Kitchen week was huge on The Block. Not only did we reveal the biggest kitchens we’ve seen since the show started, but the kitchens were a major turning point for some of the couples who have been struggling to this point. No mean feat considering that the more space you have to play with, the tougher the task to make the kitchen feel integrated and intimate, and not overpower the rest of the open plan space.
Bianca and Carla
Week after week Bianca and Carla just keep nailing design for their target market, and kitchen week was no exception. From the Alexa-controlled blinds, to the luxe matt-finish cloudburst concrete bench tops to the fabulous over bench lighting, their kitchen is perfectly pitched to the corporate St Kilda market. I loved the integrated double fridge freezer and wine fridge, the study nook is a nice touch (although Smurf-sized), and the the orientation of the kitchen is excellent. However, the absence of a bin or dishwasher in the kitchen proper – a reflection of the fact that neither Bianca nor Carla are home cooks – was a huge oversight.
The girls’ fully appointed butler’s pantry helped make amends with its beautiful colour palette, dishwasher, bin and storage. All in all a great corporate kitchen that has notable synergy with all the other rooms they’re revealed so far in their apartment. Slick, sleek and sexy.
Jess and Norm
There was plenty of wow factor in Jess and Norm’s kitchen this week. Most notably their natural marble bench top, a hugely ambitious and impactful addition to their kitchen. Their Shaker profile stone grey coloured cupboard doors also create a beautiful, soft, first impression. We all agreed it was one of the most beautiful kitchens we’ve ever seen ever on The Block. Their choice of appliances is great, but they lost points for functionality with the location of their kitchen sink, and lack of bin in the main kitchen. Jess and Norm’s next-level Alexa voice-activated kitchen tap won them back some functionality points. Their’s is the only apartment with voice automated plumbing and I predict that’s going to make an impression come auction day.
Their butler’s pantry was accessible and well-appointed, and it was a nice touch importing my favourite flowers, peonies, to style the kitchen (although I’m not sure of the wisdom budget-wise). Their painting and finishing was poor, but nothing that can’t be rectified, and they way Jess and Norm consistently find a way to inject a twist into their interiors is going to attract a lot of interested buyers come auction day.
Hayden and Sara
What instantly stood out about Hayden and Sara’s kitchen was that they chose to orientate their kitchen differently than the majority of other couples… And it worked. Their island bench is vast and will allow the apartment’s eventual owner to cook and entertain simultaneously, a real asset (but where are the power points???). Around it, Hayden and Sara created a sophisticated kitchen with a sculptural range hood – a bona fide design element in its own right, elegant kitchen stools, subtle but functional lighting and mirrored kickboards that made the floors appear to extend forever. The bench seat is also a cozy addition that added to the kitchen’s welcoming feel.
Their butler’s pantry is as vast as the kitchen, with beautiful cabinetry handles, and elegant glass shelving, but the styling is a little hollow which will make it challenging for buyers to picture the space in action on auction day. In all a generous and sophisticated kitchen, but I’d highly recommend having the pantry doors open inwards so they don’t interfere with the coffee machine poised directly outside.
Courtney and Hans
Courtney and Hans also chose to orientate their kitchen differently to the other apartments, but in their case the layout gamble didn’t pay off. Instead of feeling like the heart of their apartment, it ended up feeling disconnected from the living area, their island bench creating an insurmountable visual barrier, and minimal functionality as it only accommodates two bar stools. The champagne metallic finish on their cabinetry was a winner with all of us, and extremely practical as it doesn’t retain fingerprints, and their butler’s pantry has all the appliances and functionality you would expect.
However, its location lost them style points, not to mention robbing their kitchen of natural light through the louvered windows concealed behind the butler’s pantry partition. Functionality-wise, Courtney and Hans have turned out a working kitchen, but the layout won’t appeal to everyone and the brutal truth is that it doesn’t stack up well against the other four apartments this week.
Kerrie and Spence
If anyone turned things around in kitchen week, it was Kerrie and Spence. Their kitchen was a testament to Spence’s perfectionism and eye for detail, and Kerrie knocked her styling out of the park this week, creating a home cook’s paradise. Their Ceasarstone home finish bench was breathtaking and the integrated, bespoke bench seating combined looks and functionality perfectly. Their choice of apartment 2, with mystery safe, paid off big time this week with all manner of Gaggenau appliances giving their kitchen and butler’s pantry unmatched functionality.
And speaking of their butler’s pantry, it was basically a second kitchen! So functional was Kerrie and Spence’s kitchen and pantry that even their vacuum cleaner was automated! I always say the kitchen is the heart of the home, and apartment 2’s heart beats strong! Their’s is a hard-earned, faultless, homely dream of a kitchen, that would put a smile on the face of the most exacting home cook, and it rightly scored them this season’s first 10s, for a perfect score of 30/30.
