The Blockinator Blog

Yesterday marked The Block 2016 Open for Inspections! It's estimated that 10,000 people turned up to view the apartments this year. That's almost double of last year. Among the many fans waiting to view the apartments, filming was being conducted. Whether that be filming for the Grand Finale, or the Open for Inspections episode. Scott Cam was on the rooftop filming his lines for the grand finale, fans stood around him waving their signs frantically in support of their favourite couple. 'In 2017, The Block is bigger and better than ever!' Scott says. Have The Block bought their site for their 2017 series? Recently K Rock Geelong reported that a source close to The Block said that 'The Block are eyeing off Geelong for their next series.' Should these rumours be true, which building would they choose? Among K-Rock's list of aspirational sites was the Ford Factory, Point Henry and many other sites. Do you know where they have bought their next building? Do yo

After a long busy few months, The Blockinator Blog is back! With so much time spent on our new Instagram page, The Blockinator Blog online, was neglected. We would also like some blog post suggestions, or features to our website you wish were added. Make sure you go and follow our Instagram Page [@theblockinatorblog] and join our forum!

It is always an exciting time waiting to see the apartments being completed on every series of The Block. Every year there are some new renovation trends and ideas which are showcased by the contestants on The Block. We have seen a lot of different rooms and apartments in bidding on all seven Melbourne series of The Block, bidding on 26 of the 31 apartments  that have been auctioned. Though we have always given our client’s professional advice to stick to our budgets and limits and not get carried away with the emotion of an auction and have successfully purchased 5 apartments on the big Auction Grand Finales. The most popular series to date with our buyers was Dux House, 47 O’Grady St, Albert Park which our buyers loved because of the blue chip A1 Albert Park location. They also loved the art deco features and heritage timeless appeal of the building. We bid on all four apartments and successfully purchased the winning Block apartment again, which was Steve and Chantelle’s north

Last week we featured the fabulous outdoor furniture store, Remarkable Furniture as our Retailer Spotlight. For WK2 we will be featuring the scandinavian retail phenomenon, Design Twins. The Design Twins store is located 70 Edith St, St Peters NSW. They sell a wide range of pots and also a wide range of Scandi homewares. Below we will show our top 3 picks from their online store. Top 2 Picks This print is my absolute favourite in the whole entire store. The Black and White moon print is absolutely scandinavian styled and the perfect artwork for above a bedhead. I absolutely love this Tan style Leather Occasional Chair. It is a perfect addition to any bedroom and it compliments any Scandinavian style interior. Design Twins https://www.designtwins.com

It is great that we are able to start the retailer spotlights again. Our first chosen retailer is Remarkable Outdoor Furniture in Moorabbin, VIC is a one of the best outdoor furniture stockists that I've seen as of yet. They stock a wide range and variety of Outdoor furniture as well as outdoor heaters, cushions, accessories and a lot more. There products are of great quality. Below we will share our favourite items stocked by Remarkable Furniture. CORFU BENCH The Corfu Benchseat is a great addition to any family outdoor seating area.  It is made from solid Teak wood. It is currently $799 in the Remarkable Furniture Store. JRC Cross Leg Table The JRC Cross Leg Table is a beautiful piece of furniture that is perfect for any family home. It has a real concrete tabletop. If you are currently decorating an industrial outdoor space, we highly suggest this. Montreal Table Another beautiful piece of furniture in the Remarkable Furniture showrooms is the Montreal Tab

Yesterday was my first visit to The Block 2016. Trust me, this will be the greatest Block EVER. The building is absolutely massive. As for Heritage plans they will just restore the building and remain to the exact same colour. But there was 1 thing that was not made clear. The series name? In this post we will discuss possible theories for series names. The Block Soap Factory As you may know, when this building was built, its purpose was a soap and candle factory. It distributed iconic products like 'Solvol' and many other products. The producers may choose to stick to its original 1920's purpose. This would be the most plausible name. The Block Port Melbourne  This time, The Block has ditched South Yarra and Prahran for there series. This was awaited by many as everyone was interested to see a building that had a different purpose renovated. Right now they are in Port Melbourne. These apartments will sell for a high price tag. The residential development h

What we know so far... Last week Dan Reilly & Scott Cam confirmed The Block is in Port Melbourne.  Scott confirmed this by announcing it to the paparazzi and announcing it to the Today Show. Dan confirmed this by announcing that the soil issues are in the process of being solved and that he cannot wait to for filming to start. As the building is heritage listed, they now have a lot more design issues. All varnished surfaces are to be kept the same. All internal doors are to be reused in the building somewhere. All timber floors are to be reused. As far as the facade goes, the only changes that are allowed is to paint the building. it will be rendered with Concrete Render. Included in council permits is the history of the building over time.  'Mr. J. Kitchen arrived in Australia in 1856 and together with his three sons established the firm of J. Kitchen and Sons, the largest soap making firm in Australia. By 1890 it had premises in Victoria, New South Wales and Quee

Make sure you follow our Instagram page. @theblockinatorblog keeps you up to date with everything to do with The Block. Currently on our Instagram page is exclusive details of Floor plans, Architects plans and external finishes..  

When doing a renovation there are four really important things you need on the checklist peach cushions with how many chandeliers needed are not high on our list.    1.       Know your Style & How you Live– There are so many different styles to choose from like our personal fav’s  Hamptons, Coastal, Scandi, Scandustrial & Industrial to name a few. Just as people are individuals we all have different styles & taste so the most important thing to do before you begin is work out your style or your clients style! You can look around things like Houzz, Instagram, pinterest & you  can also check out the Beaumont tiles website they have this really cool style quiz put together by designers & a psychologist to help you identify your style.  Identifying your style is not the only part you need to think about with regard to planning a renovation. You need to also think about how you live or if doing it for someone else how they live. Do they entertain a lot & have friends

Sarah and Renee  GIRLS BEDROOM This room received mixed reviews from the 2 judges. All feedback was positive feed back until they decided to sit on the bed. it resulted in the homemade bedhead toppling out of place. Overall a good room.. One thing I would have liked to see is one bedhead that is shared by both beds LIVING ROOM This room is a stunner.. The skylights and high ceilings made the space feel more open. I also liked the Birch Wood Templates but I think they look a little rough.. They could've made an edging around the edges to make it a lot neater. Scott and Nadia KITCHEN AND DINING I absolutely loved the kitchen. I liked the emerald green cupboards and the Geo Splash back. The Geo splash back adds some texture to the room. The only issue with this room was the amount of stools around the island bench. I counted five over a very small Island Bench. As for the Dining Room, I loved the Table.. The timber was astonishing. The only issue again w

As revealed early on the Reno Rumble website, Lisa and John score a perfect 10 from Colin. In a never before seen reveal, 2 teams score perfectly. The other remains a mystery!

Follow the newly created Blockinator Instagram. @theblockinatoblog will post all the latest news about The Block and Reno Rumble. 

This room belongs to Lisa and John     These room's belongs to Dane and Leanne This room belongs to Jim and Hayley!

 This week marked the first elimination for the second season and saw Steve and Holly shockingly be evicted. This was unexpected to everyone as on the poll for who would win, they had the most votes for the two consecutive weeks. Although it was believed that Sarah and Renee would've been eliminated for the whole fireplace debacle they were not and they won overall. Sarah and Renee will not get immunity. Lisa and John Dining Room & Kitchen This room in my eyes should've been given perfect scores. That table though 😍! The only fault is that the table felt a bit overdone. It would have had the same effect if it had just a vase or some decorative bowls.  SCORE: 10 This kitchen is not too bad. The room overall feels to glossy and shiny. They could've avoided that by having a tiled splash back. That would also have met the homeowners brief of low-maintenance. The herringbone splash back that Lisa mentioned would've looked better. SCORE: 7 Scott an

Hayley and Jimmy This weeks judging was very harsh considering it is only the first week. Hayley and Jimmy's Master Bedroom scored a dismal 5 from both judges. In my opinion Hayley and Jimmy were ripped off as far as scoring goes. Their room was great. It included lots of storage, seating and lighting. Overall a good room.I cannot fault it. When it came to judging the Living and Dining room, the judges finally had some sense slapped into them. They finally fairly scored Hayley and Jimmy an overall 14/20. In my opinion the rooms were really good, the only faults are the dining chairs and the blue arm chair. Dane and Leanne Overall the kitchen was good.. Although the  splash back and LED lighting are hideous. LED lighting has always been a trend on The Block and they usually make it work but here I don't think they have. They scored a combined 15 for their kitchen This Guest Bedroom received mixed reviews from the judges and other contestants.

Despite currently airing the second season of Reno Rumble, they are still filming the season. Thanks to Sanchipr for sharing these great Reno Rumble pics. She also met Lisa and John on set. Lisa and John made it to the Grand Final?!? Although my favourites are Jim and Hayley, my personal prediction for grand finalists are 'Lisa and John' and 'Holly and Steve'

Channel 9 has decided that for the non-ratings period of Easter that they will screen Reno Rumble Sunday-Tuesday as opposed to Monday-Wednesday. Channel 9 were not planning to screen RR on Sundays but they have changed their mind. The change should be permanent due to the fact that the only day that MKR does not screen is Sunday.

Tonight marks the first reveals of Reno Rumble . The premiere night had utterly disappointing ratings so make sure you tell your friends to watch Reno Rumble so that we can enjoy it for a full season. We will be posting pictures of all the rooms and giving our review of all so stay tuned for that. The Blockinator Forum is a great place to discuss with other Rumblers about your personal thoughts of each room and each contestant. Remember to tune in Wednesday for the first Reveals where one team will score immunity!