Kitchen Week on The Block is massive. It’s the one we’re all waiting for – keen to see who nailed it and who crashed and burned. This year the message was loud and clear “kitchens sell houses!”
That’s great advice for any renovator and should always be front of mind when making design choices.
This year we asked three of our Kitchen Shack DIY Renovators their thoughts on The Block Kitchens for 2024. Having recently completed DIY Kitchen renovation themselves, they are well-versed in personal style, decision making, working with trades, trends, budgets and kitchen functionality.
That’s not to say the judges aren’t experts in these areas, but it’s always good to get a ‘real life’ perspective, especially when you’re planning around a ‘real life’ budget!
This year The Block 2024 is set in the popular beachside town of Phillip Island, the homes are geared towards families looking for a coastal getaway. Famous for its rugged coastline, fairy penguins, and motor sports, Phillip Island attracts young families and retirees, along with a steady flow of tourists.
The focus of the design brief in 2024 was to create a space that feels like a ‘holiday home’ with a distinctly ‘coastal vibe’. So, we ask our Kitchen Shack DIY’ers who nailed the design brief?
House 4: Kylie & Brad (29.5/30 first place with their penguin bonus)
When the stormy weather rolls in!
So, we don’t usually associate dark and moody with coastal retreat, but our renovators can appreciate the aesthetic. In Kylie’s words “You’re either gonna love it or you’re gonna hate it”.
The judges were impressed with the designer finish and for Darren it was about “moody and sexy”. He loved the Ultra Matt Black cabinetry, and luckily it doesn’t leave fingerprints as there were no handles in this minimalist design. A dark kitchen has its place, and it can look striking, especially when paired with a lighter timber cabinet in the overheads or shelving.
Our Kitchen Shack DIY’ers thought the space needed some contrast to make it more appealing to buyers, like the Sandringham Kitchen Renovation. They felt it was good to visit but didn’t feel they “wanted to live in it”.
The inclusion of the spinning corner cabinets while they look great, would not be ideal for a family. One of our DIY’ers was imagining her 5 year old son spinning on them for fun and smashing the contents! Others thought these did not offer practical storage. It would be more advantageous to include an appliance cupboard so there’s space for daily appliances like toaster, kettle or a blender.
When designing a kitchen for a holiday home storage and space is key. If you have friends and family down to stay for a weekend things get chaotic and messy. You need large pantry to store non-perishables, extra storage for platters and plates, bench space for food prep and serving, and a good workflow for all the extra kitchen hands. Maybe a better use of the space would be a pantry at the end of the kitchen instead of a tall spinning cabinet!
The consensus was a good design but needed to improve with the limitations of only four stools for entertaining. Possibly keep the end clear of shelving and add 2 more stools.
Overall vote was a no to this dark and stormy vibe and not the holiday home they were hoping for.
House 1: Maddy & Charlotte (29/30 second place)
Although designed by previous contestants (Jesse and Paige), the new girls on The Block have “hit it out of the park!” There was a lot of gushing over this one and with good reason too.
The consensus was the light oak shaker cabinetry meet the ‘coastal’ brief, and the impressive island bench elevated it to luxury standards. It’s not easy to match the tones of timber and stone and can often be a risky move. However, the girls have “done it to perfection, it is beautiful”, Shayna claimed.
The scale of the island bench is the first thing you notice, and immediately you can see it is the ideal entertainer’s kitchen. The design of the bench easily accommodates 8-10 guests, which is ideal for a beach house.
Although the judges loved the choice of stone, our Kitchen Shack DIY’ers felt it was somewhat “overwhelming” and “busy”. A more subtle pattern may be a better choice if you are wanting to appeal to a broader audience, because remember “kitchens sell houses”.
The design and functionality of the kitchen gets the thumbs up from all, with the wall ovens placed near the cooktop, plenty of clever storage, and an appliance cabinet rather than a separate Butler’s pantry. The bank of cabinetry running along the walkway is clever and the double pantry has plenty of storage for all the essentials, which is important in a large holiday home. The appliance cabinet, with retracting doors hides all the appliances that get used every day. The cabinetry and bronze handles were loved by our renovators.
The renovators thought the only miss was the awkward placement of the sink opposite the ovens, not functionally viable and our Kitchen Shack renovators are not a fan of a sink in the island, due to the expensive plumbing as well as reduced food prep space. A suggested plan would have the ovens at the other end of the kitchen, away from the walkway and sink.
Overall, this was the number one favourite of our DIY Kitchen Shack Renovators. A relaxed kitchen space with luxury island vibes, and space for the family and friends to gather. They nailed the brief.
House 2: Courtney & Grant (27/30 third place)
Once again, the island bench steals the show!
Inspired by ‘Modern Mediterranean’ the couple selected walnut cabinetry and dramatic stone bench tops. Two of the judges loved the drama and impact, yet one felt they completely missed the mark. Palmer stated, “this is just stimulating”. He’s not wrong, it certainly makes you stop and take notice.
Although it feels warm and inviting, our renovators think it’s lacking the relaxed beachy vibe that House 1 achieved. Once again, it’s worth considering your choice of finish for the bench tops, particularly when you have a large central island bench as the focal point. The choice to include the sink in the benchtop, due to the butlers pantry means less space in the main kitchen area. Maybe a larger kitchen space and room for more stools was recommended.
Beyond the large island bench the use of space like the back induction cooktop area is functionally clever with plenty of prep space either side and the clever ledge across the splash back for oils and spices. This keeps your work area clutter-free and everything you need within easy reach. A simple design feature that our renovators thought had an impact.
Our DIY renovators felt that the walnut trend will date and felt like “dated 70’s laminate”.
Overall it was felt this kitchen was very high end and luxurious, which is possibly a bit beyond most beach house budgets, especially the stone benchtops. They thought the same warm timber look could be achieved on a budget, without all the expensive appliances and stone bench tops. Like the Prahran Kitchen Renovation making clever use of oak cabinetry and keeping the kitchen layout simple yet functional.
Overall it was rated a beautiful kitchen design with a sophisticated finish, one to impress your guests but our renovators were left wondering if it was all for show?
House 5: Kristian & Mimi (26.5/30)
Let the light shine in! A beautiful space flooded in natural light, with a nod to the retro vibe of the original Phillip Island beach shacks.
It was unanimously agreed there was a love for the window splash back that looks over the pool, keeping you connected to the outdoors even whilst you’re preparing dinner. The skylights above also added to a light filled kitchen. As one of our diy’ers commented “there isn’t a single tiled splashback on the Block in 2024” The only difference in this house is the decision of a window splashback. It is a winner!
The bright green oven and cooktop are a bit of risk, as Marty says, “Colour of appliances can be polarising for buyers. When you segregate a market in the most central room it’s risky.”
Then again, when buyers are looking at five different houses, maybe they remember the one with a green kitchen and our renovators thought that was their point of difference.
Our renovators thought the warm walnut cabinetry suited the beach house vibe, and also reflected the local landscape. Topped with a classic bench top, the overall style is easy to like and would appeal to most buyers.
It’s clear central island benches are big winners, and they rarely disappoint. The large benchtop with its’ triple-stack profile is super impressive but most renovators said they would prefer to put their budget towards storage especially in a beach house.
It was felt that the aged brass tapware is a stunning feature and works particularly well with the warm walnut cabinetry.
From a design perspective the renovators thought the layout of the kitchen and placement of the appliances could have been better. There are few issues that will compromise the workflow of this space, the most obvious being the fridge in the butler’s pantry. As Marty points out, “The fridge is 5 steps away from the central hub of the kitchen- it’s just not right.”
In addition, the glass shelving above the low wall ovens was also a miss for our renovators. The shelves were considered a waste of space and just another thing to clean instead of relaxing in your beach house. Ideally, enclosed storage would have been a better option for extra glassware and platters.
One renovators loved the appliance cupboard with the strip lighting saying “it is fabulous” and nicely tucked around the corner out of sight, but easy accessed. Although they have ticked a lot of boxes with high end appliances, butler’s pantry, large island bench and pull-out storage, the overall design isn’t great. For the money spent on this kitchen, a clever design would have achieved far greater storage and functionality.
Overall, there was a love of the retro beach vibe but the design was the least favourite.
House 3: Ricky & Haydn (23/30 fifth place)
Were the judges too harsh? Our renovators think so, especially considering they are rooting for the Vic Team!
Great taste in their ‘Modern Minimalist’ kitchen design that will appeal to so many but unfortunately according to the judges they just fell short of ‘Cool Coastal’.
Once again our renovators thought the soft oak is a winning choice, classy stone benchtops and elegant pendant lights were brilliant and definitely gives it the coastal vibe the judges are looking for. As Shayna says, “So coastal, so Phillip Island”.
The curved island bench (without a sink for more bench prep space), was a hit and just begs for a party to pop around it. Having the sink at the back means the island bench stays free of mess and water. Fox certainly shared our renovators thoughts, saying “It’s the biggest kitchen and could easily sit 9-10 people around.”
The palette is light and neutral, which appeals to a broader audience, and is a safe bet when you’re renovating to sell.
It was thought the boys lost their way here a little bit. It was felt they shouldn’t have painted the timber moulding instead leaving the natural timber to blend adding that warmth that is so coastal. Clearly, the choice of plain white cabinets missed the mark also, as they looked like a generic “off the shelf” product.
It was agreed the look was great but some improvements on functionality was required. The butler’s pantry around the corner is a nice addition however “a single sink, instead of a double, is not functional in a kitchen designed for entertaining.” stated Shaynna.
Kitchen Shack Renovators felt the biggest issue for this kitchen is the misplacement of the ovens. Firstly, they are squashed up next to the fridge, which is frequently accessed. And secondly they are in the walkway, which is not ideal when you are removing hot items and carrying them across to the island bench. It was felt the functionality would have been a a lot better if the ovens were in the main kitchen area, keeping the walkway clear of obstacles.
Overall a love of the coastal vibes, shame about the ovens!
In Summary
Thanks to our wonderful Kitchen Shack DIY’ers who thought The Block 2024 Kitchens were exciting and provided lots of ideas if you have a large budget. And as one said “no matter what your budget is, you want to do it once and do it right”.
Everyone loves getting inspiration from shows like The Block, but we need to be mindful of the real-life budgets. The Block Kitchens are renovated with a lot of sponsored help and giveaways, and the total cost does not reflect the true nature with expensive appliances, trades and additional styling.
At Kitchen Shack we enjoy helping DIY’ers like our latest kitchen and laundry inspirations. If The Block has got you thinking then book your free in-store design today and let us design your dream kitchen that won’t cost a fortune.
