The second-highest sale on The Block 2024 was Courtney and Grant’s house, which went for $3.3 million. The duo walks away with a life-changing $1.35 million (the profit from the sale) and we’re sure this is just the beginning for them. “It’s been incredible,” said Grant. Frontrunners from the start, the married couple from NSW had, by the end of the series, well and truly become The Block 2024 contestants to beat thanks to their combined expertise. Judge Darren Palmer even called it out as his favourite house of the season a couple of times.
Grant is a 30-year-old landscape development manager and Courtney is 32, with a career in event account management and furniture design. They pushed the boundaries along the way, embracing the latest trends and their own distinct tastes with rich greens, mustards and organic shades peppered throughout.
As a furniture designer with her own business, The Lazy Stylist, Courtney embraced curved lines and textural materials. These combined to create a Modern Mediterranean aesthetic in their Phillip Island holiday house that was dubbed “Moditerranean” style. A highlight that demonstrated this look was the main bedroom in week five, which featured a ruched upholstered bed frame.
Clearly on top of what’s happening in design, this team showed an ability to implement their ideas tastefully. Not only that, they kept cool heads under pressure… most of the time. Even with builder blow-ups and budget blowouts, they took everything in their stride. The result is a house that’s calm, collected and elevated – a recipe for a successful sale.
The reveal of the backyard and pool was Grant’s moment to shine as a landscaping business manager, with an expansive entertaining area, fire pit and olive trees. His experience helped them secure the win and gain them $30k towards the budget for their front yard and facade. After many weeks of their designer style not getting the recognition it deserved, the architectural arbours and custom front door helped them win that final week and walk away with a Ford Mustang Mach-e for their efforts.
The pair have proven their designer chops this season, and no doubt we’ll see more of them now The Block 2024 auctions have wrapped up. The new owner, billionaire entrepreneur Adrian Portelli, has snapped up a Moditerranean masterpiece, which brings a slice of sunny Spain, Greece and Italy to the Aussie island.
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The Block 2024: Courtney and Grant house
Take a look through Courtney and Grant’s house from the 20th season of The Block on Phillip Island.
Week 1: Main bathroom
“We’re thinking sandstone, travertine, American oak, brushed gold, pops of marble,” Courtney explained of the aesthetic they were planning. “Now we’re talking,” said Darren when he saw their bathroom. “These tiles are stunning. The handles look like shells off the beach,” said Marty.
“Someone’s got the eye here. The mood lighting, the tile choices, the skylight.” Meanwhile, Shaynna wasn’t so blown away. She agreed the subtle lighting was “fantastic” and that it was a smart decision to not tile all the way to the ceiling to save time, but she wanted a little more drama in this holiday home. “You can take it further.”
Score: 28/30
Week 2: Kids’ bedroom
As it’s located near the main bedroom in the house floorplan, Courtney and Grant decided to go with a kids’ room this week. “I love these beds,” said Marty, who approved of the sorbet colours and personality in the styling. He thought this room would do well from a real-estate viewpoint. “When the buyer gets an emotional response, that’s when they do the best with the bidding.” With a drawing nook and space for toys, it was ticking a lot of their boxes. “It’s cute as heck,” said Darren. The only downside was the lack of heating or cooling, which Marty said buyers would penalise.
Score: 27.5/30
Week 3: Main ensuite
Marble, travertine, venetian plaster – it’s all about the luxe finishes in this bathroom. “Say you’ve got a wife with expensive taste without saying it,” said Grant. We’ll how their budget’s looking by the end of the season, but splashing the cash early on has paid off with a win in week three.
“Wow, I love this so much, I want to touch everything,” said Darren. He applauded their very “current” design which reflected Phillip Island’s natural environment. A feature Shaynna commended was the combination of two tiles on the floors to create a chequerboard pattern. “These guys understand aesthetics and practicality, and they’re combining both to deliver something that is extremely marketable,” said Marty.
Score: 28/30
Week 4: Guest bedroom
This couple delivered the luxe finishes and calming colours we’ve come to expect from their Mediterranean interior design style. “I can confidently say we’ve continued the aesthetic,” said Courtney. The curved skirting board got the attention of the judges, in particular. “That’s a curved profile on a curved wall,” said Darren, pointing out the degree of difficulty involved in executing that. “They would have had to cut [little slots] on the back and gently mould it, then fill it and sand it.” The pendant placements didn’t appeal to Shaynna so much, as she felt the height differences were odd. “They look like space ships. It almost looks like a mistake,” she said.
The drawers were located in an inconvenient spot in the wardrobe, but otherwise this team’s attention to detail was praised. “These guys are next level. Look at the mood lighting in the study nook,” said Marty. He called their house “an auctioneer’s dream” and appreciated how Courtney and Grant have been consistent with the materials included throughout their house. “They’re tying everything back in so beautifully. It’s not in your face, it’s just enough.”
Score: 27/30
Week 5: Main bedroom and walk-in robe
Looking around their room mid-week, foreman and former contestant Dan Reilly, who appeared on the show with his partner Dani, was concerned. “Have you guys bitten off more than you can chew this week?” he asked. Yet Courtney and Grant were confident they could deliver – and they did, tying for first place with Mimi and Kristian. “This is 2024 style, next level,” Marty swooned seeing the finished result.
“It’s nothing we’ve ever seen before,” said Shaynna. “It has a very Italian feel to it.” The recessed curtains, plush green bed frame, Porta panelled feature wall and expansive skylight combined for elevated results.
Although Marty didn’t like the “fake flames” in the fireplace, he felt buyers would become emotionally attached to the space. “This is the most marketable room we’ve seen so far on The Block,” he said. “These guys are operating in a league of their own.”
Score: 28/30
Week 6: Kitchen
- Best feature: Wine fridge in butler’s pantry
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Biggest mistake: Not enough seating for a large holiday home
Once again, Courtney and Grant “hit it out of the ball park” with their Modern Mediterranean style kitchen, which included an extravagant $8,000 tap that does chilled, sparkling and boiling water. “The talent here is off the charts,” said Shaynna, pointing out the way the porcelain on their four-metre island wrapped into the sink. However, Marty didn’t feel the quality was quite up to what he’d seen from the team in previous weeks. “I don’t see how this is Moditerranean,” he said.
“The walnut colour could not be more on trend,” said Darren. “I’m besotted by the colour scheme.” He did point out that a more functional layout would have been to place stools on both sides of the island, so it could double as a casual dining space. “That’s where you sit when you’re having breakfast.”
The wide sink, induction stove top and wine fridge in the butler’s pantry were all winning details. “There are so many high-end qualities,” Shaynna enthused.
Score: 27/30
Week 7: Guest ensuite
The striped shower was a lot for the judges to digest. “I’m still trying to take it all in,” said Shaynna. “Which is a problem,” said Marty, who likened it to a play maze on Phillip Island. “Imagine how a buyer feels.” Springing to Courtney and Grant’s defence, Darren applauded their courage to push boundaries. “This is absolutely one of the most beautifully finished, luxurious, design-centric homes that I’ve seen on The Block ever and it’s definitely my favourite on this season,” he said.
“It’s definitely my favourite [house] of this season.”
Darren Palmer
“It definitely has impact,” said Shaynna of the guest ensuite. Materials from their previous bathrooms were included for a sense of cohesion. “This marble and the vanity is probably the only thing I’m loving about this bathroom,” said Marty. The travertine floor tiles and sand coloured basin hit the holiday home brief.
Score: 24/30
Week 8: Living and dining
Courtney and Grant’s room was delivering rum’n’raisin flavours, with deep browns and caramel. If only they had planned the fireplace better. “That is possibly the worst position within a room of this size,” said Marty. “No one benefits from it,” agreed Darren. Luckily it was all upwards from there, with elegant curves and open shelving, lit beautifully. “I love that we have the naturals and the neutrals with a little bit of punch,” said Shaynna.
After the striped ensuite debacle, a more pared-back approach was well received. “All the lovely archways, the way they’ve done the niching around the curtains. It gives it a softness and tactility that I really love,” said Darren. “They’ve softened things that need to be softened and sharpened things that need to be sharp. It’s a lovely contrast.”
The dining chairs, designed by Courtney’s furniture business, The Lazy Stylist, were a hit. “They’re cute as hell,” said Darren. “The colour is beautiful, the form is beautiful.”
Score: 26.5/30
Week 9: Office and rumpus
The couple took space from their office weeks ago to create a larger ensuite, making their space the smallest of all the houses. Regardless, they pushed ahead with a full office fit-out. The desk with two chairs felt a bit “business centre” for Darren. “I feel like I’ve walked into a possible therapy session,” he said.
“If you’re going to run an office in here, your conversation will be heard at the lounge room,” said Shaynna. The rumpus had more appeal. “Lovely furniture, beautiful colour scheme,” said Darren. “Decision after decision, we have style in spades.”
Regardless, Shaynna pointed out that the floorplan change to create such a large ensuite weeks ago hadn’t panned out. “If we have a bathroom of that size, I want a king bed,” she said. “This comes down to ensuite week up here. We knew the planning was either going to work for them or bite them in the behind. And it’s definitely bitten them in the behind.”
Score: 23.5/30
Week 10: Laundry and guest bedroom
Taking the previous week’s judging advice, Courtney and Grant moved their cabinetry into the mezzanine rumpus room to fit a king-size bed in the guest bedroom. This turned their upstairs area into a second main retreat. “They’ve listened. How good is this?” said Marty. “So you’ve now got a day spa and a beautiful lounge, away from the other accommodation. This is the main wing that I would personally like to sleep in within this house.”
They hit the mark with the olive green feature wall, terracotta accents and abstract artworks. “That piece of art is very abstract, but the colours go without feeling matchy matchy,” said Shaynna. She praised the attention to detail and unique style. “No one does Moditerranean. Courtney and Grant have created their own look that is so high-level and sets them apart. It will set trends around the country, just like [2023 winners] Steph and Gian’s Japandi style.”
Their laundry didn’t include a toilet like in some of the other houses. Another downside that Darren pointed out was that the sloped ceiling might be a head-bumping hazard. Yet Marty felt these wouldn’t deter a buyer and that the laundry was beautifully executed. “Everything is so consistent, it’s beautiful. It’s finished to a high standard,” agreed Shaynna.
Score: 29.5/30 (After playing their ‘penguin’, worth one point)
Week 11: Backyard and pool
Given Grant is a landscape business manager outside The Block, these two were always top contenders to win landscaping week. The experience showed, with Courtney and Grant having a considerably cruisy week compared to the other contestants. They completed five different zones, including a large deck off the living area with an undercover dining space and barbecue.
“This indoor-outdoor flow is what people pay for,” said Marty. “This is what gets them emotionally connected to a property – envisaging themselves with their family and friends, feeling at home.”
There were a few fire pits this year, but the one at House 3 was the standout. Not only did they pour a curved concrete bench but they also included comfortable outdoor armchairs for those who want to lounge for longer. The key was paving the base, which meant those with bare feet could happily transition from one zone to another comfortably. It’s a clever inclusion to make the most of the outdoors during the cooler months.
“This is 35 to 40 metres of perfection.”
Marty Fox
The timber posts positioned either side of the walkway looked “unfinished” to Marty, but landscaping expert Dave Franklin disagreed. “This is garden art,” he said. He also liked the edible plants in the garden. “What’s better than having olive trees, lemon trees and even your bay leaf trees? Everything you need to cook for your barbecue is here right in front of you,” he said.
“I love how they’ve used the posts as part of the pool fence,” said Shaynna. “It’s just gorgeous.” All of the usable zones, including a pizza oven, impressed the judges. “This is just value, value, value,” said Darren. “There are so many different functions, from entertaining to sitting around enjoying a fire pit, to all the different cooking options.” Both Darren and Shaynna scored the couple a 10 and they walked away with $30k to add to their front yard budget.
Score: 39/40 ($30k)
Week 12: Front yard and facade
From the dream entry with custom door to lush planting, it’s easy to see why this front garden and facade won. “It’s warm, it’s cosy, it’s rich,” said Marty. “Audibly, it’s insane. You can hear those amazing water features.” The exterior was clad in James Hardie Linea Weatherboard in Lexicon, with black trim. “We have black and white in stark contrast here,” noted Darren. “The thing that makes it soft is we have sandstone and limestone and this beautiful soft aggregate.”
With a bigger budget to work with, Courtney and Grant could afford plenty of plants, which were chosen carefully. “This is definitely a plan that they’ve thought about,” said landscaping expert Dave. “They haven’t just gone, ‘Rightio we’re going to put plants here.’” The other judges agreed that this couple have seen the bigger pictured from the very beginning. “They’ve absolutely had a vision from day one that they have delivered on every single week,” said Darren.
“It’s still my favourite house on The Block, and they’ve finished it with style.”
Darren Palmer
The Moditerranean aesthetic came through in everything from the foliage to furniture and materials used throughout. “They’ve delivered something that will inspire Australians for the next few years in a style that we haven’t seen before, so it’s a massive congratulations to them,” said Shaynna.
Score: 38/40 (Winners of the Ford Mustang Mach-e)
Head to the real-estate listing for more details on Courtney and Grant’s The Block house.
Tune into The Block 2024 on Sundays at 7pm and Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Take a tour of all The Block holiday houses so far
Week 5: Main bedrooms and walk-in robe reveals
Week 8: Living and dining reveals
Week 9: Office and rumpus room reveals
Week 10: Laundry and guest bedroom reveals
In case you missed it:
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
