The Block judge Darren Palmer has revealed why this week’s living room reveals left him more frustrated than almost any he can remember – and it all came down to one surprisingly simple design mistake. With Mount Eliza‘s views unfolding beyond enormous windows and terraces, they were handed arguably their biggest opportunity yet in week five: the chance to design living, dining and alfresco spaces around the multi-million-dollar views that will ultimately help sell these homes.
Instead, almost every team pointed their living room towards the television. Speaking exclusively to Home Beautiful after judging, Darren Palmer explained why the decision bothered him so much. He said, “The orientation should be to serve best amenity everyday as well as selling the main benefits of the house, and this season we have the best selling point you can get with those million dollar views.”
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Living Room Reveal Mistakes
Darren Palmer‘s frustration was obvious during judging. Scotty Cam later relayed to the contestants that “Darren couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this p*ed off.” And he had good reason to be. After weeks of bathrooms, bedrooms and walk-in-robes, living and dining week was the first real chance to see how each team’s design choices would translate into the expansive communal spaces buyers will actually spend much of their time in.
With enormous windows framing treetops – and, for some houses, glimpses towards the ocean, the judges couldn’t understand why the view had been treated as secondary to a television. There were still some beautiful moments. Fireplaces, natural stone, soft colour palettes and seriously impressive outdoor entertaining areas gave us plenty to love.
Team Performances
Adam and Jolene finally had their moment, taking out their first room reveal win of the season. Their living and dining room felt like a reminder of just how good they can be when everything comes together. The judges immediately responded to the warmth of the space, from the beautiful Christian Cole dining table to the fireplace, stone detailing and layered styling.
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Lisa and Roscoe didn’t win the room, but judges loved how they zoned the alfresco area. Their soft colour palette felt warm and considered, while the fireplace helped anchor the enormous open-plan room. Then the judges stepped outside. Lisa and Rosco‘s alfresco was divided into distinct cooking, dining and lounging zones, turning what could easily have become one giant expanse of outdoor furniture into somewhere you’d genuinely want to spend all afternoon.
Courtney and Sev may have placed third overall, but they arguably delivered the alfresco of the day. Their outdoor layout was so successful that the judges were compelled to actually sit down and take in the treetop outlook, which feels like a pretty good test of whether an outdoor living area works. Inside was a different story. The judges felt that, in a multi-million-dollar Mount Eliza property with sweeping ocean views, the TV had been given prime position at the expense of something far more special.
Design Mistakes and Lessons
Darren Palmer was particularly frustrated by the layout: “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills! I don’t understand how you can be gifted the best opportunity of any Block that we’ve ever had in 22 seasons, which is ‘outlooks to ocean’, and then think: ‘I’m going to make everything about a television!'” He explained further to us how badly they went wrong: “You can buy a TV and put it in any house. You can literally only buy these views from houses that have them available. Orienting a room toward a TV rather than the view misses the unique opportunity these houses present.”
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Rick and Tayla had an enormous week, with Rick being ordered off site after a knee infection required antibiotics and an overnight hospital stay. Considering the circumstances, what they delivered was impressive. Their alfresco came complete with an outdoor sink, premium barbecue and, because why not? – Tayla‘s slushie machine.
Chantel and Wyatt came crashing back down to earth with a living space the judges found cold, empty and far too vanilla for a home at this price point. Shaynna wasn’t impressed by the carnations or the overall lack of sophistication, while Marty pointed out one fairly major design problem.
