The best design trends from The Block 2015

BLACK toilet paper, total wall art domination and leather shelving ... this season of The Block is bringing a whole host of new looks to the fore.

SO MANY trends, so little episodes — this season of The Block is bringing to the fore a whole host of new looks.

Here are a couple of trends we’ve seen emerge:

SCAN-DUSTRIAL

The name says it all really: it’s got the hard edge of an industrial look with a hint of Scandinavian style thrown in there, too. Caro & Kingi were pipped at the post for the first couple of reveals, but the judges have slowly fallen for their style mashup. Perhaps it’s got something to do with the continuity that runs smoothly through their spaces — the other teams just don’t seem to be able to stick with one look. Raw finishes, exposed lighting and spotto! — a mid-century Nordic-look piece of furniture — are at the heart of this trend.

TOTAL WALL ART DOMINATION

Wall art is ‘in’.

From the home couch it appears that the contestants don’t have a lot of space to work with, which makes this next trend a little baffling. Design 101 would confirm that the smaller the space, the safer a more pared-back approach is. The move towards entire walls being emblazoned with murals and detailed images is popular with a couple of teams, from Suzi & Vonni’s bedroom walls that feature glass wall art, to Caro & Kingi’s powder room showcasing a tiled tree. Though both teams have pulled wins in their spaces, these niche looks may prove a little divisive on auction day.

CONCRETE BATHROOM DETAILS

Concrete details in the bathroom.

Dean & Shay delivered a masterstroke by including a concrete vanity basin and taps from Wood Melbourne in their second guest bedroom. While they didn’t take out the title that week, you can be sure that you’ll start to see these pieces dotted throughout newly renovated homes in the near future — it’s set in stone.

VENETIAN RENDER

Venetian render in the bathroom.

Kingi is a renderer by trade and you could just sense his glee when he started work on his “secret weapon” in week one — Venetian render. Adding texture and tone to the walls and delivering a look that is unique to their apartment, Kingi & Caro continue to impress the judges week after week with their style. The Venetian look adds a warmth to the spaces, which is a great fit for those frosty Melbourne winters, yet still has a broad appeal that impresses year-round.

TIMBER AND LEATHER SHELVING

Shelving with a difference.

This is one trend that has been around for a while and it’s not hard to see why. Beautiful natural materials bring a sculptural element to functional shelving, and turn a bare wall into a spot for open display. Dean & Shay and Whitney & Andy both incorporated timber and leather shelving into their studies and were warmly praised by the judges — top shelf guys!

Bathroom details ...

And then there’s that matte black toilet paper. Probably one trend that can stay in The Blocktagon forever …

Click through to Inside Out for lots of Block-related coverage, including Shannon Vos’s weekly wrap-ups of room reveals.

Originally published as The best design trends from The Block 2015