The Block Week 3: Main Bedroom and Walk-In Robe Week
Week 3 of The Block turned the focus towards main bedrooms and walk-in robes—two spaces that need to balance luxury, comfort, storage and everyday function.
A main bedroom should feel like a retreat, but creating that experience involves more than choosing beautiful furniture or expensive finishes.
The scale of the bedside tables, the amount of visible floor, the softness of the bedding and the way furniture affects circulation can completely change how comfortable and spacious a bedroom feels.
Walk-in robes require the same level of consideration.
The amount of storage matters, but so does the ability to access it. Cabinet doors, dressing stations, islands and seating all affect whether a robe supports everyday routines or becomes difficult for more than one person to use.
This week delivered some impressive architectural moments.
There were sculptural ceilings, illuminated plaster features, full-height bedheads, extensive custom joinery and generous skylights. However, several rooms also demonstrated how furniture scale, styling, cabinetry placement and colour can prevent strong architecture from reaching its full potential.
Some of the spaces were also shaped by unusual circumstances.
As walk-in robes are designed during Week 1 to allow enough time for the cabinetry to be manufactured, some couples inherited a wardrobe originally designed by another team. Where this occurred, I have acknowledged the original designers and any relevant completion circumstances while reviewing how the room was ultimately completed and presented.
As always, these reviews are not intended to diminish the work, effort or expertise of the contestants, designers or trades involved.
Design is subjective.
A room can be beautifully constructed and still not appeal equally to everyone. Two designers can understand the reasoning behind the same space and interpret it in entirely different ways.
My purpose throughout this series is to explore how individual decisions affect proportion, function, cohesion, atmosphere and the experience of living within a room.
For each house, I will consider:
- The overall design and colour palette
- Floor-plan functionality and circulation
- Storage and everyday usability
- Architectural and material decisions
- Furniture scale and proportion
- Styling, softness and visual hierarchy
- What I would personally retain or approach differently
Follow the Transformations
Alongside each review, I have created conceptual interpretations of the main bedroom and walk-in robe.
These images are not intended to replace the contestants’ designs or suggest that there is only one correct response to each space.
They visually explore how changes to furniture scale, cabinetry, lighting, colour, bedding and material placement can alter the experience of the same room.
The conceptual images are AI-assisted interpretations created by Jordyn Hennessy of Seventeen Designs for independent educational design commentary. They are not official images, completed Seventeen Designs projects or photographs of the contestants’ finished rooms.
Adam and Jolene: A Beautiful Suite That Needed Space to Breathe
Adam and Jolene created a cohesive and luxurious main bedroom suite with a beautifully restrained colour palette.
The warm neutrals, soft textiles, natural timber and muted earthy tones work together effortlessly. Nothing feels disconnected from the broader design language of the home, and the repeated curves, texture and warm materiality create a clear sense of continuity with the rooms they have already delivered.
Overall, this is a beautiful suite.
For me, the main issue is not the design direction. It is the amount of furniture and styling concentrated within the bedroom.
The room already contains strong architectural elements, including the curved bed recess, integrated bedside ledges, full-height curtains and timber detailing. It does not require as many additional pieces to make it feel complete.
When Beautiful Furniture Interrupts the Flow
The two armchairs and central table create a dedicated seating area at the end of the bed, but collectively they occupy a significant amount of the available floor space.
Because the bed, chairs, table and rug are all concentrated within the same zone, the bedroom feels more cramped than its actual proportions suggest.
The individual pieces are attractive. The problem is not any one item; it is their combined visual and physical weight.
Circulation is an important part of bedroom design. A room should allow someone to move naturally around the bed, access the wardrobe and use the surrounding furniture without feeling as though they are navigating between objects.
For my interpretation, I would edit this area rather than redesign it completely.
Removing at least one chair and simplifying the furniture at the foot of the bed would expose more of the floor, improve circulation, and make the room’s architecture more visible.
This is a good example of how adding more furniture does not necessarily make a large room feel more luxurious. Sometimes, luxury is found in the space left around each element.
Making the Built-In Bedsides Work Harder
The curved recess surrounding the bed is one of the bedroom’s strongest architectural features.
The integrated ledges create a seamless appearance and allow the bedside areas to remain connected to the architecture rather than introducing two freestanding tables.
However, I would have incorporated drawers beneath each ledge.
Bedrooms require practical storage for personal items that do not necessarily need to remain visible. Without drawers, the built-in bedsides provide a surface but very little concealed functionality.
Because these elements were custom-built into the arch, the storage requirement ideally should have been considered during the design stage.
Adding discreet drawers beneath each bedside would preserve the clean, integrated appearance while making the feature significantly more useful in everyday life.
The most successful custom joinery should not only look intentional. It should solve practical problems more effectively than a freestanding alternative.
The Walk-In Robe
The walk-in robe continues the bedroom’s warm and cohesive material language.
The extensive timber joinery provides ample storage, while the central island adds additional drawers and a practical surface in the middle of the room. The skylight and linear pendant also draw the eye upward and prevent the large amount of cabinetry from feeling overly enclosed.
The space undoubtedly feels luxurious.
However, I would refine the seating area at the island's end.
The existing stone-topped bench visually connects to the island, but it does not appear particularly comfortable for sitting while getting dressed or putting on shoes.
For my interpretation, I would replace the hard stone seating surface with an upholstered bench.
A soft, generously padded seat in a warm neutral fabric would introduce another tactile layer and make the feature more comfortable to use. It would also create a subtle contrast against the surrounding timber and stone while remaining within the suite’s quiet, restrained palette.
Simplifying the Wardrobe Styling
The walk-in robe does not require as much styling as it currently contains.
The pillows and draped throw placed across the end of the island introduce softness, but this softness would be more successfully achieved through the upholstered seat itself.
Once the bench became a genuine piece of comfortable seating, the additional cushions and throw would no longer be necessary.
I would simplify the remaining styling to a small number of purposeful pieces, allowing the cabinetry, stone and lighting to carry the space.
A walk-in robe already contains natural visual detail through clothing, accessories and personal belongings. Overstyling it before introducing those everyday layers can make the space feel busier than it needs to be.
The Importance of Editing
This suite demonstrates that a room can contain beautiful individual elements and still benefit from restraint.
The palette is cohesive. The architecture is considered. The furniture and materials feel luxurious. My changes would not involve replacing that foundation or introducing an entirely new design direction.
I would simply edit what is already there.
In the bedroom, reducing the amount of furniture at the end of the bed would improve circulation and allow the room to breathe. Adding drawers to the built-in bedsides would strengthen their everyday function without compromising the curved architectural feature.
In the walk-in robe, an upholstered seat would make the central island more comfortable and visually soften the extensive joinery. Removing the extra pillows, throw and unnecessary styling would then allow that feature to feel intentional rather than decorated.
The Design Lesson
Adam and Jolene’s main bedroom suite demonstrates that luxury is not always created by adding another piece of furniture, another decorative object or another material.
Sometimes, the strongest design decision is knowing when to stop.
The suite already has a beautiful foundation through its warm colour palette, natural materials, curved architecture and cohesive detailing. Its primary limitation is that too many elements are concentrated in the same areas.
For my interpretation, I would preserve the existing design and make only a few purposeful changes: reduce the furniture at the foot of the bed, incorporate drawers into the built-in bedside units, upholster the walk-in robe seat, and simplify the styling.
The room does not need more design.
It simply needs enough space for the existing design to be fully appreciated.
Chantel and Wyatt: Minimalist Luxury That Needed Greater Depth
Chantel and Wyatt created a spacious and refined main bedroom suite with a soft, minimalist approach.
The warm-white cabinetry, pale flooring, natural stone and restrained brass detailing establish a polished foundation throughout the walk-in robe. In the bedroom, the curved wall treatment, full-height curtains, sculptural pendant and soft neutral palette create a calm architectural envelope.
Both spaces are beautiful.
However, for me, the suite feels more pleasant than memorable. The architectural foundation is strong, but the styling, hardware, and functional details do not fully match the level of luxury expected in a main bedroom suite.
The Walk-In Robe
The walk-in robe is generous, bright and highly functional.
The cabinetry provides extensive concealed storage, while the central island introduces additional drawers and a substantial stone surface. The two skylights bring natural light deep into the room, and the linear pendant reinforces the length of the island below.
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the space. It is cohesive, practical and well finished.
However, no single detail gives the robe a particularly distinctive identity.
Strengthening the Cabinetry Hardware
The cabinetry handles are one area where a relatively small change could make a considerable difference.
The small round knobs across the island drawers are understated, but against the scale of the island and surrounding cabinetry, they feel slightly underwhelming.
Longer decorative handles would introduce stronger vertical and horizontal lines while giving the cabinetry a more resolved, furniture-like quality.
Leather handles were suggested during judging. Although they could introduce texture, they would not be my personal preference for this room.
Instead, I would select elongated aged-brass or champagne-toned handles with a subtle sculptural profile. These could be applied consistently across the island drawers and full-height cabinetry, creating greater visual continuity and giving the pale joinery more definition.
Hardware is a small part of a room physically, but when repeated across a large amount of cabinetry, its scale and finish significantly affect the overall result.
Creating a More Memorable Walk-In Robe
The walk-in robe does not need another material or a large decorative feature simply to make it feel more luxurious.
The stone waterfall island, warm timber shelving, skylights and pendant already provide a strong foundation.
In my interpretation, I would make the upgraded hardware the defining detail.
A small amount of purposeful styling on the island a sculptural tray, perfume bottles, a candle or a restrained floral arrangement could then make the room feel lived in without cluttering the stone surface.
The goal would be refinement rather than decoration.
The Main Bedroom
The bedroom has a beautiful architectural foundation.
The softly curved wall treatment behind the bed creates a subtle focal point, while the full-height curtains add softness and emphasise the room's height. The oversized circular pendant is sculptural without overwhelming the space, and the warm wall covering introduces gentle texture.
The overall palette is calm and cohesive.
However, the styling feels slightly flat in comparison with the strength of the architecture.
The bed, rug and surrounding furniture remain within a very similar tonal range. Although this creates softness, it also means there is little contrast or visual hierarchy to direct the eye through the room.
Increasing the Bedhead Height
I would increase the height of the upholstered bedhead.
The existing bedhead introduces a muted olive tone and softly curved corners, but much of it disappears behind the pillows and bedding.
A taller version would give the bed greater presence and allow the colour and upholstery to become a more visible part of the room’s composition.
It would also create a stronger connection between the bed and the curved architectural detail behind it, helping the sleeping zone feel more intentionally layered.
The bedhead would not need to compete with the wall treatment. It simply needs enough height to remain visible and hold its own within the scale of the room.
Proper Bedside Storage
The small stone side table does not provide the functionality expected for use beside a bed in a main bedroom.
It offers a surface, but no concealed storage for the everyday items people generally want within reach.
For my interpretation, I would replace the small tables with two substantial bedside units containing drawers.
These could remain visually light and refined while providing practical storage. A warm-white or softly textured finish would connect with the surrounding architecture, while understated brass hardware could relate back to the walk-in robe.
A main bedroom should feel luxurious, but it must also support everyday life. Proper bedside storage is not an unnecessary addition; it is part of making the room comfortable and functional.
Introducing Greater Depth Through the Rug
The existing rug adds softness, but its pale colour and minimal variation make it blend into the surrounding carpet and bedding.
I would introduce a rug with greater colour or pattern.
One option would be to remain within the beige palette but select a rug with a more visible woven pattern, tonal movement or softly contrasting border.
My stronger preference is a muted olive-green rug that complements the bedhead and bedding.
This would introduce depth across the lower portion of the room, ground the bed and create a clearer relationship between the architectural envelope and the existing green accents.
The colour would not need to be bright or dominant. A washed olive, moss or subdued sage would provide enough contrast to make the room feel more layered while retaining its calm atmosphere.
Styling That Supports the Architecture
The bedroom does not require significant additional styling.
Its architecture the curved wall, tactile finish, full-height curtains and sculptural light already provides interest.
What it needs is stronger hierarchy.
A taller bedhead would anchor the sleeping zone. Proper bedside units would give the arrangement greater balance and function. A richer rug would introduce depth beneath the bed.
Once those elements were strengthened, the remaining styling could stay simple.
This is the difference between adding more objects and making the existing objects work harder.
The Design Lesson
Chantel and Wyatt’s main bedroom suite demonstrates that minimalism still requires considered detail.
A restrained palette can feel calm and luxurious, but when every element sits within the same tonal range and carries similar visual weight, the room can begin to feel flat.
In the walk-in robe, larger sculptural handles would give the extensive cabinetry greater definition and create a more memorable finishing detail.
In the bedroom, a taller upholstered bedhead, practical bedside tables with drawers, and a patterned or muted green rug would introduce the contrast, functionality, and hierarchy currently missing from the space.
The suite is already beautiful.
For my interpretation, I would not add unnecessary materials or decoration. I would strengthen the scale of the existing details so the room feels as resolved and luxurious as its architecture suggests it could be.
Lisa and Rosco: Two Beautiful Spaces That Do Not Quite Speak the Same Language
Lisa and Rosco delivered a warm and architecturally interesting main bedroom, while their walk-in robe was designed by the girls in week 1.
It is important to acknowledge that distinction when discussing the two spaces, particularly because the robe and bedroom were ultimately shaped by different design hands.
Individually, both rooms are beautiful.
The walk-in robe is generous, polished and highly functional. The bedroom has a calm material palette and a strong sculptural feature behind the bed. However, when the spaces are viewed together as one main suite, the connection between them feels slightly incomplete.
The walk-in robe is crisp, symmetrical and joinery-led, while the bedroom is softer, darker and more organic. They share warmth, but they do not yet feel as though they were conceived as one continuous experience.
The Walk-In Robe
The walk-in robe is undeniably impressive.
Full-height pale timber cabinetry lines the room, while the long central island provides extensive drawer storage and a generous stone surface. The large dark handles give the joinery definition, and the warm timber shelving at the back creates a focal point within an otherwise restrained palette.
The two skylights bring considerable natural light into the room and help balance the extensive amount of cabinetry.
The foundation is beautiful, functional and luxurious.
However, the space feels unfinished from a presentation perspective because it was not styled.
Styling That Explains Function
Styling within a walk-in robe should not exist purely for decoration. It can also help communicate how the space is intended to be used.
The open shelves at the rear are visually prominent but completely empty. Adding a small selection of shoes, neatly folded shirts, handbags, or folded blankets would immediately give those shelves purpose and scale.
The intention would not be to fill every compartment.
A few carefully positioned pieces would be enough to demonstrate function while allowing the warm timber backing and integrated lighting to remain visible.
The island could also carry one restrained styling moment.
I would introduce a decorative tray containing a candle, a small selection of perfume bottles and perhaps one sculptural object. The existing flowers could remain, but the overall arrangement should still leave most of the stone surface clear.
This would make the robe feel lived-in and luxurious without cluttering it.
Balancing the Skylights
The walk-in robe currently contains two skylights positioned along one side of the ceiling.
Because the room has the available ceiling space, I would introduce two additional skylights on the opposite side, aligned precisely with the existing pair.
This would create a balanced arrangement of four skylights and distribute natural light more evenly across both sides of the cabinetry and central island.
The existing ceiling lights in that area could be relocated to a more suitable position around the perimeter.
A long decorative light could also have created a strong architectural moment above the island. However, I do not believe the room necessarily requires one.
The skylights already provide sufficient ceiling interest. Strengthening their symmetry would create greater impact without introducing another element competing for attention.
A Beautiful Space That Needed Its Final Layer
The walk-in robe does not require a different layout, new cabinetry or additional materials.
Its main opportunity lies in presentation.
Purposeful styling would communicate how the open storage is used, while two additional skylights would make the ceiling feel more balanced and intentional.
The architecture and joinery already carry the room. It simply needs the final layer that makes a beautifully completed space feel inhabited.
The Main Bedroom
The main bedroom is calm, sophisticated and deserving of its win.
The warm Venetian plaster creates a soft, enveloping foundation, while the darker timber bedsides introduce contrast and prevent the neutral palette from feeling washed out.
The illuminated curved feature behind the bed is the room’s defining architectural element. It creates movement across the wall and gives the bedroom an identity beyond its furniture and styling.
I understand why the room was so well received.
However, there are still areas I would personally refine.
Refining the Curved Feature
The architectural idea behind the illuminated wall is strong.
The wave-like form brings softness and movement into the room, while the concealed lighting emphasises the shape without requiring another decorative material.
The difficulty lies in its execution.
Creating a smooth organic curve from plasterboard is technically challenging because the material is naturally rigid. Without highly experienced installation and finishing, the line can appear slightly segmented or jagged rather than continuous.
This is visible in parts of the completed feature.
For my interpretation, I would retain the same concept but refine the curve into one smoother, more deliberate line.
I would also soften the junction where the sculptural form meets the adjoining walls.
Rather than allowing the plaster to finish against sharp vertical corners, I would curve those contact points so that the wall feature appears to flow naturally into the surrounding architecture.
Softening the Plaster Junctions
Because Venetian plaster has been used so extensively throughout the room, I would carry that softness into the room’s architectural junctions.
Where practical, the internal wall corners and transitions between plastered surfaces could be gently rounded rather than sharply squared.
The floor and ceiling lines would remain clean and straight, preserving the room's structure and proportions.
However, softening the vertical contact points would make the Venetian plaster feel more integrated and tactile. It would also connect more naturally with the curved bedhead, the illuminated wall feature and the room’s broader organic language.
This is a subtle distinction, but it would help the architecture feel intentionally sculpted rather than simply surfaced.
Making the Bed Feel Irresistible
The bed is beautifully proportioned, and the neutral bedding is appropriate for the room.
However, the styling feels slightly restrained for a main bedroom.
I want the bed to feel like a soft cloud—something that immediately makes you want to climb into it.
At present, the bedding is neat and polished, but it does not create that same sense of comfort or invitation.
I would retain the ivory foundation and deeper rust-toned cushions, then introduce additional softness through a generously draped throw, layered quilts and fuller pillows.
The bed does not need an excessive number of decorative cushions. The goal is not to make it difficult to use.
Instead, I would focus on tactile layers: washed linen, a softly quilted coverlet, one substantial throw and pillows with enough volume to make the bed feel deeply comfortable.
A small amount of relaxed imperfection would also help. Bedding does not need to be perfectly flat to feel luxurious. Gentle folds and visible texture can make it feel warmer, softer and more inviting.
Connecting the Bedroom and Walk-In Robe
The bedroom and walk-in robe share a warm neutral foundation, but their design languages are different.
The robe is pale, linear and highly symmetrical. Its character comes from timber joinery, stone and dark elongated handles.
The bedroom is organic and sculptural, using Venetian plaster, curved forms, concealed lighting and darker timber.
There is nothing wrong with either approach individually. The issue is that the transition between them does not feel completely resolved.
Purposeful styling could help bridge that divide.
Introducing a small amount of the bedroom’s deeper tones into the robe through perfume bottles, folded clothing, a tray or carefully selected accessories would create a visual link without changing the cabinetry.
Likewise, retaining natural textures and darker accents within the bedroom styling would connect it back to the robe’s timber and hardware.
Cohesion does not require two rooms to look identical. It requires enough repetition of material, colour, or shape language for the transition between them to feel intentional.
The Design Lesson
Lisa and Rosco’s main suite demonstrates that adjoining spaces can be individually beautiful without feeling entirely cohesive.
The walk-in robe is generous, functional and beautifully resolved. Its original design was created by the girls during Week 1 but remained unfinished, giving Lisa and Rosco a strong foundation to build on and ultimately complete. Its primary opportunity lies in styling the open shelving and island, then balancing the ceiling with two additional skylights aligned opposite the existing pair.
The bedroom contains the stronger architectural moment.
Its illuminated plaster feature is memorable and gives the room genuine identity. For my interpretation, I would refine that feature into a smoother curve, soften the surrounding plaster junctions and layer the bed so it feels as inviting as the architecture is impressive.
Neither room requires a major redesign.
The opportunity is to strengthen their relationship and add the final details that turn two beautiful adjoining rooms into one cohesive, luxurious main suite.
Courtney and Sev: Strong Ideas That Needed a More Resolved Final Layer
Courtney and Sev’s main bedroom suite contains several strong architectural decisions, but this is the first week in which their overall presentation has not felt as resolved as the standard they have previously established.
It is important to distinguish between the two rooms.
The girls inherited the existing walk-in robe layout from Lisa and Rosco, so its narrow proportions and original cabinetry configuration were not decisions they made themselves. They worked within the inherited foundation and introduced natural light to make the room feel longer and more open.
The bedroom, however, was their own design.
It contains the architectural ambition I have come to expect from them, particularly through the sculptural ceiling and full-height bedhead. However, the colour palette, furniture scale and styling did not come together with the same clarity as their earlier rooms.
The suite is not beyond saving.
In fact, many of its issues could be addressed through a combination of spatial refinement, colour correction and much stronger styling.
The Walk-In Robe
The walk-in robe is unusually long and narrow.
Full-height cabinetry lines both sides of the room, leaving a restricted passage through the centre. This creates considerable storage, but it also makes the room feel more like a corridor between cupboards than a luxurious dressing space.
Courtney and Sev made sensible attempts to counteract this.
The large window at the end of the room draws the eye forward, while the overhead skylights introduce natural light along the length of the wardrobe. Both decisions help elongate the space and prevent the extensive cabinetry from making it feel completely enclosed.
However, the room remained unfinished, including the unpainted upper section.
Once completed in a soft beige-white, that ceiling and upper wall area would feel much more cohesive with the cabinetry below. Even so, paint alone would not address the room’s primary functional limitation.
When Opposing Cabinetry Restricts Movement
The central walkway is not wide enough to comfortably accommodate cupboard doors opening from both sides simultaneously.
If one person is accessing clothing on one wall while another attempts to move through the wardrobe or open the opposite cabinetry, the circulation becomes restricted.
This is particularly relevant because the makeup station is positioned partway along the room. Someone sitting there could further obstruct the path through the wardrobe while other cabinetry is in use.
The problem is not simply that the robe looks narrow.
Its current configuration also affects how comfortably more than one person can use it.
Using Glass to Blur the Cabinetry
For my interpretation, I would replace the existing solid full-height doors with fluted-glass fronts.
Integrated lighting within the cabinets would illuminate the clothing and shelving behind the glass, introducing depth without exposing every item in sharp detail.
The fluting would obscure the visual clutter naturally created by clothing while still allowing light and movement to pass through the cabinetry fronts.
This would help soften the two solid walls of joinery and visually blur the room's edges.
The wardrobe would retain its storage, but it would no longer feel as though two uninterrupted walls were closing in around the central passage.
Creating One Dedicated Clothing Wall
I would also reconsider how the cabinetry is distributed.
Rather than retaining full-height opening cupboards on both sides, I would consolidate the long hanging sections into a single dedicated clothing wall.
These sections could remain open or sit behind the illuminated fluted-glass doors.
Leaving one side open would remove the need for doors to swing into the central walkway and make clothing easier to access. Fluted glass would create a more polished appearance while still providing the same visual lightness.
Either option would be an improvement over having two opposing walls of solid hinged doors.
The strongest solution would depend on the homeowners’ preferences regarding visibility, dust, and maintenance, but the planning principle would remain the same: avoid full-height doors competing in a narrow passage.
Reconsidering the Makeup Station
The makeup station would also benefit from being repositioned and expanded.
Rather than locating a small seated area in the middle of the wardrobe, I would bring it closer to the entrance, where it could be accessed without travelling through the full length of the room or interrupting someone using the rear cabinetry.
On the opposite wall, I would retain the most useful drawers closest to the entrance but remove the shallow upper cabinetry beyond them.
I would then extend one continuous bench along that wall towards the rear of the wardrobe and install a generously scaled mirror above it.
This would sacrifice approximately two smaller upper storage sections, but the room already contains substantial cabinetry.
In return, the wardrobe would gain a longer, more functional dressing surface, a larger mirror, and considerably greater visual openness.
The mirror would reflect the illuminated fluted glass, window and skylights, making the narrow room feel broader than its physical dimensions.
This is a worthwhile exchange because successful storage is not measured only by the number of cupboards included. It must also consider whether the room remains comfortable and practical to use.
A More Functional Wardrobe Plan
For my interpretation, the walk-in robe would include:
- A completed soft beige-white ceiling and upper wall
- The existing skylights retained as the primary ceiling feature
- One consolidated wall of hanging storage
- Open or illuminated fluted-glass clothing cabinetry
- Existing drawer storage retained where it remains useful
- A longer dressing bench positioned for easier access
- A full-length mirror above the bench
- Fewer opposing doors opening into the central passage
- Warm integrated lighting to soften the narrow proportions
This would be a more significant redesign than the changes made to the previous robes.
The existing layout prioritises storage volume. My interpretation would place greater emphasis on usability, light and the experience of moving through the room.
The Main Bedroom
The bedroom contains genuine architectural interest.
The sculptural ceiling is one of its strongest elements. Its layered curves, concealed lighting and integrated downlights create movement overhead and give the room an identity beyond furniture and finishes.
The full-height gathered bedhead is also an ambitious idea.
It introduces softness and texture while extending across the wall to create a clear sleeping zone. The pendant lights reinforce the symmetry and draw attention towards the bed.
The foundation is there.
However, the room’s final palette and styling do not support those architectural decisions strongly enough.
Correcting the Wall Colour
The wall finish appears slightly mauve or purple beside the warmer bedhead.
This undertone creates a disconnect between the surrounding architecture and the soft beige, cream and brown tones used across the furniture and textiles.
I would shift the wall treatment towards a warmer beige.
This could be achieved through Venetian plaster or a carefully selected textured paint finish. The important consideration would be removing the cooler purple undertone and creating a softer connection with the bedhead, curtains and ceiling.
A warm beige wall would allow the room’s sculptural forms to remain visible while making the overall palette feel more cohesive.
The room does not need another colour competing for attention. It needs its existing materials to sit within the same tonal story.
The Bedside Tables
The bedside tables are too small for the scale of the bed, bedhead and room.
As with several of the other main bedrooms this week, the issue is not merely visual.
A primary bedroom requires useful bedside storage. A small round table provides a surface, but it does not adequately support the practical items people want to keep beside the bed.
I would replace them with two generously sized bedside tables with drawers.
Their shape and finish could remain understated, but their scale needs to balance the full-width bedhead and substantial bed frame.
A warm timber or soft beige finish could connect them to the broader palette, while discreet aged-brass hardware would introduce a refined detail without competing with the pendant lights.
Replacing the Chairs with a Bed-End Bench
The two armchairs at the foot of the bed take up a lot of space and obstruct the view of the bed.
They are attractive individual pieces, but their placement creates another furniture zone in a room that already has a strong focal point.
I would remove both chairs and their small tables.
In their place, I would introduce one long upholstered bench at the end of the bed.
The bench could use the same warm taupe or mushroom tone as the gathered bedhead, creating a direct relationship between the two elements and grounding the bed within the room.
A single bench would provide practical seating without visually dividing the space or obstructing the sightline towards the architecture behind the bed.
Styling the Bed Properly
The bed is the greatest missed opportunity in this room.
The existing bedhead is intended to be a feature, but the bedding does not support or frame it. The pillows sit low, the quilt appears flat, and there is very little layering to make the bed feel soft or inviting.
The room contains expensive and architecturally interesting elements, but the bed itself does not yet communicate the softness and comfort expected within a main bedroom. The judges’ criticism reflected that same disconnect: the architecture feels luxurious, while the bed styling feels comparatively restrained.
For my interpretation, I would style it with:
- Full sleeping pillows positioned properly against the bedhead
- Two or three generous European pillows
- A small number of decorative cushions drawing colour from the bedhead
- A plush quilt or duvet with visible volume
- A folded quilted coverlet through the lower section
- One relaxed throw draped across the edge of the bed
The purpose would not be to cover the bed in unnecessary cushions.
It would be to introduce enough volume, colour and texture to connect the bedding with the bedhead and make the bed feel genuinely comfortable.
A feature bedhead still needs the bed in front of it to complete the composition.
Making the Room Feel Lived In
Once the bed was properly styled, I would add one small lived-in moment at the end of the room.
A long coat could be casually draped across the upholstered bench, with a pair of shoes placed neatly beside it.
This would be enough.
The room does not need excessive accessories or decorative objects. It needs a small indication that someone actually lives there.
These details can shift a room from feeling staged and impersonal to feeling warm, aspirational and believable.
When a Strong Concept Does Not Fully Resolve
Courtney and Sev have delivered some of the strongest architectural spaces in recent weeks, which is part of why this bedroom feels unexpected.
The ceiling demonstrates skill and ambition, while the bedhead has the potential to become a memorable feature. The room contains many of the right ingredients, but the colour, furniture scale and styling do not yet bring them together as successfully as their earlier spaces.
Even experienced designers will occasionally create a room that does not resolve exactly as intended—particularly under significant time and construction pressure.
That does not diminish their expertise. Design is an evolving practice, and every project provides information about proportion, colour, execution and composition that strengthens the next one.
Those moments are also how designers expand their knowledge.
A room that falls short can reveal just as much about proportion, colour and composition as one that succeeds immediately.
The Design Lesson
Courtney and Sev’s suite demonstrates that architecture alone cannot carry every part of a room.
The walk-in robe benefits from natural light, but its inherited layout creates genuine circulation problems. Illuminated fluted-glass cabinetry, consolidated clothing storage and a longer dressing bench with a large mirror would make the narrow room feel lighter and function more comfortably.
The bedroom contains strong architectural ideas, particularly through its sculptural ceiling and full-width bedhead.
However, the cooler wall colour, undersized bedside tables, competing chairs, and under-styled bed prevent those features from reaching their potential.
For my interpretation, I would warm the walls, introduce proper bedside drawers, replace the chairs with one upholstered bench, and completely restyle the bed with fuller, more tactile layers.
The room does not need to lose its identity.
It needs its colour, furniture and styling to work with the architecture rather than relying on the architecture to do all of the work.
Rick and Tayla: A Beautiful Foundation That Needed a Clearer Design Story
Rick and Tayla created a warm and generous main bedroom suite with several beautiful architectural features.
The walk-in robe uses pale timber, soft carpet, skylights and restrained black hardware to establish a calm and cohesive foundation. The bedroom continues that sense of luxury through its herringbone flooring, recessed illuminated ceiling, integrated fireplace and generous proportions.
There is a lot to appreciate.
However, for me, the bedroom does not feel completely resolved. The individual pieces are attractive, but the colour, scale, and styling do not yet form a single clear design story.
This is also where the subjectivity of design becomes particularly relevant.
A room can be well executed and still not appeal equally to every person. Colour, materiality, furniture and styling are interpreted through individual preferences and experiences, much like art.
My changes do not suggest that the room is objectively wrong. They represent how I would personally strengthen its cohesion, proportion and sense of comfort.
The Walk-In Robe
The walk-in robe is beautifully finished.
The pale timber cabinetry introduces warmth, while the fine detailing on the doors prevents the extensive joinery from feeling entirely flat. The dark vertical handles provide contrast and help emphasise the room’s height.
Natural light is another important strength.
The overhead skylights draw the eye along the wardrobe, while the window at the end creates a destination and helps elongate the narrow floor plan. The textured carpet also softens the room and distinguishes it from the harder surfaces elsewhere in the suite.
Although the robe still feels somewhat enclosed, it does not feel as restrictive as Courtney and Sev’s inherited wardrobe.
Its proportions are more forgiving, and the cabinetry already contains enough detail to give the room a stronger identity.
Repositioning the Makeup Station
The main change I would make is relocating the makeup station.
It is currently positioned partway along the wardrobe, which means someone using it sits within the central section of the room. This can interrupt movement and require the user to travel past several cupboards before reaching the dressing surface.
I would bring the makeup station closer to the entrance.
This would make it more accessible and allow it to function independently of the main clothing storage area.
I would also extend it to approximately the width of two existing cabinetry modules. This would create a more generous bench, provide better space for everyday products and allow the seat to sit comfortably beneath it without feeling squeezed into a small opening.
The cabinetry could then continue uninterrupted from the makeup station’s current position towards the rear of the wardrobe.
This would consolidate the clothing storage and make the planning feel more deliberate.
The total amount of storage would remain substantial. It would simply be distributed in a way that better supports the room's use.
Replacing the Temporary Curtain
The curtain at the end of the walk-in robe softens the window and filters the natural light, but its current installation feels temporary.
I would replace it with a properly fitted, natural floor-to-ceiling curtain.
A soft sheer linen or linen-look fabric could begin at the ceiling and fall naturally to the floor, creating one uninterrupted vertical line.
This would frame the window more intentionally and strengthen the sense of height already established by the full-length cabinetry and skylights.
The curtain does not need to become a major decorative feature. It simply needs to feel resolved as part of the architecture rather than attached as a temporary solution.
The Walk-In Robe Design Lesson
Rick and Tayla’s walk-in robe demonstrates that a narrow room does not always require a major redesign.
The cabinetry, skylights, carpet and material palette already provide a strong foundation.
For my interpretation, I would make only two purposeful changes: move and enlarge the makeup station to make it easier to access, and replace the existing window treatment with a properly installed floor-to-ceiling curtain.
These changes would improve function and presentation without unnecessarily replacing cabinetry that already works well.
The Main Bedroom
The main bedroom is spacious and contains several strong architectural elements.
The recessed ceiling with concealed perimeter lighting creates a sense of height and occasion. The long fireplace adds warmth and provides an architectural focal point along the side wall, while the herringbone timber flooring introduces movement beneath the more restrained furnishings.
The room is beautiful.
However, it falls slightly short for me because the architecture, furniture, wall colour and styling do not feel fully connected.
Reconsidering the Green Undertone
The existing wall finish carries a subtle green undertone.
There is nothing inherently wrong with green in a bedroom. It can feel calm, grounding and connected to nature.
The issue is that this particular green is not repeated strongly enough elsewhere in the room to feel intentional. Apart from the mirror and a small amount within the artwork and bedding, the colour remains relatively isolated.
The green-framed mirror does not fully resolve that relationship and feels disconnected from the fireplace, bed and surrounding palette.
For my interpretation, I would remove the green wall finish and replace it with a warm beige.
A soft textural paint or Venetian plaster could introduce movement without competing with the room’s architecture.
The warmer base would connect more naturally with the herringbone timber, upholstery and fireplace while allowing green to return through more deliberate decorative layers.
Introducing Microcement Architecturally
I would then create greater architectural definition through microcement.
The entire fireplace wall could be finished in a warm cream or beige microcement, giving the fireplace a more substantial material presence and separating it from the surrounding walls.
I would also consider applying that same finish to the raised central section of the recessed ceiling.
This is not a conventional treatment, but it would create a deliberate relationship between the ceiling and fireplace wall.
The eye would read those two surfaces as connected architectural planes rather than isolated features. Subtle tonal movement in the microcement would respond beautifully to concealed perimeter lighting, giving the ceiling greater depth.
The colour would remain warm and restrained, ensuring the treatment enhanced the architecture without making the room feel visually heavy.
Extending the Bedhead Wall to Wall
The existing upholstered bedhead is attractive, but its current width makes it feel more like part of the bed than part of the architecture.
I would extend the bedhead across the full width of the wall.
A wall-to-wall upholstered treatment would anchor the sleeping zone and provide a stronger visual counterbalance to the large illuminated ceiling above.
It would also create one continuous background for the bed, bedside tables and lighting.
The design could remain simple and softly textured. It would not need deep channelling, contrasting panels or excessive detailing.
Its impact would come from scale.
Larger Bedside Tables
The bedside tables are undersized relative to the bedroom's proportions.
Their rounded form is appealing, but they do not carry enough visual weight beside the bed and expansive wall.
A main bedroom of this scale can support considerably larger pieces.
I would introduce two broad timber bedside tables with practical drawer storage. Their finish could complement the herringbone floor and the proposed timber ceiling fan, creating a sense of warmth throughout the room.
The bedside units would help ground the wall-to-wall bedhead and make the overall bed composition feel more substantial.
Refining the Bedside Lighting
I would remove the existing table lamps.
The room already contains suspended lights near the bed, but their placement and height do not create a sufficiently clear bedside composition.
For my interpretation, I would install one pendant light on each side of the bed and lower them slightly so they align directly with the larger bedside tables below.
This would free the bedside surfaces for practical use while reinforcing the symmetry of the sleeping zone.
The pendants should remain restrained, allowing the ceiling architecture and bedhead to carry the room.
Correcting the Rug Proportions
The existing rug is too narrow for the scale of the bed and room.
It creates a long strip that extends beyond the foot of the bed, but it does not provide enough width on either side to properly ground the sleeping area.
I would select a shorter, considerably wider rug.
The rug should extend generously beyond both sides of the bed and beneath the proposed bed-end bench, creating one broad foundation for the entire composition.
My preference would be a muted eucalyptus or moss-green rug.
This would allow green to remain part of the design, but in a more deliberate and visually substantial way. It would provide contrast against the warm beige walls, timber floor and ivory bedding while maintaining the room’s calm atmosphere.
Replacing the Artwork and Mirror
The existing artwork does not feel fully connected to the room’s palette or architectural direction.
I would replace it with a larger abstract or landscape-inspired piece in eucalyptus green, warm beige, muted blush, and soft, earthy tones.
This could reference an Australian coastal or outback environment without becoming overly literal.
The artwork would then connect the green rug and bedding accents with the warmer wall, timber and upholstery tones.
I would also remove the freestanding green-framed mirror.
The room does not require another large object leaning against the wall, particularly when the fireplace, ceiling and wall-to-wall bedhead already provide significant architectural interest.
Removing the mirror would simplify the room and allow the stronger design elements to remain visible.
Installing Proper Full-Length Curtains
The curtains should fall naturally from ceiling to floor.
The current curtains appear gathered or tucked in an attempt to disguise their insufficient length. This interrupts the vertical line and prevents the window treatment from feeling as luxurious as the room's scale allows.
I would install new full-length curtains with enough fabric to create generous, natural folds.
They should lightly meet the floor without being deliberately tucked or restrained.
This would soften the room, emphasise its height and connect more naturally with the relaxed bed styling.
A Larger Architectural Ceiling Fan
The ceiling fan is practical but slightly undersized for the room.
Given the bedroom’s generous proportions and significant ceiling feature, I would select a larger four-blade fan with a more architectural profile.
A warm timber finish would introduce another natural element and visually connect with the larger timber bedside tables and the herringbone floor below.
The fan should remain simple enough not to compete with the illuminated ceiling, but substantial enough to feel properly scaled within it.
Styling the Bed for Comfort
The bed is neatly presented, but it feels too formal for my personal preference.
This is not a universal design rule.
Some people prefer tightly tucked bedding and a highly structured hotel-style appearance. For me, a bedroom should feel softer, more relaxed and immediately inviting.
I would untuck the quilt and let it fall naturally along the sides of the bed.
I would then introduce:
- Full sleeping pillows properly layered against the bedhead
- Two or three European pillows
- A restrained selection of decorative cushions
- Muted eucalyptus or olive accents
- A generously filled quilt or duvet
- One quilted coverlet folded through the lower section
- A relaxed textured throw draped over one corner
The bed does not require an excessive number of cushions.
It simply needs enough volume, colour and texture to feel comfortable rather than overly controlled.
A beautiful bedroom should not appear as though using the bed would disturb the design.
Adding a Bed-End Bench
The room has sufficient space to accommodate an upholstered bench or daybed at the end of the bed.
This would provide practical seating, reinforce the scale of the sleeping zone and create another opportunity to introduce texture.
The bench could be finished in a warm neutral fabric, allowing the green rug and bedding to carry the colour.
A casually placed throw or a small cushion would be enough to make it feel lived-in without becoming overstyled.
The Design Lesson
Rick and Tayla’s main bedroom demonstrates the subjective nature of design.
The room is generous, beautifully constructed and contains several desirable features. The illuminated ceiling, fireplace and herringbone flooring all contribute genuine architectural value.
However, a room can contain individually beautiful elements and still feel as though it has not fully found its identity.
For my interpretation, I would establish a warmer beige foundation, use microcement to connect the fireplace wall to the recessed ceiling, extend the bedhead across the full wall, and introduce larger timber bedside tables with lowered pendant lighting.
A wider eucalyptus-green rug, new artwork, properly fitted curtains, a larger timber fan and softer bedding would then create a clearer material and colour story.
The bedroom is not poorly designed.
It is simply a room I would interpret differently.
That is one of the most interesting aspects of interior design. The same architecture can be resolved in countless ways, and every version will speak differently to the person experiencing it.
Final Thoughts: Luxury Requires Space, Function and Softness
Week 3 demonstrated that a luxurious main bedroom suite cannot rely on architecture or storage alone.
Luxury is also found in the ability to move comfortably through a room, access everyday items, sit beside the bed without blocking circulation and enter a bedroom that immediately feels restful and inviting.
Across the five houses, some of the strongest moments came from architectural ambition.
Courtney and Sev’s sculptural ceiling created genuine interest overhead. Lisa and Rosco’s illuminated plaster feature gave their bedroom a memorable identity. Rick and Tayla’s recessed ceiling, fireplace and herringbone flooring established a generous architectural foundation.
Adam and Jolene created a cohesive suite through warm materials and curved forms, while Chantel and Wyatt delivered a calm bedroom and an expansive, polished walk-in robe.
However, the week also revealed how easily strong architecture can be undermined by the final layers.
Undersized bedside tables repeatedly affected proportion and function. Chairs and additional furniture restricted circulation. Pale rugs disappeared into the surrounding flooring, while tightly controlled or incomplete bedding kept some of the bedrooms from feeling as comfortable as their architecture suggested they should be.
The walk-in robes reinforced a similar lesson.
More cabinetry does not automatically create a better wardrobe.
Storage needs to be accessible, and its placement must consider how people move through the room. Opposing doors can restrict narrow walkways, while a dressing station positioned in the centre of a robe can interrupt circulation.
Courtney and Sev’s inherited wardrobe demonstrated how illuminated fluted glass, a long mirror and a more open dressing surface could make a narrow footprint feel considerably larger without removing all of its storage.
Rick and Tayla’s robe required a smaller adjustment. Relocating the makeup station towards the entrance improved accessibility while allowing the remaining cabinetry to become one continuous storage run.
Natural light also played an important role.
Skylights visually expanded several robes and drew attention away from the volume of cabinetry below. In Lisa and Rosco’s walk-in robe, balancing the existing skylights with a mirrored pair created symmetry and distributed light more evenly through the space.
The week also demonstrated the importance of styling with purpose.
A walk-in robe does not need to be filled with decorative objects, but a few shoes, folded garments or perfume bottles can explain how open storage is intended to function.
A bed does not require dozens of cushions, but it does need enough volume, texture and softness to feel inviting.
Styling should not disguise an unresolved room. It should complete the relationship between architecture, furniture and the person who will eventually live there.
Most importantly, this week reinforced that design is an evolving and subjective practice.
Even experienced designers will occasionally create a room that does not turn out exactly as intended—particularly under the time, budget, and construction pressures of The Block.
That does not diminish their expertise.
Every project provides information about proportion, materiality, colour, function and execution that strengthens the next one.
There was no single correct interpretation of these main bedroom suites.
My conceptual designs retain the strongest parts of each room while exploring how different decisions could improve circulation, storage, cohesion and comfort.
Some spaces needed only small refinements. Others benefited from a more substantial rethink.
In every case, the objective remained the same: create a suite that does not merely communicate luxury through appearance, but genuinely supports the person using it.
Because the most successful main bedroom should not only look like a retreat.
It should feel like one.
Ready to Create a Home That Feels as Good as It Looks?
A beautifully designed main bedroom is not defined solely by its furniture, finishes or styling. It is shaped by comfort, circulation, storage, proportion and the way the room supports your everyday routines.
The same principle applies throughout your entire home. Successful design brings architecture, function and atmosphere together to create spaces that feel as considered as they look.
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