The Block 2024 Kitchen

The Block 2024 kitchen week is always the most highly anticipated of all the reveals. As in other years, there are some amazing highs and some lows. I didn't agree with the rankings or many of the comments from the judges. Courtney and Grant had the stand out kitchen this week. It is stunning and practical.

There is some debate that a Butler's pantry isn't necessary, however with houses this size and the kitchen space allocated, all of these kitchens should have a separate Butler's pantry. This is the workhorse of the kitchen where you do the messy stuff so that your designer kitchen remains just that. A lovely space to congregate with friends and family. Of course you do your cooking here, but a second larger and more practical sink and lots of workspace for liquidisers, food processors and all the other accoutrements that you need in this modern age, are tucked out of sight. This year we have vast kitchen spaces that have just a Butler's pantry nook or nothing at all. This isn't a great use of space in this modern age.

As usual, I have all the rooms, the judges' comments and my own, together with some links to purchase my favourite pieces this week. If you do click on one of these, I may receive a small commission which in no way impacts on the price you will pay.

First Place: Kylie and Brad

Sultry, moody and sexy, Shaynna said as she came through the door in Kylie and Brad’s black-accented kitchen “And expensive!” Marty added, loving the unique colour palette which he was sceptical of at first, but now thought was “totally superb”. With the black Miele appliance blended into ultra matt black Kinsman cabinets without handles, restrained styling and the statement golden (well brushed brass to be accurate) Vari single sink, he was a huge fan. Especially when Darren spotted the “James Bond functionality” of the FurnSpin cabinets for cocktails and glassware and even more storage below the island. “Space is a luxury,” Darren summed up, “Attention to detail is a luxury – and this kitchen is so refined.” It all added up to a stunning kitchen the new house four fan Marty said, “with a level of sophistication and luxury that's hard to beat.”

My thoughts on Kylie and Brad's kitchen

There are elements that I really like about this kitchen, but this isn't a first place room reveal. They don't have the same amount of room set aside for their kitchen space and with a small amount of benchspace where the stove top is located, the only food preparation area is the island bench.
The black cabinetry has been softened nicely by the oak elements and the stools and I love the Dekton stone with the rich warm veining. If you are going to select black cabinetry without handles, you must use a product that is fingerprint resistant. Otherwise the kitchen looks good for two minutes and you are continually working to keep it looking good.
I really like the brushed brass sink, but without a butler's pantry and a second sink, this is the only one. Without a draining board, this is gorgeous to look at, but a little impractical.
This isn't a bad room reveal, just not deserving of first place.

Second Place: Maddy and Charlotte

From the herringbone flooring to the Cosentino Taj Mahal stone – especially in the huge island bench – Smeg Neptune ovens, tumbled brass mixer tap from ABI and beautiful Kinsman cabinetry, this was a kitchen that caught the judges immediately. From a practical viewpoint, Marty was impressed by the layout, the fact the power points were all where they needed to be, but tucked out of sight and the whole layout was designed with a holiday home in mind. The styling caught Shaynna, especially the Anka Oak Counter Stool by Black Mango, who said it was eye-catching, but still “restrained enough to let the kitchen do the talking” . The deliberate omission of a butler’s pantry was proof that sometimes they’re just not needed. Inherited from Jesse and Paige, but given the Maddy and Charlotte touch, this is, Darren finished, “perfectly sized for the house and perfectly finished”.

My thoughts on Maddy and Charlotte's kitchen

I love the warm cabinetry and stone used for this kitchen. It is a great success. This kitchen is a beautiful space that is welcoming and generous in size. The black ovens and dark bronze handles provide some nice relief to the warm palette.
The Cosentino Taj Mahal stone is stunning and makes the solid island bench a fabulous feature.
I like the sink and tap. As it is a double sink, it is a little more practical, although again without a draining board and a separate Butler's Pantry, it will still be messy. Contemporary style really does need a separate work area to support the look. When you keep everything so streamlined and open, you need a separate space as the engine room of the kitchen.
The storage is excellent and I do like the idea of the coffee station hidden away, however they should have used pocket doors for this section. With the doors left wide open to use this space, it cuts down on the amount of floor space and is impractical. I think that this would end up becoming a frustrating section of the room.
Overall though, I do love the look of this kitchen which suits the rest of the house perfectly.

Third Place: Courtney and Grant

Long, smooth and with minimal grout lines, the vast Dekton Khalo surface grabbed all three judges as soon as they walked into house 2. “It's next level and divine!” The Asko appliances and colour scheme worked perfectly Darren said, adding that the Budino walnut cabinetry: “could not be more on trend” and little touches like the Hettich drawer inserts worked well. But Marty wasn’t as sold, he wanted more drama, a continuation of the marble used elsewhere and more of the Dilly Bar Stools at the island and possibly a different lighting layout. But even with that, he admitted the workmanship and finish was once again top-notch and the curve in the ceiling brought it all together.

My thoughts on Courtney and Grant's kitchen

Without a doubt, this is the standout winning kitchen. Not everything is absolutely perfect, but it looks amazing and is practical too. The layout is perfect and it is absolutely stunning.
The Dekton stone is beautiful. The island bench is outstanding and I love the shelf behind the cooktop. Details like this really set this kitchen apart.
I am a big fan of walnut cabinetry which works really well with the oak flooring. You absolutely can combine different timbers as long as you create the connection with the overall colour palette. In this case, the colours in the stone are a combination of the two timber colours and so the look is very cohesive. This also makes the kitchen visually appealing.
Not only is it amazing to look at, it is also practical with the separate Butler's pantry area around the corner. With a second sink and bench space for messy food preparation, this area is perfect. A great support zone for the main kitchen.
With lots of storage and built in wine fridge, this kitchen is the true cook's and entertainer's dream.

Fourth Place: Kristian and Mimi

Marmorino Dekton stone? Check. Tuscan Woodmatt joinery from Kinsman? Check again. And an Olive Green Portofino Smeg oven and rangehood? That’s another check – and it all added up to Mimi and Kristian’s kitchen ticking a lot of boxes for the judges. From the chevron Flooring to the Velux skylights, there was a lot to love, they agreed, but the small omissions however, also added up. No power point in the island bench, the stools not quite matching the oven colour, and for Marty an overall aesthetic that was beautiful, but just didn’t match the rest of the house left the judges with a problem. Functionality and style were spot on, but did it all fit?

My thoughts on Kristian and Mimi's kitchen

There is a lot to love about this kitchen; it flows beautifully with the house so far and it deserved much better than fourth place.
The cabinetry is very nice and I love the simplicity of the white benchtop. This combination of finishes creates a clean and contemporary look and the finishing on the edge of the benchtop adds a nice finishing touch. The room has a lovely feeling of light and order.
It's great to see a Butler's pantry area, although there should have been a second sink here. With the placement of the fridge in this area too, I fear that it could get a little cramped so the practicality of this space is diluted a little.
The green Smeg oven and rangehood maintains the organic, earthy colour palette for the home and works perfectly with the walnut cabinetry. I don't believe that the stools needed to match exactly as this could have been too contrived.

Fifth Place: Ricky and Haydn

“A finished room from the boys,” Marty said as he walked in to Ricky and Haydn’s kitchen “And the biggest kitchen we’ve seen so far!”, but his joy didn’t last as that sheer size overwhelmed him. Were the Neff appliances including a combi-steam oven too far apart? Was intimacy lost by chasing size? And while Darren loved the Nelson kitchen stools and Coastal Oak Kinsman cabinets, the way they worked with the flooring choices and lighting layout: “you couldn't get more coastal than this!” he said, and Shaynna fell for touches like the shadow line through the grey and white Morpheus Dekton and brass strip in the benchtop, they soon agreed with Marty, it could have been better. And the problems were mostly an easy fix: “This styling is not selling the dream.” Shaynna said.

My thoughts on Ricky and Haydn's kitchen

This is a light, airy and visually very appealing room. Polytec's Coastal Oak is a very successful joinery colour for coastal schemes and partners beautifully with white cabinetry and soft white marble look benchtop and splashback.
I love the soft curves that have been incorporated into the design, particularly the finishing touch on the splashback stone in the Butler's pantry section and in the main section of the kitchen.
A second sink in this zone is perfect and there is some food preparation space.
The practicality in this room however is terrible. You can't locate the ovens so far away from the stove top. There is no way that you can transfer a heavy pot or hot pan all that way across the room, probably in between visitors, to the oven. You could keep the ovens where they are, but add another one underneath the stove if you didn't want to detract from the look of the kitchen.
I must say it is nice to see an island bench without a sink. Placing this on the back wall has worked really well.
This is still a great space however, it just needs a few tweaks.

I hope you have enjoyed this review of The Block 2024 kitchen reveal week. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments in the section below.

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All photography credits to David Cook Photography

You can see all the rooms and my thoughts on them from previous years of The Block here.

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Kitchens, The Block

The Block 2024 Kitchen