The Block Recaps: Kitchen Week

Best kitchen ever on The Block? I'll be the Armchair Judge of that!

Winner winner, chicken dinner. Source: 9now

Yay, finally, not a bedroom or a bathroom! I felt like we were having a bit of deja vu, so finally, Kitchen Week is here! I’m your resident work-from-home (WFH) judge, here to talk about what we at home really think of the reveals from the comfort of our own tacky kitchens (that could definitely do with a $200k upgrade). Let’s go!

Wait. First, more awkward judges dancing:

All of us. Source: GiPHY

Harry and Tash (1920s)

Again, as many of you know, I’ve been in agony over what could have been for such a beautiful deco home. I get that they've said some rooms have to be on theme and some not, but personally I disagree with this from my Master’s Degree In Judging Reality Home Shows. It’s not cohesive - just like when eating from a jar of Nutella, it’s all or nothing!

What we were hoping for:

Omg, love this for me! Be right back, saving to my Pinterest! Source: Houzz, The Builder’s Wife, Pinterest

What we got:

Okay, it's pretty grand. Not 20s, but grand. Source: 9now

Okay, I'll be honest. It isn't deco, but if this was my kitchen, I'd adore it. I love a big bench for entertaining, plus it means my husband and I can make food at the same time without yelling, 'Move, I'm making a sandwich!' I like how everything is matchy-matchy with the Scandi-look. The sliding sink, coffee machine, bins - it's really well thought out. Open-look kitchens kind of stress me out because it makes me think that everything needs to look nice and be dusted, but again, prob not the owner's problem. It's lovely.

WFH Judge: 8.5/10

The Block Judges: 29/30

George and Sarah (1940s)

These guys won me over last week with the gorgeous wallpaper and mural on their high ceilings, even though I personally don’t feel they have really found a consistent style, nor has it been 1940s. What we were hoping for:

Look I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know, either, but just give us a cool light bulb or something...Source: HGTV.com, Better Homes and Gardens, Houzz

What we got:

That's a tick on 1940s in the Butler's Pantry from me. Source: 9now

Okay, my first thoughts were 'Ooh...nice...wait...EW that brown cabinet!' I'll nitpick on that first - it did not go. Whyyyy wasn't it black? Why?

Seriously. Source: Meme Generator

Otherwise though, how glam. Totally unexpected, beautifully opulent, I mean Darren basically wanted to take that marble counter to dinner and meet its mother. I also like the nods to the '40s with the colour scheme whilst still feeling very modern. I will say that I found the glass cabinets a bit of an eyesore and they distracted from the rest of the kitchen. I disagreed with Shayna about wanting a single sink - you always need a double sink: one for washing, one for rinsing, or one to chuck your plates in while you wash. I abhor dishes sitting in the sink while I need to wash them, eek! But she's right about cupboards being too high. Sidenote, why is glassware always kept so high? OHS much?

In the butler's pantry, I didn't really understand the point of the electric cupboards except to show off a product placement. A pop-up tv while I'm doing the dishes back there, now we're talking! Overall, pretty glam; a little over the top in parts but better than being boring!

WFH Judge: 8/10

The Block Judges: 28/30

Dan and Jade (1930s)

The 1930s is an era that can really lend itself to glamour and opulence. Give us some Hollywood Regency, the last of Deco, high end luxe!

What we were hoping for:

Glamour! Opulence! Obnoxious lighting! Gimme gimme! Source: House and Home, Houzz, Pinterest

What we got:

Source: 9now

Dan on his phone all week like... Source: GiPHY

Okay, perhaps an unpopular opinion, but whilst a lovely kitchen, this was not my fav. I'll start with the good: the rounded features were undeniably sexy, and I love that they nodded to the era with this on their bench, their lights (sorry Darren!) and the secret whiskey cabinet, which was a great touch. The colour scheme was mostly good, as was the layout that was clean and modern. That said, I really didn't understand the wooden panelling design on the bench - it had nothing to do with the rest of the kitchen and would have been so much more glamorous if it was black or marble. Wood was more Scandi and would have fit in better in Harry and Tash's kitchen. I know Shayna wondered where the 'second oven' was, I guess this is a new luxe thing? As a Melbournian, I'm with Harry and Tash on this one - a coffee machine in a luxe kitchen is much more mandatory! Overall a really nice nod to the era, I just wish the colour scheme was more cohesive throughout.

WFH Judge: 8/10

The Block Judges: 29.5/30

Luke and Jasmine (1910s)

These two have had their fair share of attacks on social media this week due to the 'copycat' scandal that I didn't really care for (I have a life to live when not judging), so I was rooting for them to get a win on their own merits. And boy, did they deliver!

What we were hoping for:

Classic yet refined. Source: Pinterest, Houzz, Pinterest

What we got:

Even better! Source: Domain

Well, this was stunning. The curvature that greeted us from the walls to the bench matched perfectly, and was a great nod to the curves seen in their previous rooms. This was done slightly better than Dan and Jade, as the style and colour flowed throughout the kitchen, pantry and overall. I'm also a sucker for gold tap-wear (gold = lush), and thank you for listening guys, they added a coffee machine! If I had to nitpick, I didn't think the black chairs overly matched and the judges were correct in stating that they needed more power points, but overall, it added definite wow factor. I would definitely invite people over just to show this off.

WFH Judge: 9/10

The Block Judges: 28/30

Jimmy and Tam (1950s)

What we were hoping for:

Okay, I’ll admit what appeals to me and screams THEME may not be the same for the average buyer… Source: Atticmag, Handle House, Pinterest

What we got:

Wait, are the appliances Gaggenau? Nobody said it 3000 times... Source: 9now

I have to say, this grew on me. At first look, I was turned off by the mint green, and was hoping I was going to be greeted by a 50s diner and jukebox:

Just give the people what they want! Source: GiPHY

I wanted a diner vibe with funky stools, and they could have had a lot more fun with 50s artwork and colour., But the more I looked at it, the more I liked it - the giant fridge, the opulence that was the 5K worth of wine, coffee machine and 100 ovens, and the overall difference it brought to the table. Like Neale said, these kitchen are trend setting with the rounded benches and off-beat colour schemes, which I like as The Block can sometimes feel a little cookie-cutter.

WFH Judge: 9/10

The Block Judges: 29/30

____

Missed a recap? Catch up on all The Block action here. We're back every Sunday with WFH Judge thoughts on reveals with Large Almond Latte.