We’re only a few episodes into Channel 7’s new show, My Reno Rules, and a scandal has already erupted between two teams – Nathan and Julia, and Emma and Michelle. But, the irony of the conflict isn’t lost on us, and we need to discuss it.
With two teams working on each house, the couples working on House 1 ran into some trouble after realising they had very similar ideas for the bedrooms.
And, before we knew it, copying accusations were flying.
Copying scandal erupts in My Reno Rules’ House One
Emma and Michelle chose the zones each team would be working on this week, selecting the entrance hall, walk in wardrobe and master bedroom for Nathan and Julia, while they tackled the study, ensuite and parents’ lounge.
The couple’s vision for the master bedroom included a bar space between the walk in wardrobe and the ensuite, giving the homeowner the option to make coffee or even a cocktail without going down several flights of stairs.
They plan to introduce scalloped wood panelling behind the bed and colour drench the room with pink wallpaper and paint on the ceiling to match.
Emma and Michelle seemed to hear Nathan and Julia’s plans, and claimed they needed to be bolder than before to get the judges’ attention.
They decided to do a “dark and sexy” ensuite to avoid being “boring and beige”, and having the judges call their rooms hideous once again.
But, when it came to their parents’ lounge, the mother-daughter duo decided to install a breakfast bar… which sounds awfully similar to the bar that Nathan and Julia are installing in their bedroom.
After telling Adrian Portelli, the main sponsor of the show, and Neale Whitaker, one of the judges, their plans for the master, the couple are questioned over whether they have been speaking with Emma and Michelle about their plans.
“I think there could potentially be some doubling up,” Neil told them.
“Emma and Michelle already knew we wanted to do the bar in the bedroom,” Julia explained.
“You say you’re talking to each other, but if that’s happening, someone isn’t listening,” Neil added in response.
When Julia tries to cancel the bar in a bid to avoid the similarity, she found out that the order is already complete, meaning they’ve lost money on it.
Conflict erupts after teams reveal they have the same idea
With tensions already high, it’s revealed that Michelle and Emma also chose the same pink for the wallpaper in their study that Julia and Nathan chose for their bedroom.
“It’s almost like, she thought we were copying her and I didn’t like that accusation,” Michelle told the cameras after speaking to Julia about the wallpaper choice. “We come up with our own ideas, thank you.”
When Julia gets to the paint store, she realises that Emma has already beaten her to the shop and they realise they’ve got the exact same shade.
“It’s offensive, because I’m an interior designer, I’m not here to copy,” Emma said.
Michelle and Emma told the couple that they had no idea that they were doing pink, but Julia claims they knew.
“She came in hot with copying on a couple of things – the paint selection, the wallpaper, and even the bar now,” Emma told the cameras.
Julia said she was “genuinely quite upset”, adding there’s nothing she can do to fix the situation.
“I feel like we can’t win. There’s a fine line between cohesion and copying,” Julia said. “That choice the girls made on that day affects our ability to win this competition.”
The irony of the My Reno Rules copying scandal
While it does make for a compelling story, we can’t help but stand back and think of how ironic it is that the very first scandal of the new show revolves ‘around the idea of ‘copying’ accusations, since this show is basically just a rip-off of The Block.
Adrian Portelli, the powerhouse behind production and the man ultimately behind the show, is the one who became prolific for buying the completed houses on The Block and then selling them for a profit, using the show’s nationwide appeal for his own commercial gain.
It’s a smart move (and we applaud his candour), and even more so now that a compelling plotline is focussed on the one thing the show has actually done at large.
Either way, we’re hooked.
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