In a chance to give back, this week the House Rules teams completely rebuilt the family home of Graeme, Mary and their 4 children, whose their house had burned to the ground in a devastating fire late last year. What they created was a fully renovated, beautifully decorated home in which to rebuild lives, dreams and memories.
With rising stakes in the competition, teams worked from a wiped-clean leaderboard to create a magical new home that hit all the House Rules and gained enough points to keep them in the running to win.
Graeme & Mary’s House Rules:
1. Style us Montauk modern
2. Bring the family together with inviting spaces
3. Keep it classic with navy, white & grey
4. Make it fresh, clean & no fuss
5. Get clever with storage
Shayn & Carly: Entry, hallway and laundry
Receiving their zone in the switch from Tim & Mat, Shayn and Carly’s entry and hallway impressed Wendy with the colour palette of inky blue and crisp white, artwork choices and textured wallpaper in the hallway.
White subway tiles and monochromatic palette of dark navy blue in the laundry added to impress the judges.
Shayn & Carly earned a total score of 23/30 from the judges, placing them second on the leaderboard.
Katie & Alex: Kitchen and Skye’s room
After continuing to set a high bar in terms of design and styling throughout the entire competition, Katie & Alex slipped this week and failed to meet the expectations of the judges.
In the kitchen Wendy loved the size and position of the island bench and Jamie loved the retro Smeg fridge but the judges all agreed the kitchen layout should have given way to the ensuite.
In Skye’s room, the judges liked the colour choices, styling and bed Katie & Alex chose but the climbing wall raised concerns with Wendy for the dangers it posed.
Katie & Alex received a total score of 19/30 for their zone, placing them at the bottom of the leaderboard and in a shock to themselves and all the contestants, sent them home.
Tim & Mat: Dining room, Lily’s room & family storage PLUS bonus family room
After trading zones with Shayn & Carly using their special advantage AND taking on the bonus family room including the fish tank, Tim & Mat struggled to keep up the pace and deliver high-scoring rooms.
Lily’s room left the judges cold and the lack of anything to impress in the storage room put them in serious danger of elimination.
In the dining room, both LLB and Jamie wanted more design and LLB gave the boys a 5.
Tim & Mat were saved by their bonus room which gained a pass from Jamie and LLB and 5 extra points to keep them in the competition.
They scored a total of 22/30 from the judges, which landed them second last on the leaderboard.
Pete & Courtney: Lounge, ensuite & balcony
With the smallest bathroom ever on House Rules and the first outdoor space to renovate this season, Pete & Courtney were determined to make an impact.
The lounge room impressed the judges with Pete & Courtney’s take on crisp and clean, without leaving it too boring. Jamie called the design “understated luxury.”
In the ensuite their all-white basketweave tile pattern on the walls and monochrome floor tiles won the judges over in design to make the space appear larger. Wendy wasn’t a fan of the unworkable layout however and wished Pete & Courtney had negotiated for more space.
On the balcony, Jamie loved the theme and how Pete & Courtney divided the space into zones to relax and enjoy the view.
Pete & Courtney scored 23/30 from the judges, including a 9 from LLB.
Lisa & Andy: Master bedroom, bathroom, CJ & Jade’s bedroom
Lisa & Andy rejoiced in the wiped-clean scoreboard and embraced Montauk style wholeheartedly in the master bedroom. “I just want Wendy to walk in and be wowed, and I want it to feel really grown up,” said Lisa of her design. She got her wish, with Wendy scoring them a 9 and Jamie and LLB all agreeing this was the best zone they’ve ever done in the competition.
In the bathroom, the chevron tiles and brass detailing were a hit the design and finishes overall impressed the judges.
In CJ & Jade’s room, Wendy felt like she’d entered a “super-stylish circus tent” and all the judges loved the sense of style and nurturing created by Lisa & Andy for the children to grow up.
Lisa & Andy scored 25/30 from the judges.
Teams bid Katie & Alex a sad farewell and brace themselves for the next stage of the competition – the outdoor spaces of each other’s homes.
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Catch the latest episode of our new Style Rules podcast, where HB editor Sarah Burman and features writer Holly Byrne share the secrets to successful online shopping for homewares and get a behind-the-scenes view of House Rules with judge Wendy Moore.
