Meals, Moments & More - A perspective from the Block Contestants

As the heart of any home, the Living and Dining space is where we gather to share meals, moments and more.

Whether it’s a formal dinner to celebrate a milestone or just a relaxing afternoon with a movie, this is where memories are made… which means the choices we make when styling the zone are super important.

“You really can’t overstate how important this area is,” says Block contestant Mat, who decided early with his Block teammate Robby that if there was one week the fun-loving pair were going to take it seriously, it was when the living and dining rooms were built and judged.

“It’s usually the first place people see when they walk in a house and where families will spend the majority of their time together, which is why it’s often one of the main pics on any real estate sale brochure, so you have to get it right.”

And that means planning.

Freedom interior designer and consultant to The Block, Sarina Tran Nguyen says “Your lifestyle, needs, and floor plan should guide your choices so start by selecting a style you love and build around it to create a cohesive interior throughout the home.”

For Mat and Robby, that style was “Modern Country”, with a muted neutral palette brought to life with pops of colour from artwork and select accent furniture or styling pieces, but it would need to be upsized.

“Our number one consideration was to make sure our living/dining space would suit the number of people who would be using our home,” Mat says, “and that’s a lot.

“The house sleeps eight people in its normal configuration, ten if the rumpus room is used for extra visitors with even more for event times like Christmas or a birthday.

“So, for a start we knew we would need a sofa and comfortable seating for at least 12 people.”

The solution, Mat and Sarina decided, was the Sorrento modular sofa with Osteria Occasional Chairs, allowing half the seating to be aimed at the television, half to take in the view outside and all – thanks to low-back and moveability – giving line of sight to the kitchen and dining areas.

In the dining area, Mat used Freedom’s Fusion wine glasses, Scandi candle holders and other styling items to bring the table to life.

That was certainly the case for House 1’s Ben and Emma who used Freedom’s ten-seater Brackley dining table with complementing Gomez Dining Chairs for their dining retreat and in House 2, where Han and Can used the Saverio Dining Chairs to create a space that Shaynna Blayze called “inspiring”.

Queensland’s Alicia and Sonny reworked their room with Sarina’s help after not impressing the judges with their initial design. Working with Sarina, Alicia went back to the drawing board and quickly found what she needed.

“I wasn't happy with that room from the moment we started moving furniture in, but I couldn't get my head around how to make it work,” Alicia says, “so, I called Sarina straight away!”

The problem, Freedom’s expert quickly spotted, was that the Queensland couple just weren’t making the best use of the space they had.

“In Sonny and Alicia’s living room, one of the main issues was that their three-seater sofa was too small for the home,” Sarina says.

“Positioned facing the TV on the opposite wall to the large windows, the layout made the space feel cramped and limited the seating. To resolve this, they relocated the television to the right-hand wall and introduced Freedom’s Zepplyn sofa from that comfortably seats at least eight people - a significant improvement.

“The soft, textured cream boucle fabric of the Zepplyn sofa brought lightness and warmth, while its curved contemporary silhouette and low profile helped the room feel more open and spacious with the result a functional, stylish space perfect for both family lounging and entertaining.”

With the addition of Freedom styling pieces including the Bichon and Olly scatter cushions and Misti throw and a floating shelf repurposed as a bench seat with a custom cushion, it’s the space Alicia was trying for all along.

“Whether you favour contemporary, mid-century, coastal or traditional, choose something that makes you feel inspired,” Sarina says. “And don’t be afraid to add your own personality to elevate the look.”

Discover Freedom’s full Living and Dining range online or in-store.