Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Home Beautiful
Home Beautiful
Rebecca Hooton

5 reasons Courtney and Grant won front yard week on The Block

As the final day working on The Block front yards and facades came to an end, there were mixed emotions from the contestants. Some were sad, others couldn’t wait for it to be over, but all should feel proud to be completing the multimillion dollar renovations of the formerly tired resort villas. The front gardens and facades are the final reveal of the three-month-long series.

The previous week’s show-stopping backyards and pools included every feature you could wish for in a Phillip Island holiday home, which impressed the judges but also drained the budgets. It left some teams having to go with more simplistic front yard designs, yet there was one couple who began Week 12 with plenty to spend. Having scored two 10s and a win in Week 11, Courtney and Grant added $30k to their front yard and facade budget. 

While their luxuriously large allowance gave them an advantage, it was the couple’s strong design vision that meant they executed a tasteful and elevated space out the front of their Moditerranean house. There are plenty of things people get wrong about street appeal, but landscaping business manager Grant and furniture designer Courtney avoided all of these.

“That looks lush and expensive.”

Darren Palmer
Courtney and Grant's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
Courtney and Grant’s winning front yard and facade includes three architectural arbours and lilly pillies lining the wide entrance path. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

They scored 38 out of 40 from The Block judges Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Marty Fox, with landscaping expert Dave Franklin joining as a guest judge. They had best mates Ricky and Haydn hot on their heels, scoring 36.5 out of 40 for a fun front yard complete with fuchsia doors and kitsch flamingo statue. Yet it was Courtney and Grant who won the Ford Mustang Mach-e top prize. Here are five of their smartest decisions.

  • Focus on street appeal: The appearance of the facade from the street was front-of-mind throughout the planning stages for Courtney and Grant. They considered the experience of the home from the moment it’s first seen from the road.
  • Splurge tastefully: The pair’s budget was allocated to custom pieces that make for a million-dollar first impression. Three architectural arbours were placed along an extra-wide travertine entry path, which leads to a custom timber front door.
  • Invest in softscaping: While any landscaping budget is quickly sucked up by hardscaping such as paths, walls, patios and fire pits, it’s important to save enough for softscaping to balance the harsh lines and sharp edges. A selection of around 150 plants made for a lush display at Courtney and Grant’s, including lilly pillies lining the entrance, which will grow into a magnificent hallway of green.
  • Seating zone included: A place to sit and relax increases the usability of this space. A patio off the main suite of Courtney and Grant’s place was framed with arbours and planting for privacy. 
  • Consistent inside and out: The pair have not deviated from their design ethos from day one, sprinkling their Moditerranean aesthetic through every room. Their facade is no different, with a feature olive tree and travertine tiles that are in sync with the interiors. 
Courtney and Grant's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
The expansive front yard was a continuation of the Modern Mediterranean-style interiors and included a patio with seating off the main suite. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

All of The Block 2024 front yards and facades

This is how the teams scored in the Week 12 reveals.

1st place: Courtney and Grant

From the dream entry with custom door to lush planting, it’s easy to see why this front garden and facade won. “It’s warm, it’s cosy, it’s rich,” said Marty. “Audibly, it’s insane. You can hear those amazing water features.” The exterior was clad in James Hardie Linea Weatherboard in Lexicon, with black trim. “We have black and white in stark contrast here,” noted Darren. “The thing that makes it soft is we have sandstone and limestone and this beautiful soft aggregate.”   

Courtney and Grant's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
The patio featured an outdoor dining table and stools with armchairs and potted olive trees. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

With a bigger budget to work with, Courtney and Grant could afford plenty of plants, which were chosen carefully. “This is definitely a plan that they’ve thought about,” said landscaping expert Dave. “They haven’t just gone, ‘Rightio we’re going to put plants here.'” The other judges agreed that this couple have seen the bigger pictured from the very beginning. “They’ve absolutely had a vision from day one that they have delivered on every single week,” said Darren.

“It’s still my favourite house on The Block, and they’ve finished it with style.”

Darren Palmer
Courtney and Grant's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
Travertine steppers led to the patio off the main suite. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

The Moditerranean aesthetic came through in everything from the foliage to furniture and materials used throughout. “They’ve delivered something that will inspire Australians for the next few years in a style that we haven’t seen before, so it’s a massive congratulations to them,” said Shaynna.

Score: 38/40 (Winners of the Ford Mustang Mach-e)

Courtney and Grant's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
The garage was simple, with shelving, tools and the surfboard they designed earlier in the season. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

2nd place: Ricky and Haydn

A bright pink front door and garage were daring, but also perfectly on theme for this “fun house” by the boys. “Not only have they got the biggest palm tree, they’ve got the boat that they won and the brightest, pinkest garage door we have ever seen,” said Shaynna. The 21-metre tall palm tree took a full day to install and a fair chunk of the budget, but it made an impression. “What a statement piece,” said Marty.

Ricky and Haydn's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
A fuchsia front door and garage was paired with James Hardie Stria Cladding in Vintage Linen. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

With relaxed beach vibes and palm tree wallpaper inside, the front yard fit well with the interiors. “They ran with the palm tree theme,” said Darren. “We’ve said over and over again about this house, that it’s not chic but it’s fun. This is both. This is actually really inviting, its sophisticated, it’s elegant.”

Ricky and Haydn's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
The planter boxes in the entertaining area are self-watering. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

The side of the house had been decked out with a dining space, lounges and self-sustained planter boxes full of produce. “This is an entertainer’s delight,” said Darren. “Without a landscaper, they’ve done exceptionally,” added Dave.

Ricky and Haydn's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
There were multiple seating and cooking areas in the boys’ side garden. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

The boat the boys won earlier in the season sat outside a garage with fishing rods and a race car scene on one of the walls. “Does this scream a bloke’s garage or what?” said Shaynna.

Score: 36.5/40

Ricky and Haydn's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
It was a garage perfect for holiday makers. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

3rd place: Kristian and Mimi

Landscaper Tom Lovett loaned out his own boat to demonstrate one of House 5’s biggest selling points to the judges. “I brought my boat to show them this is another storage spot to park a boat or a caravan,” Tom explained. The fact that Mimi and Kristian already had a large palm tree was also a big win. “We’ve got the second biggest palm tree here, which looks fantastic upstairs, looking underneath there. It’s a little bit of privacy,” Dave pointed out.

Mimi and Kristian's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
Mimi and Kristian borrowed landscaper Tom Lovett’s boat for their reveal. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

As part of the facade, Mimi and Kristian revealed their completed upstairs balcony. “I love the elevation here and the fact you can be King of the Castle and see out over the block,” said Shaynna. “I’m loving the stone here. I love the fact they have these pots here and it gives you privacy, but I have to say they’ve got the layout wrong.”

Mimi and Kristian's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
There were a lot of tables and chairs on Mimi and Kristian’s balcony, but not a lot of play space. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

It was noted that the fire pit was an unusual choice for the space and a built-in fireplace would have been better, yet budget constraints didn’t allow for that. Making this the main entertaining area with the $30,000 barbecue they won earlier in the season left little room for youngsters to play. “In every other house, there’s a connection to a space where kids can run around and be outdoors. That’s not it here,” said Darren.

Mimi and Kristian's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
The fire pit perplexed the judges, as it seemed more suitable for an open outdoor space. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

The garage was beautifully styled, but they left one of the walls unpainted with the bricks exposed.

Score: 31.5/40

Mimi and Kristian's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
The styling in the garage was nice, but unnecessary. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

4th place: Maddy and Charlotte

A smaller budget meant Maddy and Charlotte went with a pared-back front garden design. They hoped the judges would see it as a positive and low-maintenance for holiday makers. The simplicity was noticed, and landscaping expert Dave would have liked to see more. “They’ve got one of the existing palm trees, but it feels like it’s on its own,” he said. “Front yard, it’s nice. Does it need a bit of something else? I think it does.”

Maddy and Charlotte's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
Landscaper Dave thought the potted arthropodiums should have been swapped for a plant variety that would grow taller to match the grandeur of the entry. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

“What an entry, look at that height,” said Marty. Given the expanse of space, Darren thought it could have become more of a feature with the use of lighting. “They’re luxurious spaces where you have empty voids and you do something with them. Evidently there are budget constraints,” he mused. The expanse of lawn would be perfect for cricket and they did have a small deck with armchairs.

A small deck was styled with outdoor armchairs. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

With grooved panelling on the walls and plenty of well-organised storage, the garage made a good impression. “This is one of the best styled garages I’ve ever seen on The Block,” said Darren.

Score: 31/40

Maddy and Charlotte's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
The garage was practical and well executed. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

5th place: Kylie and Brad

With personal dramas unfolding, Kylie and Brad still managed to complete their front garden and facade with some highlights. “We’ve got the coastal planting. All of this will grow in,” said Dave. “We’ve got the banksias and the lilly pillies. All of this put together will give you a nice entrance, and you’ve got to love the round steppers. That’s very architectural.”

Kylie and Brad's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
Kylie and Brad had some strong details, such as the round steppers. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

“The circles are a really lovely balance against all the angles of these butterfly houses, because there are lots of sharp points and sharp angles,” Darren noted. “Then you’ve got the softness of the curve here, played out again with the mirror here, played out again with the door handles. It’s nice, I like that repetition.”

Kylie and Brad's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
The barbecue bench was intended to be topped with Dekton, but it wasn’t completed. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

“That’s probably the only thing I’m liking,” said Shaynna. The choice of pendant lights at the entrance had her worried they would be banging against the wall with the Phillip Island winds. The artwork by Kylie next to two chairs at the front entrance didn’t go down well, either. “If you have to put a piece of art on the outside of your building, you’re in trouble,” she said.

“It’s almost like they’ve checked out.”

Marty Fox
Kylie and Brad's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
An artwork at the front entrance was a perplexing choice. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

The garage had everything it needed to. “There’s no pizzazz, but I frankly don’t care,” said Darren. They judges were happy to see the house had direct access to the tennis court. “This is actually a massive feature for the buyer,” said Marty. Yet it was clear something had gone amiss this week. “It feels like it was rushed. It feels like there was no money,” said Dave.

Score: 26/40

Kylie and Brad's The Block 2024 Front Garden and Facade
The garage was simple but effective. (Photography: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9)

Tune into The Block 2024 on Sundays at 7pm and Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.

Take a tour of all The Block holiday houses so far

Week 1: Main bathroom reveals

Week 2: Guest bedroom reveals

Week 3: Main ensuite reveals

Week 4: Kids bedroom reveals

Week 5: Main bedrooms and walk-in robe reveals

Week 6: Kitchen reveals

Week 7: Guest ensuite reveals

Week 8: Living and dining reveals

Week 9: Office and rumpus room reveals

Week 10: Laundry and guest bedroom reveals

Week 11: Backyard and pool reveals

In case you missed it:

This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.