it’s game on on House Rules as the final two have now been revealed.
Sydney father and daughter duo Steve and Tiana will take on Brisbane newlyweds Ben and Danielle in the 2015 House Rules Grand Final.
NSW were the first team through after top scoring in the Charity House Challenge with 17 points. Queensland scored 16, edging out Victoria by only two points to claim the second Grand Final berth. In their hardest yet most heart-warming challenge yet, the final three transformed a house for four kids and their carer into a place to call home.
Given a brief to make the home warm and cosy with robust easy-care furniture, the teams exceeded judges’ expectations and that of the home’s caretakers, Care South, who for over 20 years have been working with vulnerable children, youth and families. “This is amazing; exactly what we wanted for the boys,” Team Leader, Mary Warren, said. “It was a house, now it’s a home. All credit to them; they did an amazing job.”
The teams tackled their biggest zones ever, renovating both a bedroom and a bathroom. Team NSW had the biggest zone with six rooms in total including the kitchen, study nook, shower room and sitting room. From VJ boards in the sitting room and hall, to rustic lighting choices for the kitchen, the pair hit all the house rules. “You guys have come a long way,” judge, Joe Snell, said. “You have done some really lovely and well-designed spaces.”
The Queensland zone included the lounge room, entry and carer’s residence. “You absolutely transformed your zone and made this home a much more welcoming one,” judge, Wendy Moore, said. “But you didn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders in your areas of strength, colour and styling.”
Victoria took a risk with their design choices this week but sadly missed the mark. The corrugated iron roof in the bathroom and their slate tile feature wall in the dining room let them down. “Your feature statements got the better of you,” Joe said. “You lost sight of the basics and also the house rules.”
The pair were naturally disappointed at missing out on the final. “What a journey it has been,” Bronik said. “All journeys must come to an end and ours has ended sooner than we wanted it to. But this competition has brought Corrine and I such a life-changing opportunity. The future holds big things.
The judges gave each team a score out of 10 – their combined scores placed the teams as follows:
Mortgaged to the hilt, winning the ultimate prize will be life-changing for both NSW and Queensland. Tiana said: “Since Mum passed away, Dad has sacrificed so much for us and for him to be mortgage free would be an absolute dream.”
As a young couple, Ben and Danielle agree winning would be lifechanging. “We already feel so lucky and to get our mortgage paid off would set us up for life.”
The winner will be announced by host Johanna Griggs during Monday night’s finale, when the teams take on one last renovation challenge. The judges’ scores will be combined with a public vote to determine the winner.
For full voting terms and conditions including voting line numbers, go to the official website yahoo7.com.au/houserules
The House Rules Grand Final airs Monday at 7.30pm on Seven
