While the teams and buyers already know the results of this The Block NZ auction, viewers will have to wait until Sunday night for the grand final of one of the reality TV show’s weirdest seasons. Contestants started the show in the midst of one pandemic and have ended in the midst of another.
OneRoof caught up with the teams last week and asked them to reveal the moments that stood out during their months-long renovations, and how confident they felt going into last weekend’s secret auction.
Dylan and Keegan – Team Yellow
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What was your favourite room and why?
Dylan: Definitely our courtyard space, with its louvered roof, which is really an outdoor room where Keegan can sit and drink beer and watch TV. Most of the other rooms were favourites for one reason or another too.
What inspired your décor?
Dylan: There wasn’t just one thing that inspired us – it was all about being able to try out all the amazing products and the colours. It was loads of fun having all that freedom to experiment with different things.
Dylan: When Keegan broke his ribs during the odd job challenge. He was in so much pain, all he could do was lie on the couch, and it was a particularly busy week. It was a real relief when our sister Maddy was able to join us and help with the work.
What was your greatest achievement?
Dylan: Getting through it was quite an achievement! Keegan and I had gone into the show as very different people. We hoped it would bring us closer together as brothers, and it actually did.
What is the best feature of your house?
Dylan: The secret doors in the blue panelled walls that hid our wine cellar, and the amazing ensuite we designed with two of nearly everything. We felt really proud when it was revealed and were pleased that the judges liked it.
Rach and Connie - Team Purple
What was your favourite room and why?
Rach and Connie: It’s hard to pinpoint because we loved almost every room but the family room with its gorgeous views at sunrise and sunset is special. The two-way fireplace looks amazing and we love the tall ceilings which sets it apart from the other homes.
What inspired your décor?
Rach and Connie: We were stunned to see the variety of materials we had access to, in paints, floor coverings and furnishings, so that was really inspiring. The colours and textures made us feel creative.
Rach and Connie: There were a lot of them – every Thursday night was difficult and the last week was difficult when we had no tradies. They bring a whole new energy when they’re there, so we really missed them and had to use all our woman power to get through the mahi.
What was your greatest achievement?
Rach and Connie: It was all about getting through and the interruptions with lockdowns made things quite hard. We made a good team, though, and getting tricky rooms like the kitchen and bathrooms completed was quite a triumph.
What is the best feature of your house?
Rach and Connie: Definitely the tall ceilings and the huge windows that make our house stand out. We also love the artworks because they’re unique and the private courtyard is a great feature for a family home, making entertaining easy.
Tim and Arthur – Team Blue
What was your favourite room and why?
Tim and Arthur: Our kitchen is great - we’re really proud of what we came up with. There’s lots of natural light with the skylights and plenty of space. There’s great design, great style and lovely warm colours and textures, plus lighting that works perfectly with the general style.
What inspired your décor?
Tim and Arthur: We read lots of Australian and New Zealand home decorating magazines. We wanted to bring light to the house and a simple scheme that had pops of colour to make different spaces stand out. We’re from Point Chev so we felt we knew who it would appeal to, and kept potential buyers in mind all the time.
Tim and Arthur: Being punished for breaking the rules was a massive curve-ball and it took a while for us to get our mojo back. By the end of do-over week we were both pretty shattered and those last few days seemed to take forever.
What is the best feature of your house?
Tim and Arthur: We think that our hallway made our house stand out. It feels warm and welcoming, yet it’s not cluttered. We also like our courtyard, even though we were disqualified that week.
Meg and Dan – Team Orange
What was your favourite room and why?
Dan: We are very proud of our kitchen – we think it’s pretty good and it’s achieved what we wanted. It’s the heart of the home with a timeless, luxury sort of feel. We love the way it inspires people to gather together, and the scullery means you can keep preparation out of sight.
What inspired your décor?
We knew that we had to keep thinking about potential buyers and always go for appropriate choices that were on trend yet had the broadest appeal possible. We chose colours and materials that would enhance the sense of space but more than anything we let the house give us its own cues.
Dan: It was definitely Meg’s head injury. We’d always been so careful, and it was such a fluke, coming out of the blue. It was just so lucky that my sister Anita was able to come and help out but I couldn’t stop worrying about Meg and it just felt like the last thing we needed.
What is the best feature of your house?
Dan: Under the circumstances, coming back after a 13-month hiatus and picking everything up again felt like the ultimate achievement and we are proud of all its features. We were blessed with fantastic tradies and became close to the other teams because it was like we were all soldiers in a war together. We plan to stay in touch.
- The Block NZ grand final will air on Three on Sunday, November 14, at 7pm.
