The Block NZ recap: dining in style

03 Aug 2017

"Remember – kitchens sell homes!" Host Mark Richardson wasted no time reminding The Block NZ teams that the pressure was on, as the kitchen and dining room reveals loomed last week. While Ling and Zing stepped up their game, it was the twins Julia and Ali who impressed judges the most, winning the week's room reveal. 

Ling & Zing

The judges' first impression walking into Ling and Zing's kitchen and dining room was: "Are we in the wrong house?" They loved the use of textures and mixture of the different wood, and the glossy cabinets made the space really interesting – it gave a nice sophistication to the room.

They also thought their choice of benchtop was spot on. It had a lovely matte finish and the island was a great practical working space. The LED lighting was a real hit, and it was also nice to finally see some styling.

Overall, the judges said great job – it's the best room Ling and Zing have done so far.

Get the look: Walls painted in Resene Alabaster, using Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom. The ceiling is painted in Resene Alabaster, using SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

Chairs, dining table and bar stools from Freedom. 

Andy & Nate

The judges loved the black cabinetry in Andy and Nate's kitchen, and thought the wooden detail was clever. Their choice of benchtop was also really good and added luxury to the space.

But the tile choice for the splashback let the space down a little.

"When you choose a black kitchen. You need to be clever with the materials you choose to reflect the light," said one of the judges.

Their advice? Use a glossy tile for the splashback instead.

The judges felt the choice of flooring tiles didn't really work with the kitchen either, and the dining table felt a little too rustic for the sleek design of the kitchen.
On the plus side, the pantry size is fantastic and the speakers were a good choice from an entertaining point of view.

Overall, they said the execution was good, the functionality was great, but the space didn't really match the rest of the house.

Get the look: Walls painted in Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Flat Kitchen & Bathroom. Ceiling painted in Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, using SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom.

Cutlery, glassware, table mats and candles from Freedom.  

Julia & Ali

A cohesive and well-thought out design that isn't predictable - what a wonderful surprise! These were the judges' first thoughts of Julia and Ali's winning kitchen and dining room. 

The use of materials was much better this week, with a beautiful Caesarstone benchtop and wood cupboards, working really well with the brass and tiles on the splashback.

The judges commended them on creating a very functional space, with lots of storage and a scullery to dump stuff out of sight. And having an extra sink and a bar fridge is a big plus. 

They liked the skylights that brought in plenty of natural light, as well as the dining room set up - the comfy chairs and the wooden table coordinated well with the kitchen. As for the neon feature light, they thought it was really creative.

Overall, the judges said great job, a real step up from last week, and it will be a great selling point on auction day.

Get the look: Walls and ceiling painted in Resene White Linen, using Resene SpaceCote Flat.

Cutlery, crockery, glassware, dining chairs and bar stools from Freedom. 

Stace & Yanita

The most colourful kitchen on The Block NZ this year, Stace and Yanita impressed judges with a really good looking, clean and modern kitchen. 

"Your decision to change the window was fantastic. You've added more storage, and solved the potential privacy issue. So well done," said one of the judges. 

However, they did feel the design with the island was a little odd. Having stools on both sides to create a sitting area seemed strange, when the dining room was so close. They felt it would have been wiser to have extra storage on the kitchen side of the island and stools on just the dining side. There was also a lack of power sockets in the kitchen for small appliances. 

They did like the LED feature lighting in the skylights, which created some ambiance in the space. Their choice of kitchen cabinetry also made the space feel really light.

Overall, the judges said the lack of sockets and the way they designed the kitchen island didn't hit the functionality part of the brief... but it's still a good looking kitchen and dining space.

Get the look: Walls painted in Resene Half Black White and Resene St Kilda, using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Ceiling painted in Resene Half Black White.

Custom blinds, wall clock, lantern, crockery, custom curtains and chairs from Freedom. 

Catch The Block NZ on Three every Sunday at 7pm, and Mon-Wed 7.30pm.

Published: 03 Aug 2017