Images: Holiday Home Makeover / Channel 9
Between seasons of The Block, Channel 9 kept us satisfied with a new reno show called Holiday Home Makeover on Saturday nights. It followed 2022 Block team Rachel and Ryan Carr as they transformed an ordinary property into a stunning coastal retreat.
That home is now finished and has been revealed as Cinque House (pronounce Chin-Kway), a luxurious AirBnb near Berry on NSW South Coast. If you missed the reveals on the series, scroll down to see all of the beautiful spaces, the jaw-dropping before-and-afters and the mood board that began it all.
The Block team Rachel and Ryan’s holiday home
Rachel and Ryan had fallen in love with their home’s location, but its interiors felt a little dated. They’ve transformed the space by converting the garage to increase the floorplan to five bedrooms and four bathrooms, giving the home a fresh new layout that better suits their needs.
Take a look at the before-and-after shots of the renovating duo’s coastal home they’ve lovingly named Cinque House, now on AirBnb.
Kitchen/dining: before and after
The kitchen is the heart of any holiday home and this one went from poky in lime green to a Mediterranean masterpiece that’s now open-plan and spacious enough for a crowd.
It has a five-metre stone benchtop, impressive Smeg oven, a breakfast nook and dining area with a bar.
Living area: Before and after
From a carpeted space with potential to a light and bright space for lounging, this room was transformed.
The ‘after’ of the living room is bright and inviting, with a cosy fireplace and fresh furniture.
Bedrooms
Once bland and boring, there’s now a bedroom to suit every personality, in shades of dusty pink, calming blue, zesty lemon and a sage green bunk room.
The main bedroom suite: before and after
Rachel and Ryan’s main bedroom plans involved demolishing the garage to create a large main suite.
Bathrooms: before and after
The three dated bathrooms were the next rooms to recieve a luxury renovation. For these rooms, Rachel and Ryan chose to give each bathroom their own colours, with the house now including a pink, green and blue bathroom.
Alfresco area: Before and after
Possibly the biggest makeover of all in Ryan and Rachel’s holiday house is the outdoor space. It’s now completely equipped for entertaining in any season, with a pool, sunken firepit, dining area and deck opening up onto the leafy views.
Pre-renos: The preparations
“It’s almost time!” the couple teased on Instagram before it aired. “We poured our hearts into this project and now it’s almost time to share it with you all.” It was perfectly timed to fill the Block-shaped gap in our lives until The Block 2025 lands later in the year.
What was on the team’s mood board for this holiday abode? A stunning, contemporary Italian-inspired home on the South Coast of NSW, brought to life with Rachel and Ryan’s signature blend of elevated aesthetics and family-friendly design. The renovation, completed in late 2023, promises statement stone, earthy textures and warm Mediterranean touches, including trending checkerboard tiles, terracotta accents and dreamy outdoor entertaining zones.
“I thought I’d start sharing the design inspiration for our Contemporary Italian Holiday Home on the South Coast of NSW,” they shared. “We completed this reno in Dec of 2023 and we’re sharing it with you all so soon… but for now, here are the pics that got our hearts beating when we started designing.”
The sneak peeks suggest an expert curation of natural materials and thoughtful spatial flow, anchored by an effortless indoor-outdoor connection. From the expansive alfresco dining space to the sunken firepit with built-in seating and a lounging-friendly pool, this is a home designed for relaxed coastal living and joyful gathering.
As seasoned renovators – Rachel with a flair for styling and Ryan bringing experience from their bathroom renovation business – the pair were always destined for more than just one season of reality TV when they entered The Block in 2022. Despite being called in as last-minute replacements after Joel Patfull and Elle Ferguson’s unexpected exit, they quickly won over fans and judges alike, delivering room reveals that consistently raised the bar. While auction day didn’t play out in their favour, they went on to sell post-show, walking away with a tidy $169,000 profit.
Since their Gisborne Block days (not far from where The Block 2025 is currently filming), the couple has gone from strength to strength. They’ve launched their own renovation and design firm, The R&R Design Co, sold their stylish Oyster Bay home, and are now knee-deep in a charming cottage revival with Neate Projects.
With three young children – Everleigh, Mila and Tommy – life is fast, furious and fabulous. And with Holiday Home Makeover just around the corner, 2025 is shaping up to be their biggest year yet. “Mortgaged to the eyeballs,” they joke, but there’s no denying Rachel and Ryan are building something seriously special – and a loyal following is loving every minute.
Watch Holiday Home Makeover on Saturdays at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
To stay at Ryan and Rachel’s holiday home on NSW’s South Coast, visit Cinque House on AirBnb.
