Image: David Cook for The Block/Channel 9
An engaged couple with plans to marry at the end of the year, The Block 2024 contestants Jesse and Paige have been put to the test this season. Not only has it placed their relationship under pressure, but also their skills. Jesse is a 24-year-old carpenter, so he has experience on a building site, but renovating in real life is nothing like it is on The Block. Meanwhile, 27-year-old Paige is a claims specialist and has no design or styling experience.
Early on, this team discussed going with a Coastal Grandma aesthetic throughout their house. This quickly evolved into a style the judges identified as “modern colonial” when Jesse and Paige’s guest bedroom was revealed in week two. It’s similar to the traditional American Hamptons interiors style, yet leans more towards the use of soft neutrals with blues and greens, charming patterns and an emphasis on symmetry.
The Block 2024: Jesse and Paige’s house
Take a look through House 1, with calming colours and a contemporary feel, as it comes together.
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Week 1: Main bathroom
“I love my blues, I love my greens. I think that leans more towards a timeless approach rather than being trendy,” Paige explained of the style they were looking to achieve. Sadly, they didn’t quite manage to complete their main bathroom by reveal day. “It’s not finished, the poor things,” said Shaynna, who knows what makes a winning bathroom. The designer wondered if the vast amount of tiling was too ambitious.
“There’s a lot of labour and money in putting up these sheets of tiles,” she said. “You don’t have to tile every bathroom, every wall.” Marty was more harsh about them failing to finish, given Jesse is a carpenter by trade, while Darren found the room “a little hectic”. Positives were the brushed chrome details, storage and under-floor heating.
Score: 18.5/30
Week 2: Main bedroom
Despite another tumultuous week, Paige and Jesse executed a beautiful guest bedroom. “I have no background in design,” Paige shared. “[But] I am so proud of this room.” While we thought this team was leaning towards a ‘Coastal Grandma’ aesthetic, they abandoned that idea. “This is more a traditional American Hamptons,” said Shaynna, who identified the style as modern colonial. The judges approved of the striped wallpaper and blend of contemporary with traditional. Although Shaynna would have liked to see consistent use of metals throughout this room and the rest of the house, overall it got good reviews. “I just feel at home,” said Marty. “It feels coastal and beachy.”
Score: 27/30
Week 3: Main ensuite
This team has come a long way since their unfinished bathroom in week one. Darren highlighted that Jesse and Paige had echoed the style of their previous bathroom but in a more refined way, pointing out the thinner rail and less complicated tiles. “Simplifying those details let the traditional details sing,” he said.
The layout was praised and Shaynna liked the sliding shower door, although she would have appreciated better lighting at the mirror. Generally, it was considered a chic and sophisticated main ensuite. “If they continue this throughout, it will be a success,” said Darren.
Score: 27.5/30
Week 4: Kids’ bedroom
Animosity between Jesse and Paige didn’t stop the engaged couple from delivering a charming kids bedroom. They went with a “Parisian dollhouse” feel which Paige said “really plays into the modern colonial” style they’ve been creating in their blue-and-green dream holiday house. “I think we’re the only house with a walk-in robe,” Jesse said. The judges were impressed with the “smart idea” to put in the wardrobe without doors, so it doesn’t feel closed in. “I think this works brilliantly,” said Marty.
It was only on closer inspection that they noticed there were sections inside the wardrobe that hadn’t been wallpapered, leaving the raw plaster exposed. “We’ve got a bit of an incompletion issue there,” said Darren. The sweet styling and sorbet colour palette went down a treat, though. “It doesn’t feel juvenile,” said Shaynna, who felt it was a sophisticated take on a kids room.
The desk was a DIY project that came up beautifully, but the functionality was questionable. “I love that desk. I just want to check if you can sit at it,” said Shaynna. It was a tight squeeze for Darren, but it would possibly be less of an issue for a child. “They could have done the scallop higher,” Shaynna suggested. Regardless, it was generally a successful room that Marty felt buyers would respond well to. “It feels very upmarket,” he said.
Score: 26.5/30
Head to the real estate listing for more details on Jesse and Paige’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.
