The Block judges have never been shy about telling contestants exactly what they want.
This season, Darren Palmer’s message has been particularly clear: think light, bright and white, with the “quiet luxury” of Kim Kardashian’s famously minimalist home serving as inspiration.
It certainly gives the contestants a clear direction. The only problem? Some Mount Eliza locals insist it has very little to do with what buyers in their suburb actually want.
As the teams fill their homes with pale palettes, earthy textures and plenty of beige, viewers have begun questioning whether the so-called “Kim K” brief truly reflects the coastal Melbourne Market.
“Is it true everyone in Mount Eliza loves a Kim K house?” one viewer asked.
Judging by the responses from locals, the answer is a firm no.
Why are The Block contestants following a ‘Kim K’ brief?
Ahead of the season, Darren described Mount Eliza’s desired aesthetic as “quiet luxury”, pointing to the Los Angeles home Kim shares with her children as an example.
Designed in collaboration with Belgian architect Alex Vervoordt, the reality star’s home is known for its extreme minimalism, curved forms and subdued neutral palette.
It is undoubtedly luxurious. Whether most families would want to live in something quite so restrained is another question.
While Darren’s broader advice focused on creating refined, comfortable and liveable homes, viewers have largely interpreted the brief as a request for white walls, beige furnishings and very little colour.
For some fans, the rooms have already started blending into one another.
“I love earth tones, but Kim K’s house is way too much and too minimalist,” wrote one viewer.
“In my opinion, Darren gave the wrong advice,” another declared. “Kim K’s house is dull and boring.”
Mount Eliza locals question Darren Palmer’s advice
Several people claiming to live in Mount Eliza argued the Kardashian residence was an unusual reference point for the area.
“I live in Mount Eliza and, while I am not on that side of town, I did think that was a really weird suggestion,” one local wrote.
“The houses the show has designed are not what is generally popular in that part of Mount Eliza. Hamptons style is more the ‘look’ in Mount Eliza.”
Another was even more direct: “Absolutely not. I’m local and the KK house is not a guide. Darren is off beam.”
The suburb’s property market does appear to accommodate a broader mix of aesthetics than the Kardashian brief might suggest. Contemporary coastal houses sit alongside Hamptons-inspired properties, established family homes and more architectural residences.
In other words, Mount Eliza may be light and coastal, but it is not necessarily 50 shades of greige.
Courtney and Sev defend their interior direction
Courtney and Sev are not overly concerned by the criticism.
The pair told WHO they researched Mount Eliza before filming and believe the local market is moving towards a more contemporary interpretation of coastal design.
“There are all sorts of people who live in this area. You’ve got old money versus new money,” they explained.
“There are all sorts of different interiors that we’re starting to see, but the bottom line is that, at the end of the day, it’s a coastal town.”
Rather than recreating the more traditional Hamptons or beach-house aesthetic associated with the suburb, Courtney and Sev wanted their home to feel warmer and more current.
“I think there’s a big shift towards more contemporary coastal interiors rather than the old-school beach-house style,” they said.
“We were always going to channel that direction. It wasn’t going to be this dark and moody Melbourne vibe that I think some people thought because we were going to do some blue in the first guest room.”
When Darren delivered his light, bright and white advice, the girls felt it largely supported the plan they already had.
“We were always going to target a warm, layered interior,” they said. “So when Darren was speaking to it, I was nodding and waving.”
There were still moments when their individual rooms appeared to stray from that overall vision.
“I was thinking about the room we were doing that week and I was like, ‘Shit, it’s black. This is not where it’s going in terms of an overall cohesive interior,'” they admitted.
However, Courtney and Sev said locals who have since visited their completed house have supported their choices.
“We’ve had so many people from the area come through the actual house now that it’s finished, and they’re in agreement with us,” they said.
“We’re standing by what we pursued in terms of an interior direction, and I think it’s bang on.”
Their final response to those insisting they’ve misunderstood Mount Eliza was simple: “We’ll just see how that plays out on auction day.”
Does beige have to mean boring?
Carl Swanson, a skylight expert at VELUX, believes quieter interiors can offer something that more heavily decorated rooms cannot.
“From a skylight perspective, I think the benefit of a quieter room is that you really notice what natural light is doing in the space,” he said.
“Skylights naturally draw your eye up, particularly if they’re the main feature of a room. Daylight changes throughout the day, so the same room can look and feel quite different from morning through to afternoon.”
According to Swanson, a restrained palette can allow light, texture and architecture to become the room’s main features.
“What some might call a ‘boring’ or ‘beige’ space is actually really nice to live in and to experience a skylight in,” he said.
Of course, enjoying a neutral room and wanting to purchase an entirely natural house are not quite the same thing.
The judges believe quiet luxury will attract Mount Eliza’s buyers. Some locals remain convinced the brief misses the mark, while Courtney and Sev are backing their contemporary coastal approach all the way to auction.
Ultimately, the buyer holding the paddle will have the final word on whether Mount Eliza was ready for its Kim Kardashian era.
The Block airs Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm and Sundays at 7pm on Channel Nine and 9Now.
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