It’s that time of year again – the latest series of The Block is filming right now and will be aired later in 2017. Speculation has been growing about who the contestants are, with model Elyse Knowles said to be in the highly anticipated line-up, and the location has now been revealed by enthusiastic neighbours starting an Instagram account (follow it for yourself at @myneighbours_theblock2017).

So as Elsternwick succumbs to filming and construction chaos the Valley Homes team thought it was a great time to take stock of some of the best elements to come out of The Block – namely all of the inspirational renovation trends the popular renovation show has brought into our homes…

It’s all in the design details – and quality local suppliers

Regardless of whether we are talking overall house plans, styles and trends, inclusions or upgrades, fittings and fixtures, or even interiors or exteriors, every design and structural element is given greater attention and consideration during renovation shows – and that is definitely something we have encouraged our customers to embrace when custom designing their own home.

It might go without saying that local suppliers are a huge component when it comes to giving our customers ‘The Block look’ locally. Our suppliers are responsible for providing Valley Homes with our extensive range of the latest fittings and fixtures, paint colours, the latest trend in floor plans, or a renovation show favourite – a gourmet kitchen – but we’re also talking about facades, courtyards, exterior materials, interior textured feature walls and clever landscaping – otherwise known as bricks.

Introducing our local supplier – and The Block favourite – PGH Bricks

PGH Bricks revealed to us recently that due to television series, like The Block, “Customers are far more interested in colour choices than they ever have been, seeing renovation shows gives them ideas for on-trend products. With brick people are starting to understand its versatility, and there’s more colours and textures, and even bricklaying techniques, than they have ever seen possible.”

It is truly an exciting time for homebuilders and renovators alike with so many material and colour possibilities available. The most popular colour currently available from PGH Bricks is called Blue Steel Flash available in their Metallics Collection. This is truly an on-trend colour with grey tones still highly sought after by custom home designers and builders. According to PGH Bricks, “The white to black, and all shades of grey in between, spectrum is always growing in popularity and we are releasing a beautiful collection called Morada to respond to this trend.”

Beyond greys, there is also a growing trend PGH Bricks calls ‘Warm Earth’. Basically it is a, “renewed love of natural beauty and colour, warmth and strength.” The beauty of brick is that it is intrinsically part of this trend as it is an authentic material, i.e. raw earth that is fired into a brick. One of the huge advantages our customers enjoy when using PGH Bricks products is that they boast an extensive range of natural and modern colours, as well as a variety of textures to suit all tastes. From cool greys to warmer, natural tones like terracotta and classic red, they’ve definitely got the quality and the aesthetics covered.

Another PGH Bricks product to look out for that “continues to catch the eye of many homebuilders”, is Cultured Stone® by Boral®. It’s a man-made stone product that looks fantastic, is lighter in weight, affordable and easy to install. Customers love it as a feature product in their home and we are proud to have been involved in some incredible custom home builds here at Valley Homes that really showcase the versatility that a quality, locally available brick can offer.

We are passionate about staying on top of and ahead of any trends presented by shows like The Block and understand the decisions our customers face when building or renovating their own home – especially when it comes to colours and materials. If you are interested in building a home in Newcastle, Maitland or the Hunter Valley that is on-trend and features the best local products available, the Valley Homes custom design service is a great place to start. Simply contact our experienced team and we can help make your dream home happen.