Ah, hump week.
The halfway point of The Block is always an intense time for teams, but throw in a public holiday and the end of the spa challenge and you’ve got some seriously stressed Blockheads.
Unsurprisingly, everyone still has a lot to do come Saturday morning.
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In House 5, their worst flooring fears have come true.
There is not enough stock for both them and House 1 to have completed herringbone floors this week.
It’s either put a breaker board in or have an incomplete room.
Or, uh, strategically avoid putting floorboards where their couch will be so they can hide that there wasn’t enough and hope for the best.
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In House 2, Han and Can’s curved wall arches are causing problems.
The TV they selected won’t fit in the arch, meaning they have to scramble to swap it for a smaller size.
Can wonders what else could go wrong, and when will these contestants learn to NOT THINK SUCH THINGS.
Like clockwork, there’s another issue: their entertainment unit will also not fit in the arch.
We’re starting to think this arch is a problem!
After nine total wins, the other teams’ jealousy… oops, we mean frustration, at Robby and Mat’s success is getting to them.
Alicia and Britt have joined forces to create a ‘potion’ that will ensure the boys lose.
Look, it’s just a can of white paint but they are six weeks in to this highly stressful bubble so who are we to question whatever makes them feel better?
………Wait a minute.
WITCHES?!
Robby and Mat’s flooring Plan B has gone horribly wrong, leaving one half of their rumpus completely floorboardless.
“Whose fault is it?” Mat asks.
We’re scared. (Nine)
Of course, it’s soon Sunday morning and the typical last minute scramble.
Luckily, the boys have enough time to leave a rather sad message to the judges:
We’re not sure the judges will be sympathetic. (Nine)
Speaking of, tools down!
Time for our second room reveal of the week. Can Sonny and Alicia make it two from two? Will Han and Can avoid another ‘crime scene’? Is it finally Emma and Ben’s time?
There are only three people who can answer those questions for us. Bring on Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Marty Fox, and let’s get ready to… rum… pus?
Emma and Ben
These perpetual bridesmaids really, really want it to be their week, and they’ve tried to bring it home with a bold room that’s taken on the judges feedback.
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Darren does an excited clap upon entering and it’s clear that they’re much happier about this rumpus than their lounge!
”This is everything that we would’ve hoped for last week,” Shaynna agrees, saying the room feels like a hug.
In Pictures
Emma and Ben’s Rumpus
One judge declares “they got everything wrong”.
This is an “incredible” look and Marty can’t help but wish the rest of the house looked just like it.
It’s not all good though, and Darren has an inkling about what Shaynna’s about to say…
“I would’ve thought this would be a little more kid friendly,” she admits, as the rumpus sits in the same wing as their two kids’ bedrooms.
Plus, it turns out they took on last week’s feedback about their couch orientation TOO well… and Shaynna and Darren think they’ve circled right back to getting it wrong again.
But all the details, from the green ceiling to the artwork to the flooring (way to rub salt into Robby and Mat’s wounds!), have Shaynna singing their praises.
“There’s nothing I fault with their selection, even their styling, it is to perfection,” she gushes.
Darren points out all the sponsored selections, which make this great AND cost effective.
But strangely, the fact that they all love this room so much may be to Emma and Ben’s detriment in the long run.
“Because it’s so good, when a buyer walks through here they will walk into the main space and go ‘I wish that that area looked like this area,'” Marty says.
On this room alone, however, Darren declares “Emma and Ben are back, baby!”
Han and Can
Han and Can may have delivered a “crime scene” at the bathhouse this week, but they’re a lot more confident in their rumpus.
It’s an entertainer’s oasis and the judges are immediately struck by the acoustics… and the gigantic, comfy round couch!
In Pictures
Han and Can’s Rumpus
One detail “frustrates” Marty to no end.
They notice that the space seems to perfectly balance a number of things: firstly, layout wise, it nails being orientated towards both the TV and the view, and secondly it’s neither ‘too kiddy’ or ‘too adult’.
“It’s actually a room that the entire family can enjoy,” Marty says.
READ MORE: What actually is a rumpus room? The question everyone’s asking on The Block 2025 this week
“So from a marketing perspective this really hits every single person that will enjoy coming to stay at this house.”
There is a lot of craftsmanship in the room, from the fluting and arches on the walls to the panelling on the ceiling and looking around, Darren declares: “It’s bloody brilliant.”
However, Marty has one nitpick: the line down the middle of the wallpaper in the arches.
Although, that feedback is off-set by this…
“This is the best piece of furniture I’ve seen this Block, I want one!” he says of the couch.
Shaynna doesn’t like the styling on the arch shelves, but that’s her only gripe and luckily, the styling of the couch textiles and artwork is great.
“I think the application of colour, texture, everything we’ve been asking from them, they have delivered!”
Britt and Taz
House 3 have taken a big swing with their ‘wellness area’ rumpus, swapping couches for torture machines. Oops sorry, we mean reformers. Does the risk pay off?
….Immediately, no.
???? (Nine)
“Okay, it definitely doesn’t feel like we’re in a house right now,” Marty breaks the perplexed silence.
Shaynna’s issue is that the room is too niche.
In Pictures
Britt and Taz’s Rumpus
“This is a big mistake.”
With some seating, she could see the room being multipurpose but as it stands now, “the fridge is a big mistake”.
Poor Taz was so proud of that thing!
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”That’s saying this is the only thing it can be,” Shaynna explains. “That should be in a pool cabana, it should not be in here.”
Marty thinks buyers will be put off by House 3 having less living space than the rest and that this actually reduces the value of the home.
”They have to change this,” he claims.
Darren agrees.
“I would literally unscrew and untether every single piece of this and reinstall it in that shed,” he says.
While the room and inclusions are “absolutely beautiful”, they don’t belong in the house.
At HQ, Scotty asks what Britt and Taz will do.
“We’ll have a chat again with our real estate agent because this decision was in consoltation with a few people,” Britt says.
Watch this space!
Sonny and Alicia
Sonny and Alicia have not been going well at recent reveals, so they’ve thrown caution to the wind and colour-drenched their entire room in one colour.
A big call that has the judges very excited.
“It’s sick! This is what I’ve been looking to see all season. It’s so on trend and it’s so perfect for Daylesford,” Darren exclaims.
He is “besotted”.
In Pictures
Sonny and Alicia’s Rumpus
The couple try bold ‘colour drenching’.
Ever the contrarion, Marty wonders if it’s so on trend that it’ll be completely out of trend shortly.
“Oh mate, it’s only paint!” Darren disagrees.
Shaynna is Team Darren, thinking it’s “perfect”.
The one colour “envolopes” and makes it feel like a larger space than it is.
Marty is still unconvinced, as he thinks the very white elements – like the light switch and air conditioning grill – stand out too much.
Darren actually agrees and thinks Sonny and Alicia should’ve spray painted those the same colour as well.
If they’d done that, this would be a perfect room in his mind!
Although, Shaynna can find one more flaw: the empty picture frames.
Otherwise, they all agree that this is a hige improvement from Sonny and Alicia’s last place living and dining.
“It’s right. It’s right for the location, it’s right for the façade and it’s absolutely right for what I’m seeing outside,” Darren says.
“This to me is the most quintessential Daylesford room that I’ve seen thus far.”
Robby and Mat
Robby and Mat had a different strategy for this week: take out the CommBank $10,000 for the best managed budget, rather than go big and aim for the room win.
Although, they still would’ve preferred NOT to leave the judges an apology note on their bare floor.
It reads: “Sorry this was out of our control 🙁 Robby + Mat <3.”
Nice try boys but the judges aren’t buying it and come down hard on the boys for the excuses.
“How when you’re managing the project? It’s in your full control,” Marty questions.
In Pictures
Robby and Mat’s Rumpus
Last week’s winners try a new strategy…and it brutally backfires.
Although Darren can see the silver lining: “On the week when things don’t go your way, at least you weren’t going to win anyway.”
Sheesh!
That opens the floodgates for a roast.
“It’s not inviting, it’s not warm, it’s not Daylesford, it’s covered in ferns,” Marty agrees.
That hits a nerve with Shaynna!
“Stop putting a little tiny plant in every corner!” she says, as she angrily counts them around the room.
“All the styling is wrong, the colour scheme is wrong,” she continues, labelling the room “terrible”.
Scotty continues to read the feedback and it does not get any nicer: “Marty says ‘this room has zero emotion, it sucks!'”
It looks and feels low emotion – and has nothing distinctly Daylesford about it.
“This house is now becoming just a house,” Marty says.
At HQ, Scotty delivers a knockout blow: “This is the worst room you have delivered,” he reads.
He starts to reveal the scores and what’s this?!
Gasp! (Nine)
Darren gives Han and Can a 10! In fact, it’s almost two as Marty gives them an oh-so-close nine and three-quarters.
With scores like that, the girls take out the win by a point… and a quarter? Marty and his odd scores!
The final scores are:
Emma and Ben: 28
Han and Can: 29.25
Britt and Taz: 20.5
Sonny and Alicia: 27.5
Robby and Mat: 18
At least the boys plan all along was to get the CommBank money, right?!
…Oh no.
Emma and Ben finally secure themselves some cash, with the budget prize softening the blow of yet another second place finish.
Now get ready, because next up is one of the most exciting of all! It’s Kitchen Week, baby!
From nifty applicances to a break down or three, it’s time to turn up the heat.
The Block airs Sunday at 7pm and continues Monday to Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Stream every episode ever of The Block for free on 9Now.
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