HOUSE RULES: HIGH STAKES, Tasmanian twins Kimmy and Rhi were crowned 2020 champions tonight with a judges’ score of 27/30.
The sisters from Launceston won $100,000 and walked away with a transformed home (Kimmy’s) plus $30,000 cash secured during the series, after topping the leaderboard three times. In a nail-biting finish, the twins came in one point ahead of Victorian plumber couple Kayne and Aimee who scored 26/30.
The Grand Final challenge saw four teams turn a metal shell into a Zen-inspired tiny home masterpiece in just four days following five ‘House Rules’ set by judges Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Kyly Clarke and Saul Myers, with their score deciding the winner.
Kimmy and Rhi scored 9/10 from all three judges for their bedroom and kitchen. LLB declared the twins “incredibly good designers,” who went out of their way to understand what Zen is about and put it into an Australian context. LLB said: “This is Australian Zen.” Kyly said: “Kimmy and Rhi, you should both be very proud of yourselves, a magnificent display of your design skills.” On their kitchen, Saul added: “This feels like the heart and the hub of the home,” saying it walked the delicate balance between style and functionality.
At Homebase, through tears, Kimmy told host Jamie Durie and co-host Abbey Way: “$100,000! It’s ridiculous. We are just two girls from Tassie who thought it would be cool to apply for a TV show and now we win $100,000!” Kimmy added: “This has literally been the world’s wildest ride!”
The sisters were popular winners with fellow competitor Rhys declaring: “They’ve been the benchmark all series.” Kayne added: “They definitely deserved it. Good on them.”
With only two points separating the top three spots, runners up Kayne and Aimee impressed the judges with their craftmanship and design in their zone of front yard, walk-in-robe and hallway securing a 9/10 from both LLB and Saul and 8/10 from Kyly who said: “What I have really enjoyed seeing from the both of you is you’ve grown so much….An excellent delivery this week.” Saul called the WIR a “masterstroke. One of my favourite rooms, if not my favourite room in the house.” LLB declared: “There was maturity, there was elegance but there was still an enormous amount of Kanye and Aimee.”
Best mates from Western Sydney Laith and George scored 25/30 for their dining, laundry and bathroom. LLB scored a 9/10 and called their laundry “clever decorating. Very seductive… one of the best laundries we’ve had so far.”
QLD’s Tamara and Rhys scored a combined 24/30 with LLB stating: “Your achievement with that verandah and facade has been extraordinary. You should be very proud.”
