Ready for three months of blood, sweat and tears, The Block newbies were ready to take on 1950s brick houses on Charming Street in Melbourne’s Hampton East.
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Kyle and Leslie, Steph and Gian, Eliza and Liberty, Leah and Ash and Kristy and Brett prepared for their very first taste of Block life – the House Decider Challenge.
You are watching: Who won The Block 2023 Room Reveals
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Hoping to make a good impression on returning experts Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Neale Whitaker and newcomer Marty Fox, they gave it their all but in some cases that wasn’t enough.
Here are the winning spaces from every Room Reveal in 2023:
In the final Room Reveal of their 12-week journey, the contestants stopped at nothing to impress the judges.
Kyle and Leslie produced an “architectural masterpiece” and the turntable driveway was a winner in their eyes.
But their lack of budget didn’t go unnoticed by the judges, with Dave Franklin pointing out the bland planting and chipped paint.
Kristy and Brett made quite the comeback with their spacious front yard deck. “What a celebration of space!” Shaynna marvelled.
But she was less impressed by some of their unfinished paintwork.
Steph and Gian’s space was described as a “show stopper”.
With a smile from ear to ear, Shaynna said: “This just has all the feels. You walk in and it has this sense of air, this sense of grandeur…”
And Eliza and Liberty won the judges over with a charming seating area, although they did worry their entrance would be difficult for people to find.
In the end it was Leah and Ash who came out on top. With both Houses 2 and 4 playing the bonus point gnomes, the winner was ultimately decided by the judges.
From the start Marty said Leah and Ash’s front yard and façade would be “hard to beat” – and it was.
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At just about every corner that he turned there was something to be in awe of.
“How impressive is that wall? How impressive is that architecture? How impressive is that car. The colour palette? How impressive is that?” Darren beamed.
With it being the final week there no cash prize to put towards the winning team’s renovation budget.
As winners of Front Yard and Façade Week, Leah and Ash walked, or rather drove away, with a Ford Mustang worth $80,000.
In the second-last Room Reveal of the season, our Blockheads pulled out all the stops to deliver their show-stopping backyard and pool areas.
Some teams squeezed out every last dollar they had, including House 1’s Kyle and Leslie…
The first reactions from the judges were promising. They thought House 1’s plunge pool and floating steps were “insanely” stunning – even front cover worthy for a property brochure.
But Marty and Darren were concerned with how practical and safe the pool area was.
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House 2 were praised for their expansive outdoor cooking and dining area. The judges adored the plant choices and admitted to a genuine feeling of warmth in the backyard.
Kristy and Brett didn’t quite love their backyard, and the judges felt the same way.
“I’m actually a little bit bored here,” Dave admitted. He said the design was non-descript, the paving wasn’t great and the BBQ area was bland.
The judges agreed that the pool is the best part of the yard, but Dave loathed the pebble ‘mulch’.
Steph and Gian had the biggest backyard this week – and the biggest budget!
The judges were blown away, starting with that extra outdoor deck area with the blinds. “I want to swear!” Shaynna exclaimed. “This is so f’ing good!”
“This is ticking all the boxes,” said Marty. He believes the two could possibly break the price record for a house in Hampton East come auction day.
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On to the last house, while the girls were super proud with what they delivered, the judges were concerned with the amount of concrete the girls used as a form of decking.
“It just feels cold and harsh,” said Marty.
When it came to the winner, they couldn’t stop thinking about House 4 – an “absolutely the perfect backyard” according to Darren, and one of the best gardens the judges had ever seen!
There was a lot for the judges to take in this week, final bathrooms, redo rooms and every other existing indoor space on The Block.
The judges rejoiced when Kyle and Leslie nailed the layout of their redo living and dining room. But they couldn’t say the same for their final bathroom noting the first thing they saw was the toilet.
Leah and Ash proved the judges wrong by turning their redo work from home space into a fourth bedroom. It was something the judges originally advised against but thought was “just perfect”.
Their final bathroom was much more muted than their usual bold style but was a hit with the trio of judges nevertheless.
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Darren was so shocked by Kristy and Brett’s redo bathroom that he immediately shut the door. Kristy and Brett had done the unthinkable by presenting a room worse than the original room. Things didn’t get any better in their final bathroom which was also unfinished.
Steph and Gian finally got it right in their master ensuite by flipping the layout but Shaynna still couldn’t understand why they hadn’t used face-level storage.
In the end it was Eliza and Liberty who snagged the win with their “sophisticated” final bathroom.
The judges felt relief walking into Eliza and Liberty’s new and improved studio which they now felt could be the key to selling their house.
During Week 9, the Blockheads had to craft not one but two epic kids’ rooms for judging.
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The judges enjoyed Kyle and Leslie’s space in House 1, but weren’t a fan of the blue-tacked wall art. Marty felt it was “unacceptable.”
In House 2, they enjoyed Leah and Ash’s “high energy” spaces but said the use of a day bed felt “inappropriate”.
Kristy and Brett’s rooms received mixed feedback. While they loved many aspects, the “dodgy painting” let them down in one of their spaces.
In House 4, the judges were gobsmacked. “Diamonds are made under pressure,” Darren said of Steph and Gian’s epic work. “This is one shimmering diamond.”
Eliza and Liberty in House 5 also received rave reviews, with one artwork addition from young entrepreneur Novalie even bringing Darren close to tears.
But when it came down to it, the judges couldn’t move on from Steph and Gian’s impressive space – and they bagged a perfect score of 30.
But just as it seemed like everything was done and dusted for the evening, Scott announced a twist.
The teams knew Marty’s children checked out their spaces… but what they didn’t know was that they also chose a winner. And that winner would receive a special, bonus point (not-so) secret Gnome.
Leah and Ash won that prize, and it’s fair to say they were ecstatic.
As if the Blockheads didn’t have enough to do this week preparing their houses for 100 potential buyers as part of the Domain Listings Challenge, they also had their master ensuites to work on.
The judges loved the aesthetics of Kyle and Leslie’s master ensuite so much they called it “art”. But yet again the couple were critiqued again for their functionality issues. Shaynna summed it up by saying: “It’s frustrating because it feels and looks luxurious, but it doesn’t work.”
Leah and Ash’s space got mixed reviews; while the finishes felt high-end, the styling was labelled “juvenile” and their mammoth shower was likened to one more appropriate for a swingers’ club. Ouch.
Marty was a die-hard Steph and Gian fan, until now. Their master ensuite was rattled with floor plan issues and overall lacked soul.
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In a result that took everyone by surprise, Kristy and Brett and Eliza and Liberty tied for first place.
The judges struggled to fault Kristy and Brett’s bathroom noting it was simplistic and ticked every layout box.
Eliza and Liberty were commended for their styling which had improved by leaps and bounds. “It just feels really resolved, really well-finished and really well-designed,” Shaynna applauded the pair.
It’s one of the biggest reveals of the season - the highly anticipated, highly grand Kitchen and Laundry Week that had Blockheads scrambling over every minor detail.
From marvellous bench tops to stunning storage and incredible cabinetry, the judges were blown away with what they saw.
Despite delivering a “sexy” kitchen with excellent styling and “beautiful” curves, the judges thought Kyle and Leslie missed the mark with their butler’s pantry.
Over at House 2, the same problem appeared.
The judges weren’t convinced Leah and Ash’s kitchen even needed a butler’s pantry. And although they were praised for their “bold and courageous” styling, their island bench was far too impractical and small.
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Stepping into House 3, the judges gave big ticks for Kristy and Brett’s striking burgundy bench top, white cabinetry, and secret “James Bond” splashback.
While a “quite minor” error, Neale wasn’t a fan of their bouclé stools and large dining chairs.
House 4’s Steph and Gian were praised for their “absolutely exquisite” aesthetic. The team’s bold move to change the floor plan certainly paid off.
But when it came to the functionality of the kitchen, there was a lot to address. One bold move that did not pay off was the position of the stove top. There were major concerns about the lack of storage in the main space too.
In the judges’ eyes, the best was truly saved to last. Eliza and Liberty delivered an “incredible” room that ticked all the right boxes – styling, functionality, storage and wow factor.
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The judges were in absolute awe of all three spaces delivered by the girls this week, so much so, it scored them not only their first 10, but first room win too!
With two out of five teams not completely finishing their spaces, it’s safe to say Master Bedroom and Walk-in Robe Week was a stretch.
Despite delivering an aesthetic space, the judges warned Kyle and Leslie to think about what was “liveable not Instagrammable”.
In House 2, Leah and Ash’s scalloped ceiling made the statement they were hoping for but their eclectic style didn’t land, with Darren saying the styling was “in an argument with itself”.
The judges sung praise of Kristy and Brett’s space. They noted the “warm and cosy feel” and gave them a big tick for nailing the layout.
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Eliza and Liberty struggled to finish and it showed in their botched paint job. Their storage-filled walk-in robe redeemed them but the judges were tired of their orange and blue colour palette.
In the end it was Steph and Gian’s monumentally huge space that sealed them the win. Marty deemed both rooms worthy of a $20 million dollar home and awarded it his first perfect score.
Living and Dining Room was a tough week for most of the Blockheads who stretched themselves further than ever to deliver some of their biggest spaces. But just how did they fare?
No matter how impressed the judges were with the chicness of Kyle and Leslie’s living room, they couldn’t get over how “tiny” it felt and Neale branded it a “beautifully styled disaster”.
Kristy and Brett’s living room layout was a “success” in the eyes of Darren but in terms of styling it was a little undercooked.
Steph and Gian are usually the king and queen of minimalism, but the judges felt their dining room was “too crowded” and “over styled” but they changed their tune once they stepped into the living room which they thought was “aesthetically beautifully”.
The judges were “blown away” by Eliza and Liberty’s living and dining space which they deemed would be “hard to beat”.
But Leah and Ash managed to beat and took home their second win in a row with their bold “BrisVegas” living room. For the judges it was “a near perfect” room that they had no doubt buyers would “wave cash at”.
Budgets were starting to look a little sparing for some teams, so a win and a cash injection were more important than ever during Guest Bathroom week.
Kyle and Leslie’s “smallest bathroom ever on The Block” proved that size doesn’t matter. The space featured their signature curves and felt “considered from every angle”.
Shaynna rejoiced when she declared that Kristy and Brett had “finally found their groove”. The pair delivered a space that felt calm and “put them in a league of their own” when it came to market value.
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Eliza and Liberty’s moss wall didn’t land as they’d hoped it would. Marty didn’t love it and thought it was more appropriate as a soup garnish than a bathroom feature. For Shaynna it wasn’t just the moss wall that didn’t work, neither did the lighting plan or colour palette.
Steph and Gian’s stone vanity was a work of art according to the judges, but they worried all their good work was undone by the toilet that was front and centre of their layout.
But after weeks of harsh feedback it was Leah and Ash who took out the win after the judges sung praise of their “luxe” marble bathroom. Oh, and the help of the bonus point Gnome pushed them over the edge to beat their Block besties Kristy and Brett by half a point.
Work From Home Week threw the teams a few curveballs. With wild wet weather not everyone delivered to the standard they wanted but they did all deliver a finished room.
Kyle and Leslie’s “light and bright” space felt like a breath of fresh air. They were commended on their understanding of presenting a cohesive home but the judges worried that pushing all the furniture against the walls wasn’t the best layout.
The judges fell in love with the “glamazon” feel and striking peacock-green colour of Leah and Ash’s room, but felt they had done themselves no favours by designing the room as a study rather than a fourth bedroom.
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Kristy and Brett’s Work From Home space had an impressive finish but it wasn’t enough to distract from the fact that they’d missed the mark layout wise. With their room backing onto an outdoor area, the judges felt it would’ve been better as an entertainment area than a commercial study.
The judges were elated to discover Eliza and Liberty had finally found their styling groove and though the colour palette of their room was “exceptional”. What wasn’t so exceptional was the confusing desk space that felt like it didn’t belong.
Steph and Gian won back-to-back rooms with their sophisticated multi-purpose space. The judges loved everything about if from the “high end feel” to the functional layout that doubled as a study and a media viewing space.
Studio Bedroom Week saw the teams get creative. Some opted to keep the space as a guest bedroom while others turned it into a self-contained studio.
Kyle and Leslie wowed with a very ‘Zen’ bedroom and Pilates studio. The judges loved the styling and the sheer size of the space amazed them but they were concerned they may not have made the best use of the layout and should’ve opted for an operable kitchen instead.
The judges were left confused by Leah and Ash’s guest studio. They all deemed the pull down Murphy bed as the “wrong choice” and noted it took up too much space. “This isn’t hitting the mark from a buyer’s perspective,” Marty noted.
There was a similar feeling in Kristy and Brett’s studio. The judges thought it was half-baked, with no TV, microwave or lounge it wasn’t a fully self-contained studio.
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Eliza and Liberty had the opposite issue. While they’d packed every imaginable amenity in their space, it was too much for the judges. Shaynna thought the styling was off too and thought some parts felt like a “cheap motel”.
After a few weeks of sitting last, it was Steph and Gian who came out on top despite having the smallest space of all the contestants. The layout was a big tick for the judges who loved the window-facing bed and floating wall. According to Marty, it was a room “that makes buyers want to see the rest of the house”.
The first official week of Block renovations saw the contestants take on their Studio Bathrooms.
The Blockheads went through every emotion as they chopped and changed plans, but all delivered complete spaces in the end.
It was set to be a battle of the curves with a least three couples featuring some type of curve in their space.
Kristy and Brett left the judges a little underwhelmed with their “Moroccan day spa” bathroom. “They’re playing it safe,” the judges said of their not-so-memorable room.
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The judges had the opposite feeling in Leah and Ash’s very polarising “nightclub” bathroom. With LED lighting, polished curved plaster, walnut timber, green marble and black bench tops, the judges didn’t know where to look first. “There’s just a lot going on,” Marty said of the room.
Steph and Gian finally got a little boost with the Darren calling their bathroom layout a “major success”. While their styling was another huge tick, their execution wasn’t and the judges were less than impressed by their workmanship.
The judges loved the feeling in Eliza and Liberty’s bathroom and while there were a few things they would change, Marty noted that all of “the important things were in the right spot” and that most of the errors were quick fixes.
In the end, Kyle and Leslie came out as King and Queen of the curve and of Studio Bathroom Week.
The pair impressed judges with the quality of their curved ceiling. Marty noted that from a marketing perspective, Kyle and Leslie’s bathroom would “shoot incredibly well” and “will resonate with buyers”.
EXCLUSIVE: Kyle and Leslie discuss their Room Reveal win
To get the five couples warmed up for life on The Block, Scott Cam tasked them with their very first renovation – a kids’ bedroom.
Of course the challenge wasn’t just to test their reno skills. Ultimately the winner of would get to decide which of the five houses would be theirs to auction off at the end of the 12-week renovations, thus the name the House Decider Challenge.
With just 48 hours and with a budget of $5,000, each team were given a Disney+ toy to use as inspiration for the child’s room.
Beige-loving couple Steph and Gian got a rude shock when the judges didn’t take to their neutral kids’ bedroom. Shaynna said the pair totally “missed the brief”. The judges noted that the faint cloud-print wallpaper and single Buzz Lightyear toy was not enough to indicate that is was a Toy Story inspired room.
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Kristy and Brett didn’t completely miss the mark with their Frozen-inspired room. Although Darren wished the couple had taken more risks by going bolder with colours and graphics. Shaynna noticed the pair were spot on with Frozen theme because the paint was melting down the walls, though she wasn’t sure it was intentional.
The judges didn’t doubt for a second that Kyle and Leslie theme was Star Wars. Darren loved the galaxy print feature wall but wished the Western Australia couple had “done more”. Neale thought the under styled space was “on its way but not quite there”.
First time renovators Eliza and Liberty didn’t have high hopes for their room, but Darren was quietly impressed. He thought the greenery and timber materials used aligned with the Groot character they took inspiration from. While Neale said he though the sisters “could’ve had way more fun with it”.
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But the first win was snagged by Leah and Ash. When Shaynna opened the door to their National Geographic inspired room, she bubbled over with excitement to finally see a room bursting with colour and personality. She even branded the couple’s room “one of the best challenge rooms they’d seen”.
See the teams’ final scores below:
Steph and Gian: 14
Kristy and Brett: 18
Kyle and Leslie: 17.5
Leah and Ash: 27
Eliza and Liberty: 18.5
The Block airs Sunday at 7.00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on Nine. Catch up on all the latest episodes on 9Now.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
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