The Reno Rumble grand final!

Just months after taking home $665,000 on The Block, fan favourites and self-confessed ‘dark horses’, Ayden and Jess, have walked away as the winners of Reno Rumble. Wining $50,000 for themselves, $50,000 for their chosen charity, Two Little Boys to Avene, and a car; the couple took out the win after going head to head against House Rules winners, Carly and Leighton.

In just six weeks, the Reno Rumble teams transformed a staggering 12 houses! And the last two houses saw the teams presented with their biggest challenge yet, renovating two homes from front door to back — plus four gardens — in just one week. It was a challenge worthy of a grand final and the race to the finish line was extremely tight, with Ayden and Jess taking out the win by just half a point! So what did judges Darren Palmer and Romy Alwill think?

Redbacks – Ayden and Jess

Front Yard and Entrance – 17.5/20

Walking up to the house, Darren immediately commented on his love of the picket fence, the beautiful colour palette and the plantation shutters. Romy also loved the flower choices, but both judges agreed the tiles were a bit too ‘2005 bathroom’, than the brief: classic contemporary with a twist of plantation. Into the entrance and hallway and both judges were fans of the sand blasted timber door frames and skirting. They both liked the artwork, but thought a coat hook would have been a welcome addition.

Girl’s Room – 16.5/20

Romy loved the beds come cubby houses and thought the bold pastel pink of the frames worked wonderfully with the rolled felted wool rug. The attic storage got a huge tick, however both judges weren’t fans of the bed choice or lack of bedside storage.

Living Room – 19/20

“Wow,” said Romy. “This is a massive improvement, it’s amazing.” Both judges thought the space was very grand and had a great connection with the outdoors. The only criticism was the bulkhead around the TV, which they thought was odd and unnecessary.

Our pick to buy: Norman Floor Lamp Antique Brass

Bathroom – 20/20

Romy thought it was a lovely, big and generous room that had an amazing amount of light. Darren was impressed with the mirrored cabinet and face level storage solution, as well as the beautiful wood panelling above the tiles. Both judges agreed it was spot on brief and provided heaps of space for the homeowners’ kids. The laundry also got a big tick for its practicality, storage and bench space.

Our pick to buy: Lapuan Kankurit Kivi Hand Towel – Natural

Kitchen and Dining – 18/20

Both judges loved the light and bright space and applauded the use of skylights. They thought the island bench was a beautiful addition, as were the integrated appliances and porcelain butler’s sink. They also liked the shelving but thought the range hood was too industrial and that an enclosed option would have allowed for more storage. Into the dining area and the judges loved the pendants and table.

Our pick to buy: Injiri Napkin – Set of six

Back Garden – 18.5/20

“This is heaven,” said Darren. The indoor/outdoor terrace had even more skylights, which the judges thought was excessive but amazing. Darren thought it was a wonderful entertainment space and was waterproof, insect proof and windproof: “literally an outdoor room!”

To see all the of the items used by Ayden and Jess, click here.

To read the full post and see Carly and Leighton's rooms, click here.