It’s a bathroom bonanza on Three’s The Block NZ this week

Family Bathroom Week on Three’s The Block NZ proved to be one of the biggest weeks to date. The week was interrupted when New Zealand was plunged into level four lockdown, and the site had to shut down. One year on, almost all of the teams were back and ready to build, with the exception of a new member for Team Purple, Connie, joining Rach in House 1. The teams all produced stunning and stylish bathrooms with neutral accents in Resene Barely There, Resene Black White and Resene Alabaster 

Connie is an electrician and proved herself a dab hand in the bathroom department, not only working with Rach to create their own luxurious bathroom, but also helping out Tim & Arthur with their bathroom plastering. There were many prizes up for grabs this week. At the beginning of the week, the teams were given a tile from judge Ann-Louise to use in their bathroom, giving the teams a shot at an additional cash prize of $2000 come room reveal. Dylan & Keegan won the Tile Space challenge winning $5000 worth of tile labour, while Tim & Arthur won $3500 worth of art from Pop Motif in the human curling challenge. Dylan & Keegan were on a roll in the mummy game changer challenge, winning two painting hours next week from one of the other teams. They also won a secret advantage, the undo card.

Ultimately, it was Connie & Rach’s luxe bathroom with silky neutral Resene Barely There that took out the $7000 prize for bathroom week with a great score of 24.5/30. Despite being unfinished, the judges loved the Hollywood feel of the space and judge Chris thought the large format tiles were fantastic. The judges noted if it was a completed bathroom it could have scored a perfect 10.

We take a closer look at the four family bathrooms this week:

Connie & Rach’s winning Family Bathroom

Final score: 24.5/30


Connie & Rach’s winning family bathroom continued the theme of their house with a luxurious atmosphere and gold décor. Resene Barely There on the ceiling and trim complements the marble tiling and reflects the light from the skylights.  

Connie & Rach’s first room together proved to be a smash hit with the judges and the team took out the $7000 prize for the best family bathroom. They chose to use the tile given to them by the judges earlier in the week which earned them the bonus $2000 prize as well. They had a few bumps along the way and a last-minute rush meant they had to abandon the shower screen, leaving their bathroom unfinished. Despite this, Connie was pleased with the outcome of their family bathroom. “I’m so glad we have the end result though after the team working so hard,” she says.

Everything came together in the end and the team produced an elegant and luxurious bathroom with stylish floor to ceiling marble tiling and refined Resene Barely There on the ceiling. Resene Barely There highlighted the lighter colours of the bath and marble, while also reflecting the natural light from the skylights. The judges said it was a great space with a premium finish, but it was a shame it was not complete. “It’s gorgeous. It feels uplifting, it feels light and there’s a Hollywood feeling going on in the corner there with the lovely rounded mirror,” says judge Ann-Louise.


Resene Barely There on the ceiling of Connie & Rach’s family bathroom adds a delicate touch, complementing the elegant bath and marble tiles.

Meg & Dan’s Family Bathroom

Final score: 20.5/30


Meg & Dan took a risk when they created an Abodo panel feature wall in their family bathroom. It was clear finished in Resene Aquaclear. The risk paid off and they achieved the look they were after; a soft yet elegant space brought to life with Resene Black White on the door, ceiling and trim.

It was a busy week for Meg & Dan who, after initially stepping back from the competition to look after their daughter, returned after the lockdown to complete their family bathroom. They decided to go bold with an Abodo engineered timber panel feature wall to soften the effect of the cool marble tiles on the surrounding walls and finished it in Resene Aquaclear. The ceiling, door and trim were painted in crisp Resene Black White, creating a clean finish. Meg & Dan also used the two day head start advantage they received in their safe to begin their master bedroom, ensuite & wardrobe early. While this means they will have an advantage during the Master Bedroom & Ensuite Week, it saw their time divided with their family bathroom. “So much pride and so much thankfulness for the team we’ve had this week,” says Meg.

The judges thought the bathroom was well laid out with a great combination of materials. Chris loved the richness and texture of the wood and thought the function of the space had been well thought out. Lauren said the attention to detail was great and especially liked the thoughtfulness of the extra bench space while Ann-Louise loved the larger shower. 


Meg & Dan used Resene Black White on the ceiling and trim to create an elegant finish in their family bathroom.

Dylan & Keegan’s Family Bathroom

Final score: 16/30


Dylan & Keegan’s family bathroom catered for guests and used Resene Alabaster on the ceiling to create a sense of height in the room and complement the pink tiled feature wall.

Dylan & Keegan changed their floor plan and turned their family bathroom into a guest bathroom, choosing to prioritise space for their master bedroom & ensuite. The judges' choice of a pink subway tile was a bold decision and the brothers paired the feature wall with dreamy Resene Alabaster on the ceiling and trim. They introduced contrast with dark tiling and décor, making the smaller space feel relaxed.

The judges enjoyed the cosy atmosphere of the space, saying it felt more like an ensuite than a family bathroom, Lauren was a fan of the light from the skylights and thought the shower was well done. Ann-Louise thought the use of the pink subway tile was fabulous but thought the orientation would have been better horizontally to create the illusion of space.


Dylan & Keegan made the most of the space in their family bathroom with a clever reflective divider segmenting the space which added a feeling of depth. The bright ceiling in Resene Alabaster draws the eye upward and complements the brothers’ choice of dark tiling.

Tim & Arthur’s Family Bathroom

Final score: 22/30


Tim & Arthur’s family bathroom introduced earthy tones to complement their clean Resene Black White walls, ceiling and trim.

Tim & Arthur had a bumpy start to family bathroom week, but with the support of fellow contestants they pulled everything together to create a stylish family bathroom. The pair incorporated some colourful artwork in their family bathroom with walls painted in Resene Alabaster. “I think this will be a great place for a family to wash themselves clean and feel relaxed in a beautiful environment,” says Arthur. 

The judges enjoyed the zen-inspired bathroom and thought the overall finish gave the space a warm and calm energy. All three of the judges said they loved how Tim & Arthur had embraced the volume of the space and Lauren said she felt as though she was in a luxury spa. “It feels like a big space because of the high ceilings,” says Lauren. “The natural light from the skylights has a very calming effect.”


Tim & Arthur’s choice of grey tiles and natural wooden décor worked well with the ceiling, door and trim in Resene Black White and they finished the look with pops of green.

Published: 07 Jul 2021

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