The Block 2024 Living and Dining Room

I have been looking forward to seeing The Block 2024 Living and Dining room reveal, but was sadly underwhelmed.  Several of the reveals were all a bit bland and sugary, but I did agree with the judges' choice of winner for this week.  This is by far the most successful room that Kylie and Brad have delivered on The Block so far.

One of the big issues for me this week are the style of the dining tables.  At first look, they are stunning, beautiful pieces that certainly make the room reveals look good.  However, take a closer look at the placement of the table legs.  For some diners, they will have a very uncomfortable dining experience.  All homes, but particularly holiday homes where families and friends come to congregate and relax over long lunches and dinners, need a large and practical dining table which can accommodate lots of dining chairs and ensure that nobody gets the pesky leg!  As appealing to look at as these tables are, I would never specify them for a project as they are simply too impractical.  Kylie and Brad's stunning Christian Cole dining table was probably the best in terms of useable space.

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.

The Block 2024 Living and Dining Room

First Place: Kylie and Brad 29.5 points

From the huge open plan, the clever lighting plan to the Christian Cole circular mirror and custom Islay dining table complete with accent green chairs (complemented by Steph Harris artwork), Kylie and Brad’s living and dining area was an instant hit. “This room is so impactful it will kill it with the buyers,” Marty said. From the Stoke fireplace with Dekton surround that mirrored the kitchen to the Tom Ford book and Darren Palmer candle on the coffee table, it all just worked, they agreed. Even Darren could only find a minor flaw, wishing the beautiful Arabella Avenue rug from Rug Addiction was just a bit larger, but applauding the couple for sticking with their moody motif – and finally getting it right. Proof of that, said Marty, was the way the black TV melted into the background of a black wall! “Everything is just right,” he said.

My thoughts on Kylie and Brad's Living and Dining Room

• The stunning colour palette of Kylie and Brad's living and dining room won me over this week.  The deep Emerald and soft olive greens were the perfect partner to the black cabinetry, dining table and kitchen.  I wasn't a big fan of their kitchen, but the styling of the living and dining room has really balanced it well.
• The artworks are generous in size and stunning.  They fill the space well which is so important in a large cavernous area.
• The dining table is absolutely beautiful and the legs are only a little in the way.  The size is perfect for the space too and can accommodate lots of diners.
• The lounge looks comfortable and I like the occasional chairs in a separate area so that not all seating options are focused around the television.
• The fireplace looks great too.  The only downsides for me are the size of the rug underneath the dining table.  It absolutely should be changed as this is a big mistake, and the buffet could be a little more generous as the scale doesn't look right for the one that is there.

Second Place: Courtney and Grant 26.5 points

If House 1 was a bit vanilla, Shaynna decided, Courtney and Grant had created Rum ‘n’ Raisin, with pops of colour and style blended throughout. Darren was immediately drawn to the Globe West Leon dining table and chairs from Courtney’s own Lazy Stylist collection, the plastering touches around the Framing To A T television niche and a layout that was “just perfect for a holiday home!”. Shaynna was immediately drawn to the practical touches, like power points where they needed to be and lamps that worked well with the lighting plan. Even Darren agreed the styling was spot on – especially when he spotted the Darren Palmer-brand candle. The only mis-step, the judges said, was the fireplace location, with Marty wishing it was on the other side of the room. Darren agreed, saying the fire and shelves should have been flipped. But for Shaynna it was a tiny issue in a room she loved. “The furniture is all gorgeous,” she summed up. “The colours are all consistent and balanced… a great space!”

My thoughts on Courtney and Grant's Living and Dining Room

• I have been a big fan of Courtney and Grant's room reveals, but I feel that this one is lacking a little.  The colour palette has been let down by the large pink and sugary artwork.  This is completely at odds with the stunning rich colours of their kitchen.  The colours in the living area work well and the rug is absolutely beautiful, but all I can see is that artwork.
• I love the built in bookcase and corner fireplace and the corner pendant lights.
• The dining table and chairs though do not work in this space.   Dining chairs need to be comfortable to encourage you to linger and chat over long relaxing meals, but these look supremely uncomfortable and four of the diners have an extremely large obstruction between their legs.  It all looks amazing, but is not in the least bit practical.  There also needs to be a rug in between the richly coloured chairs and the lighter oak floor.
• Just a note on the rug underneath the sofa; the sofa should either be fully or partially on the rug.  Leaving a tiny bit of rug on show like this doesn't work.  Easily fixed though.
• I was disappointed by this space as I was such a fan of their beautiful kitchen.

Third Place: Maddy and Charlotte 25.5 points

Fresh off the back of their first win last week, sisters Maddy and Charlotte were keen to go back-to-back and at first look, the judges thought they were in with a chance.  A soaring ceiling line and Velux skylights, Laminex panelling and Venetian render impressed Shaynna, along with the Joel Elliot fireside cabinetry that mirrored the kitchen. Marty gave his thumbs up to the neutral colour palette and real wood-burning fireplace, perfect for the Island’s cold nights. But all agreed the scale wasn’t quite right. The surfboard-shaped Seb Curve dining table with Theo Dining Chairs (all from Globe West) were stunning, Shaynna and Marty said, but should have been big enough for at least two more places. Darren would have preferred a larger coffee table and grander styling. And none were impressed by the lighting design. It was a good room and would appeal to a large buyer pool, they decided, but a bit “Vanilla” overall.

My thoughts on Maddy and Charlotte's Living and Dining Room

• At first glance Maddy and Charlotte's living and dining room is a little Vanilla, however, I think it works as they have employed some beautiful layers of texture and the room is extremely calm and welcoming.  With a simple colour palette, you need texture to make it work and Maddy and Charlotte have understood this perfectly.
• I really like the textured rug and the built in joinery to tie in with the kitchen is perfect.  The oak furniture is very appealing and the sofa has a great weave and looks really inviting.  Contemporary in style, but with a relatively high back, this is a seating area that looks very relaxing.
• The fireplace is a strong focal point, which again adds texture to the scheme.  Although I don't think that living rooms should be focused around a television, this one really is out of the way and not easily viewable by many of the seating areas, so perhaps the fireplace should have been placed further along the wall.
• I do love the stunning artwork.  The blues and greens add to the calm feeling of the space perfectly.
• The lighting is gorgeous, but the dining table needs a couple of extra chairs.
• This certainly isn't a third place room.

Fourth Place: Ricky and Haydn 25 points

From the moment the judges walked into house three, they loved what they saw, the lowered ceiling created an “inviting and cosy” feel, Shaynna said, the perfectly placed fireplace created the perfect spot to relax, Darren added. Clearly, they were impressed, but they were also concerned about the “optical illusion” effect the boys had accidentally created by having the furniture off centre. The Sorrento Modular Sofa from Freedom needed to be straightened, “And doubled in size!” Shaynna pointed out. Even the Velux skylights seemed in the wrong spot, she added, but how can you fix that? The stunning “Wet Season” artwork from the Cungelella Art Collective (which the boys won in the Block Shop Challenge!) against James Hardie Groove lining brought the judges back to Team 3, as did the Dekton shelf near the fire, they agreed, but the styling had just let the boys down.

My thoughts on Ricky and Haydn's Living and Dining Room

• There is a lot to like about this space which works perfectly with Ricky and Haydn's appealing kitchen.
• I love the generous size of the dining table and the chairs look very comfortable.  The table legs are only a little in the way and this is certainly a dining setting which you could linger around.  The rug too is the perfect size and style.
• The artwork of course is stunning and picks up the colouring in the kitchen stools beautifully.
• The living area looks comfortable, although it could be styled a lot better.  I love the Dekton shelf and the fireplace is absolutely spot on for a holiday home.  I think that it should have been switched with the TV though and placed more towards the corner of the room.

Fifth Place: Mimi and Kristian 23.5 points

The colour palette, Laminex panel surrounds and artwork from Kamilya Lowana White all combined to make for a beautiful living/dining space, the judges agreed, as did the generous dining table, and perfect execution…. But something was wrong, they felt. Despite the beautiful view just outside, the whole space was oriented at the television, even the stunning Nina Armchair from Kave home.  This is a big mistake in a space where people would be gathering to be with each other. Add in a faux chimney but no fireplace, it was a lost opportunity and one they didn’t know how to fix. Adjust the Magic Wool Rug from Rug Addiction and move the TV? That would open up the space and even allow for an extra couch. And that, they decided, would solve everything.

My thoughts on Kristian and Mimi's Living and Dining room

• I always love Kristian and Mimi's colour palettes and this one is perfect.  The walnut dining table with oak chairs is a perfect choice to work with their flooring and kitchen.  They have achieved this balance perfectly.  These guys really do understand how to mix different timbers.  Four diners though still have that pesky table leg, which I think is a big issue.  The dining chairs suit a coastal look perfectly.
• The pendant over the dining table is absolutely stunning and suits the setting really well.
• Although I love the colour palette and the artworks, rug and sofa, I agree with the judges that the layout is wrong.  You shouldn't place a large sofa with its back to a window unless you have a very ugly wall just outside.  Not only are you missing out on your view, it is also uncomfortable on a hot sunny day and you find that you will need to keep your curtains closed a lot of the time.  Again, you should never orientate a television opposite a large window.  This is a shame, the look of the room is lovely, but it just isn't practical.

I hope you have enjoyed my run-down of The Block 2024 Living and Dining room reveals.

You can find out more about The Block and the contestants at Channel 9.  Did you know that many of the beautiful items used on the show can be purchased through The Block Shop?

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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