With its view from front to back and old to new, Scott’s hallway sums up his eclectic home, with roots in the past but every modern option.
Past the custom-made “Tools down” welcome mat and restored Playola player in a sunlit alcove down then the stunning Anna Blatman wallpapered powder room, the porta-timber-accented hall with Heraz mushroom runner, is a veritable art gallery, featuring memorabilia rescued from the original build alongside new works from artists including Lizzy Stageman, Angue Summa, Michael Wolfe and more.
Crossing the unique LED floor, wall and ceiling strip separating the existing house from the new addition, the hall is a reminder Scotty has embraced the past with a build that has led his house into the future.
Block host Scotty Cam revealed the latest rooms in his own Tree Change house last night and they were probably a lot less masculine than we expected!
Once again he’s gone all out for a heritage feel but with the best modern comforts. The plan was to present two bathrooms and a bedroom for the resident Block boss, but after loaning his tiling team to Omar and Oz when their tiler came down with covid, he only managed one of each – but what rooms they were!
The pink theme was continued into the bathroom and we spotted plenty of items we love in both rooms, so of course we thought we’d link you up if you’re interested in buying too!
We loved the combination of brass, blush pink and rattan across these two rooms.
From the original artwork of Anna Blatman’s Hanging Rock to horizontal panelling and a soft colour palette that reflects the heritage past of his home, Scotty’s guest bedroom ticked all the boxes of a traditional country home, but with contemporary touches.
It was revealed last night and we have links to all the best items you may have your eye on to buy!
The working fireplace – a signature of his rooms so far – and a classic chaise lounge, are offset by Robert Gordon ceramic sconces, a cheeky garden gnome ornament and a custom “Tools Down!” embroidery to create a room that would be at home anywhere in the area, but can only belong to Scotty Cam!
Another local artist, Jessie Rigby lives in the Macedon Ranges where The Block is being filmed, and her piece Domum Montem Aurum is also beautiful. Shop it here.
The Block Tree Change 2022: week 2 guest bedroom reveals
I feel like this week’s Block rooms looked much better on the TV (and hopefully in real life!) than they…
Win the art from Ankur and Sharon’s winning guest bedroom
With the hotly anticipated new season of The Block due to kick off this Sunday, we spoke to judge Darren Palmer and tried (unsuccessfully if we’re honest!) to get some secrets out of him! That said, he assures us we have a lot to look forward to watching and hinted it’s one of the best series yet. I am so excited, I can’t wait! The Block is just what cold nights in on the couch with a blanket have been calling for!
Darren, pictured with fellow judges Neale and Shaynna and host Scotty Cam, loves going to work at The Block
“I love working on The Block and returning every season to the familiar faces behind the scenes as well as my fellow judges,” Darren says. “The working environment is brilliant and it’s always exciting, making filming every season something I really look forward to. That said, some seasons have been harder or more challenging in terms of having an uneven balance of skills and good results to judge but this season is constantly surprising and uplifting and seeing what the contestants have been able to do with these dream houses has made this season a standout favourite of mine.”
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen houses, rather than apartments, on the show, so that in itself is something that will bring changes. “The houses make it easier to film, give us much more to see and give us some great opportunities to judge things that apartments might prohibit in terms of scale, detail or amenity,” Darren says. “I think people at home across the country that live in houses will see opportunities in their own homes they might not have recognised and you definitely have that luxury, aspirational side of The Block loud and clear on this season. These are true, long-term, dream houses.”
If you haven’t kept up with the spoilers, this year, The Block have upped and moved four heritage weatherboards (literally cut them in half and put them on trucks!), ripe for demolition, and plonked them in Melbourne’s Elsternwick (a site that cost a rumoured $10 million) to give them a new lease on life, 9km from the CBD. “It’s great that they’ve saved these old beauties, isn’t it? I loved walking into the first week with that visible scar running down the centre of the buildings. The houses start off as pretty ramshackle, but it only improves from there.”
Darren loves that the homes in season 13 are being restored and reinvigorated in a new location with modern amenities. “It’s a really neat take on fusing the old and the new.”
What constantly surprises viewers, or what you may not realise, is that the judges rarely get to meet the contestants until it’s all over. “I didn’t get to meet any of the contestants this season,” Darren shares. “We rarely do, save for perhaps a challenge once a season, but this season the most contact I’ve had with any of them is to wave hello to a tired contestant on a Sunday morning.” So there you go!
Darren has a reputation for swapping between Mr Nice Guy and Bad Cop from season to season. “My judging really depends on the approach of the contestants and how well they interpret the brief. If they listen, take on advice and understand what they’re delivering to the market and create high quality interiors that suit the area, I’m full of praise and good vibes.”
The chemistry between Darren and fellow judges Neale Whitaker and Shaynna Blaze shines through on screen, although they certainly don’t always agree. “I love those guys. They are two of the most hard working and talented humans. We make each other laugh. We have a great friendship that has spanned many years and we respect each other.
“They relentlessly mock me behind the scenes and that seems to bring them joy. I have a thick skin so I’m ok with it! They’re genuinely funny and warm people and I’m very blessed to be able to work with good friends.”
While you might think the interior designer lives out of a suitcase, he reveals he usually goes between home in Sydney and his Block commitments in Melbourne on the same day, traveling light. Nevertheless, he’s a busy guy, so he works hard to keep healthy and happy. “My tips are eat super clean, lots and lots of vegetables, and have a really low sugar intake (most of the time). I do whatever I can to relax and unwind when I’m not working.
“I train at the gym, more now than I have for the last few years, but I’m getting back to peak health and fitness slowly but surely. I’m very diligent at looking after myself and prioritise time with my family and to keep myself well maintained rather than saying yes to everything that comes my way. It’s important to create the balance you need to thrive and I feel I’m doing a fairly good job of that at the moment.”
He has lots more happening at the moment too, including his own homewares range for Myer, launching very soon. “I’m bursting with excitement about seeing my logo and name on swing tags on the most beautiful product I’ve been working on for a good while now. I haven’t been able to talk about it, but now that it will be in all Myer stores across the country, I could not be happier.
The Block season 13 site
“I’m working on a few projects of my own and I have plenty of brilliant and interesting corporate relationships like writing for Domain, the ambassadorships with Audi, Hafele and Carpet Court as well as some interesting short term alliances. I’ll be doing another Yourtown Christmas prize home later in the year and will have a few shoots and things to keep me occupied. As always, watch this space!”
His own home needs a lot of time and money spent on it, but has amazing potential. “It’s a slow but steady process. I do what I can that doesn’t cost much or that I can DIY, working with my favourite suppliers as much as possible. My house is a sort of pre-reno fix-up. I’ve painted walls and ceilings and laid floors, tizzed up [that’s a technical term!] a few rooms here and there and styled my lovely Myer range throughout, but there’s a lot left to do and a lot I want to do with the house. It has huge potential but the real reno is going to have to be done in stages and will take a lot of time and money. I’m patient though and I can see clearly what the house will become, which is good, but it also makes me very eager to see it in reality.”
Of course, you can rely on us to bring you all The Block room reveal details, pictures and gossip as the series progresses. We can’t wait!
If you’ve always sat there watching The Block thinking ‘I could do that,’ then now is your chance! You have until 4 February 2017 to get your application in for the next series. You’ll need to be available for 10-to-12 weeks from April 2017.
Here are the guidelines and requirements:
Couples must be aged between 18-65, energetic and with a sense of humour.
First round couples will be reduced to final participants in the first week of filming.
Successful couples must be available for a 10-12 week shoot period from April 2017. Exact dates to be confirmed closer to filming.
Location of The Block is to be confirmed.
You will NOT be able to work during the shoot period.
Previous home renovation experience is an asset, but not required from both partners.
Long term couples, family teams and enduring friendships need only apply.
Submissions accepted from Australia wide.
Successful participants will be paid a nominal weekly fee during filming of The Block to cover basic living costs and expenses.
You must complete all elements of the application, including providing photos and video, or your application will not be reviewed.
Applications can only be made online. Hardcopy submissions will not be accepted or processed.
McGregor Casting will carefully review applications for consideration of inclusion in The Block. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by March 2017.
Due to the volume of applications, only successful applicants will be notified.
Follow McGregor Casting on Facebook for any updates or announcements.
There’s a lot of twists coming in tonight’s Reno Rumble which we’re sure the producers are hoping will turn it into less of a Block spinoff and more of a show in its own right. There are two major changes this season. First, the homes are being made over for real families who, for a variety of reasons, really need and deserve a helping hand in the reno stakes (there’s nothing I love more than a proper human interest angle, pass the tissues already!), and second, Darren Palmer and Romy Alwill have been replaced by Scottish design duo (and one time Block guest judges), Colin and Justin. We chatted to them about what we can expect.
While Colin (McAllister) and Justin (Ryan) may be new faces to many Aussies, to a Pom like me they’re big names in interiors. The funny Scots are known for not mincing their words and have enjoyed huge success as hosts of a variety of home makeover shows in the UK, Canada and America. So where does Australia come into it? They appeared on the UK version of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! in 2009, filmed in Australia, and got a local agent, who started opening doors for them here. After appearing as guest judges on a Block challenge last year, the producers asked them back to judge Reno Rumble.
“A really critical difference this year is that we deliver our judging face-to-face with the contestants for the first time,” says Colin. “Before, the teams didn’t get a chance to answer back. We are very much fans of saying it like it is!” There will always be an element of drama when one couple stands to walk away with a $100,000 prize, as the boys (who are a couple) rightly point out.
It’s not just about that though, as Justin adds. “As soon as you have the judges having a dialogue with the contestants, the viewers, many of whom want to learn from the show and get tips, are going to get a lot more from it. We have design backgrounds and can justify what we’re saying. But we very much want to critique rather than criticise.”
Despite the fact they’re fighting each other for the big prize, Colin and Justin say the contestants are a great bunch who have the best interests of the people whose homes they’re renovating at heart. “We feel like proud mums at sports day,” Colin says. “We are genuinely invested in this process as judges and we think that will show on screen. This show is going to genuinely change lives for people who have had a really rough time.”
Justin says the producers have chosen the homeowners very carefully. “These people have faced tragedy and loss and illness and it is so fantastic to see people working together to better their lives. It’s great to be involved in a show doing something like that. You forget it’s a competition in the best possible way.”
While the pair had already met host Scott Cam on The Block, they hadn’t met Shelley Craft before and said she went out of her way to make sure they were comfortable on set and was refreshingly down to earth compared to many of the people they meet in TV across the globe.
And having spent so much time in Australia, the experienced renovators, who live between Scotland and Canada, are tempted to buy here too. And their top tip for a drink in Sydney? The Baxter Inn in the CBD (you heard it here first).
Reno Rumble starts tonight on Channel 9 at 7.30pm. Tune in tomorrow for all the latest. As with our Block coverage, we’ll have all the reveals for you each week.
Are feature walls still in? Will bold colours make a room look smaller? Should you paint every wall in a bold colour? What are the key trends for this year? Interior designer Shaynna Blaze, from Selling Houses Australia and The Block, answers all these questions and more and shares her advice in this inteview with Lauren Ellis.
Today, we’re excited to be launching our new, regular video series, Interiors Addict TV. Our first interview is with well-loved Block host Scott Cam.
Scott shares all his top tips for real life renovating outside the unrealistic time constraints, budgets and drama of The Block.
Also introducing the newest member of our team, Lauren Ellis, a television journalist and director of My Picket Fence. When she’s not reporting for Nine’s The Today Show, you’ll find Lauren interviewing Australia’s leading design experts, scouring interior stores for inspiration and renovating her own home, one room at a time. She’s also a student at the International School of Colour and Design.
TV journalist Lauren Ellis is the newest member of the Interiors Addict team
We can’t wait for it to be back and, judging by how many of you read our Block roundups and how many new readers we acquire when it’s on, you do too! Love it or hate it, you tune in, right?! The Block is great for Interiors Addict and we can’t help getting hooked, even when we get a little over the challenges and the drama at times. You can’t beat those room reveals. Bring back Sunday nights and judging controversy, I say!
So, what do we know about the next series, coming early next year, so far? It’s in Melbourne again (boo!) and it’s called Triple Threat. That’s because the new couples will be up against three pairs of former contestants: Bec and George, Matt and Kim and Dee and Darren (can I get a pantomine-style boooooooooooo?!). The public’s reaction to the choice of former contestants making a comeback has been mixed to say the least, especially with Dee and her less then friendly comments (remember when she called Shaynna a bogan?!) fresh in viewers’ minds! But this is reality TV, let’s not forget that. If everyone got on swimmingly that would probably be very dull, despite everyone’s comments to the contrary. I’d put money on many of those I’ve seen commenting on The Block Facebook Page that they will be boycotting the show because of the Double Ds’ return will secretly be tuning in and getting their knickers in a twist!
We haven’t heard much from Matt and Kim recently, although they did appear on their own Domestic Blitz show, Matt and Kim to the Rescue recently and Matt tells me they have lots of exciting things in the pipeline this year. We’ll be sharing one of their most recent design projects on the blog later this week, in fact, so stay tuned! Bec of Bec and George launched her own blog at the end of 2013 and the popular pair have been busy with their own renovations. Bec also recently announced a style consultant role for Nostra Homes. Of course, both these couples went head to head on The Block Sky High. As for Dee and Darren, they’ve barely had a chance to recharge their batteries since losing Glass House to lovable Shannon and Simon in October.
They’ve started introducing the new couples too. Ayden and Jess are parents of two and he’s a big Scotty fan.
Photo: 9jumpin.com.au
Ebony and Luke are the first ever brother and sister sibling duo on The Block. About time really!
We’ll bring you more as and when we hear it! In other Block news, former contestants Dale and Sophie have had a baby boy called Van and judge Shaynna Blaze totally rocked it with a singing performance at Melbourne’s Carols by Candlelight, looking amazing.
This time last week, an amazing and heartwarming charity project started in Glenmore Park, NSW. Build For A Cure will see a four-bedroom house built and fully furnished in just 21 days. Everyone has donated the labour, materials and furnishings for free and when the house is auctioned, all the money will go to the Children’s Cancer Institute. Amazing, huh? and the progress so far in week one is incredible!
Scott Cam at the Build For A Cure house
It’s the first ever Build For A Cure as part of International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The home will be auctioned on 26 October and proceeds will go to the Institute to fund vital medical research to find a cure for childhood cancer.
The lavish four-bedroom, two-bathroom ‘Havana One’ home is being donated by McDonald Jones Homes and built in partnership with Austral Bricks. It will sit on 500 m2 of land in Glenmore Park donated by Wearn Brothers Group and will be sold fully furnished by Freedom, with kitchen and laundry appliances by Electrolux and home entertainment by Panasonic. All real estate services are being donated by PRDnationwide Penrith and the home will be auctioned by The Block celebrity auctioneer, Damien Cooley.
The Block’s Scott Cam, a McDonald Jones Homes ambassador, is lending his support to the project, along with the show’s 2012 winners Brad and Lara Cranfield and stylist Jason Grant.
“When Bill [McDonald] asked me to join the Build for a Cure campaign to raise funds for Children’s Cancer Institute, I was thrilled to have a way I could personally help. These people aren’t asking for a miracle, just the funds to make it happen. Children’s Cancer Institute’s determination is infectious and I encourage all Aussies to give generously,” said Scott.
With its labs first opened in 1984, Children’s Cancer Institute not only conducts medical research to find a cure for childhood cancer, but also ways to improve existing treatments and reduce the suffering long-term side effects can bring. The Institute is now excited to be embarking on a program of personalised cancer treatment that will see it centrally involved in guiding cancer care for high-risk children at paediatric hospitals throughout Australia.
Brad and Lara Cranfield
“As we celebrate 30 years of medical research, we’re more determined than ever to put an end to childhood cancer,” said Prof Michelle Haber AM, Executive Director, Children’s Cancer Institute. “As the only independent medical research institute in Australia wholly dedicated to childhood cancer, our role is vital – because even with the current survival rate of eight out of ten, childhood cancer still kills nearly three children every week. I am blown away by the generosity of our partners who are making this happen.”
You can follow the Build for a Cure journey here and donate at,or buy a $2 token at participating Big Ws throughout September and Woolworths Petrol throughout October.
Here’s a video that shows you a little more about it:
It was a night of glamour for the Block Sky High contestants and judges last night, but the biggest winner of the night was the show’s host, Scott Cam, who went home with the best presenter gong and the coveted Gold Logie.
The twins wearing designer Liza Emanuele
Alisa and Lysandra with Shelley Craft and fellow Sky High contestant and newlywed, Kim
The twins with Danni Minogue
Those following the frocks (that’d be me) would have noticed Shaynna Blaze and twins Alisa and Lysandra’s dresses, not to mention judges Neale Whitaker and Darren Palmer looking very sharp. My favourite Blockhead outfit was definitely Shelley Craft’s. I thought she looked lovely.
Block judge Shaynna with her Selling Houses Australia co-hosts Andrew Winter and Charlie Albone
Blockheads were out in full force this weekend! Over 15,000 people braved Melbourne’s gloomy weather to attend the open for inspection yesterday alone.
There certainly are some dedicated Blockheads out there. The first person in line had been there since 3pm Friday!
Darren Palmer and Neale Whitaker loving the timber tiles in Johnno and Trixie's bedroom
Sunday night room reveals are the best bit about the The Block. No challenges, just renovating, room reveals, judging and results. Hoorah! The long and drawn out scoring process aside, what’s not to like?
Last night’s was a great episode, with Matt and Kim’s Pollock-inspired bedroom described as both “a crime scene” and the most controversial room in the show’s history. Kudos to them for getting such a reaction! I thought their design was wholly inappropriate but admired their bravery and they definitely executed their ideas really well and with enthusiasm. Easy for me to say as an armchair critic…
Darren Palmer and Neale Whitaker loving the timber tiles in Johnno and Trixie’s bedroom
I think Bec and George were probably the right couple to win, although I loved parts of Trixie and Johnno’s room too, in particular their Bonnie and Neil wall tiles. I can’t believe none of the judges had seen them before; I’ve been loving them for months and wishing I wasn’t renting so I could use them somewhere! I like the twins but I wasn’t a fan of last night’s bedroom. Next week will be interesting with two bathrooms each to complete. I do love a good bathroom reno so looking forward to those!
Five couples, six floors and 80 rooms adds up to a rather larger than usual new series of The Block, starting this Sunday on Nine.
Couples from each state are competing as they transform a former Melbourne hotel. They each face the daunting challenge of converting a floor of the tired building into a high-end, house-sized apartment. It’s sure to be very different to the recent All Stars’ heritage homes in Bondi.
In just 10 weeks they must “demo and reno” more than 80 rooms and transform each floor of the hotel into a 220-square metre luxury apartment complete with 3 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, open plan kitchen, living and dining, plus a huge enclosed terrace. Can you imagine?!
