a massive beating from the judges, as did their lack of overall styling.

But more on the mystery box in a minute.

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HOUSE 5: Jesse and Mel

Last week Neale slammed the Melbourne couple for their lack of “umay”— effort.

And this week was no different, with the judges drawing particular attention to their overall lack of style.

All three judges loved the vanity and cabinetry, with Shaynna Blaze describing it as “beautiful, like a piece of art”.

“The room feels light and bright and a lighter version of what they were trying to achieve in the other bathroom,” she said. (She was referring to their fail “tomb bathroom” from week two.)

They even loved the execution, with Darren Palmer particularly positive about the tiles, joinery and lighting choices.

Then Neale took a really good look around and said the chrome finishes cheapened the room — and it was all downhill from there.

“I would have so much preferred a beautiful brush steel, something that is softer and a bit more sophisticated,” he said.

The judges slammed Jesse and Mel yet again over their lack of style, drawing particular attention to the ‘ugly’ tiled box inside the shower (on the left). Picture: The Block

However, what really left him perplexed was the box feature in the shower.

“Oh wow, I didn’t see that,” Darren said, clearly freaking out.

“Yeah, well, it’s quite ugly,” Neale responded.

Darren couldn’t help but agree. “I think that’s the big downside of this whole bathroom. It is redundant,” he said, questioning if Jesse and Mel had put it there to appear luxurious when it didn’t look that way at all.

So what was the mysterious box all about?

Jesse and Mel were quick to defend it as host Scott Cam read out the judges’ feedback.

“It is a box that has been built from the tiles on the floor and the walls, so you can sit down,” Jesse explained, adding you won’t fall after knocking back a few beers.

“I’ve got somewhere to shave my legs now,” Mel continued.

But the judges still didn't like it — as well as a lot of other things in their room, including the styling and a curious lack of a toilet.

Neale said he was “continually disappointed” by Jesse and Mel’s styling. Ouch.

He couldn’t help but compare all their rooms so far to their winning guest bedroom from week one.

“I have never seen it replicated since. I don’t know what’s happened,” Neale said.

And as for not having a loo — Jesse said this was a considered styling option.

“From a real estate perspective, it is considered a design fault to have a toilet in the bathroom because you are waiting for someone to finish using it,” he said.

Solid effort guys, but not solid enough. The judges scored 24. That’s second last.

The box is there to sit on, like when you need to shave your legs or if you’re drunk (as explained by Jesse and Mel). Picture: The Block

Unfortunately, the judges felt ‘continually disappointed’ by their design choices. Picture: The Block

HOUSE 1: Mitch and Mark

The Bondi boys love to change things up — last week they completely revamped their floor plan by turning their main bedroom into an entertainment space.

And they took a similar approach this week, giving future owners the option to enclose the entire laundry or leave it open.

“This is a neat, well-contained and good-looking laundry,” said Darren, as he took particular notice of the impressive layout.

“I think they have planned it really beautifully,” he said.

Looking at their choice of cabinetry, tiles and tapwear, Neale noticed the boys’ emphasis on quality.

”Every week that goes by I’m more convinced they’re designing for a couple,” Neale added.

Shaynna was in two minds about the design. She said if they were going to enclose it, the cupboard doors were a waste of money.

Mitch and Mark were complimented on their luxurious taste. Picture: The Block

“They could have made it a lot bigger — adding a long bench for more laundry space if they didn’t put the doors on,” she explained.

The boys accepted Shaynna’s feedback but didn’t agree with it. “I think it’s wrong,” Mark said.

In the ensuite side of the room, Neale said everything was beautifully presented — from the massive showerheads, heated floor and heated towel rack.

Surprisingly, Shaynna didn’t knock it. She loved the pattern in the bathroom and the simple terrazzo on the floor.

The judges had very few negative things to say about the boys’ design, but Darren did point out how they were “playing the game”.

“What Mitch and Mark have done is they’ve created an opportunity for them to stand aside from the pack,” he said.

“They have changed the playing field.”

Darren is talking about the boys’ pattern of flipping floor plans.

“Some weeks it’s going to work in their favour and other weeks it’s going to work in their detriment … it may not have the same amount of impact,” he said.

All in all, the boys came third with a score of 24.5.

The judges loved the massive showerhead, terrazzo floors and overall tiling. Picture: The Block

But Shaynna struggled with all the doors in their laundry. Picture: The Block

HOUSE 2: Tess and Luke (Winners)

It was an emotional moment for Tess and Luke as they won their first room reveal.

They impressed the judges so much that Darren “literally”, like “literally”, said it was one of the best bathrooms he had ever seen on the show.

Big call.

Shaynna had a little dig at Mitch and Mark’s room when she said; “This isn’t what I was feeling next door. I love this room and I’m excited.” It’s good when Shaynna is excited, otherwise you will tear your room apart.

“I feel they’ve done (the) floor plan justice. Even these four showers and double vanity,” she said with great enthusiasm.

The judges loved the storage space and Darren, well let’s just say he really liked the tub. He got in it.

Because “what you get is this beautiful outlook up to the sky”. He was talking about Tess and Luke’s impressively structured skylight.

What a winning main bathroom looks like. Grey on grey on grey. Picture: The Block

While he lay there in an empty tub, Neale appreciated their choice of brush steel tapwear.

“It just feels so modern and so different and so many textures and colours, but it all complements each other so well,” Neale said, in a way that only Neale can say.

They were also all wowed by the lighting layout.

Shaynna was amazed at the styling, which she said Tess and Luke hadn’t got right until now.

Honesty. She’s good at it.

“I am so proud of what they have achieved. This is next level,” she said.

“Pretty spot on. Isn’t it. They demonstrate that luxury can come out of simplicity,” Neale added.

Darren loved all the space and the “storage for days”. That’s when he said Tess and Luke had “literally made one of the best bathrooms” he had even seen.

And a final message from Shaynna: “I just want them to know they’re on the right track and this is absolutely superb.”

Thanks Shaynna.

Tess and Luke scored a well-deserved 28, topping the leaderboard.

Shaynna described Tess and Luke’s styling as ‘next level’. Picture: The Block

The double vanity was another big winner. Picture: The Block

HOUSE 3: Andy and Deb

It wasn’t an easy week for Andy and Deb who were hoping they could nab another winning room.

While their styling was in keeping with their winning bathroom from week one, it sadly wasn’t enough to earn them above 22.5 points — the lowest score for this week’s reveal.

The judges actually liked a lot about the room such as the subway tiles, the basin and the custom-made vanity.

Darren described it as “timeless”.

Shaynna spotted “Alexa” and asked her to run a bath. “Oh, that means sexy time,” she said, sparking an awkward moment of silence.

“Their style and taste is spot on,” she added.

Moving into the bathroom area Darren thought it was just as glamorous.

“The timber choice, playing back to the vanity is lovely. Even what they’ve done with the towels; they’re tactiles and have got the fringing, it gives you a lovely serene sense in here.”

Great attention to detail Darren.

Andy and Deb have kept true to their rustic, beachy vibe so far with their room reveals. Picture: The Block

But when Neale spotted there was no toilet in the bathroom the judges’ tune changed.

He said it struck him as “slightly odd”, saying they really should have included one in a main bathroom.

“This feels a lot smaller without having the toilet in it,” Shaynna discovered.

She also didn’t like their nib wall (to separate the vanity and shower), saying they didn’t need it.

“It makes the room feel even smaller. There’s no reason to have a nib wall to hide anything,” she said.

Neale also noticed there was only one showerhead when the other couples’ rooms had more.

“Once upon a time that may have worked, but I feel in a luxurious house, this isn’t feeling like a main bathroom but more like an ensuite,” he said.

Overall, the judges said Andy and Deb’s room was stunning and related well to their previous bathroom, but some ideas they imported from that room into this one didn’t do it justice.

The judges absolutely loved their custom-made wooden vanity. Picture: The Block

They described their bathroom as ‘stunning’ but didn’t agree with having a nib wall. Picture: The Block

HOUSE 4: Matt and Elise

Matt and Elise pulled a “Mitch and Mark” by flipping the floor plan of their bathroom — also adding windows for extra lighting.

Darren described it as “glamorous” the moment he walked in. He loved the tile choices that were similar to Mitch and Mark’s but said they felt completely different in this space.

“Mitch and Mark paired it with something that was matt and terrazzo whereas this is glossy and shiny and stonelike,” he said.

Darren also loved the dusty lilac tile against all the black finishings, saying it’s a “really pretty colour scheme”.

Matt and Elise’s style also got a big tick — the judges said it was thoughtfully done by someone “who knows when to stop”.

Inside Matt and Elise‘s very glossy main bathroom. Picture: The Block

However, Darren had a big issue with the mirror and lighting. He made some valid make-up-applying points.

“It’s not that it’s even off centre (he’s talking about the mirror). It’s also not in front of me, so we have light coming through now, but at night, there will be light coming from behind casting all these shadows on your face, so good luck getting your eyeliner right.”

Shaynna quickly diverted the attention from Darren yelling, “Oh my God, this is so beautiful.”

She was distracted by the light going into the double shower.

“It feels like an outdoor shower … it’s incredibly luxurious.”

“In terms of changing the floor plan, Matt and Elise have done something that makes sense, giving each bedroom their own ensuite,” he added.

Could they give Mitch and Mark a run for their money? According to the Bondi boys, that’s a simple “No”.

Darren said the lighting shadow would make it very hard to apply make-up. Fair point. Picture: The Block

But they were loving all the natural light into their beautifully tiled shower. Picture: The Block

SCOREBOARD:

Mitch and Mark: 24.5

Tess and Luke: 28 (Winners)

Andy and Deb: 22.5

Matt and Elise: 26.5

Jesse and Mel: 24

The Block airs tomorrow at 7pm on Channel 9