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Interiors Addict The Block

The latest series of The Block moves to the country

The Block Tree Change
The sixty acre piece of land where the new series is set

Back for its 18th season, the latest season of The Block is returning to Channel 9 this week with one major change. Reflecting the regional housing trend that has swept the Aussie property market, The Block: Tree Change sees five city slicker couples each building a 500 square metre house in Victoria’s beautiful Macedon Ranges. Ten acres of rural land will be transformed into a small town complete with tennis courts, wineries and lake.

The Block Tree Change
The large piece of land where the new series of The Block is set

“When I arrived on site for the first time, I thought to myself we had done a lot of big Blocks in the past but nothing like this – it’s massive. We are building our own little town, and at times that’s daunting. But we have a terrific bunch of contestants who give it a red hot crack,” says long-time host Scott Cam.

Back for his 16th season, this year will see Scott build his own house for the first time, designed to inspire the contestants, and create a space for them all to come together. Co-host Shelley Craft returns also – she will act as a mentor and bring her experience as a qualified real estate agent to the show. “With these rolling paddocks and so much space out in the country, this season of The Block is certainly something that Aussies will fall in love with,” says Shelley.

Scott Cam
Scott Cam with his kelpie Frankie

Judges Shaynna Blaze, Neale Whitaker and Darren Palmer are back in 2022 and the formidable foreman duo Keith Schleiger and Dan Reilly are on-site again to keep contestants on their toes throughout the build. At stake is $100,000 for the winner of The Block, plus whatever profit the couples’ homes make on auction day.

Scott Cam's house
Scott Cam’s house in the series

The tree-change concept arose when The Block executive producer and co-creator Julian Cress moved his family from Melbourne to Gisborne South during COVID lockdowns. “It is such a beautiful part of the world, and I think the Macedon Ranges is one of Melbourne’s best kept secrets. Plus, as we are coming off a hard couple of years, heading to the country is almost celebrating our lifestyle and what is so great about Australia,” says Julian who hopes to inspire viewers to think regional when it comes to their next move.

The Block: Tree Change will premiere this Sunday 7 August at 7pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.

For more on The Block Tree Change

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Designers RENO ADDICT The Block

Blockheads Matt & Kim transform home for terminally ill dad

Kim with Tracey at the reveal

Get your tissues ready tomorrow night when former Blockheads Matt and Kim renovate the home of a man with terminal cancer and his family. Part 3 of Matt and Kim to the Rescue airs nationally at 7.30pm on Channel 9. We have a sneak peek of the stunning makeover.

Kim with Tracey at the reveal
Kim with Tracy at the reveal

In mid-2015, Matt and Kim got word of the Nyugen Le family’s desperate situation. Father Hung, aged 48 and having battled cancer for 10 years, now has terminal kidney cancer and just months to live. “Wife Tracy and their three beautiful kids have a mortgage they can no longer afford to pay, school fees, bills, a dilapidated home worsening by the day, and worse than that… no plan for the future,” Matt says.

Matt and Kim are rocked by this story and take the opportunity to create the most dramatic transformation in Domestic Blitz history. In just four days, they embark on a $370,000 renovation that involves the demolition of three quarters of the home and a complete structural rebuild. In true Matt and Kim style, the design duo present us with yet another daring and luxurious transformation.

A sneak peek of the luxurious transformation
A sneak peek of the luxurious transformation

But if that wasn’t enough, Matt and Kim used their creative minds to manifest one more surprise at the end of the show that will no doubt leave the audience breathless. We had the chance to chat with Matt and Kim about it before the show airs tomorrow night.

Tell us about the surprise?

Matt: Haha, I can’t tell you that! There are numerous Australian TV firsts in this show, but the one at the end is best experienced with a box of tissues close by.

Sounds amazing. So it’s not just renovations for Matt and Kim to the Rescue?

Matt: It’s renovations with a plus-1. It’s important that we address the family’s problems at hand first. That is the starting point of each design. It’s a metaphor for life. It explores the lows of bad times, and shines in the glory of a society coming together to create something truly magical and meaningful.

Tell us about the interior you created?

Kim: Matt is a touch obsessed with Haussmann style interiors at the moment, and because the house was a complete rebuild, we had the freedom to experiment. So we went with a colour-poppy, classic style that reflects the Parisian Haussmann period. Splashes of gold, marble and soft timber flooring were consistent throughout. The stunning lighting was all from Lucretia in Melbourne. The furniture was all in a classic style. Our favourite would have to be the master bedroom. We both feel it very important to continuously change up our style and take risks, for the viewer and for ourselves. I feel this house was a nice step in a new direction for us. The difficult part of our show is that everything is donated, so our task is to create the most beautiful home with what is available. The show has grown into a monster and our sponsors and interiors are beginning to reflect that. It’s something we are very proud of.

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How involved in the show are Kim and yourself?

Matt: I’m co-executive producer alongside Ed Hobbs and our great team in Perth. Kim is still teaching full-time so she hosts and helps project manage. Kim and I originally wrote and pitched a 12-episode show to Channel 9 Perth and one of those episodes was indeed this show. From its infancy, we’ve built this thing. One of the amazing things that people may not know about Matt and Kim to the Rescue is that it is all donated. And thus far we have donated around $1.1 million dollars worth of renovation. Pretty cool.”

What does 2016 and beyond look like for Matt and Kim?

Matt: We will complete another 2 or 3 episodes with Channel 9 Perth. We will finish our own home renovation, which will look a lot like the house we would have created on The Block Triple Threat. I’ll still design on the side. I’m up to my 11th full scale residential/commercial project and still very much enjoy it. But our plans, ultimately, are to push further into the kind of design we believe in: risky, bold, inspiring and purposeful. My intentions are to continue to write, make TV, study, create and deliver projects that inspire and excite Australians.

–Matt and Kim to the Rescue – The Nyugen Le Family. Channel 9 nationally, Thursday 21 January, 7.30pm.

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Architecture Design DIY RENO ADDICT

New renovation series, Reno Rumble, starts tonight!

Quick to fill the gap The Block’s left in our lives, new, super-charged renovation series, Reno Rumble begins tonight!

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From left to right: House Rules’ Carly and Leighton, The Block’s Kyal and Kara and House Rules’ Nick and Chris

Seeing reality renovators from The Block take on favourites from House Rules, each week the two competing shows will renovate two neighbouring homes (owned by everyday Aussies). The catch? They have just one week to complete the reno!

The Block Triple Threat's Ayden and Jess are back!
The Block Triple Threat’s Ayden and Jess are back!

Hosted by Scotty Cam, the renovations will be judged by interior design experts; with each week seeing one team crowned the winners and one couple (who received the lowest score on the losing team) being eliminated. The couple that wins the entire series will collect $100,000, half going to their chosen charity.

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From left to right: House Rules’ Jemma and Ben and The Block’s Michael and Carlene

Reno Rumble airs tonight at 7:30 on Channel 9. And we will have all the news, goss and updates here on Reno Addict. Watch this space!

Photography by Channel 9

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Designers Interviews RENO ADDICT The Block

Shannon Vos on life since winning The Block with Simon

To say 2014 was a whirlwind year for brothers Shannon and Simon Vos would be a massive understatement. Not only did they win The Block Glasshouse, and pocket over $400,000 as a result, they got themselves a manager, started their own design and construction business and even did some modeling on the side!

shannon and simon interiors addict
Shannon (right) and Simon

“We’ve been absolutely flatstick since The Block,” explains Shannon. “I think I had three days off after the show and then got straight back into working as a painter. Then there was also the juggling of our Mitre 10 and Beaumont Tiles commitments and our appearances for Channel 9, whilst also being inundated with job requests for renovations.” First world problems, eh?

shannon and simon interiors addict 1

One of their most exciting renovation projects is a training facility for boutique coffee company Pablo & Rusty’s. A multipurpose space near Sydney’s Castle Hill, the centre will double as a barista school and a retail space. Alongside this, the duo are also in the initial stages of conducting a full-scale renovation on a well-established pub in Coffs Harbour which, with three or four bars and a huge verandah, could be a 12-month project. “These are some really quirky, exciting and fun jobs,” says Shannon. “Simon and I worked really well together on The Block and we definitely want to keep that ball rolling as we form our own business.”

With Shannon having studied interior design for the last two years and Simon soon to have his builder’s license, the duo are keen to play to their strengths. “I’ll be more focused on design, and Simon on construction,” explains Shannon. “Of course we will throw ideas off each other and help each other where needed. But the dynamic we had on The Block worked, so we want to continue that.”

shannon and simon interiors addict 2

With 2015 having only just begun, this year doesn’t look like it’ll be any quieter than the last, with talks of a TV show in the pipeline. “We’ve just shot a sizzle, which is like a 10-minute teaser, and are now at the stage of selling it to the networks. It would follow Simon and I working together and all the quirky stuff we get up to. We’ve been approached by a few companies to represent them, we’re flying all over Australia and we’ve done a few modeling shoots (which isn’t really work!), so the camera crew would follow us around doing all of that.”

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And on the topic of TV, what do the boys think of the upcoming series, The Block Triple Threat? “It’s massive, there’s a lot going on, and I think it’ll be quite interesting having the old Blockheads versus the news ones,” says Shannon. “It’s a big leg up having done it before but I’ll tell you what, I’m very glad we’ve done ours and we’re finished! I wouldn’t want to do it again straight away.”

But would they ever do The Block again? “Definitely, but just not straight away. After the Glasshouse I needed some time off, I needed to go for a surf, I needed to lie on the beach! Simon and I both literally lost 10 kilos so it’s nice to eat a normal breakfast again, relax and just do nothing for a bit.”

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The Block

Block’s Matt & Kim to the rescue on Domestic Blitz tomorrow

Remember Matt and Kim from The Block Sky High? If you were fans, you can check them out tomorrow night on Nine in Domestic Blitz – Matt and Kim to the Rescue.

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The Napolis were just like any other hardworking Australian family. Rocco Snr is a self-employed tiler; his wife Ricki, a dedicated wife and mother. Along with their two children Rocco Jnr (10) and Melina (8) they’d built a modest and happy life in the Perth suburb of Belmont. Rocco was a sports mad West Coast Eagles and Perth Glory fan, with a zest for life and a big personality.

However a year ago, their lives changed dramatically.

Young Rocco was suddenly struck down by fatigue, headaches and irritability. When the family had Rocco examined by a specialist their worst fears were realised. Rocco had a rare type of brain tumour called craniopharyngioma: a benign tumour that develops on the pituitary gland.

 Surgeons were able to remove the primary tumour however, in the process, they also had to remove his pituitary gland. This would have shocking consequences for Rocco and his family. Due to the absence of Rocco’s pituitary gland and the malfunction of his hypothalamus, Rocco has been struck down by debilitating fatigue, irritability and excessive, uncontrollable weight gain.



Their already rundown residence in Belmont, Perth, became more dilapidated as the family struggled to make ends meet and endured endless trips to hospitals for treatment. With Rocco being so quick to fatigue, the family spend the great majority of their time at home, so their living environment is crucial to their state of mind. 

This family desperately needed a ray of sunshine to change their fortunes and provide much-needed hope and relief.

Matt and Kim and an army of tradespeople surprise the Napoli family with a seemingly unachievable sized renovation over just three action-packed days. Emotions ran high and the results were groundbreaking.

Expect tears. Expect laughter. Expect drama. Expect a life-changing event.

Domestic Blitz – Matt and Kim to the Rescue, Sunday 14 December 2014, 7pm Australia wide, on Nine. For more information.

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RENO ADDICT The Block

3 top renovating tips with The Block Sky High’s winning twin, Alisa Fraser

I’m delighted the twins are joining Interiors Addict to guest post and share their renovating and interiors expertise over the next few weeks. Today, Alisa sums up her best renovating advice.

Alisa the block

As I sit down to write my very first blog, I asked myself what advice could I give the home renovator/decorator? Here are my 3 top tips to a successful renovation.

Continue reading “3 top renovating tips with The Block Sky High’s winning twin, Alisa Fraser”