Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer, the two judges and interior designers on The Block, have listed the Sicilian house they rebuilt for Channel Nine’s 1 Euro House. The fully furnished property in Castronovo di Sicilia has an asking price of €195,000 (A$316,000), according to a report by the Herald Sun.
The €1 Sicilian houses
Pic credit: TIPCo
Blaze and Palmer each bought a derelict house for €1 in the hill town, both of which had stood empty for decades. They didn’t really get the chance to see the properties before the purchase. The buildings were already crumbling when they bought them. They “spent a season putting their own reputations on the line to bring it back to life”, according to the listing on TIPCo.
Pic credit: TIPCo
Palmer’s first reaction to the show’s teaser was blunt: “This is so much worse than I thought!” The house dates back 400 to 500 years. Part of it was structurally unsound and had to be demolished. Rather than leave the gap empty, the designers turned that section into an open-air, Mediterranean-style walled garden. The garden now gives the home a private outdoor space, which is rare in a historic village centre.
Pic credit: TIPCo
Palmer bought the second house next door, and the pair combined both properties into a single four-level home. According to the listing, it is now a two-bedroom, two-bathroom property. It also comes with a powder room, a garage and an internal area of about 160 square metres, measured from the architect’s plans rather than a survey.
Pic credit: TIPCo
Inside the house
Pic credit: TIPCo
By the time the pair bought the properties, half of the original structure had to go. However, the designers ensured that its roots remained intact. “What rose in its place is a home that keeps the soul of an old Sicilian village house (exposed stone, hidden arches, timber beams, reclaimed tiles) and pairs it with the warmth and ease of contemporary Australian design”, the listing says.
Pic credit: TIPCo
Much of the interior was created with the help of Sicilian craftspeople. Handmade tiles, local marble and artisan ceramics went into the kitchen and bathrooms. The summer room has stone walls, poured concrete floors and restored vintage furniture, while the top floor has a terrace bar. The breathtaking chandelier came from a shop in Palermo, where Blaze bargained the price down from €170 to €150.
Pic credit: TIPCo
The house is being sold fully furnished, which means buyers will get what they see in the pictures shared in the listing. This includes furniture, lighting, artworks, soft furnishings and kitchen equipment.
Pic credit: TIPCo
Pic credit: TIPCo
Castronovo di Sicilia sits in the Sicani Mountains, roughly halfway between Palermo and Agrigento. It is a hill town of stone lanes and church bell towers, quiet enough for life to move at its own pace. Palermo is about an hour away by car, as are Agrigento and the coast, while the airport is around 80 minutes away. Shops, bars and a pharmacy are within the town itself. “It is quiet, unhurried and still very much lived in, with a piazza where everyone knows each other. It’s the kind of place the series fell in love with”, the listing says.
Pic credit: TIPCo
Pic credit: TIPCo
Blaze also announced the sale on Instagram. She said the price would buy a one-bedroom apartment in a high-rise in an Australian capital city, while the Sicilian house offers outdoor space, parking and more living area. “If you have loved watching this and want to live the Sicilian dream, well, this is your chance”, she said in the video. She also credited the renovation to the two of them. “I’m so proud of what Darren and I have been able to achieve with our minimal budget, our timeline, our lack of help.”