The Block 2020: Studio and Garage Reveals
- 8 Nov 2020
Take a close look through the luxurious Brighton studios and garages
Sarah and George Studio and Garage Reveal
Score 29 ½ / 30
Spent: $40,000
First Place
I LOVE IT.
Those are three words you want to hear from Shaynna Blaze, and that is exactly what she said to sum up Sarah and George’s studio and garage efforts this week.
Walking in the judges were impressed with the storage cupboards in the garage from and the artwork of The Brighton Baths and this year’s location for Scotty’s HQ.
But it wasn’t until they walked up to the stairs, that they were truly blown away by what Sarah and George delivered.
They are the only house on The Block to have a full contained laundry in their studio apartment, with a washing machine and dryer.
With the kitchenette, bed with amazing linen, work from home space AND a bathroom, the space is fully contained and add enormous real estate value to House No.2.
“COVID has completely changed the way we live and factoring in a multi-functioning space like this is becoming more and more essential,” Neale said.
“This is beautifully delivered on so many levels, it’s real estate gold.”
Walking into the bathroom the judges were impressed with the terrazzo tile choice with tiles and the workmanship.
“Whoever has done the tiling in here has done a fantastic job,” Darren said.
Shaynna believes that Sarah and George are peaking at the right time and this week is their best on The Block.
The Western Sydney couple is certainly finishing on a high, after tying last week with Jimmy and Tam for front garden and façade week.
They believe they deserve everything they get, after so much hard work.
“We worked our butts off, and the hard work really paid off,” George told The Block Shop.
“What an amazing ride we are now having.”
With Dave Franklin signed on as the landscaper for backyard and pool week, could it be three wins in a row?
They certainly have the momentum so anything is possible.
Take a close look and shop Sarah and George's winning studio and garage HERE
Jimmy and Tam Studio and Garage Reveal
Score 29 / 30
Spent: $42,700
Second Place
Jimmy and Tam have always thought out of the box and they have something special up their sleeves for their garage – a fully functional home gym.
In the era of COVID-19 with gyms closed in Victoria or with restrictions, this could prove a huge value add for a buyer in Melbourne.
While Darren loved it, Neale thought the garage gym could go either way.
“There will be a lot of buyers who will walk in here and think it is amazing, but there will also be an equal amount of people who will walk in here and think it’s not for me,” he said.
The garage had four Mustang artworks, which also impressed the judges.
Walking up the [thankfully finished] stairs the judges were all smiles.
Jimmy and Tam are the only house on The Block to deliver a space that is more like a home office than an extra bedroom.
The gally style kitchen and work from home desk at the side of the studio really works.
It features a dishwasher, cooktop and oven.
“A perfect blend,” Darren said of the connection between the kitchen and the work from home space.
While it is laid out like a home office, it could also be a bedroom, with an impressive queen-sized sofa bed.
Darren was particularly impressed with the details of the studio, from the VELUX skylights to the air conditioning and the lighting.
The lamp was also a hit.
Walking into the bathroom they were expecting something bold and bright with the colour choices, but instead, Jimmy and Tam delivered a neutral bathroom.
It was a strategic move from the couple.
“Because we wanted the studio as a workspace, we didn’t want any overwhelming factors in it so we kept it nice and calm,” Jimmy said.
The judges loved the basin and styling choices, including the towels.
So while they didn’t take their six wins on The Block, Jimmy and Tam came very close and there was a lot to like about their studio and garage.
Take a close look and shop Jimmy and Tam's studio and garage HERE
Luke and Jasmin's Studio and Garage Reveal
Score 25 ½ / 30
Spent: $42,700
Equal Third Place
Luke and Jasmin had major issues with their plasterer this week, who Harry and Tash were also using.
He spread himself too thin, and as a result of that, the plastering in the staircase wasn’t finished and the Perth couple had no hope of winning this week.
It was very positive feedback for the garage, in particular the simple storage cabinets.
“That’s the kind of storage I would normally expect to see in the garage, good, functional storage,” Neale said.
Sometimes you can overthink things when it comes to garages, and Luke and Jasmin didn’t do that.
Once they got up the finished stairs there was a lot to like for the judges.
They loved the three circular VELUX skylights.
They were particularly impressed with the artwork from The Block Shop.
Luke and Jasmin had a bed, kitchenette, a table and a bathroom, but like Daniel and Jade next door, Neale would have liked it to be more of a work from home office space.
The table was beautiful, but was it right for the space?
Shaynna thinks they just needed to change the styling around a bit for it to be more like a work from home space for the buyer.
They had one big issue with the bathroom, it had no door.
So if it was to be converted into a home office, that would be a serious problem for privacy going to the toilet – a mistake Jasmin was very sore about after Luke and the builders made yet another decision without her input.
One positive all three judges had was they believed Luke and Jasmin’s studio connected to the rest of the house the best.
“With the four spaces we have seen so far, this one is the most consistent with the style of the house,” Neal said.
So while the studio was unfinished, there were a lot of positives for Luke and Jasmin.
“It was great to hear the judges say tonight that we have the most consistent home on The Block,” Luke said.
“It’s great because that is exactly what the buyers are looking for.”
Take a close look and shop Luke and Jasmin's studio and garage HERE
Daniel and Jade's Studio and Garage Reveal
Score 25 ½ / 30
Spent: $45,400
Equal Third Place
Overall the judges felt Daniel and Jade delivered a good studio and garage, giving them a mark of a B+.
While not off the charts amazing, they did a decent job.
Walking into the garage they loved the fact Daniel and Jade had a toilet, the first couple on The Block to do so.
“That is perfect for the garden, entertaining, for the pool, it’s very clever,” Shaynna said.
Walking up the stairs and the judges were devastated for Daniel & Jade to see that the staircase had not been finished.
The farmers from South Australia had a kitchenette, bathroom and laid their studio out like a bedroom.
That means they now have six bedrooms on The Block, more than any other couple.
Shaynna believes this could be a mistake and she was backed up by Neale.
They could have made better use of the space by delivering a functional home office.
The work from home space they did deliver – a small but beautiful desk had one major fault.
There was no powerpoint.
Neale was disappointed.
“I think the office functionality is underplayed, that is a dead corner,” he said.
He also didn’t have that all important emotional connection.
“It has as much personality as the average serviced apartment, and that is weird because when I look at the individual pieces like the kettle, toaster and bed linen, there are some beautiful pieces, but it is not making any emotional connection.”
Walking into the bathroom Shaynna felt they should have gone with a sliding door instead of an inward opening door because of the size of the bathroom.
They were, however, a huge fan of the basin from Nood Co.
So there were smiles from Daniel and Jade but they also were a bit annoyed with themselves with missing things like no power point next to the work from home space.
With one week to go, they are very proud of their efforts in what has been a tough few months on The Block.
“The toughest thing for me was probably the mental challenges that are thrown at you all the time,” Daniel told The Block Shop.
“You have a lot of trades that are relying on you for answers straight away as you make the TV show.
“Trying to cope with the pressure, dealing with the day to day chores The Block has for you, it’s a pretty big effort.”
Take a close look and shop Daniel and Jade's studio and garage HERE
Harry and Tash Studio and Garage Reveal
Score 20 / 30
Spent: $29,900
Fourth Place
Harry and Tash didn’t finish their studio and garage this week after lingering budget got to them.
Walking into the garage there wasn’t much to see, other than the Tesla Powerwall battery electric car charger.
Walking up the unfinished stairs, the Shaynna, Neale and Darren all sighed.
“This is not a good sign at all,” Shaynna said.
“You can feel the panic.”
The judges were however a fan of the beautiful painting from The Block Shop on the wall as they walked up to the stairs.
Harry and Tash’s studio apartment including a full functioning kitchen with an island bench, a double bed and a bathroom.
The overwhelming feeling by the judges was that the kitchen was too big, it should have been more like a kitchenette.
The judges felt the kitchen island bench would have been better as a more obvious work from home space.
Shaynna had an issue with the lack of lighting.
The VELUX skylights were beautiful, but at night she felt there would be a real issue with the lack of lighting especially in the kitchen.
The bathroom was obviously unfinished, but there were some good points.
“The tile choices are lovely,” Darren said.
The judges thought the layout was wrong, the basin and the toilet should have been swapped around.
They also felt the design of the shower would make it difficult to install a shower screen.
So after last week’s comments about Harry and Tash’s front garden and façade that devastated the father and daughter, there wasn’t much better news this week.
“We are not surprised, we did what we could,” Tash said.
With only one week to go on The Block, Harry and Tash can’t wait to finish the house, but have they got enough in the reserve to get the job done?
Let’s wait and see.
Take a close look and shop Harry and Tash's studio and garage HERE
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Recap ALL the Block room reveals HERE