Parents Lara, who’s a florist, and Peter, an electrician, were in need of a glow-up for their tired red brick house in Sydney’s Belrose. Despite both often working seven days a week to get by, they still had cabinet doors falling off and no spare money to renovate.
The brief for the other Dream Home contestants was to give their family home some love and create a coastal Mediterranean feel. Teams Jordan and Jacinta, Brad and Mel and Rhys and Liam worked on it. The completed home is now worth a massive $2.95 million according to View, which is a value increase of $700,000.
They came out on top after all of the renovations (before the landscaping round), winning $10k. Here’s their home and feedback from judges, Lana Taylor, Simon Cohen and Rosie Morley.
“I just can’t believe it’s the same house, from all that red brick and now it’s a white out,” said Lana of the fresh facade by Jacinta and Jordan.
The judges agreed it’s a dreamy first impression with Mediterranean touches, including a swinging day bed, arches and olive trees.
The entrance was a pleasant surprise for the judges, who thought it was not only lovely but usable. The judges noticed Jordan and Jacinta had “come a long way” since their entrance was a flop at Liam’s home in Deception Bay. “You’re going to come home, put your keys down…” said Simon and Lana pointed out all the storage.
The recessed TV in the living room by Jordan and Jacinta got a “hallelujah” from Simon. “The stonework is beautiful,” he added.
“I want to stay in this room,” said Lana, who loved the cosy space.
“I love the hanging plant, it’s very Mediterranean,” said Lana, walking into the kitchen completed by tradie brothers Rhys and Liam.
The natural light and tiled wall beside the top cabinetry were also applauded. “It wouldn’t be the boys without a tiled feature wall,” said Simon. “I think they’ve done a great job.”
The butler’s pantry, completed by Rhys and Liam as part of the kitchen, was a “job well done” according to Simon.
“Woohoo!” said Lana, seeing the dining room by Brad and Mel. Her excitement was quickly quashed by Simon and Rosie. “No it’s not woohoo,” they said, less impressed.
“What is with that mini fridge in that big hole?” said Simon.
There was no sign that Brad and Mel, were trying to fix a melted bed corner earlier in the week. “I’m actually really liking this,” said Simon of the built-in bed frame. “I feel like I’m in a hotel room in Greece.”
The walk-in robe by Brad and Mel also went down well. “The lighting, the textures… There’s a level of luxe here,” said Rosie, who loved how it tied in with the bedroom colour palette.
The laundry was done by Rhys and Liam, and while the judges would have liked more bench space, they were suitably happy with it overall.
“They’re Aussie blokes who pull off design every time,” said Rosie of the bathroom by Rhys and Liam.
While she loved the terrazzo tiles, the handheld shower mixer seemed to be positioned slightly high.
The lighting was a bit bright for Rosie’s liking in the ensuite by Jordan and Jacinta. “It’s 7/11 at 2am,” she said.
As for the washplane sink with double taps, that was better received.
The judges took a walk up the curved “stairway to heaven” as Rosie called it. At the top they found a second living space by Brad and Mel.
While the judges thought it was handy to have this extra place for watching TV and hanging out, it was “lacking some design prowess”.
Upstairs, the judges found Lara and Peter’s six-year-old daughter Mia’s bedroom. “It’s so colourful,” said Lana of the pretty pink space.
While there was a lot to like, they all agreed the large “floral arrangement” hanging from the ceiling was a step too far. “It’s giving pinata vibes,” said Lana.
Lara and Peter’s 10-year-old son Leo’s bedroom was taken on by Rhys and Liam. The decision to go all in with a night sky scene across the wall and ceiling got points for risk-taking form the judges. “No one’s been so bold,” said Rosie. Yet the Scandinavian furniture didn’t really seem to go well with the feel of the home.
In the upstairs kids bathroom by Rhys and Liam, the judges didn’t know where to look. While everything looked normal as far as the vanity went, there was a separate wet zone for a bath and shower that had a very cave-like feeling to it. “I feel like I’m at rock climbing,” said Simon, adding that it seemed a bit weird to have two showerheads for a bathroom intended for a brother and sister.
As one of the teams in the top three, Lara and Peter landscaped their own backyard. It included an entertaining area, fire pit and new pool.
Rhys and Liam took out the winning $100k, with Lara and Peter coming second and Taeler and Elle third.
In case you missed any episodes, you can catch up on 7plus or browse all of the Dream Home reveals.
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
