The Blockinator Blog

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 n...

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...

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...