October 18th 2023

Eliza & Liberty scored a well-deserved (gnome assisted) win with a sweeping kitchen. Their perfectly orientated island bench was breathtaking, and the functionality with the bar, double fridge, storage, and funky orange range was exactly what we were looking for. Their simple styling won my heart. Their pantry was small but effective, likewise, their laundry was compact but workable, and that walk-in linen cupboard was a masterclass in functionality! ⁠

Kirsty & Brett tapped into the trend for warm earthy tones in their beautiful, functional, island bench and I loved the way they pared back the rest of the kitchen aesthetic to hero the bench. This kitchen had it all, in just the right places, and the secret splashback panel rocked my world. They also nailed their butler’s pantry, and their laundry was serviceable, although lacking workable bench space.⁠

Leslie & Kyle gave us a sexy curvy kitchen, styled with an eagle eye for detail. Points for their storage, and for nailing the bin location. More floorplan questions for house 1 this week. The space doesn’t justify a separate butler’s pantry – I’d have gone for extending the kitchen area to a seating nook with direct access to the outdoor area, which would have been a huge win for me. The utility of their laundry was a standout, and the overall space they presented this week sets a beautiful tone for their home. I’m just a bit worried how no door to the entry is going to work in weeks to come…⁠

Leah & Ash blew us away with their marble bench top, but the size of the island bench itself left us underwhelmed. There’s no denying this couple’s use of colours, textures, and materials is going to resonate with buyers though. I’d have lost the butler’s pantry and used valuable real estate to extend the kitchen footprint. Their laundry had great functionality, but it’s not ideal accessing the laundry through a bathroom in a luxury home.

Steph & Gian’s kitchen was beautiful in colour texture and style as we’ve come to expect, and made sense of the living/dining area floor planning this week. However, we were left baffled by the location of the cooktop; anyone sitting there is right on top of it and the bench extraction. The so-called ‘main’ kitchen is all for show which left the narrow butler’s pantry doing all the heavy functional lifting. The laundry, by contrast, featured ample appliances and bench space, along with Steph’s signature aesthetic.