In case you missed it, original The Block 2024 contestants Jesse and Paige left one month into the season, handing their baton over to a new team, making it Maddy and Charlotte’s house. The original engaged pair were put to the test on the show and it didn’t end well. Not only did it put Jesse and Paige’s relationship under pressure, but also their skills. As a 24-year-old carpenter, Jesse had experience on a building site, but as we all know, renovating in real life is nothing like it is on The Block. Meanwhile, 27-year-old claims specialist Paige had no design or styling experience. This didn’t stop the pair getting House 1 off to a beautiful start, though.
Early on, the married couple dipped their toes into a Coastal Grandma aesthetic. This evolved into a style the judges identified as “modern colonial” when Jesse and Paige’s guest bedroom was revealed in week two. It was full of soft neutrals with blues and greens, charming patterns and an emphasis on symmetry. Despite having a natural knack for design, the pressure cooker that is The Block got to them and they decided to leave due to mental health struggles.
At that point, professional house flippers Maddy and Charlotte took over Jesse and Paige’s house, after the week four bedroom reveals. Although the youngest team ever on the series, the Sydney sisters brought a lot of experience to The Block, with seven home renovations under their belts. As each week went by, they gradually put their own stamp on their inherited house. Now considered Maddy and Charlotte’s The Block house, it has a fresh, coastal feel with plenty of mass market appeal.
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The Block 2024: Maddy and Charlotte’s house
Take a look through House 1 at the Phillip Island location, completed by the Sydney sisters.
Week 1: Main bathroom
“I love my blues, I love my greens. I think that leans more towards a timeless approach rather than being trendy,” Paige explained of the style they were looking to achieve. Sadly, they didn’t quite manage to complete their main bathroom by reveal day. “It’s not finished, the poor things,” said Shaynna, who knows what makes a winning bathroom. The designer wondered if the vast amount of tiling was too ambitious.
“There’s a lot of labour and money in putting up these sheets of tiles,” she said. “You don’t have to tile every bathroom, every wall.” Marty was more harsh about them failing to finish, given Jesse is a carpenter by trade, while Darren found the room “a little hectic”. Positives were the brushed chrome details, storage and under-floor heating.
Score: 18.5/30
Week 2: Main bedroom
Despite another tumultuous week, Paige and Jesse executed a beautiful guest bedroom. “I have no background in design,” Paige shared. “[But] I am so proud of this room.” While we thought this team was leaning towards a ‘Coastal Grandma’ aesthetic, they abandoned that idea. “This is more a traditional American Hamptons,” said Shaynna, who identified the style as modern colonial. The judges approved of the striped wallpaper and blend of contemporary with traditional. Although Shaynna would have liked to see consistent use of metals throughout this room and the rest of the house, overall it got good reviews. “I just feel at home,” said Marty. “It feels coastal and beachy.”
Score: 27/30
Week 3: Main ensuite
This team has come a long way since their unfinished bathroom in week one. Darren highlighted that Jesse and Paige had echoed the style of their previous bathroom but in a more refined way, pointing out the thinner rail and less complicated tiles. “Simplifying those details let the traditional details sing,” he said.
The layout was praised and Shaynna liked the sliding shower door, although she would have appreciated better lighting at the mirror. Generally, it was considered a chic and sophisticated main ensuite. “If they continue this throughout, it will be a success,” said Darren.
Score: 27.5/30
Week 4: Kids’ bedroom
Animosity between Jesse and Paige didn’t stop the engaged couple from delivering a charming kids bedroom. They went with a “Parisian dollhouse” feel which Paige said “really plays into the modern colonial” style they’ve been creating in their blue-and-green dream holiday house. “I think we’re the only house with a walk-in robe,” Jesse said. The judges were impressed with the “smart idea” to put in the wardrobe without doors, so it doesn’t feel closed in. “I think this works brilliantly,” said Marty.
It was only on closer inspection that they noticed there were sections inside the wardrobe that hadn’t been wallpapered, leaving the raw plaster exposed. “We’ve got a bit of an incompletion issue there,” said Darren. The sweet styling and sorbet colour palette went down a treat, though. “It doesn’t feel juvenile,” said Shaynna, who felt it was a sophisticated take on a kids room.
The desk was a DIY project that came up beautifully, but the functionality was questionable. “I love that desk. I just want to check if you can sit at it,” said Shaynna. It was a tight squeeze for Darren, but it would possibly be less of an issue for a child. “They could have done the scallop higher,” Shaynna suggested. Regardless, it was generally a successful room that Marty felt buyers would respond well to. “It feels very upmarket,” he said.
Score: 26.5/30
Week 5: Main bedroom and walk-in robe
New team Maddy and Charlotte replaced Jesse and Paige who decided to leave the show. Visiting former contestants Ronnie and Georgia got them started with a room design that continued the aesthetic Jesse and Paige began in their house, but after coming on mid-week the sisters made some tweaks. “This is definitely an evolution of that modern colonial style,” said Darren.
With fresh whites and a coastal feeling, Marty liked the new direction. “I love that they’ve elevated the space,” he said. “It feels a little bit more expensive.” There were some sloppy elements but it was successful overall. “These guys know what they’re doing,” Marty said of the house-flippers moonlighting as accountants. “The fact they can pull this together in less than a week blows my mind.”
Score: 24.5/30
Week 6: Kitchen
- Best feature: An elevated stone and cabinetry palette.
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Biggest mistake: Sink placement opposite oven.
From the oak cabinetry to the quartzite stone bench and herringbone floors, a lot of the design decisions for the kitchen had already been made by Jesse and Paige before they left. So new team Maddy and Charlotte had to go with their predecessors’ plan, but it worked in their favour, as they came in second and would have won if Kylie and Brad hadn’t played the penguin for one point. “This is the most beautiful natural stone; it almost looks like crystal,” said Shaynna. “It feels so expensive,” agreed Marty. It was the perfect choice, given engineered stone is now banned.
There was plenty of storage, with an appliance pantry concealed by pocket sliding doors and no butler’s pantry. “You don’t have a butler’s pantry in this kitchen and I couldn’t be more happy about that,” said Darren, who loved the inclusion of a luxuriously large island instead. The only problem was the position of the sink, which the judges said should have been further down the bench rather than opposite the oven.
What was in Maddy and Charlotte’s power was the ability to choose a tap and handles to suit their style. These went down well, as did the styling by the sisters. “The styling is spot on. I’m loving everything that they’ve put out,” said Shaynna.
Score: 29/30 (Including a 10 from Darren, winning them $10k.)
Week 7: Guest ensuite
After inheriting Jesse and Paige’s house, this was the first room the sisters got to design on their own. They rose to the occasion, embracing a neutral palette and olive green basin and styling. “We’ve got a little bit of greenery but that’s the only colour in here,” Shaynna noted. “Everything’s completely neutral and textured… and works.” She thought the arched mirror and marble-topped vanity were gorgeous choices.
The change in style direction was a positive for Marty. “I find this is a more sophisticated palette than what Jesse and Paige were doing, and so marketable to a very broad range of buyer,” he explained. He had just one suggestion: “Having that toilet the moment you walk in as opposed to being hidden by the vanity, I think they’re actually the wrong way around.”
“To be the youngest couple we’ve ever had on The Block and to produce this standard, it’s absolutely remarkable.”
Shaynna Blaze
“There’s really not a lot to fault,” said Darren, who liked the “subtle and simple” colour palette, with champagne hardware. “To be the youngest couple we’ve ever had on The Block – they’re 22 and 24 – and to produce this standard, I think it’s absolutely remarkable,” said Shaynna, who described their style as “classic simplicity”.
Score: 27.5/30
Week 8: living and dining
Being vanilla isn’t all bad – Maddy and Charlotte’s living and dining space was cohesive and had plenty of marketing pull. “Vanilla is a universally-loved flavour,” said Marty. The natural log fire was also a “phenomenal” choice in his opinion. The palette appealed to Darren, but he would have liked a bit more drama. For Shaynna, it was the styling that let them down, needing to be more elevated.
“It feels friendly and natural, encompassing and inviting,” said Darren. “Texturally, they’ve got it right,” added Shaynna. “I love the big texture in the rug, the smaller texture in the couch and texture in the timber.”
Score: 25.5/30
Week 9: Office and rumpus
With business degrees under their belts, Maddy and Charlotte flipped the floorplan to make a more marketable house. The grand plan is to create a self-contained guest retreat with its own external access. To do this, they changed the office into a rumpus room and made the other space into a sitting area. These will connect to a bedroom and ensuite.
“This is a massive selling feature,” said Marty. “It’s so multi-generational, multifaceted, multi-income generating, they have opened up a massive amount of possibilities by changing that window to a door. It’s genius,” said Darren. “It’s a game changer.”
In the other space, a large skylight filled their rumpus with plenty of light and the judges liked the lived-in feeling.
“The girls have listened to some of the styling tips and kept it a lot simpler,” said Shaynna. “How do you make it look so cosy when it’s never been lived in? I think the girls nailed it,” said Marty, who scored them a perfect 10.
Score: 28/30
Week 10: Laundry and guest bedroom
It was a week full of setbacks for Maddy and Charlotte, who were determined to execute a queen-sized bunk over a queen bed, but unfortunately their endeavour fell flat. While Marty liked the idea of adding sleeping spaces, it didn’t translate in reality. “It’s got function, but it doesn’t have that magic,” he said.
As Shaynna pointed out, the external spiral staircase doesn’t make it child-friendly, yet it also doesn’t feel suitable for adults. “It just doesn’t feel like a second wing. It feels like we can fit four kids in here and we’ve got an extra play area,” said Shaynna. “They’re trying to cover too many parts of the market and I don’t feel this does it well enough.”
Aside from the fact it was unfinished, there was a lot to love in the laundry. “I like the cabinetry, I love the marble,” said Marty. Yet it could have done with some more storage for a house that sleeps 10. The toilet was lacking privacy, with a glass door meaning people outside could see in. “You need a frosted glass door,” advised Shaynna.
Score: 20/30
Week 11: Backyard and pool
A mid-week disaster saw a budget benchtop the sisters sourced for their barbecue area being removed from site as it contained 70 per cent silica, which is now deemed illegal. “It’s got to go,” said Foreman Dan. Their back-up plan was to cover the bench in grooved panelling, which the judges loved for its durability and simplicity. “It looks incredible,” said Shaynna.
Landscaping expert and guest judge Dave Franklin was pleased that they retained the existing paperbark trees, while introducing plants that fit the relaxed feeling. “We’ve got tea tree here, we’ve got lilly pilly, we’ve got the blechnums there, we’ve got a very coastal palette of trees here and a lot of lawn as well,” he said.
“They’ve created privacy through how these plants will grow over time,” said Marty. The real-estate agent also pointed out the benefits of having a dining area that’s undercover but not too shady. “This is all afternoon sun, so when you’re having those barbecues with family, you’ve got that beautiful light coming through. This is a real entertainer’s dream.”
Professional house flippers Maddy and Charlotte nailed their design by including a built-in pizza oven. With stepping stones leading to it from the deck and a curved timber-topped seat nearby, it makes for a novelty extra on their real-estate listing.
Although not as big as Mimi and Kristian’s basketball court, Maddy and Charlotte’s court was still an incredible inclusion. Positioned next to the spiral staircase that enters the self-contained studio, the business-savvy sisters have created a highly-marketable package.
Score: 37/40
“This is a really heavy-hitting, big swing of a backyard.”
Darren Palmer
Week 12: Front yard and facade
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.”
“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.
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
Head to the real estate listing for more details on Maddy and Charlotte’s The Block house.
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 5: Main bedrooms and walk-in robe reveals
Week 8: Living and dining reveals
Week 9: Office and rumpus room reveals
In case you missed it:
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
