The Block 2023 room reveals: Steph and Gian’s backyard and pool

After another emotional week for Steph and Gian with the passing of Gian’s grandfather, they were hoping to blow the judges away. The couple had the biggest backyard space on The Block this year, and also the biggest budget. The couple threw a big chunk of change at the space to create three distinct ‘zones’ throughout the backyard and the judges absolutely loved it.

Points: 38

Spend: $71,704

Judges comments:

“What an amazing add-on to this house”- Darren on the decking space.

“I wanna swear. I want to swear because this is so f-ing good!” – Shaynna.

“The tree that they’ve got, the planting, the pool” – Marty.

“With these blinds, with this table, problem solved. If there was ever a debate, this debate is over” – on whether the couple should have changed the layout to move the kitchen.

“I feel like I’m on a rooftop in Beverly Hills, it feels elegant, it feels classy” – Shaynna.

“This is a family home, this is ticking all the boxes for this location and for particularly this price point” – Marty.

“This is transformative for the suburb” – Marty.

“This has been well thought out, this is a gardeners garden” – Dave.

“This is a five-bidder plus auction… I can categorically say you would have five plus bidders in two weeks time. That’s how good of a product this is” – Marty.

“I would say this is absolutely the perfect backyard” – Darren.

Steph and Gian backyard was a massive hit. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian managed to create another living space in their backyard. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian backyard ticked all the boxes. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Week 10 – Upstairs bathroom and redo room

Steph and Gian took on their ‘jack and jill’ bathroom, and decided to redo their master ensuite that judge Marty Fox ‘hated.’ And for them this week was described as “action packed.” The changes they made to their master ensuite made the judges feel very comfortable, though the lack of face-level storage was a sticking point.

Points: 26

Spend: $28,603

Judges comments:

“I love it” – Neale on the redo bathroom.

“This venetian plaster just makes it sing… this feels like I am in some incredible high-end resort day spa” – Shaynna.

“To not have face-level storage does not make sense to me” – Shaynna.

Story continues

“This beautiful marble, the same colour vanity as what we just saw in the new ensuite… the texture in the tiles, the texture in the venetian tiles” – Shaynna.

“This is glorious, it’s really, really impressive” – Darren.

“It’s the most luxurious kids bathroom I’ve ever seen… but they’ve got a eye on when the kids are no longer kids” – Neale.

“How do you think the kids are going to go with that glass door” – Shaynna.

“Yes mood lighting is important, but you’ve got to have functional lighting, especially when you’ve got kids” – Shaynna.

Steph and Gian’s upstairs bathroom. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s redo room. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

After coming last in master ensuite week, the couple felt a lot of pressure to smash the kids’ rooms out of the park.

After seeking a lot of advice from everyone on The Block, boy did Steph and Gian deliver. The judges scored them a perfect week, loving every aspect of the two rooms they created.

Points: 30

Spend: $25,580

Judges comments:

“You can just see the thought that has been put into this” – Marty.

“Diamonds are made under pressure, this is one shimmering diamond. This is probably the most sophisticated kids’ bedroom we’ve seen thus far, it is absolutely chic as heck”- Darren.

“It has the consistency, the architectural detailing, the way that they’ve done their feature lighting in most rooms, their colour palette. They have nailed this room” – Marty.

“They’ve done it again”- Marty upon entering the second room.

“I love this room so much” – Darren.

Steph and Gian knocked the judges’ socks off this week. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

The swing was a unique and well-received choice. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian second room delivered the goods. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Week 8 – Master Ensuite

It was a week of winning for Steph and Gian, taking out the massive $50,000 Domain challenge after receiving the most votes from potential buyers. However, putting too much of their time and energy into the challenge, cost them when it came to their master ensuite. The judges were not a fan of their design choices or the amount of space the room offered.

Points: 21

Spend: $31,753

Judges comments:

“There is a definite consistent aesthetic” – Shaynna.

“I love this wall paneling” – Darren.

“I’ve been on the Steph and Gian train for a long time and I’m jumping off at this stop… It’s cold, it’s harsh… I hate it, I honestly feel like I’m in a quarantine facility” – Marty.

“It lacks soul… It just doesn’t work, it doesn’t feel right” – Shaynna.

“This doesn’t function as well as it should” – Darren.

Steph and Gian ensuite was not a hit with the judges this week. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s ensuite. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Week 7 – Kitchen and Laundry

Kitchen week was crunch time for Steph and Gian, after they made the bold move to swap the location of their existing kitchen back in week two. As the overall look came together, changing the location of the kitchen did pay off with the judges, who loved the aesthetic. However, the good news ended there. All three of them had issues with the kitchen’s functionality. With minimal storage space in the actual kitchen, having pots and plates in the butler’s pantry did not sit well with the judges.

Points: 22

Spend: $25,304

Judges comments:

“I keep thinking in my mind she’s only 26, in 10 years she‘s going to be phenomenal with all that life experience behind her” – Shaynna on Steph’s design skills.

“This marble top is divine…I can’t knock one aesthetic look” – Shaynna.

“Aesthetically it’s absolutely exquisite” – Neale.

“It’s doing all of the functional work that the main kitchen should be doing” – Darren on the butler’s pantry.

“Beautifully dysfunctional” – Neale.

Steph and Gian kitchen. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s butler’s pantry. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s laundry. Credit: Channel nine (Channel Nine)

Week 6 – Master bedroom and walk-in robe

Steph and Gian were challenged with the biggest master bedroom and walk-in robe in the history of The Block, and the week was ‘a lot’ for them. It certainly paid off, with the winning rooms of the week, the size and use of the space blew the judges away.

Points: 29 – WINNER

Spend: $44,064

Judge’s comments:

“Some people don’t have kitchen island benches as big as this” – Shaynna on the island in their walk-in robe.

“This could be put in any home at $20 million plus”- Marty on their walk-in robe.

“Look at the size of this” – Marty on the master bedroom.

“Cathedral-like” – Darren.

“This is hot” – Shaynna.

Steph and Gian’s master bedroom. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s walk-in robe. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Week 5 – Living and Dining

The Block’s Steph and Gian chose to change the layout of their house, putting their dining room where the architect proposed the kitchen should be. Tensions were running high throughout the week, and there was a lot to do in the final hours of the week, but they made it to the finish line.

The judges were worried about the couple’s floor plan change, and believe only time will tell for them if it was the right choice.

Points: 25 ½

Spend: $31,739

Judges comments:

“Steph is clearly flexing her muscles as an architect.”

“Why would you necessarily do this?” – Neale.

“She has over-styled this, I don’t understand” – Shaynna.

“There’s too much of everything, it’s feeling almost like a retail space here. Are we in a home or are we in a store?” – Neale.

“I like almost everything about this” – Darren on the living room.

Steph and Gian’s dining space. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s living room. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Week 4 – Downstairs Bathroom

After winning two weeks in a row of The Block 2023, Steph and Gian had a ‘rollercoaster’ of a week. They decided to do a powder room rather than including a shower. The ‘wow-factor’ of their stone vanity really was the talking piece of the room, but the layout was a sticking point because of the placement of the toilet.

Points: 25

Spend: $24,854

Judges comments:

“Wow look at that… that is off the charts” – Shaynna on the stone vanity.

“It’s a really interesting mix of something you think is more traditional farmhouse-y with something that’s super classy and contemporary”- Darren.

The stone vanity was a major wow-factor this week. Credit Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s downstairs bathroom. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Week 3 – Work From Home

Points: 26.5

Spend: $22,381

Judges comments: “I love the commitment to the beams, I’m sold on them… It’s pretty amazing.” – Shaynna

“I’m not sold, they’re [the beams] very obtrusive, it feels like it brings the ceiling lower.” – Darren

“Everything else is cracking” – Darren.

“They’re just absolutely on top of their game” – Marty.

The judges were loving everything bar the beams in this room. Credit: Channel Nine. (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s work from home space. Credit Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

RELATED:

Week 2 – Guest Bedroom

Points: 24.5

Spend: $22,921

Judges comments:

“For more it works really well as a guest bedroom, somebody staying in this house for a night or two would love to be in here…This is the smallest room by a mile, but yet look how good we feel in it” – Marty.

“I feel like she has put the right level of architect, the right level of contestant and the right level of warmth and understanding the market… I love it”- Shaynna.

The judges loved the feel of this room. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s guest bedroom. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Click here to see our full coverage of The Block 2023. (Love The Block? Don’t miss our exclusive coverage and interviews)

Week 1 – Guest Bathroom

Points: 20.5.

Spend: $21,895

Judges comments:

“Love that vanity, love the basin, love the tap choice,” Darren said. However he was not impressed by the beams across the ceiling. “Those beams, nup, no, it’s a dogs breakfast, it’s a mess, it’s at all different levels. I know it’s supposed to look rustic, but it doesn’t look rustic, it looks unfinished.”

“A buyer will not walk in here and go ‘I love these old rustic beams'” – Marty

The exposed beams were a sticking point in this room. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Steph and Gian’s guest bathroom. Credit: Channel Nine (Channel Nine)

Never miss a thing. Sign up to Yahoo Lifestyle’s daily newsletter.

Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@yahooinc.com.