Judges choice: Kitchens

Do kitchens really sell houses? “Absolutely,” agree the judges. “I always say that once the kitchen’s gone in, it’s like the heart of the home has started beating,” explains Neale Whitaker. “It brings it together for me.”

Of the 66 kitchens delivered on the Block, there has barely been a bad one. With so many brilliant choices, which ones did the judges say they wanted in their own homes? 

DEAN AND SHAY - BLOCKTAGON (2015)
“We always say change the architect’s planning at your peril,” starts Shaynna of her pick, “Shay and Dean changed where the kitchen was going to be to where the lounge room was going to be, but it was a huge success.” The decision meant the couple were the only contestants to have a kitchen with panoramic views of Melbourne. “We backed ourselves on that,” says Dean. They built a sprawling bench along the windows, so you could fully enjoy the scenery. “Then they put a green wall inside that went with it,” Shaynna adds. The space also had a walk-in Butler’s pantry. “I believe it sold their apartment,” Shaynna says of the “beautiful” space that won the pair The Block (despite not winning Kitchen week!)