Image: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9
This married couple from NSW are The Block 2024 contestants to beat, thanks to their combined expertise. Grant is a 30-year-old landscape development manager and Courtney is 32, with a career in event account management and furniture design. She has her own business, The Lazy Stylist, and the curved shapes and textural neutrals are definitely in line with the Modern Mediterranean (Moditerranean) style the pair have embraced in their Phillip Island holiday house.
Clearly on top of the latest trends, from curved walls to travertine tiles, this team has shown an ability to implement them tastefully. Not only that, they’ve kept cool heads under pressure. With builder blow-ups and budget blow-outs, they’ve taken it in their stride. Although they missed out on the win to Mimi and Kristian’s contemporary coastal house during week one’s main bathroom reveals, they haven’t lost focus on the end goal. The result is a house that’s calm, collected and elevated – a recipe for a successful sale.
The Block 2024: Courtney and Grant house
Take a look through House 2, full of luxe materials, as it’s completed.
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Week 1: Main bathroom
“We’re thinking sandstone, travertine, American oak, brushed gold, pops of marble,” Courtney explained of the aesthetic they were planning. “Now we’re talking,” said Darren when he saw their bathroom. “These tiles are stunning. The handles look like shells off the beach,” said Marty.
“Someone’s got the eye here. The mood lighting, the tile choices, the skylight.” Meanwhile, Shaynna wasn’t so blown away. She agreed the subtle lighting was “fantastic” and that it was a smart decision to not tile all the way to the ceiling to save time, but she wanted a little more drama in this holiday home. “You can take it further.”
Score: 28/30
Week 2: Kids bedroom
As it’s located near the main bedroom in the house floorplan, Courtney and Grant decided to go with a kids’ room this week. “I love these beds,” said Marty, who approved of the sorbet colours and personality in the styling. He thought this room would do well from a real estate viewpoint. “When the buyer gets an emotional response, that’s when they do the best with the bidding.” With a drawing nook and space for toys, it was ticking a lot of their boxes. “It’s cute as heck,” said Darren. The only downside was the lack of heating or cooling, which Marty said buyers would penalise.
Score: 27.5/30
Week 3: Main ensuite
Marble, travertine, venetian plaster – it’s all about the luxe finishes in this bathroom. “Say you’ve got a wife with expensive taste without saying it,” said Grant. We’ll how their budget’s looking by the end of the season, but splashing the cash early on has paid off with a win in week three.
“Wow, I love this so much, I want to touch everything,” said Darren. He applauded their very “current” design which reflected Phillip Island’s natural environment. A feature Shaynna commended was the combination of two tiles on the floors to create a checkerboard pattern. “These guys understand aesthetics and practicality and they’re combining both to deliver something that is extremely marketable,” said Marty.
Score: 28/30
Week 4: Guest bedroom
This couple delivered the luxe finishes and calming colours we’ve come to expect from their Mediterranean interior design style. “I can confidently say we’ve continued the aesthetic,” said Courtney. The curved skirting board got the attention of the judges, in particular. “That’s a curved profile on a curved wall,” said Darren, pointing out the degree of difficulty involved in executing that. “They would have had to cut [little slots] on the back and gently mould it, then fill it and sand it.” The pendant placements didn’t appeal to Shaynna so much, as she felt the height differences were odd. “They look like space ships. It almost looks like a mistake,” she said.
The drawers were located in an inconvenient spot in the wardrobe, but otherwise this team’s attention to detail was praised. “These guys are next level. Look at the mood lighting in the study nook,” said Marty. He called their house “an auctioneer’s dream” and appreciated how Courtney and Grant have been consistent with the materials included throughout their house. “They’re tying everything back in so beautifully. It’s not in your face, it’s just enough.”
Score: 27/30
Head to the real-estate listing for more details on Courtney and Grant’s The Block house.
Tune into The Block 2024 on Sundays at 7pm and Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
