the block elimination rooms.

So last year I went a little crazy on blogging The Block. This year, I'm not going to watch it or blog it as religiously... some of you are probably very thankful!

But I can't help give some thoughts and record some of the rooms I love. My posts will showcase some of my favourite parts; be it a whole room, a piece of furniture or a colour. As I don't know what I'll love I don't know how often these posts will occur, but I'm sure The Block will still be a feature of Thearle Girl.

In case you're not up with The Block Triple Threat, six couples were placed in the elimination rounds to end up with three couples who will actually go through to the show. This meant there have been three elimination rounds. Round 1: bedroom (24 hours). Round 2: living and dining (48 hours). Round 3: bathroom (72 hours).

Here are a couple of things I have loved so far.

Brooke and Aimee's bedroom definitely wasn't my favourite but I fell in love with their soft blue wall and bed.

I like some of the details of Luke and Ebony's room, like the timber skirts and frame, the built-in headboard, and mint features. Also impressed with the blue wall, the same colours as our bedroom!

They say first impressions count, and that is true of Josh and Charlotte. I could see they would be good from when we first met them in Scotty's HQ. They didn't let me down with their living and dining room. My favourite features are definitely the exposed brick wall and timber shelves. I think I'm in love... again. That cascading plant on the shelves just puts the icing on the cake. That wall is a winner... and that proved to be true with the judge's as well.

I am so impressed with the use of colour by Ebony and Luke. I LOVE the pink wall. This photo looks a little overwhelmingly pastel but with slightly different styling, I think the pink would sing even more! I have requested a pink wall in our living room but unfortunately was turned back by my husband. Disappointing.

I wasn't totally in love with Tim and Anastasia's room but it was good! My fave part was the rug though. Often I don't like rugs or am impartial to them, but I actually really like this one.

I love Jess and Ayden's beautiful storage area, using the height of the room and lovely timber, but was a little worried by the candle next to the towels!

Josh and Charlotte's bathroom was very simple, and I liked it. I especially like their large format tiles and custom shaving cabinet which was recessed into the wall.

I'm very impressed with the elimination rooms and am looking forward to seeing what they create in their actual apartments. Good luck to Charlotte and Josho (for the win), Tim and Anastasia, and Jess and Ayden (for the lols!).

the block : ensuites.

Excited to see the final interior room for this season! I think they'll be great, as their second bathroom and final interior week.

michael and carlene : Their room looks beautiful. I love their style: "simple, stylish and sophisticated." I really love the touches of wood and the unassuming marble tiles and black tapware. I think the glass pendants work really well, if they were timber I think it would have been too much. I think they've done really well and I really like their styling!

chris and jenna : They've done really well! I love the exposed copper pipe, the large scale grey tiles and their pendants. I'm not a massive fan of the 3D tiles and it's such a shame they didn't get to finish. So disappointed for them, again!



karstan and max : I didn't love their last bathroom with all the glossy black tiles and once again, not loving them but I much prefer the smaller tiles around the vanity and mirror. And the matte white double vanity is very cool – the rest is not doing heaps for me.



simon and shannon : The boys were very excited for the judges to see their room; I love seeing their love and confidence for their room! The wooden bath is beautiful, especially under the window with amazing styling! Their matte vanity is beautiful and I love the huge mirror. It's very simple and stunning!



darren and deanne : They always do beautiful rooms. I really love the mini grey hexagonal tiles (as always) and it's clever how they have put the double shower right at the windows to engage the outside world. Not loving their styling but overall it's a great bathroom.



Looking forward to seeing their finished apartments next week!

the block : laundry and stairs.

It's always disappointing when a couple doesn't finish. The small amounts that I have seen, looks amazing (who thought stairs could be so interesting) so I can't wait to see the finished results!


michael and carlene : STUNNING! Those lights, those black steel poles, those floating wooden stairs are beautiful! What a great combination. However, I don't really like the colour chosen for the walls. I feel like they need a simpler colour to compliment the detail in the stairs.

Their laundry is simple and beautiful. The wood in it is beautiful and goes well with the marble tiles. I agree that it's sexy. The bronzed mirror, gold pendant, brass details and black tapware is lovely and the details are breathtaking! Well done. SO impressed!!

chris and jenna : Their staircase is beautiful too. I love the rendered wall and the simplicity of the stairs. I personally prefer the floating stairs (in Michael and Carlene's) but the simplicity of these is lovely and I think it will date well. I like the way they have featured the exposed beams throughout their apartment and the way they have tied it in this week with their balustrade.

Their laundry feels boxy and a bit busy; they should have mimicked their bathroom which was simple and elegant. I feel disappointed for them.

karstan and max : My first impression was that I don't like it but looking longer, I am unsure. It's not really giving me anything. It feels quite bland and bags-not cleaning that glass!! The storage under the stairs is a good idea.

Their laundry is simple and practical, but nothing exciting.

simon and shannon : The floating stairs really make an impact. It didn't wow me like Micheal and Carlene's but does make an impact. The simple, black and white artworks are beautiful and I love how they've played with lines throughout, even through to the pendant lights.

Their laundry is beautiful. I always love greenery and the mini grey tiles are one of my faves! I also love the black tapware and the simple white wall tiles are effective. I really like their styling in the baskets and wooden stool – those details (although I could just buy them) create the emotional attachment for me!

darren and deanne : It's so sad to see a beautiful room unfinished. It's classy and elegant but still has a very lot to do! (The photos make them look good ;))

I really appreciate their style and their laundry made me smile. Disappointingly it's still not finished but I like what they've done. I like the simple colours and their styling.

Looking forward to seeing the kitchens next week as a lot of the planning has already been pre-done so I hope they can make a big impression!

the block : main bathrooms.

I am particularly interested in bathrooms as we are dreaming about redoing our bathroom. So many good ideas but need to work out what will look good in our small space and in a style that will last and in our budget.

Here are my thoughts from the main bathroom reveals:

carlene and michael: I have loved their stepped up bath and shower since I first saw their idea, and they pulled it off so well! That white gloss herringbone tiling is beautiful!!! I love that they put greenery in the bathroom too – their styling is winner. Impressed!

chris and jenna: The size of their bathroom (well, whole apartment) is what I was excited to see... it is impressive! That grey tile and black hexagonal tile are beautiful, not to mention the light! That massive mirror was such a good idea! The room is quite simple but beautiful. A huge difference from last week!

max and karstan: Black and white are proving very popular but I don't think their B&W is as impressive as Carlene and Michael's. The size is impressive but I found it a bit bland. I like their styling and their choice of bath and vanity. A nice bathroom (I'd be happy, but nothing all that special in my opinion).

shannon and simon: They have a lot to live up to after their win last week and their style, so I was excited to see what they would produce. My first impression was that it is great and different from all of the others, I think because of the white wall tiles and the wooden vanity. Looks a lot like what we might like in our new bathroom. Once again, I love the greenery in their styling!

darren and deanne: Their bathroom looks so high class, so different to my style but very beautiful. I feel like it's very English. I can imagine it being very popular but not what I love. The panelling, once again, works surprisingly well. I don't know if I'd be able to handle the floor tiles though – potentially as a feature wall!?

Very surprised by the scores this week! Not surprised by the winner but I definitely wouldn't have scored them in the same order as the judges... they should get me as a judge ;) Will be interesting to see how they score each other.