Tag: behind the scenes

Last week, we sent our resident Blockhead Kathryn Bamford to look around the finished Block apartments. She was a little bit excited…

So I went into The Block on Thursday night and when I say went to The Block I mean got a full blown tour of all the finished apartments. Dreams can come true, right? I guess this is what little kids feel like at Disneyland and can I tell you it was everything I expected and more. The Block is situated on bustling High Street, Prahran. The neighbouring houses are cute double-storey terraces and mid rise new apartment complexes, which is rather different when compared to the monstrosity of The Block. Yet for an old eighties office conversion that is huge, it’s surprisingly not too overpowering from the street front and I have to say they have done a grand job of converting it.

We were greeted with delicious canapés and champagne of course, and ushered upstairs. It was a lot bigger than I expected on the inside and there’s even a common area complete with a lift that all the homes open onto (which we haven’t been privy to on TV yet). The contestants were all lovely and I think a little relieved it was nearly all over. They were all getting along so surely not too much drama will unfold for the rest of this season? The lovely Shelley Craft talked us through the proceedings of the night and we were sworn to secrecy with no photos banned inside the apartments (if only I could share the mental pictures I took). We were divided into five groups of around 10 people and ushered around the apartments.

First up for my group was Max and Karstan’s apartment. Holy moly this place is huge. It feels massive! The kitchen looks great and even has a TV in it which is a great idea and very family friendly. There are four ovens and a huge butler’s pantry which overlooks a massive courtyard. We were even lucky enough to see inside ‘the secret room’ which is at the top of a tight spiral staircase off the courtyard. Then it was off across the common area to Darren and Dee’s. Ok, so I’m actually in love with Darren and Dee’s apartment. It’s smaller than the others but boy, do I love it! Those herringbone floors are killer and are almost throughout the whole place. The kitchen is noticeably smaller than the other apartments and has a small butler’s pantry but it is still nice nonetheless. After seeing Dee’s styling in the flesh, it’s just as good as on the screen. I’ve decided that she should be crowned the texture queen of The Block! The  master bedroom feels huge and has a balcony overlooking the courtyard which both have great city views. Their apartment is definitely the most consistent of the bunch so despite being the smallest, I wouldn’t rule them out of potentially taking it out.

Next up it was onto the boys’ apartment. Shannon and Simon have done a fabulous job and I can assure you the kitchen is not a disaster, it’s actually really nice. I love the dark benchtops and textured wood grain cupboards they went with. I love the fact that you can stand at your stove top cooking whilst looking out of the massive window onto bustling High Street. All I can say for now is that the boys’ master room robe is as good if not better than it looks on the big screen. It feels more like a luxurious parents’ retreat than a bedroom. Wait until you see their master en suite. IT IS OUT OF CONTROL! I walked in and actually had to take a moment to take it all in. It’s so different to what you would have ever seen before and it really works.

Our fourth stop was at Michael and Carlene’s apartment. The kitchen didn’t wow me but it was still really nice. Their living/dining area is large yet still feels really family friendly and homely. It opens onto a huge courtyard which is perfect for hosting large family events and overlooks High Street. I have a feeling that a family is going to want to buy their apartment. Last stop was Chris and Jenna’s house. I mean apartment. I’m hesitant to call Chris and Jenna’s an apartment as when you’re in there it feels like a house. It’s noticeably bigger than the others and has a gorgeous three-storey staircase going all the way up to the rooftop terrace. I loved Chris and Jenna’s main bathroom which received a perfect score and standing in it, you actually can’t fault it. Their kitchen is huge like the rest of their house and I love the fact the butler’s pantry is hidden behind normal kitchen doors so you can’t even tell it’s there. The copper sinks and black tapware look fantastic and all overlooking a huge courtyard. To be honest, I don’t know how they finished such a big apartment with the same budget everyone else had.

So I’m not even sure if I can share this but what the heck. The couples get to do a re-do room and I’m sure you will agree with which rooms they choose to re-do. The night ended with some Q&A with the contestants and producers and after that and I got to take home a signed copy of Darren Palmer’s new book Easy Luxury. It was a great night and a big thank you to The Good Guys Kitchens for inviting me along!