The Block Bathrooms 2017 ~ Tokarz Remodel

The Block Bathrooms 2017

National

This was published 4 years ago

The Block 2017: Judges reveal their best rooms from the show

The favourites to take out this season of The Block, Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker, have received yet another vote of confidence in the days leading up to the auction.

Not only have they had three of their rooms named among the show's best in its 13-season history, but all of the judges — Neale Whitaker, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer — have backed the Melburnians to win this season.

The winner of The Block is the team whose house sells the highest above its auction reserve price. That team is then awarded $100,000 in prize money. Each team takes home every dollar above reserve that its house makes.

Knowles and Barker also won the Domain magazine prize this year and won six of the 12 weekly room reveals.

But though their biggest competitors this season, Georgia and Ronnie Caceres, and Knowles and Barker have ranked highly this season, neither made it to the top five of The Block's best rooms, determined by those that have scored a perfect 30 out of 30, in a special episode of the show that aired on Monday.

In a decision sure to raise eyebrows among the most ardent Block fans, in a 2-1 majority decision, Palmer and Whitaker determined that the best room ever revealed on the program was in last year's art deco former soap and candle factory: Dan and Carleen Foley's kitchen.

That kitchen narrowly beat out a kitchen in the same building, that designed by season winners Will Bethune and Karlie Cicero (which appeared on last year's Domain cover), and which was Blaze's pick for the show's best room.

Over 13 seasons since 2003, there have been 480 rooms revealed on The Block and 57 teams that have vied for their share of an enviable prize kitty.

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Narrowly behind the kitchens from the 2016 season was the bathroom of Chris and Jenna Susieto in the 2015 Glasshouse season.

The rest of the top 10

4. Julia Treuel and Sasha Wright Neville's challenge kitchen, Port Melbourne, 2016

5. Dea and Darren Jolly's terrace, Triple Threat, 2015

6. Alisa and Lysandra Fraser's challenge kitchen, Sky High, 2013

7. Kara and Kyal Demmrich's bathroom, Fans v Faves, 2014

8. Georgia and Ronnie Caceres' guest bedroom, Elsternwick, 2017

9. Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker's guest bedroom, Elsternwick, 2017

10. Dea and Darren Jolly's terrace/exterior, Glasshouse, 2014

The judges were also asked to decide on their personal favourite rooms through the show's history to build their ideal apartments.

Neale Whitaker

Bedroom

Elyse and Josh's master suite, Elsternwick, 2017

Josh and Elyse's master suite. Credit:David Cook

"It was like a little self-contained apartment," Whitaker said. "I loved the way they played to the light and loved the very soft colour palette."

Bathroom

Carleen and Dan, Port Melbourne, 2016

"I just love the way it felt modern, but it also nodded towards the art deco heritage. I thought it had a real sense of luxury."

Living and dining room

Carlene and Michael Duffy, Glasshouse, 2014

The new owner of Michael and Carlene Duffy's Glasshouse apartment has collected the keys. Credit:Jonathan Bermann

"I think they created a very homely environment. I think it was the bookshelves that sold that room for me, but there were other elements like the raw brick wall, the beautiful rug they put down; it just felt right."

Kitchen

Simon and Shannon Vos, Glasshouse, 2014

"I absolutely loved what the guys did in this kitchen ... I loved the way the cooktop was oriented against the window, all the surfaces: everything about it was perfectly done."

Outdoor area

Dea and Darren, Triple Threat, 2015