Photography: The Block/Channel 9/9 Now
Best friends, Robby and Mat, have had a season of ups and downs on the Block 2025. While their country kitchen, lovely living room and innovative wine cellar scored top points in the judges’ books, their more kids’ bedrooms, rumpus room and backyard left more to be desired.
The auction proved to be a small success for House 5, after serial Block investor Danny Wallis secured the property for a bid of $3,099,00.01. This saw Robby and Mat take home a total profit of $109,000.01, or $54,500 each – not the life-changing windfall the pair were hoping for after 13 weeks on the tools. However, the friends were “gutted”, they were philosophical about the result, saying “It’s not a great outcome, but it’s a beautiful house and we had the best time we’ve every had in our lives.”
Keep scrolling to see every room from Robby and Mat’s successful Block house 5.
See all of The Block 2025 homes:
Every room in Robby and Mat’s Block house
Bathroom
Robby and Mat delivered the winning main bathroom with a contemporary country vibe, featuring a curved mirrored cabinet, gunmetal tapware and a fluted shower screen.
The huge skylight running the length of the room flooded the space with natural light, creating a bright, open feel. “They’ve really created this void, lighting the right spot,” said Marty. “This is some of the best work I’ve seen.”
The warm, creamy palette caught the judges’ attention too. “It’s like a soft foamy latte,” said Darren. “This is the Goldilocks room,” where everything looks just right together. Shaynna praised the practicality, noting the vanity was at the “right height” and the rich timber tones balance the look. Darren added, “The lines are perfect… they have an eye for detail, finesse and style that fits this house and the market.”
Kid’s bedrooms
When planning their kids’ bedrooms, Robbie and Mat were initially concerned about incorporating their striped bedhead – a design that the judges hadn’t warmed to – into their space.
They got off to a promising start with their first bedroom, which was designed for two younger children. In this room, the judges appreciated the use of Hardie Groove panelling, describing it as bringing a “country and cosy,” vibe to the room. Unfortunately, Darren also noted that the difficulty of painting the grooves in the time frame slightly let them down.
The team’s second bedroom, however, wasn’t as well received, with Shaynna describing the very beige space as “the room that nan comes into when she looks after the kids.”
Marty suggested that they could have tied the bedhead into a more nautical look rather than leaning into a bland palette. “The fact that it’s beige actually doesn’t help it at all,” Darren said.
Main bathroom
Robby and Mat’s main ensuite impressed with its sophisticated, hotel-inspired vibe. Darren was immediately taken by the grasscloth wallpaper, quipping, “You had me at grasscloth paper. Vinyl grasscloth paper, I presume.” Marty called the space “very international” and “chic”, praising the layout and luxurious feel.
While the bathroom ticks all the functional boxes, Shaynna felt it lacked personality, saying, “I don’t feel the bravery in here and I don’t feel the soul.” She also described the styling as “a bit cliché” and suggested it needs “less clutter and less cliché.”
Despite these critiques, Marty emphasised the strong buyer appeal: “Quiet luxury is something people gravitate to… It’s so saleable.” He noted a double shower would have made the ensuite perfect but acknowledged the overall design works well.
Main bedroom
When it came to main bedroom week, the judges were divided on Mat and Robby’s space.
“I’m a major fan of a four-poster bed. I just think that feels so country,” Darren said. “I love that we’ve got timber, the matching bedsides are gorgeous. The colour palette feels very Australiana to me and that, in my opinion, is a big plus.”
While Shaynna agreed with Darren’s comment about the four-poster bed, she ultimately felt like it was the wrong spot for it. Shaynna and Marty also critiqued the size of the rug, which they described as too small, and thought the boys should have added a fireplace to the bedroom like the other teams did.
For their walk-in-wardrobe space, Robby and Mat opted for cool walnut coloured Freedom Kinsman wardrobes. While the judges complimented the overall aesthetic, they were disspointed the space didn’t have an island like some of the other rooms did.
Living and dining
Living and dining room week saw Robby and Mat come out on top, with the judges describing the modern country space as “exactly hitting the brief.”
“The flooring is absolutely divine,” Shaynna said.”The sheers are absolutely gorgeous. The roofline is beautiful. Those beautiful pendants are absolutely stunning.”
The judges particularly complimented the layout, with Marty stating that is was “The right allocation of space.”
“This is a big communal home. You need a conversation pit so people can sit and interact with each other. This layout is perfect,” Marty explained. “No matter where you’re sitting in this room you can appreciate the architecture and liveability of this room. They can market it as the most liveable house.”
Rumpus
Robby and Mat’s rumpus room was one of their more controversial designs, with the judges not being huge fans of the space’s light tropical theme. “This room doesn’t draw you in. It’s not warm. It’s not Daylesford” said Marty.
Shaynna agreed, explaining that “the styling is wrong. The colour scheme is wrong.” Other comments included the boys “not understanding the value of a second living space” and the room having “zero emotions.”
It wasn’t the best week for the boys but they certainly turned it around the week after.
Kitchen
Kitchen Week was another win for Robby and Mat, whose choice of light timber, pops of soft green and a generous island wowed the judges.
“I feel like I’m walking into a country estate. It’s gorgeous,” Shaynna said. Marty agreed, explaining that “it’s so country. That’s got to be the most Daylesford kitchen we’ve seen today.”
The boys decision to flip the position of the kitchen so that it runs parallel to the dining room was also approved by the judes, with Darren commenting on the “lovely physical flow of the space.”
Cleverly, they also added a secret Murphy door so that you can directly access the kitchen from the main bedroom suite.
Guest suite
For their guest suite, Robby and Mat opted for a green-themed space with desert botanical wallpaper. While the room’s aesthetic wasn’t harshly criticised, their desicion to forgo a kitchenette was debated between the judges.
While Shaynna and Marty believed the lack of kitchenette let down the space, Darren disagreed.
“If I was designing this house, I don’t know if I would put a kitchenette in either,” Darren said. It’s certainly a great value add, but day to day, this does everything that I would want it to do.”
Butler’s pantry
Robby and Mat went with a stylish light timber for their room butler’s pantry, featuring plenty of storage and a generous sink.
Laundry
The green theme extended into the couple’s laundry, where a large bench seat with under seat storage and a stylish splashback was a winner.
Powder room
The tropical wall-papered powder room isn’t for everyone but we can’t deny that it makes a statement.
Alfresco
Robby and Mat’s laid back outdoor terrace went down a treat with the judges, with their timber dining setting and built-in barbecue providing everything that a family needs.
Wine cellar
After months of anticipation, Robby and Ma finally uncorked the doors to their long-awaited wine cellar.
The Block judges were unanimous in their praise, each awarding a perfect 10. “This is insane,” said Shaynna. “Look at the joinery. This is the perfect wine cellar.” Darren agreed, saying, “They swung hard and this is a home run.”
Pool and backyard
Robby and Mat’s backyard had plenty of great features, including a beautiful 25-year-old tree, raised garden beds and a swimming pool with a clever shade cover. What the garden didn’t need, however, was an oversized fireplace with factory-like chimneys blocking the view of the pool.
Marty immediately brought up the fireplace as a safety issue, explaining “from the deck and from a family perspective, not being able to see the kids in the pool is a concern and I think people will recognise that when they come here.”
Front facade
Robby and Mat’s front facade design was described as the “quintessential Daylesford farmhouse,” with their native garden being a highlight of the design.
Landscaper Dave explained that the garden was “probably the most sustainable landscape on the block,” with plenty of native plantings from the local area and a low maintenance design.
While Darren was initially underwhelmed at the junior plantings that he though reflected a “dwinding budget,” he admitted “I can see once it’s done it’s going to be breathtakingly beautiful.”
All The Block room reveal images were originally published by Channel 9/9Now on nine.com.au.
In case you missed it…
Week 4: Main bedroom & walk-in wardrobe
Week 5: Living and dining rooms
Week 9: Laundry, Mudroom, Butler’s pantry, Powder room, Garage
Week 10: Alfresco terrace, Stratco shed
House 6: When Home Beautiful joins The Block
Everything we know about The Block 2025
5 fun facts you didn’t know about The Block 2025 teams
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