Photography: The Block/Channel 9/9 Now
The rumpus room may have evolved over the years but it has always offered an escape from the main hub of the home. Originally, it gave children and teenagers a space to play, hang out, and make a little extra mess, while in the ’60s and ’70s, the trend shifted toward fitting the room with bars for parties and casual entertaining.
But what does a rumpus room look like today? The Block’s rumpus room reveals have certainly shown that the space has moved far beyond pool tables and video games. In fact, The Block judge and realtor Marty Fox, said that this week is all about finding out what the best use of this extra space really is. So, which Block teams nailed their rumpus room designs? Keep reading to find out.
Rumpus room inspiration we’re taking from the Block
Movie theatre
For their rumpus room, Han and Can opted for a movie theatre style space that is centred around the TV. This saw the girls go with an oversized curved couch that allows you to see the TV from no matter where you are sitting, heavy curtains for blocking out light and their signature backlit arches around the TV, making it the focal point of the room.
Their choices paid off, with all three judges all being fans of the space. “It’s a room that the entire family will enjoy,” Marty Fox explained. “From a marketing perspective, this really fits every single person that will come to stay at this house.”
Rather simply being designed as a second living room, the movie theatre angle gives the room a strong purpose that sees it actually benefits from being in a more private space. Whether you’re having a romantic movie night with family or sending a pack of kids off to watch a something during a dinner party, a movie room essentially serves the same purpose that a traditional rumpus room would, making it the perfect choice for this week’s challenge.
Pilates room
Britt and Taz’s pilates room ended up being a controversial choice. Draped with billowing white curtains, a fully stocked drinks fridge and two full-sized reformer pilates machines, the room wouldn’t be out of place in a home belonging to the Kardashians – no doubt a luxurious feature but perhaps a little out of place for a country town like Daylesford. For Shaynna, a pilates room was simply too niche of a choice to make it worth sacrificing a second living space, especially if only one or two family members would be able to use the room.
That said, it’s not uncommon for families to spend the majority of their time in the one living space, leaving any second lounge largely unused. These days, many of us also prefer exercising at home, thanks to the wide variety of classes available on YouTube and other digital platforms. And with Daylesford nestled in a region famed for its hot springs, it’s easy to see how a wellness-focused room might appeal to potential buyers. For country homes without the array of city gym options, a pilates or gym room can actually be the perfect use of a rumpus space.
Parent’s retreat
With their cool pink and green colour palette, brown leather sofa and nesting coffee tables, Emma and Ben’s rumpus room was a favourite with the judges, with Shaynna commenting “You feel like you’re being hugged in this room and it’s all to do with colour.”
Their only criticism was that the room wasn’t very kid friendly, feeling more like a secret parent’s retreat than a family living space. In our opinion, this isn’t actually a bad thing. With the popularity of open-plan living, it’s common for children to dominate the main living zone – where the TV, kitchen and all their essentials are within easy reach. Perhaps what we’re really seeing is the natural evolution of the rumpus room: a call for a more grown-up space that parents can close off, retreat to, and keep tidy.
Robby and Mat’s rumpus room also leaned more toward adult retreat than family space, but that wasn’t the only reason it failed to impress the judges. “This room doesn’t draw you in. It’s not warm. It’s not Daylesford” explained Marty. Shaynna also wasn’t impressed, stating that “all the styling is wrong. The colour scheme is wrong.”
For a parent’s retreat to suceed, the styling and colour scheme needs to be carefully considered.
Traditional rumpus
Sonny and Alicia’s big squashy sofa, built-in-bookshelves and stash of boardgames gave their room the feeling of a classic family rumpus room – and we love that about it. The couple elevated the space by colour drenching the room in a warm red, which wrapped it in that extra layer of cosiness and made it feel like a completely seperate space. We can definitely imagine bunking down in there with a good book or boardgame on a cold Daylesford evening.
The judges were also big fans of the room, with Darren claiming that he was besotted with the space. “It’s so on trend – and it’s perfect for Daylesford. It’s perfect for a private space, especially a living space.” Shaynna agreed, stating that she loved it. “I love these second rooms. They’re not vast but they want to envelop you and that’s what the colour does.”
All The Block room reveal images were originally published by Channel 9/9Now on nine.com.au.
What Home Beautiful would do with a rumpus room
This year Team Home Beautiful is playing along with our very own House 6. When imagining how we’d use an extra room, the idea of escaping technology in favour of a cosy nook for reading and enjoying the view felt suited to the Modern Farmhouse look we are going for. For this reason, we took inspiration from a beautiful library located within a country home not far from Daylesford. Scroll on to explore our mood board, shop the pieces we’d pick and see how our room design turned out.
Inspiration
Our mood board
Shop the products
- Sorrento Fabric Armchair in Ivory, $1,439 (usually $1,799), Freedom
- Sorrento Fabric Ottoman, $519 (usually $649), Freedom
- Hamlin Desk Lamp, $219, Freedom
- Madras Floor Rug, $599, Freedom
- Krid Bar Cabinet, $1,599, Freedom
- Sandy Bay Herringbone Flooring, $89.10m², Imperial Flooring Australia
- Ruffle Linen Cushion in Bronze, $89, Aura Home
- Lawson Coffee Table, $645, Provincial Home Living
- Manhattan 3 Section Library, $4,795.00 (usually $5995), Provincial Home Living
- “Antique” Wooden Ladder, $130, Provincial Home Living
- The Minimalist Wood Chess, €175, Printworks
Room reveal
For our rumpus room design, we envisioned walls lined with books and big windows to invite in natural light and scenic views. Along with a couple of cosy armchairs to curl up in, we also thought that a large table would be a good place to study, work from home or gather friends around for a board game. Our colour scheme leans into warm neutrals, which we believe align with a traditional country palette and natural surroundings.
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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