The Block Villa Wars | Outdoor Room Reveal

Boy oh boy, a lot went down last week on The Block Villa Wars! I'll give you a quick run down... Brooke and Mitch shocked everyone by giving out 0's when judging each other's rooms. After winning three rooms in a row they are by far the wealthiest team, which is why Sarah and Minanne took $1000 off them in a previous challenge (they were forced to take the challenge winnings from another team). "We wanted our $1000 back!", Brooke exclaimed. Needless to say, this didn't go down too well with others.



Sarah and Minanne finally won something in the plank challenge, which saw them take home $8000 worth of outdoor furniture. Cat and Jeremy won a humungous BBQ, and in the most recent challenge - to create their partner's likeness out of vegetables - an hour of labour from another team. Guess who they chose? Yep, Brooke and Mitch :)



Cat and Jeremy: 1st place | 18 points

After winning a bonus point in the vegetable challenge, Cat and Jeremy just pipped Jamie and Hayden by half a point in the room reveal win for their outdoor room. Each team designed their privacy screen and Cat and Jeremy's was my fave. They created several zones and included a custom made fire pit.






Each team also had to finish their guest bedroom from week 1 - remember they've all swapped houses since then. If they finished this room by "tools down" they each receive a bonus $15,000 in their bank account. Cat and Jeremy failed to attach some skirting board and get cushions for their window seat, but host Mark Richardson allowed them 24 hours to get that sorted - lucky! They gave their signature style of soft pastels and a relaxed vibe.




Jamie and Hayden: 2nd place | 17.5 points

The judges scored Jamie and Hayden the highest this week, and if it wasn't for Cat and Jeremy with their bonus point, they would've taken out their first win (we all know they desperately needed that money). Tears were shed as Hayden revealed that his much-loved grandfather had passed away a few weeks before. He apologised for his recent grumpy behaviour and dedicated their winning room (well, almost) to his Granddad.




Their deck was amazing with Martin the builder working tirelessly to create a herringbone deck and feature wall, and featured a privacy screen designed to echo the pattern. It was light and airy, a far cry from their dark rooms inside.




The guest bedroom carried on their black and white theme, but lots of white made it less severe than last week's master bedroom. They were the only team who completely finished this room, so will get their $15,000 straight away.




Brooke and Mitch: 3rd place | 17 points

I think we were all pleased that Brook and Mitch didn't make it four in a row, but they were close with only one point less than the winning team. Their outdoor room was finished to a high standard, and the built-in BBQ area was great.



As much as the hanging garden looks fab, anyone who is a "Block" fan will know they've been done over and over again on each season in Australia and NZ. I want to see some fresh ideas!!! What about the TV? Lots of people will love it, I'm sure, although it's not something I would choose to have in my outdoor room.



The guest bedroom is clean and tidy and works with their exisiting rooms, but needs some serious personality injected. It is a blank canvas for future owners though, so someone can stamp their mark on it. They just needed to put a door handle on to finish their room completely.




Sarah and Minanne: 4th place | 14.5 points

Once again I think the girls were a little harshly judged. I thought their deck, privacy screens and house colour - Dulux Pukaki - were lovely. They did have the smallest BBQ, but it's still functional and practical, maybe just not having the same "wow" factor.





The girls' guest bedroom is simple and serene - another blank canvas - but they are being consistent with the rest of the house. Other than missing a door, their room was also complete.




So what will this coming week bring us on The Block? Something about an engagement ring?... tune in to TV3 find out!

Introducing Sticky Tiki

If you haven't heard of Sticky Tiki before, let me introduce you... they produce a range of gorgeous wall decals and murals. Formed in 2008 by the talented Kim Hands, Sticky Tiki features cute and quirky designs crafted from original paintings. The painterly effect complete with visible brush strokes will bring warmth and character to your home. In 2014 Rose Wells, who has a background in graphic design, bought Sticky Tiki and continues to produce these beautiful, high quality wall graphics produced in Christchurch, New Zealand.




The Sticky Tiki decals are made from fabric and won't rip, wrinkle or damage your walls. They adhere to any smooth surface and can be removed and repositioned countless times. They're also weatherproof which means they can be stuck outside and wiped down if little fingers mark them.





There is a fantastic range that your little ones will love. The kereru with ribbon is specially designed to be customised by writing your child's name on the ribbon.




My personal favourites are the dress up dolls which have a range of outfits that can be removed and swapped as much as your child desires (much cooler than the paper dolls we had as kids).





There's also a range of chalkboard decals. Chalkboard letters that can be bought individually to make up a specific name or word, and you can mix and match them with other decals to create a fun feature.





Plain chalkboard decals come in a range of sizes and shapes and can be used in so many different ways...






Sticky Tiki have also collaborated with other artists to bring you a varied range of decals including the intricate line drawings of Scribblelicious.





Pop over to see the full Sticky Tiki range. With Christmas just around the corner you may want to do away with a real tree this year and opt for this Christmas tree wall decal instead.





The Block Villa Wars | Master Bedroom & Ensuite Reveal

Sunday on The Block Villa Wars was time to unveil the finished master bedrooms and ensuites, although only two out of the four teams managed to finish. A pay dispute between Cat and Mitch and their tiler put their ensuite behind, and they had to present their bathroom without grout or silicone. Money troubles and Hayden's health made for another difficult week for Jamie and Hayden, and in stark contrast Brooke and Mitch made Block NZ history to win three rooms in a row.

Brooke and Mitch: 1st place | 17.5 points

Sticking with their wining formula, Brooke and Mitch continued with Dulux Manorburn on the walls. What they do so well is produce a high quality finish, and that will impress potential buyers.




The brief was "loud and audacious" - this (in my opinion) is an odd theme for a bedroom which is often used as a peaceful retreat. Brooke and Mitch pushed the boundaries on their normal monotone colour palette to include splashes of mustard, and it was enough to impress the judges. I did like their long, built-in bedsides, but it does limit future owners to the size of their bed.



The size, practicalities, and finishes in the bathroom were fantastic, and once again, Mitch's plumbing skills were most handy, but I just don't love it. It's clean and practical, but unfortunately neither of these rooms excite me.




Sarah and Minanne: 2nd place | 16.5 points

I would've loved Sarah and Minanne to win this week (we know they could use a win!). Their bathroom was my favourite, and while their master bedroom wasn't perfect, it's miles better than some of their previous rooms. I also love their colour palette with a base of Dulux Spirits Bay Double layered with white, warm wood and blush pink.



It's not loud and audacious, which may have lost them points, but can I say again that calm and restful is so much nicer for a master bedroom.



The girls bathroom is beautiful, but I am a big fan of marble and I know some are not. It ties in beautifully with their black marble bathroom in week 3. Everything is kept quite simple allowing the marble to be the hero, I like their choices, their layout and placement, and their refined styling.




Cat and Jeremy: 3rd place | 15 points

With an unfinished ensuite Cat and Jeremy knew they couldn't win this week, but I still prefer their rooms to Brooke and Mitch's. Their master bedroom was reminiscent of their first bedroom in week 1 that gave them a win.



After being slammed for their choice of wall colour last week, the couple were smart enough to take their queue from interior designer and judge, Jason Bonham's website. They selected a soft grey Dulux Aniwaniwa, which I love.



There are some nice things happening in Cat and Jeremy's bathroom too. The round mirror and basins help to soften the square lines of the vanity. I love the matt black accessories and the little plant corner down by the toilet.




Jamie and Hayden: 4th place | 6.5 points

Such a hard week for these guys. It was nice to see them win the challenge to turn junk into a house gift for one of their neighbours, but not much else went their way. Hayden was sick, which left Jamie to do a lot of the work (I think she is amazing, don't you?). She has supported Hayden's bold decisions to put black carpet throughout their home and on most of the walls, but, although very loud and audacious, it's not favoured by the judges.



I do worry it will polarise them come auction day - people are either going to love it or hate it, which may reduce the amount of people wanting to buy the house. Dark rooms can be cosy and intimate, but it needed more sumptuous texture and a feeling of elegance. Instead the furniture and accessories made it feel a bit cheap - I know it's hard for them when they don't have the money to spend, they really need a win!



Unfortunately the bathroom was a bit lack lustre for me as well. It was OK, but bathrooms and kitchens are what sell houses, so they really needed some wow factor.




The first couple of episodes this week have produced some drama with dirty tactics sneaking in. I'm interested to see how this plays out and to see if anyone can knock Brooke and Mitch off the winning podium. Pop over to TV3 to check out more.