Design of distinction: it’s all in the detail
The show provides intrigue and inspiration in equal measure, all the while educating the viewers on the hottest products and design trends. The latest series—Season 13—has involved five couples, each restoring and extending a rundown weatherboard house transported by Channel Nine to a suburban street in Elsternwick, 10km southeast of Melbourne’s CBD.
Throughout the renovation, series winners Josh and Elyse achieved a Block record by chalking up six room wins. However, as Josh explains, the real challenge for the couple was the creation of rooms that met their overall design aspirations and yet which were actually deliverable to their own demanding standards within the constraints imposed by time, budget and the format of the show.
Form and function
Josh and Elyse describe their style as ‘modern contemporary’, achieved through the extensive use of neutral colours and natural materials. Rather than slavishly adhering to one of the latest design fads, Josh and Elyse have essentially created a house that matches their own taste, reflecting their personalities and showcasing their impressive design capabilities.
The quality of their build and finishes has been consistently good, but as Josh is quick to point out, this has only been possible with a good team of builders and tradies on side, sharing their vision and providing specific insights and advice based on their own experience.
A good example of this was the couple’s decision to hire Block veteran Nick Howe from Know Howe Electrical. Having worked with contestants on The Block twice before, Nick was able to offer invaluable assistance to Josh and Elyse. He collaborated with team stylist Elyse to develop an electrical plan to complement both the form and the function of her overall design brief.
Excel aesthetics
Nick recommended the use of Legrand Excel Life fittings, explaining that this range offers two major benefits over competing products: firstly, Excel Life sockets and switches are quick and easy to install; and secondly, the range is so extensive that it provides ideal colour, style and finish options to meet virtually any design brief.
There is an increasing trend in contemporary design circles to draw attention to the services within a space, and Excel Life certainly provides a broad enough range of options to suit any such application. However, in this instance, Josh and Elyse decided a subtler approach would be to allow these services to integrate in a more streamlined manner with the rest of their design elements.
They used the same style Excel Life sockets and switches— predominantly in white, except on feature walls—throughout the house. This provided the perfect match to the minimalistic and timeless elegance of the rest of Elyse’s style choices, without jarring with either the heritage or modern sections of the house.
Harmonious home
Through their uniquely confident style, Josh and Elyse have succeeded in delivering a stunning house and garden that are inviting and relaxing, and in which the spaces flow harmoniously and organically together. At the series finale auction, their house sold for $3,067,000, winning the competition and securing the couple a well-deserved prize of $547,000.
When asked how it feels to win The Block 2017, Josh smiles and says that while it provides validation for their hard work and designs, the very fact that they were given the opportunity to be participants on The Block and demonstrate their capabilities actually made them feel like winners from the start.
The journey has been a tough one, but immensely satisfying. Josh and Elyse have played the game as worthy contestants and made lifelong friends through the process. They have surrounded themselves with the best team of tradies they could find and enthused them all to strive for perfection. They have remained true to their styling beliefs and chosen the very best elements to enhance their design. And through their meticulous determination to ensure the detail is right, they have created an exceptional home of distinction.
