The heat was on on The Block Triple Threat Kitchen Reveals last night. It would have to have been the most highly anticipated reveals this week due to all the drama around teams changing the location of their kitchens from the original design. As a viewer, it’s hard to see why the teams make these decisions. Hopefully once the apartments are completed we will understand why certain changes were made. Let’s check out what was revealed this week.
Josh and Charlotte’s kitchen wasn’t amazing, but it was functional and modern. It was very white and as you can see from the pictures, the white is a bright white. The double inset sinks and square gooseneck spout weren’t mind blowing. As a mum and a plumber I don’t like island benches with the sink in them. Even if there are dishwasher’s underneath and no matter how neat you are, the bench will never be clean of dirty dishes. The judges thought the kitchen felt a bit like a cell and while I wouldn’t use that wording, I did think the kitchen was a bit pokey and didn’t like that there was just a wall in front of the kitchen bench. It feels too boxed in for me. The added wooden bench to the island bench didn’t have the wow factor either. Overall the kitchen as it’s been described online, is subtle. It’s a kitchen that will be more suited to a couple that like to eat out a lot which is a shame with two ovens installed.
Tim and Anastasia’s kitchen was shaped as an L. It had a simple black and white theme. I loved how the windows opened to the terrace off the kitchen bench. I agreed with Darren about the drip tray for the sink which is a functionality issue Tim and Anastasia will need to address. A double sink is much more practical than one large sink in my opinion. The black gooseneck spout mixer was trendy but I do wonder how long it will stand the distance in a kitchen. It was described by the judges as spacious, but when looking towards the back of the kitchen, it seams to look quite narrow in that space and I’d fear being claustrophobic making my toast down there. There was nothing WOW in the kitchen but that might change once the terrace is finished.
Jess & Ayden’s kitchen design was my second favourite out of the four but I was glad they won. I liked the timber wall encasing the fridge. I liked the colours that they chose as opposed to stark white cupboards like their other teams had chosen. The sink was again in the island bench and it was one large sink but it did have a drainer but I’m not sure how that works if you have a tub full of water? The judges discussed the ramifications of moving the kitchen to where it is as it’s directly across from the terrace. I could see their point but Neale pointed out that kitchens are now becoming the new living space. I also think that if you entertain a lot, having the kitchen close to the outdoor entertaining area would be handy.
The final kitchen to be judged was Dea and Daz’s which a lot of us blockaholics were looking forward to watching the fireworks from the judges. I really liked Dea and Daz’s kitchen and I thought it was styled beautifully. It was my favourite kitchen from the ones presented. I didn’t mind the feature tiles in the splashback which were originally used in their main bathroom. I loved the bench top with the slight gold smear in the pattern. I thought that was different. I didn’t like the goal posts that greeted the judges when they walked into the kitchen. The goal posts are actually supporting the beams enclosed in the ceiling so they can’t be removed. The judges argued the beams could have been hidden had the kitchen stayed where it was drawn on the plan. Personally, I like the way the kitchen has been presented. I will be interested to see as the apartment gets finished, how it’s placement flows with the rest of the design. I’m also interested to see what the real estate agents say tomorrow night when they give feedback about whether buyers will love it. From a plumbing point of view, I love that the sink is to the side and again it’s a large sink as opposed to a double sink so it must be an in thing to use the big sink for rinsing dishes and then placing them straight into the dishwasher.
After all the commotion from the judges last night about changing the design from what the engineers/architects had drawn up, I thought I’d add a comment or two from my tradie background. Engineers and architects are important when designing new builds or renovations because they will design in a way to ensure the renovation process goes smoothly. They are meant to design to prevent variations. But architects don’t always get it right. Some don’t even visit site to check whether what they’ve drawn can be installed. Hydraulic engineers would be the worst for us plumbers in the commercial side of construction. They’d draw a plan for the plumbers to quote on and then when it would come time to do the install, the work couldn’t be done which would incur variations the poor client would have to pay for simply because the hydraulic engineer didn’t do their job and check onsite in the first place.
With regards to The Block, don’t get sucked into the drama of what you see. Most architects have little idea what is concealed in ceilings and behind walls. I think the issue with the changing of the rooms has more to do with the tight deadlines of trying to get each room finished as opposed to the service locations. But that’s just my theory, so don’t count on it like concrete.
Over to you, which kitchen impressed you the most? What did you think of the judges comments? Do you think Dea and Daz are wrong for changing their kitchen position?
