November 10, 2024

The Block 2023 room reveals: Leah and Ash’s front yard and facade

Leah #Leah

It was a tough final week for Leah and Ash personally as the couple suffered the loss of their family dog, however they pushed through to try and claim the Mustang that they’ve had their eye on for weeks.

Saving their gnome proved to be a stroke of genius, securing them the win and the car.

Points: 38

Judges comments

“How impressive” – Marty.

“How impressive is that wall, how impressive is that architecture, how impressive is that car” – Darren.

“I’ve never seen that before” – Marty on the 3D fence.

“The moment you walk into this property you just feel that there’s so much thinking, so much finesse, but it’s not overdone, it is understated luxury” – Marty.

“Now the planting here, come auction time… all of this is going to be in bloom” – Dave.

“This is an old school style landscape” – Dave.

“This takes me back to my childhood” – Shaynna on the wall mural in the garage.

“This flooring just compliments what is outside so much better…” – Marty.

“What an explosion of colour” – Shaynna on the entryway.

“Look at that light, it is just fabulous. What a beautiful space” – Darren.

“For me this is the cherry on top of a crazy party cake” – Marty.

“There will be buyers who will walk into this house and just say ‘I’ve got to have it,’ because it’s so different from the others” – Marty.

“We haven’t seen anything like this on The Block before” – Shaynna.

Leah and Ash completed house. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash staircase. Credit: Channel Nine

Week 11 – Backyard and pool

It was another week of drama for Leah and Ash, and after a clash with their neighbours Kyle and Leslie, Leah did manage to pull off her Camerich order and fit out her backyard the way she wanted. And all the drama paid off big time for them with the judges loving the yard, the layout and the design choices they made.

Points: 37.5

Spend: $46,360

Judges comments:

“It’s very calming, those beautiful areas, it’s got that whimsical sort of pathway over to the fire pit… it’s pretty good and we’re just only on the back deck” – Dave.

“The only thing that I would’ve liked to see is some heating” – Darren.

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“How beautiful is the outlook here?!” – Shaynna.

“This is a perfect example of when landscape design meets the architecture of the house” – Dave.

“You can see buyers lining up” – Marty.

“There’s no wasted space, look at where the glass balustrade is” – Marty.

“This is so liveable” – Marty.

“This material palette, the forms, the colour… I think I’m besotted again” – Darren.

“This is one of those houses, no buyer will walk in and leave this outdoor area without actually loving it” – Marty.

Leah and Ash’s backyard brought the wow-factor. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash’s pool area was also a big hit. Credit: Channel Nine

Week 10 – Upstairs bathroom and redo room

Leah and Ash chose to redo their work from home space and convert it into a bedroom. Despite another week of interpersonal drama for Leah, their rooms were a massive hit with the judges.

The judges loved their decision to create another bedroom in the house, especially with how spacious it is.

Points: 27

Spend: $26,118

Judges comments:

“Hallelujah” – Darren on their redo room.

“It was of a different era, it didn’t match the house” – Shaynna.

“This is perfect” – Shaynna.

“Presenting it as a bedroom obviously is a very sensible thing to do, but it’s also a very generous bedroom, it’s quite a stately size. I love it, I absolutely love it” – Neale.

“I really love it” – Shaynna on their bathroom.

“We have horizontal towel rails, for the first time in any bathroom this season” – Darren.

“They look like sort of public drinking fountains” – Neale on the basins.

“I love them” – Darren.

“It functions beautifully, but it also looks gorgeous and it fits the rest of the house” – Darren.

Leah and Ash converted their WFH space to a bedroom. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash’s upstairs bathroom. Credit: Channel Nine

Week 9 – Upstairs bathroom and redo room

As parents of three children themselves, Leah and Ash really thought about what would be fun and playful for kids in their rooms this week. The rock climbing wall was a huge hit with the judges, as well as the stage area featuring a disco ball and curtain.

While narrowly missing out on the win this week, they did secure a secret gnome from Marty’s kids and an extra $10,000.

Points: 28

Spend: $21,912

Judges comments:

“I really like this, really, really like this” – Darren.

“This is pretty cool, the colours of this is that sense of joy and fun and energy” – Shaynna.

“They haven’t broken the bank either” – Marty.

“This is one of those rooms that a lot of kids will love, and how well will this market?” – Marty.

“These are two kids’ rooms on high energy… it’s just good fun” – Shaynna.

“If this was to be long term, this bed would be out straight away” – Marty on the inclusion of the daybed.

The rock climbing wall was the talk of The Block this week. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash brought the disco in their second kids’ bedroom. Credit: Channel Nine

Week 8 – Master Ensuite

It was a week of drama and reflection for Leah and Ash, with a lot of interpersonal issues playing out with their friends Kristy and Brett. But when it came to their master ensuite, the couple pulled off an impressive room. Their finishing choices were polarising and the judges felt they were somewhat juvenile.

Points: 23.5

Spend: $26,014

Judges comments:

“I love the proportions in here” – Darren.

“It’s cavernous, that shower!” – Shaynna.

“I just find the styling is so child-like that it takes it down a notch” – Shaynna.

“What I do like is that the proportion issues we’ve seen in the bedroom and the walk-in seem to be a bit more balanced here. I feel that this space actually elevates the rest of the master bedroom”- Marty.

Leah and Ash’s ensuite had some winning elements. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash’s ‘cavernous’ shower. Credit: Channel Nine

Week 7 – Kitchen and Laundry

Leah and Ash have the smallest kitchen space on The Block this year. After initially deciding to delete the butler’s pantry, they decided to reintroduce it, and unfortunately it didn’t pay off for them with the judges. While they loved the aesthetic, they thought having the butler’s pantry was a mistake given the size of their kitchen.

Points: 23.5

Spend: $22,083

Judges comments:

“This aesthetic they’ve chosen for themselves not only is it polarising but it’s interesting” – Neale.

“Besotted, everything in here is bold and courageous” – Darren.

“Is this enough island bench for a multi, multi million dollar home?” – Darren.

“I think it’s a disadvantage to this house to have a laundry that is so snug where you have to walk through that bathroom to get to it” – Neale.

Leah and Ash’s kitchen. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash kitchen. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash’s laundry. Credit: Channel Nine

Week 6 – Master bedroom and walk-in robe

The Block’s Leah and Ash undertook a massive experiment in their master bedroom with a ‘very large curved ceiling’. After managing to pull it off, the judges were definitely big fans. However, the couple’s styling choices for these rooms left them scratching their heads.

Points: 23 ½

Spend: $32,371

Judges comments:

“How good is that!” – Marty.

“That is art” – Darren on the ceiling.

“I think last week they sold the dream… whereas this is not so much selling the dream, it’s saying we are eclectic.”

“This is where all the work came unstuck”- Shaynna on the walk in robe.

“It feels dramatic and it feels expensive” – Darren on the walk-in robe.

Leah and Ash’s master bedroom. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash’s walk-in robe. Credit: Channel Nine

Week 5 – Living and Dining

Leah and Ash chose to switch their living and dining spaces around, and went ‘full throttle’ with their design, and it certainly paid off. The judges loved the polarising nature of this team’s design, their boldness and confidence in their design choices.

Points: 29

Spend: $38,209

Judges comments:

“Woah! This just hits you between the eyes” – Shaynna.

“It’s f*ing phenomenal” – Shaynna.

“This is so hot” – Darren.

“I love it, I absolutely love it. But let’s be honest, it’s polarising” – Neale

“These guys are next level” – Shaynna.

“We have never seen this aesthetic on The Block before”

Leah and Ash’s living room. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash’s dining room. Credit: Channel Nine

Week 4 – Downstairs Bathroom

The Block’s Leah and Ash had a turbulent week with some clashes with trades people and changing their floor plan, but they made it through and it definitely paid off. The judges loved their downstairs bathroom this week, but there are some concerns about their overall cost effectiveness and budget as the competition progresses.

Points: 27 +1

Spend: $25,389

Judges comments:

“It’s tonal, it feels luxurious. I love that herringbone pattern” – Darren.

“They’re consistent in their use of stone, and that quality is now really evident. Every room that we’re going through has that element of featured marble” – Marty.

“I think they’re giving themselves a little bit of leeway which is really making me feel a lot more comfortable” – Shaynna on the floor plan.

Leah and Ash won the judges over with their downstairs bathroom. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash’s downstairs bathroom. Credit: Channel Nine

Week 3 – Work From Home

Points: 22.5

Spend: $37,586

Judges comments:

“We know you copped it the worst, you could have been defeatist about it, but you kept going and that is a credit to you both… this is glamourzon” – Shaynna

“This is a really big swing… we said go bold again, and it’s definitely bold”- Darren.

“They’re in a family area and we don’t have one single bedroom on the ground floor… they’re sitting in a lane that’s very dangerous” – Marty.

Leah and Ash’s bold work from home space didn’t win the judges over. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash took a big swing with this room. Credit: Channel Nine

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Week 2 – Guest Bedroom

Points: 21

Spend: $20,219

Judges comments:

“It’s a really odd placement of furniture, we’ve got 5 side tables, we have 2 chairs and no one can talk to each other” – Shaynna

“This is giving me, no offence to you, like a real estate show room kind of vibes.”- Darren

“The pull down Murphy bed is actually the wrong choice.” – Darren.

Leah and Ash’s guest room furniture choices confused the judges. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash’s guest bedroom. Credit: Channel Nine

Click here to see our full coverage of The Block 2023.

Week 1 – Guest Bathroom

Points: 24.5

Spend: $19,484

Judges comments:

“Like I’m in a nightclub… there’s a lot going on” – Marty.

“I love it! I love the details in here” – Darren.

“I absolutely love love love… but it can be polarising, to me I keep thinking I hope you know your market.” – Shaynna

Leah and Ash’s design choices took the judges by surprise. Credit: Channel Nine

Leah and Ash’s guest bathroom. Credit: Channel Nine

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