The Block Week 1: Jordyn’s Review and Interpretation
Over the next 12 weeks, I will be sharing my interpretation of the rooms presented on The Block, looking beyond whether a space is simply beautiful and exploring how its design decisions affect flow, functionality, balance and the way the room feels. Each week, I will assess each room through several key lenses: flow (how easily people can move through the space), functionality (how well the space serves its intended purpose), balance (the relationship between elements in scale, proportion, and placement), and the overall atmosphere or emotional impact of the room. I will also consider how choices in layout, materiality, colour, and styling contribute to or detract from these aspects. By outlining these criteria, I hope to help you not only understand my perspective but also give you tools to evaluate interiors with a more informed eye.
Before we begin, I want to make the intention behind this series very clear.
This is not about tearing down the contestants or diminishing the work they have created. Designing and completing a room under the time, budget and filming pressures of The Block is an enormous undertaking. The contestants are doing their best within an incredibly demanding environment, and many are approaching these spaces without formal interior design training. That is entirely okay.
Interior design is also subjective. Two people can experience the same room differently, and two designers can develop completely different concepts from the same brief. I may not personally choose every finish, furnishing or layout presented, but that does not automatically make the decision wrong.
Throughout this series, I will explain what I believe works within each room, where I see opportunities for improvement and what I would have approached differently. More importantly, I will explain why I would make those changes.
My approach is rooted in the belief that successful design balances function, flow, and atmosphere. I am influenced by principles of timelessness, intentional use of materials, and the idea that each element in a space should contribute both practically and emotionally to the overall experience. This lens guides how I analyse each room and ultimately informs every critique and suggestion I share.
The purpose is not to tell you whether you should like or dislike a room. It is to help you look at interiors with a more open and informed perspective to notice scale, proportion, circulation, visual weight, colour, texture and the relationship between styling and the architecture of a space.
My alternative concepts are not intended to be the only answer. They are my professional interpretation of how each room could be developed differently.
If this series helps you better understand why a room feels balanced, why another feels unfinished or how a few considered changes could transform your own home, then it has done exactly what it was created to do.
Follow the Transformations
Throughout the series, I will also be creating visual mock-ups of selected spaces to show how the changes I have discussed could look when applied. You will be able to view these mock-ups on my Instagram account and through my website, where I will post each new visual alongside my weekly analysis.
Follow along on social media to see my interpretation of each space, including the material, colour, scale, styling, and layout changes I would make, and how even a few considered decisions can completely transform the way a room looks, feels, and functions.
Adam and Jolene: Fresh and Textural, but Missing Depth
Adam and Jolene presented a guest bedroom that immediately felt fresh, soft and open.
Their strongest decision was the layering across the bed. Linen, quilting, woven materials and subtle pattern were combined beautifully, giving the neutral palette softness and dimension without making the bed feel overly styled or visually chaotic.
However, once I looked beyond the bed, the room itself felt quite plain. Most of the visual interest came from the bedding and decorative styling rather than the room's architectural envelope.
The white walls, simple window treatment, small pendants and limited tonal contrast left the space feeling somewhat unfinished. It was pleasant, but it lacked the architectural interest or depth needed to feel truly resolved.
A neutral room does not need bold colour to feel interesting, but it still needs contrast, scale and intention.
What I Would Change
I would begin by painting the walls in a warm, neutral cream using a textured paint technique such as limewash or Venetian plaster. A limewash finish would bring a soft, chalky depth and gentle movement to the walls, while a Venetian plaster would create a subtle, polished texture that still feels calm and inviting. Either technique would introduce depth and visual interest while maintaining the soft, calming atmosphere the contestants created.
Across the window wall, I would install wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling sheer curtains in a washed linen. Extending the curtains across the entire wall would soften its hard lines, disguise the awkwardness of the existing window treatment and make the room feel taller and more considered.
The bedside tables also feel undersized in relation to the width and visual weight of the bed. I would replace them with larger three-drawer bedside tables that provide better proportion, stronger visual balance and practical storage for guests.
Above them, I would exchange the existing pendants for larger statement lights in a concrete or stone variation. The current pendants are visually lost beside the substantial bedhead. Increasing their scale would introduce presence and give the room some of the architectural character it is currently missing.
I would also repeat the chocolate brown more intentionally but still minimally throughout the room. Something as restrained as a chocolate fitted sheet would create a glimpse of deeper colour beneath the lighter bedding, helping to ground the palette and connect the warmer rust and brown tones already used in the styling.
Why I Would Remove the Chair
I would remove the occasional chair entirely.
Not every bedroom needs a chair, and furniture should not be included simply because we expect a bedroom to have it. In this room, there is not enough space around the chair for it to function as a comfortable or purposeful sitting area.
There is already limited clearance between the end of the bed and the opposite wall. Adding the chair interrupts the circulation through the room and visually compresses the space, making the bedroom feel smaller than it is.
The chair is also heavily styled with both a cushion and a throw, creating a concentrated pocket of visual weight in an already confined corner. Rather than supporting the bed as the focal point, it begins to compete with it.
In its place, I would introduce a substantial indoor tree in a simple pot beside the full-height linen curtains. This would add height, softness and an organic element without occupying the room as heavily as another piece of furniture.
I would then use a longer throw at the end of the bed, allowing it to cascade naturally towards the floor. This would retain the relaxed softness created by the chair’s styling while allowing the room itself to breathe.
The Design Lesson
Adam and Jolene’s room demonstrates that a neutral interior can still feel layered and inviting, particularly when texture is used well. However, styling alone cannot always provide the depth a room needs.
Scale, contrast and architectural detail matter even in the softest, most restrained spaces.
It is also a reminder that not every empty corner needs to be filled. Sometimes the most effective design decision is knowing what to leave out.
Chantel and Wyatt: Calm and Considered, but Tonally Flat
Chantel and Wyatt created a calm, polished guest bedroom with several very considered spatial decisions.
The wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling curtains are one of the strongest elements in the room. They soften the window wall, enhance the sense of height and create a far more luxurious finish than curtains fitted only to the dimensions of the window. This is a simple design decision that makes the entire room feel more intentional.
I also appreciate that they did not force an occasional chair into the space. The room has been allowed to breathe, and its circulation has not been compromised for the sake of filling an empty corner. The softly styled basket introduces texture and purpose without carrying the visual or physical weight of another piece of furniture.
The carpet is another beautiful inclusion. It adds warmth and tactile softness underfoot, supporting the quiet and restful atmosphere of the bedroom.
However, despite these strong decisions, the overall design feels quite flat to me.
The room is pleasant, cohesive and well finished, but it lacks a moment of real visual interest. The walls, curtains, carpet, upholstered bed and majority of the bedding sit within a very similar tonal range. Rather than creating layers, these elements begin to merge, leaving the room without the depth or contrast needed to create a memorable result.
What I Would Change
Because this is a new build, I would have taken the opportunity to develop a more considered lighting plan.
The room currently relies heavily on recessed ceiling lights and small bedside lamps. I would introduce more layered lighting, potentially through decorative wall lights, larger table lamps or concealed ambient lighting. A bedroom should offer more than general illumination; it should allow the atmosphere to shift between functional, calm and restful. For best effect, position warm, dimmable overhead lighting in the centre of the room for general use. Add wall lights or pendants on either side of the bed to provide focused reading light and draw attention to the bed as the focal point. Place table lamps on the bedside tables for personal or softer light when needed. If possible, consider adding concealed strip lighting within joinery, behind the bedhead or along window reveals to introduce gentle ambient light. Layering lighting at different heights and locations will let you adjust the mood and create a comfortable, flexible environment.
I would also give the bed greater depth. While the cushions introduce some texture, the expanse of plain white bedding dominates the composition. At present, the bed feels placed within the room rather than deeply integrated into its design.
I would add a quilted coverlet or another substantial layer in a warm taupe, muted chocolate or deeper natural tone. A more generously scaled throw, relaxed across the lower portion of the bed, would add softness and make it feel genuinely inviting—the kind of bed you immediately want to climb into.
Texture would be essential here, but I would vary both the type and the visual weight. Bouclé, washed linen, quilting, woven fibres and a restrained deeper tone could all be used to build dimension without moving away from the room’s calm, neutral direction.
Why I Would Add a Rug Over Carpet
Although the carpet is beautiful, I would still introduce a large rug beneath the bed.
A rug is not only used to soften a hard floor. In this room, it would define the sleeping zone and create a visual boundary around the bed. Because the carpet, upholstered frame and bedding are so tonally similar, the bed currently lacks a strong anchor.
A large, subtly textured rug in a slightly deeper neutral would separate the bed from its surroundings while adding another tactile layer. It would need to be generously sized and extend well beyond both sides and the foot of the bed so that it feels deliberate rather than decorative.
Bedside Scale
The timber bedside tables bring welcome warmth into the room, and their rounded form helps soften its lines. However, beside the height and scale of the upholstered bedhead, they still feel slightly light.
I would select wider bedside tables with more visual weight and surface area, while keeping the warmth and curved detailing of the existing design. This would improve the proportion around the bed and create a stronger connection between the furniture and the substantial bed frame.
The Design Lesson
Chantel and Wyatt’s room demonstrates that cohesion alone does not always create depth.
A restrained neutral palette can feel luxurious and restful, but when every element carries a similar colour, texture and visual weight, the room can begin to feel flat. Layered lighting, stronger tonal variation, tactile materials and a clear visual anchor would preserve the softness of this room while giving it considerably more presence.
The foundation is beautiful. It simply needs another layer of depth to turn a nice room into one that truly draws you in.
Courtney and Sev: When the Architecture Carries the Room
Courtney and Sev entered The Block with experience in building and interior design, and that understanding is evident in the way they approached this room.
Unlike a space that relies on furniture, bedding and decorative pieces to create interest, the architecture is doing the work here. You could remove every movable item from this bedroom, and it would still feel considered, interesting and complete.
That distinction is important.
The warm timber ceiling immediately creates architectural impact, while its curved transition softens what could otherwise have been a very dominant feature. It draws the eye upwards, changes the way we experience the proportions of the room and introduces warmth without making the bedroom feel dark or enclosed.
The textured wall finish adds subtle movement throughout the space. Although the walls are still white, the tone leans towards a softer cream rather than a stark, clinical white. This keeps the room feeling light and open while creating a warmer, more inviting atmosphere.
The full-width upholstered bedhead introduces another layer of texture and gives the bed wall a sense of permanence. Rather than appearing as a piece of furniture placed against a wall, it becomes part of the room’s architecture.
Their wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling curtains are another excellent decision. The generous fabric softens the harder architectural lines, enhances the height of the room and balances the warmth and visual strength of the timber ceiling.
Lighting has also been considered in layers. The room includes functional overhead lighting as well as softer bedside lighting, allowing its atmosphere to change depending on how the space is being used.
This is a room with colour, texture, depth and genuine architectural interest. The individual elements do not compete for attention; they work together to create an immersive and cohesive space.
What I Would Change
Although the architectural response is exceptionally strong, for my personal interpretation, I would have carried more of its warmth and richness into the final furnishing and styling.
The bed itself feels relatively underdressed in comparison to the strength of everything surrounding it. The simple white bedding creates a clean, high-end hotel feeling, but it does not carry the same richness, warmth or depth as the architecture.
I would introduce more intentional layers through a quilted coverlet, a fuller throw and a combination of cushions in warm cream, soft taupe and restrained earthy tones. The goal would not be to overstyle the bed, but to make it feel softer, more inviting and worthy of the room built around it.
I would also raise the upholstered bedhead slightly. The current height works, but a little more presence would create a stronger frame for a properly layered bed and improve the relationship between the bedhead and the large wall above it.
Bringing the Timber Down into the Room
The timber ceiling is one of the most beautiful features of the bedroom, but I would have liked to see that material referenced again at a lower level.
I would replace the existing bedside tables with warm timber versions that relate directly to the ceiling. This repetition would visually bring some of that warmth down into the room and create a stronger connection between the upper architecture and the furniture below.
The timber would also look beautiful against the soft, full-width upholstered bedhead. It would introduce contrast and warmth without disrupting the restrained palette.
Repeating a material does not mean using it everywhere. Sometimes one carefully positioned reference is enough to make the entire material story feel more connected.
Wall Lights or Pendants?
This may be a more personal and possibly controversial preference, but I would have chosen ceiling-hung pendants instead of the wall-mounted bedside lights.
The sconces are practical, appropriately scaled, and neatly integrated into the bedhead, so I do not see them as a poor decision. However, the stone trim across the top of the bedhead creates a fairly defined horizontal stopping point on that wall.
Suspended pendants would introduce a vertical line that leads the eye upwards, creating a stronger visual connection between the bedhead and the timber ceiling. This would be especially effective because the ceiling treatment changes directly above the bed.
A pair of sculptural pendants in stone, softly textured glass or another organic material could bridge those two architectural features while contributing another layer of gentle ambient light.
This is not a matter of one option being objectively right and the other wrong. It is an example of how one design decision can change the way the eye moves through a room.
The Missing Layer: A Rug
And, once again, I would add a rug.
The carpet already provides softness, but a generous plush rug beneath the bed would create a stronger visual anchor and define the sleeping zone. It would also give the lower half of the room more tactile depth, balancing the visual weight and warmth of the timber ceiling above.
A rug over carpet is not unnecessary when it performs a compositional role. Here, it would ground the bed, introduce another layer of comfort and help connect the richer bedding to the rest of the space.
The Design Lesson
Courtney and Sev’s room demonstrates the difference between decorating a room and designing the room itself.
Furniture and styling should enhance a space, but they should not always be responsible for giving it an identity. When architectural interest, lighting, materiality and proportion are considered from the beginning, the room retains its character even after every decorative object has been removed.
This space already had the strongest architectural foundation of the rooms presented so far. With a more generously styled bed, the warmth of the ceiling repeated through the bedside tables, suspended pendants and a plush rug beneath the bed, I believe it could have felt even more resolved and inviting.
The architecture created the wow factor. For my personal interpretation, I would allow the final styling layer to carry more of the warmth and richness already established within the architecture.
Lisa and Rosco: A Beautiful Palette That Needs Greater Connection
Lisa and Rosco created a soft guest bedroom filled with warm, natural tones and tactile finishes.
The colour palette is beautiful. The warm brown bed, creamy carpet, softly textured walls and light curtains establish a calming foundation without relying on stark white throughout the entire space.
Their wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling curtains are another strong decision. They soften the room, visually increase its height and give the window wall a much more considered finish. I also appreciate that Lisa and Rosco did not add an occasional chair to fill the room; the space benefits from being allowed to breathe.
The textured wall finish was an ambitious inclusion, particularly for contestants attempting this type of painting technique themselves. These finishes require skill and practice to execute well, and I give them enormous credit for taking it on. It introduces movement and warmth that a standard flat paint finish would not have achieved.
However, while the individual materials and colours are appealing, the room feels somewhat underwhelming as a complete composition. The dark bed, white bedding, niche, wall panelling, artwork and lighting read as separate decisions rather than parts of one connected design story.
The Bed and Bedding
I agree with the judges that the bed is too low.
The bed frame itself is beautiful. Its deep brown colour, soft suede-like texture and curved headboard could have provided a strong focal point and grounded the entire room. Sitting so close to the floor, however, it loses presence and makes the proportions around it feel slightly unresolved.
If its original legs were removed, I would reinstall them or otherwise raise the bed to give it greater height and allow the sculptural shape of the frame to be properly appreciated.
The bedding also needs a stronger relationship with the bed beneath it. At present, the almost entirely white bedding sits separately from the rich brown frame. Aside from one small cushion and the throw at the foot, very little carries that warmth upwards through the composition.
I would layer the bed using warm creams and natural neutral tones rather than bright white alone. Washed linen, bamboo sheets, subtle quilting and a more substantial throw would introduce different textures and depths. Small touches of caramel, taupe or muted brown would connect the bedding to the frame without making the result feel heavy.
A white bed can look crisp, but without enough texture or tonal variation, it can also feel clinical. A guest bedroom should make you want to climb into the bed, and this one needs greater softness and depth to create that invitation.
Bedside Tables That Provide Storage
The existing pedestal-style tables are sculptural, but I would replace them with larger, functional bedside tables containing drawers.
Guests need somewhere to put personal belongings, medication, chargers and the other small items they may not want left on display. For me, bedside tables without storage are generally a missed opportunity, particularly when the room has enough space to accommodate practical pieces.
The warm timber used on the wardrobe doors could have been repeated through the bedside tables. This would bring another natural material into the sleeping zone and help connect the wardrobe to the rest of the room.
The room also appears to have reasonable clearance at the foot of the bed. If circulation allowed, a slim timber console beneath the artwork could reference that wardrobe finish again while giving guests another useful surface. It would need to remain shallow enough to preserve a comfortable walkway.
The Niche and Wall Panelling
I would remove the arched niche.
Although it reflects the room’s curved forms, it does not feel necessary or sufficiently purposeful. Its scale and placement make it feel like an isolated decorative feature rather than an integrated part of the architecture.
Instead, I would extend the sheer curtains from one end of the window wall to the other. This would create one soft, uninterrupted architectural gesture rather than dividing the wall between curtains and a small niche.
Behind the curtains, I would use a light wall colour. Because sheer fabric allows light and shadow to remain visible, a darker finish behind it could make the curtains appear duller or create unnecessary shadowing. A light backdrop would maintain their softness and luminosity.
On the adjoining wall, I would also remove the fluted panelling. The textured bed wall, arched niche, linear panelling and twin artworks create too many separate feature moments. Greater restraint would give the strongest materials more room to have an impact.
I would carry a Venetian plaster finish across both visible walls instead. This would preserve the warmth, texture and movement Lisa and Rosco intended while creating a more cohesive architectural envelope.
Lighting and Scale
The wall sconces feel too small for the proportions of the bed wall. They visually disappear rather than contributing meaningfully to the composition.
I would replace them with larger ceiling-hung pendants, perhaps in fluted glass, softly clouded glass or a concrete-like finish. Their vertical drop would frame the bed, provide greater presence and encourage the eye to move upwards.
As this is a new build, I would also take the opportunity to layer the room’s lighting more thoroughly. General ceiling lighting is useful, but ambient and decorative lighting are what allow a bedroom to feel warm and restful rather than illuminated.
Artwork and the Missing Rug
The existing artwork introduces colour, but the two pieces feel disconnected from the softer, more natural material story established elsewhere.
I would replace them with one generously scaled textural artwork incorporating cream, sand, light brown and warm neutral tones. A single larger piece would provide interest while creating a calmer and more intentional focal point.
And, once again, I would add a rug.
The carpet provides softness underfoot, but a large rug beneath the bed would visually anchor it and give the low-profile frame greater definition. I would choose something plush and subtly textured in a deeper cream or natural tone, ensuring it extends generously beyond the sides and foot of the bed.
The Design Lesson
Lisa and Rosco’s room demonstrates that a beautiful palette does not automatically create a cohesive room.
The individual ingredients are here: warmth, softness, texture, curves and natural materials. The opportunity lies in connecting them more deliberately. Repeating the wardrobe timber through functional bedside tables, carrying the brown bed into the bedding, simplifying the wall treatments and increasing the scale of the lighting would allow the room to feel much more resolved.
Overall, Lisa and Rosco did a good job and deserve credit for attempting technically challenging finishes within an already demanding environment. My changes would not replace the direction they established; they would strengthen the relationships between its individual elements.
The room does not need more features. It needs fewer, stronger decisions that speak more clearly to one another.
Rick and Tayla: When Restraint Becomes Underdevelopment
Rick and Tayla selected a beautiful collection of furnishings for their guest bedroom.
The upholstered bed is soft and sculptural, the timber wardrobes introduce warmth, and the muted combination of cream, caramel and natural wood creates the foundation for a calming palette. I also genuinely love the wall sconces as individual pieces. Their organic form brings softness and movement that could have become a striking feature within the room.
However, despite those lovely individual selections, this room falls short for me as a complete design.
Almost all its character is being carried by the movable furniture and styling. If the bed, chair, bedside tables and decorative pieces were removed, very little architectural interest would remain.
This is the distinction between furnishing a room and designing the room itself.
Furniture can introduce personality, but it should not always be responsible for giving a new-build room its entire identity. Architectural finishes, window treatments, lighting, materiality and considered detailing create interest that remains regardless of how the room is later furnished.
The Missed Opportunity at the Window
The large window presented one of the greatest opportunities within this room.
I would have installed wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling curtains in a warm cream or washed linen. Extending the curtains across the entire wall would make the window appear even larger, almost like a full glazed wall, while introducing softness, movement and height.
Without curtains, the window feels exposed and disconnected from the rest of the design. The room is also missing the volume and tactile quality that a generous amount of fabric would provide.
Because the walls are currently stark white, a warm linen curtain would help soften the palette without reducing the room’s light or openness.
Creating Architectural Interest
Rather than retaining the plain white bed wall, I would introduce a textured architectural finish.
A concrete-effect or softly mottled plaster finish could work beautifully here. Although concrete can lean cooler, this room already contains warmth through the carpet, upholstered bed and timber cabinetry. When combined with cream curtains, layered bedding, timber bedside tables and a plush rug, the contrast would feel balanced rather than cold.
This treatment would also give the beautiful wall sconces something to connect with visually. At present, they appear to float against the blank white wall because there is no architectural feature, bedhead treatment or material change anchoring them within the composition.
The sconces themselves are not the problem. It is the relationship between the lights and the wall surrounding them that feels unresolved.
Rethinking the Lighting
While I love the form of the existing sconces, I would either increase their scale or use ceiling-hung pendants beside the bed.
Larger suspended lights would introduce a stronger vertical element, frame the bed more effectively and give the wall greater presence. Substantial timber bedside tables could then accommodate smaller lamps, adding another lighting layer and allowing the room's atmosphere to change throughout the day.
Alternatively, I would consider relocating the existing sculptural sconces to the wall opposite the bed and arranging them as an illuminated art installation. Grouped intentionally, their organic shape could become a beautiful decorative feature rather than appearing isolated on either side of the bed.
The Bedside Tables Need Greater Presence
The existing open metal bedside tables are too small and visually light beside the substantial upholstered bed.
They also provide almost no practical storage for guests.
I would replace them with wider timber bedside tables containing drawers. Repeating the timber from the wardrobes would connect the cabinetry to the bed zone, bring warmth across the room and give the furniture story greater cohesion.
Their increased visual weight would also improve the proportion around the bed, which currently feels much heavier than the pieces positioned beside it.
Styling the Bed
The bed itself is one of the strongest pieces in the room, but it has not been styled in a way that allows it to reach its full potential.
Although several cushions have been added, the large expanse of white bedding remains visually flat. Bedding needs more than cushions at the head of the bed to feel layered. The sheets, quilt, coverlet and throw all contribute to its depth and invitation.
I would introduce washed linen, quilting and softly woven materials in warm cream, oatmeal, caramel and restrained earthy tones. A generously draped throw across the lower third of the bed would add movement and carry the warmth of the upholstered frame through the composition.
This bed could be absolutely beautiful. It simply needs more tonal variation and tactile depth to make it feel genuinely inviting.
Why I Would Remove the Chair
I would remove the occasional chair.
The chair itself suits the colour palette, but there is insufficient clearance between it and the bed for it to function comfortably. It interrupts circulation and makes that side of the room feel compressed.
A chair should not be added simply because there is an available corner. If there is not enough space to sit, move around it and use it comfortably, it becomes an obstruction rather than an asset.
Removing it would allow the room to breathe and give the window wall greater impact once the full-width curtains were installed.
The Missing Rug
A generous rug beneath the bed would provide the visual anchor the room is currently missing.
The carpet already adds warmth, but a rug would define the sleeping zone, introduce another layer of texture and help connect the bed with the wider room. I would choose a plush rug in a warm, subtly deeper neutral and ensure it extended well beyond both sides and the foot of the bed.
A rug over carpet is not redundant when it performs an important compositional role. Here, it would help transform a collection of furnishings into a more grounded and complete arrangement.
The Design Lesson
Rick and Tayla’s room demonstrates the difference between thoughtful restraint and underdevelopment.
A minimal or restrained room does not need to contain many features, but every remaining decision must carry greater intention. Materiality, lighting, scale, texture and proportion become even more important when the overall design is quiet.
In this room, so much has been removed that the furnishings are being asked to carry almost the entire design.
Sometimes underdoing a room can be just as limiting as overdoing it. This does not mean that more is always better; it means that restraint still requires depth.
I would love to see Rick and Tayla trust their instincts and take a more confident design position in the coming weeks. It is often easier to begin with a strong idea and refine it than to create impact from too little.
Their furniture selections show that they understand warmth, softness and organic form. The opportunity now is to carry that understanding beyond the movable pieces and into the architecture of the rooms themselves.
The individual ingredients are beautiful. What this room needs is a stronger design framework to connect them.
Final Thoughts: The Difference Between Furnishing and Designing a Room
Week 1 highlighted an important distinction: there is a difference between furnishing a room and designing the room itself.
Beautiful furniture can create an immediate impression, but furniture should not always be responsible for giving a new-build space its entire identity. When architectural detailing, materiality, lighting and proportion are considered from the beginning, a room retains its character even after every movable object has been removed.
Courtney and Sev demonstrated this particularly well. Their timber ceiling, textured walls, integrated bedhead and layered lighting created a room with an identity embedded within its architecture. The furniture supported the space, but it was not being asked to carry it.
Across the other rooms, there were plenty of beautiful individual decisions: warm timber, tactile carpet, sculptural beds, soft palettes and carefully selected lighting. However, several spaces relied heavily on those movable pieces to create interest. When the architectural foundation remained relatively plain, the rooms needed much greater depth through window treatments, lighting, wall finishes, texture and material repetition to feel fully connected.
Curtains Are More Than a Window Covering
Wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling curtains were consistently among the strongest decisions this week.
Curtains at this scale do far more than provide privacy. They soften hard lines, exaggerate ceiling height, make windows appear larger and introduce movement into a room. In bedrooms where this treatment was used, the entire space felt more intentional.
Rick and Tayla’s large window demonstrated the impact of the reverse. Without curtains, an opportunity to transform the entire wall was missed. A generous washed-linen treatment could have added softness, warmth and architectural presence without introducing another piece of furniture.
Texture Must Create Depth, Not Simply Be Present
Texture appeared throughout the week, but the successful use of texture depends on how different finishes relate to one another.
Carpet, curtains, upholstered beds, plaster finishes, timber and linen can all contribute softness and movement. However, when every surface sits within the same colour, tone and visual weight, a room can still feel flat.
Texture works best when it is layered with variation. Something smooth beside something woven. A soft fabric against warm timber. A matte wall treatment balanced by glass, metal or stone. The goal is not to add texture everywhere, but to use contrast so each material can be properly experienced.
The Bed Must Feel Like the Invitation
In a bedroom, the bed should be the emotional centre of the space.
Several rooms included beautiful bed frames but did not carry the same level of consideration into the bedding. Cushions alone do not create a layered bed. The sheets, quilt, coverlet and throw all contribute to its depth, warmth and invitation.
A well-styled bed does not need to be excessive. Layers of washed linen, subtle quilting, warm tonal variation and one generously draped throw can be enough to make it feel considered and genuinely comfortable.
The question is simple: does the bed make you want to climb into it?
If it does not, the room may still be visually attractive, but it has missed one of its most important emotional functions.
Practicality Still Matters in a Guest Bedroom
One repeated concern this week was the use of small pedestal tables in place of functional bedside storage.
Sculptural furniture can be beautiful, but guests still need somewhere to place chargers, medication, personal belongings and the small items they may not want left on display.
A bedside table can be both attractive and practical. Where space allows, choosing a wider design with drawers improves storage, balances the scale of the bed and gives the sleeping zone greater visual weight.
The same principle applies to occasional chairs. A chair should not be added simply because there is an available corner. If there is not enough clearance to sit comfortably or move around it, leaving that space open is the stronger decision.
Good design supports the way a room will actually be used.
Lighting Should Change the Atmosphere
Lighting is not only about whether a room is bright enough.
A considered bedroom needs layers: functional lighting when visibility is required, ambient lighting for softness and decorative lighting that contributes to the architecture.
Several rooms relied on recessed lighting combined with small bedside sconces or lamps. While functional, this often left the spaces without enough variation in mood.
Larger wall lights, suspended pendants, table lamps or concealed ambient lighting can change how the eye moves through a room while allowing its atmosphere to shift from practical to restful.
The scale and placement of lighting matter just as much as the fitting itself. A beautiful light can still feel disconnected if it appears to float without a relationship to the bed, wall treatment or surrounding architecture.
Restraint Still Requires Intention
One of the clearest lessons from Week 1 is that minimal does not mean empty.
A restrained interior can be warm, layered and architecturally interesting. In fact, when fewer elements are used, each decision becomes more important. Scale, proportion, texture, lighting and materiality must work harder because there is less available to disguise an unresolved composition.
Underdoing a room can be just as limiting as overdoing it.
This does not mean every room needs more features. Often, it needs fewer but stronger decisions: one substantial wall treatment rather than several competing features, one generously scaled artwork rather than multiple disconnected pieces, or one repeated material that ties the architecture and furniture together.
Restraint succeeds when what remains feels deliberate.
My Overall Week 1 Takeaway
The strongest rooms this week were not necessarily the ones containing the most furniture, styling or decorative detail. They were the rooms with the clearest relationships between architecture, materiality, lighting and function.
Every team presented ideas worth recognising, whether through beautiful curtains, warm palettes, sculptural furniture, ambitious finishes or thoughtful use of space. The opportunity moving forward is to connect those decisions more deliberately and allow the architecture to carry more of each home’s identity.
Furniture will change.
Bedding will be replaced.
Artwork will move, and future owners will style these rooms differently.
The architectural foundation is what remains.
That is where I would encourage the contestants to be brave: invest in the elements that give the home lasting character, then allow the furniture and styling to support that story.
Week 1 was not simply a lesson in how to create a guest bedroom. It was a reminder that a beautiful room is not built from isolated selections. It is created through relationships between softness and structure, warmth and contrast, beauty and practicality, and the room itself and the people who will eventually use it.
Ready to Create a Home That Feels as Good as It Looks?
Beautiful design is not only about selecting furniture, colours and finishes. It is about understanding how architecture, function, atmosphere and the way you live all work together.
✨ Explore the Signature Design Experience for personalised design guidance and a tailored plan created around your lifestyle, routines and wellbeing. Together, we will create a home that feels cohesive, considered and uniquely yours.
🎨 Book a Signature Colour Consultation to develop a considered colour palette that complements your home and supports the way you want each space to feel.
📘 Or explore Design Your Space, Design Your Self to discover how intentional changes to your environment can support your habits, mindset and everyday life.
Not sure where to begin? Complete the FREE Design Direction Check and take the first step towards creating a home that feels as good as it looks. 🤍
You May Also Enjoy
Why Your Space Feels ‘Off’ and How to Fix It Fast
Minimalism for the Mind: Decluttering Your Thoughts to Focus and Thrive
5 Colour Mistakes That Could Be Ruining Your Room’s Vibe (And How to Fix Them Like a Designer)
Why Confidence Starts at Home: Creating a Space That Reflects Your Worth