The show’s 2003 stars all turned fame into success!
Gaz and Waz Gavin Atkins and Warren Sonin were the designer duo of the original Block back in 2003, and gave us a dose of gay pride as the first same-sex couple on Aussie reality TV.
The irrepressible pair still live a luxurious life, but now they run their business Designer Boys from the peaceful surrounds of a 24ha property in Byron Bay, in NSW.
“We’ve got 30 cows wandering around,” says Waz, 45. “Basically our lives have changed completely since we were on The Block. If you think that was chalk then this is cheese!”
It’s an entirely different landscape to the corporate jobs they once knew. “We thought, if we can survive The Block, we can do this,” Waz says. “So after the show we quit our jobs and started Designer Boys. But nothing has been handed to us – we’ve probably worked harder than anyone else.”
The pair are clearly thrilled with their tree-change. The solitude of their home allows Gav to indulge his passion for art, which he provides to hotels and resorts through Designer Boys Collections, while both say the silence is a very different but welcome kind of luxury.
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