It’s back into the bathroom this week with the teams finishing their master bathrooms. We’re hoping to see some beautiful bathrooms to complement the master bedrooms from Week 3.
Let’s take a look around!
Related article: The Block 2021: Week 4 — Basement reveal
Related article: The Block 2020: Week 4 — Master ensuite reveal
Ronnie and Georgia
Aahhh! It’s SO BEAUTIFUL! Question… are you all getting sick of us gushing over Ronnie and Georgia’s rooms every week yet?! Because to us, they’re killing it! Well, apart from that too-small walk-in wardrobe…
This master bathroom is stunning. It flows perfectly from their master bedroom and also fits with the style of their guest ensuite but dials up the luxe factor. That gooseneck shower in particular is giving us major heart eyes. And they’ve used another kitkat tile in here, this time opting for a soft grey-blue and using it as a feature wall to pull your eye towards the shower. Also, that Zuster vanity with luxe marble insets is divine in here.
It will come as no surprise to you that they would have been our pick for first place, even though they didn’t have a bath. To us, there’s nothing better than a bathroom with a functional layout, quality materials and timeless appeal. And Ronnie and Georgia ticked all those boxes… and some!
The judges agreed, giving them the second highest score… and then the couple used their one point gnome to take out the win. Neale said,”It has massive buyer appeal.”
Cost: $22,000
Score: 29 / 30 (1st place)
Mitch and Mark
This master ensuite from Mitch and Mark had us a little confused. There were some aspects we loved. The tiles (on their own) were beautiful and the space oozed luxe. But then, the layout just felt odd.
As Darren pointed out, the space between the basins and the shower screen was too tight and the screen itself was way too large. The shower heads were position together up one end. This meant the rest of the shower space, which ran the length of the room, had no purpose and was a waste of space. He called it a planning disaster. And if you imagine standing at the vanity with a drawer open being squished up to the glass, you can understand why.
It’s hard to say what would have been a better layout with the deceptive photos. But it looks as though they could have run the shower along the back wall (positioning the shower head where the toilet is) and creating a walk in shower there, and tucking the toilet to the right as you enter the bathroom (where the shower currently is). This would have freed up all the space in the centre of the bathroom without compromising on the size of the vanity.
In any case, there are still plenty of aspects to love like their choice of tapware and that gorgeous skylight (but that styling… please, just no with the gerberas!).
Cost: $26,790
Score: 22 / 30 (5th place)
Tanya and Vito
When we first heard Tanya and Vito were using brown tiles and a black toilet, we were bracing to cringe. And while we don’t love it, it certainly wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be!
They’re not afraid to do something different. And although it had a similar colour palette as their last bathroom with orange tone tiles and walnut vanity, it’s a lot less successful in our view. The orange-brown tiles in here don’t feel connected to the rest of the space, it’s as though they were added just to be bold. If it were us, we would have selected a different colour that complements the floor and wall tiles or just carried the floor tile up.
The judges, rightly so, thought Tanya and Vito’s master ensuite could be polarising for potential buyers… And a key thing for us is that this space doesn’t flow from their master bedroom from week 3. For example, they used light timber joinery in the bedroom but dark timber in here?
Things we did like were the arched shower screen and mirror. The black tapware was also a winner!
Cost: $17,458
Score: 22½ / 30 (4th place)
Josh and Luke
Talk about hot and cold… Josh and Luke seem to either come last, or first! They got the highest score from the judges this week… but then lost to Ronnie and Georgia by just half a point when they used the ace up their sleeve (that extra point gnome).
There’s no denying this bathroom has some great features — outdoor bath with private garden, anyone?! — although perhaps not super practical. But then again it IS The Block. They included outdoor heating which in Melbourne is a must!
We thought the large dual shower would have major buyer appeal but whyyyy did they have to use the largest chrome brackets seen to man on the shower screen?! A walk in shower with just a fixed piece of glass would have looked so much better.
Overall, this bathroom was a massive improvement from their first one. And the judges clearly loved it with Shaynna describing it as, “Real estate gold.” You’d want to hope so with the cost of this reno! Ouch!
Cost: $41,980
Score: 28½ / 30 (2nd place)
Kirsty and Jesse
A much more refined look from Kirsty and Jesse this week with indigo blue tiles and gold accents in their master bathroom. Shaynna commented that House 5 had, “Definitely grown up,” and we couldn’t agree more!
There were concerns over the placement of the bath, meaning it would get wet every time you showered. Personally we love a wet room design, Gina recently renovated her bathroom to have a combined shower and bath, but it has to be done right to avoid issues. Generally, you would use a wall-to-wall strip drain and in here they’ve used a smaller one centred in front of the bath. It would be interesting to give the shower a test run to see if there’s enough fall to the drain to prevent the cleaning issues the judges were concerned about.
Despite this, the judges awarded high scores for their master bathroom. Neale said, “[They delivered] a damn good bathroom that feels fresh, glamorous and is really fulfilling the brief.”
Cost: $28,045
Score: 26 / 30 (3rd place)
What did you think of the master bathrooms this week? How about the scores — did you agree with the judges (or us?!). Tell us in the comment section below!
Be sure to check out The Block Shop if you’ve spied something you love in this week’s room reveals. And you can catch all The Block 2021 goss on the nine now official website.
All imagery by David Cook Photography