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    Word on The Block: Week 6

    Published on 27 September 2018, Thursday, 12:23 PM
    Archive

    This week on The Block it was all about the heart of every home – the kitchen.

    If you’re like me it’s the place you spend the most time in when you’re at home.  It’s where your culinary triumphs and mishaps happen, where friends and family gather to catch up on life. It’s usually one of the biggest rooms in the house as it’s the one room that can make or break a sale.

    Week 6 - Kitchen Week

    That being said, Courtney and Hans really showed their rookie roots this week. Being first time renovators, their thinking that you had to have a butler’s pantry in a high end apartment is on the same line of thinking a brass tub is going to give a luxe factor in a bathroom (don’t know what I’m talking about?  Read my recap here).


    Source: The Block Official YouTube

     

    First of all, what’s a butler’s pantry? And do butlers even exist anymore?

    Given that they have two windows bringing in an enormous amount of natural light, Courtney and Hans think what better way to maximise the space and add a butler’s pantry than to block the natural light altogether.  Sounds logical right? The rule with natural light is the more, the better. You never want to block out natural light, especially if you space is already small, like Courtney and Hans’ kitchen is. I reckon Lady Karma decided to give the Perth couple a bit of a spanking for causing Poolgate to overflow across the entire block.  Lady Karma sure got the best of them considering the judges ripped into the Perth couple’s space and gave them the lowest score.  Oh how the mighty have fallen!


    Source: The Block Official YouTube

     

    Bianca and Carla looked like they were going to have a huge set back on their end with the great debacle about wiring the kitchen.  Carla seemed to have a boosted ego after bragged that she pulling cables with their sparky. However Work Safe caught wind and called to notify her that there would be an investigation due to unsafe work practice, and Fore-Dan confirmed the wiring would have to all be taken out and redone by a licenced professional. Turns out it was all a prank. 

    But let’s take a step back here.  After working here at Kennards Hire for a while it becomes part of your DNA to review any site and ensure that what you’re doing is safe and correct.  Safety is absolutely not a laughing matter.  It can become literally a matter of life or death. In terms of electrical wiring, having someone who has never done it before handling this seemingly simple task on a large site should have been well supervised, especially when there are cameras all around you 24/7.  There are short courses you can take to learn how to safely pull cable so that you know that not only do you look like you know what you’re doing, but you actually know how to do it properly.

    In all the judges were again impressed with the netballers’ skill of having their rooms fit together very well.  However, it became painfully obvious to the judges that neither of the Melbourne team spend much time in the kitchen at home. With no bin or dishwasher to be found out the front, and the illogical flow of the kitchen plus a bench designed with small people in mind, Bianca and Carla’s space didn’t make the cut.

     


    Source: The Block Official YouTube

     

    Norm and Jess seemed to have had the hardest time this week.  Who knew parquetry flooring could be such a nightmare?  The time spent on the floor cost them time painting, which cost them points in the long run.  However their cabinet colour choice and marble countertops certainly didn’t disappoint, and the judges felt that even with a few flaws (no bin…again?!) it was still a highly likeable space.

     

    Source: The Block Official YouTube

     

    Instead of being at the bottom of the leader board this week, Hayden and Sara enjoyed second place. Shockingly there were no complaints from Sara with the outcome.  Perhaps because she got them all out while whinging about the Monopoly game…and the Domain challenge…and every other hot minute.

    Flipping their island bench top 90 degrees has been the only decision the NSW couple have made that actually makes any sense. Funny how Sara says quite boldly when disagreeing (again) with Domain that “kitchens sell houses”.  If kitchens sell houses then where are the power points? That stand up mixer doesn’t work on sunlight and magic. And what’s the point of the doors to the pantry? No really, are you trying the hide the butler, or doing dishes is such a shameful exercise that you have to close the doors and hide?  Those doors are messing with my chi.

    When I first saw Kerrie and Spence’s kitchen, I’m fairly certain the heavens parted and the angels began to sing.  That kitchen was designed by a couple who understood how a food and wine lover wants their kitchen space to be. Putting two entry points to the butler’s pantry made it no longer a pantry, but a secondary space to create your culinary masterpieces, or room for the caterer when you’re hosting a cocktail party. After a hard week before, the work has definitely paid off for the Barossa couple.  This was certainly a well-deserved win, and with the perfect scores to match!  I think this is the first time the judges had nothing negative to say about the room!



    Here’s all the equipment Kerrie and Spence used to make their phenomenal kitchen happen:

    • Utility LED light and portable 50W lights to keep the space lit up well into the night
    • Industrial vacuum cleaner to keep things clean
    • 230mm cordless demo saw to cut materials
    • Light demo hammer to make demolition easy
    • 12500 BTU space heater to help dry paint
    • Cordless hammer drill with dust extraction unit to fasten the kitchen in place with minimal dust
    • Airless sprayer to paint the room (watch our episode of EasyTV on how to use this machine here.)

     

     

    So who will rule the room next week, and who will come crashing down?  Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.  Keep your tools sharp and your hard hats on Blockheads!

    Nathan Mills portrait image
    Nathan Mills
    Nathan is a seasoned Kennards Hire team member passionate about empowering DIYers in their projects. He loves everything DIY and brings together years of equipment and project experience to help customers get the right tools for their next job.