As the final day working on The Block front yards and facades came to an end, there were mixed emotions from the contestants. Some were sad, others couldn’t wait for it to be over, but all should feel proud to be completing the multimillion dollar renovations of the formerly tired resort villas. The front gardens and facades are the final reveal of the three-month-long series.
The previous week’s show-stopping backyards and pools included every feature you could wish for in a Phillip Island holiday home, which impressed the judges but also drained the budgets. It left some teams having to go with more simplistic front yard designs, yet there was one couple who began Week 12 with plenty to spend. Having scored two 10s and a win in Week 11, Courtney and Grant added $30k to their front yard and facade budget.
While their luxuriously large allowance gave them an advantage, it was the couple’s strong design vision that meant they executed a tasteful and elevated space out the front of their Moditerranean house. There are plenty of things people get wrong about street appeal, but landscaping business manager Grant and furniture designer Courtney avoided all of these.
“That looks lush and expensive.”
Darren Palmer
They scored 38 out of 40 from The Block judges Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Marty Fox, with landscaping expert Dave Franklin joining as a guest judge. They had best mates Ricky and Haydn hot on their heels, scoring 36.5 out of 40 for a fun front yard complete with fuchsia doors and kitsch flamingo statue. Yet it was Courtney and Grant who won the Ford Mustang Mach-e top prize. Here are five of their smartest decisions.
- Focus on street appeal: The appearance of the facade from the street was front-of-mind throughout the planning stages for Courtney and Grant. They considered the experience of the home from the moment it’s first seen from the road.
- Splurge tastefully: The pair’s budget was allocated to custom pieces that make for a million-dollar first impression. Three architectural arbours were placed along an extra-wide travertine entry path, which leads to a custom timber front door.
- Invest in softscaping: While any landscaping budget is quickly sucked up by hardscaping such as paths, walls, patios and fire pits, it’s important to save enough for softscaping to balance the harsh lines and sharp edges. A selection of around 150 plants made for a lush display at Courtney and Grant’s, including lilly pillies lining the entrance, which will grow into a magnificent hallway of green.
- Seating zone included: A place to sit and relax increases the usability of this space. A patio off the main suite of Courtney and Grant’s place was framed with arbours and planting for privacy.
- Consistent inside and out: The pair have not deviated from their design ethos from day one, sprinkling their Moditerranean aesthetic through every room. Their facade is no different, with a feature olive tree and travertine tiles that are in sync with the interiors.
All of The Block 2024 front yards and facades
This is how the teams scored in the Week 12 reveals.
1st place: Courtney and Grant
From the dream entry with custom door to lush planting, it’s easy to see why this front garden and facade won. “It’s warm, it’s cosy, it’s rich,” said Marty. “Audibly, it’s insane. You can hear those amazing water features.” The exterior was clad in James Hardie Linea Weatherboard in Lexicon, with black trim. “We have black and white in stark contrast here,” noted Darren. “The thing that makes it soft is we have sandstone and limestone and this beautiful soft aggregate.”
With a bigger budget to work with, Courtney and Grant could afford plenty of plants, which were chosen carefully. “This is definitely a plan that they’ve thought about,” said landscaping expert Dave. “They haven’t just gone, ‘Rightio we’re going to put plants here.'” The other judges agreed that this couple have seen the bigger pictured from the very beginning. “They’ve absolutely had a vision from day one that they have delivered on every single week,” said Darren.
“It’s still my favourite house on The Block, and they’ve finished it with style.”
Darren Palmer
The Moditerranean aesthetic came through in everything from the foliage to furniture and materials used throughout. “They’ve delivered something that will inspire Australians for the next few years in a style that we haven’t seen before, so it’s a massive congratulations to them,” said Shaynna.
Score: 38/40 (Winners of the Ford Mustang Mach-e)
2nd place: Ricky and Haydn
A bright pink front door and garage were daring, but also perfectly on theme for this “fun house” by the boys. “Not only have they got the biggest palm tree, they’ve got the boat that they won and the brightest, pinkest garage door we have ever seen,” said Shaynna. The 21-metre tall palm tree took a full day to install and a fair chunk of the budget, but it made an impression. “What a statement piece,” said Marty.
With relaxed beach vibes and palm tree wallpaper inside, the front yard fit well with the interiors. “They ran with the palm tree theme,” said Darren. “We’ve said over and over again about this house, that it’s not chic but it’s fun. This is both. This is actually really inviting, its sophisticated, it’s elegant.”
The side of the house had been decked out with a dining space, lounges and self-sustained planter boxes full of produce. “This is an entertainer’s delight,” said Darren. “Without a landscaper, they’ve done exceptionally,” added Dave.
The boat the boys won earlier in the season sat outside a garage with fishing rods and a race car scene on one of the walls. “Does this scream a bloke’s garage or what?” said Shaynna.
Score: 36.5/40
3rd place: Kristian and Mimi
Landscaper Tom Lovett loaned out his own boat to demonstrate one of House 5’s biggest selling points to the judges. “I brought my boat to show them this is another storage spot to park a boat or a caravan,” Tom explained. The fact that Mimi and Kristian already had a large palm tree was also a big win. “We’ve got the second biggest palm tree here, which looks fantastic upstairs, looking underneath there. It’s a little bit of privacy,” Dave pointed out.
As part of the facade, Mimi and Kristian revealed their completed upstairs balcony. “I love the elevation here and the fact you can be King of the Castle and see out over the block,” said Shaynna. “I’m loving the stone here. I love the fact they have these pots here and it gives you privacy, but I have to say they’ve got the layout wrong.”
It was noted that the fire pit was an unusual choice for the space and a built-in fireplace would have been better, yet budget constraints didn’t allow for that. Making this the main entertaining area with the $30,000 barbecue they won earlier in the season left little room for youngsters to play. “In every other house, there’s a connection to a space where kids can run around and be outdoors. That’s not it here,” said Darren.
The garage was beautifully styled, but they left one of the walls unpainted with the bricks exposed.
Score: 31.5/40
4th place: Maddy and Charlotte
A smaller budget meant Maddy and Charlotte went with a pared-back front garden design. They hoped the judges would see it as a positive and low-maintenance for holiday makers. The simplicity was noticed, and landscaping expert Dave would have liked to see more. “They’ve got one of the existing palm trees, but it feels like it’s on its own,” he said. “Front yard, it’s nice. Does it need a bit of something else? I think it does.”
“What an entry, look at that height,” said Marty. Given the expanse of space, Darren thought it could have become more of a feature with the use of lighting. “They’re luxurious spaces where you have empty voids and you do something with them. Evidently there are budget constraints,” he mused. The expanse of lawn would be perfect for cricket and they did have a small deck with armchairs.
With grooved panelling on the walls and plenty of well-organised storage, the garage made a good impression. “This is one of the best styled garages I’ve ever seen on The Block,” said Darren.
Score: 31/40
5th place: Kylie and Brad
With personal dramas unfolding, Kylie and Brad still managed to complete their front garden and facade with some highlights. “We’ve got the coastal planting. All of this will grow in,” said Dave. “We’ve got the banksias and the lilly pillies. All of this put together will give you a nice entrance, and you’ve got to love the round steppers. That’s very architectural.”
“The circles are a really lovely balance against all the angles of these butterfly houses, because there are lots of sharp points and sharp angles,” Darren noted. “Then you’ve got the softness of the curve here, played out again with the mirror here, played out again with the door handles. It’s nice, I like that repetition.”
“That’s probably the only thing I’m liking,” said Shaynna. The choice of pendant lights at the entrance had her worried they would be banging against the wall with the Phillip Island winds. The artwork by Kylie next to two chairs at the front entrance didn’t go down well, either. “If you have to put a piece of art on the outside of your building, you’re in trouble,” she said.
“It’s almost like they’ve checked out.”
Marty Fox
The garage had everything it needed to. “There’s no pizzazz, but I frankly don’t care,” said Darren. They judges were happy to see the house had direct access to the tennis court. “This is actually a massive feature for the buyer,” said Marty. Yet it was clear something had gone amiss this week. “It feels like it was rushed. It feels like there was no money,” said Dave.
Score: 26/40
Tune into The Block 2024 on Sundays at 7pm and Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Take a tour of all The Block holiday houses so far
Week 5: Main bedrooms and walk-in robe reveals
Week 8: Living and dining reveals
Week 9: Office and rumpus room reveals
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