Inspiration

Meet the teams of The Block NZ 2016: Dyls and Dylz

Article by Homes to Love

Dyls (27) and his mate Dylz (25) share the same nickname, they both have reno experience and are both fizzing with energy

TBNZ5 Dyls and Dylz

Meet Dyls and Dylz from The Block NZ 2016

Dyls is the epitome of the Kiwi bloke, he describes himself as being, ‘outgoing; goofy; playful; caring; intelligent; unrealistically ambitious, – a tornado’. He’s fizzing with energy 24/7
and comes with an enormous amount of renovation experience – he’s a qualified builder. Dyls met his girlfriend while playing rugby in the UK, but the Kiwi lifestyle inevitably drew them back to Mount Maunganui. Dyls’ iwi is Ngai Tahu and he is a proud learner of Te Reo Maori.

The Block NZ team mate Dylz also has renovation experience, but is relatively new to the game – currently working as Dyls’ apprentice. Formerly a personal trainer, he’s a total gym junkie,
but decided his future lay with a trade.

Not only do Dyls and Dylz work together and share the same first name, they’ve been known to dress the same (by accident of course!). They love a bit of banter and will without a doubt be the
practical jokers of this season. While building will definitely be their strength, design is something they are both swotting up on before the show. Dylz says he will take the lead when it comes to
buying cushions, and they’re confident they can pull off a victory.

They work together, play together, and now they’re going to take on The Block NZ together. Will their bromance survive?

Dyls and Dylz’s kids’ bedroom reveal

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Q&A with Dyls and Dylz

Where do you normally live?
Dyls: Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, right by the beach!
Dylz: I’ve lived in Papamoa for about six years.

How do you know each other?
Dyls: I was playing rugby for the Bay and Dylz was a personal trainer. I met him at the local gym.
Dylz: My job was to walk around the gym and talk to clients. I saw Dyls doing his workout and we started chatting and got to know each other from there.

What do you think you’ll find hardest as The Block NZ progresses?
Dyls: That it’s completely chaotic with tradies everywhere, and the fact that you’ve only got a short period of time to do things that normally take a lot longer.
Dylz: Everything’s new to me, so I’ll just take the punches and keep on pushing through.

Name some of your favourite products
Dyls: Nice big slabs of timber. I also like negative detail. It’s that contrast between rustic and slick that really works.
Dylz: Dyls and I have the same kind of style. Pretty much everything he likes, I like as well.

What colours are you drawn to?
Dyls: Whites and neutrals – Resene ‘Alabaster’ is one of my favourites – plus natural slate colours, greys and browny, earthy colours.
Dylz: I’m a big fan of ‘Alabaster’ – you can put any kind of colour with it.

What’s been your biggest DIY exploit?
Dyls: I’m a builder, there’s been so many, but probably building a third-storey extension on my mum’s house. I was working 100-hour weeks as I was also holding down a full-time job, so to see it finished, and to see my Mum in the master bedroom with a nice ensuite and beautiful view, was awesome.
Dylz: I’ve done the odd couple of fences with my father; he’s a chippy as well.

Are you big followers of The Block NZ?
Dyls: I’ve watched just about every season. Last year I watched it religiously. I really liked Brooke and Mitch, and Pete and Andy.
Dylz: Yes, I’m a big fan; I watch all the building shows. I love to see what they come out with in the end. It inspired me to audition.

Do you feel like you have a great eye for style? How will you decide what look to give your property?
Dyls: I do have a great eye for style. I’ve built a lot of houses over the years, thousands, so I’ve picked up great ideas from the architects. I get a lot of my ideas from a house app called Houzz.
Dylz: I’ve got a few apps on my phone to give me ideas and get the juices flowing.

Will you clash over style decisions?
Dyls: No, we have very similar styles, if not the same style. I’ve been in this game a lot longer than Dylz, so he trusts what I’m doing.

What strengths are you bringing?
Dyls: The construction side of it: knowing how a building site should work and also getting good flow and some primo ideas.
Dylz: Dyls will be doing a lot of the management side of things and dealing with the tradies. I’ll do what I can in the background, and bring a good attitude – I don’t let stuff get on top of me and bring me down.

What makes you a good team?
Dyls: I’m a hard worker, I never give up, and failure is not an option.
Dylz: I’m exactly like him: I always want to win and I’ll never give up. I do whatever it takes.

As the competition gears up, what advice have you given yourselves?
Dyls: To stay level-headed, don’t blow up. And if I feel myself getting frustrated, I just need to remember to walk off and breathe it out.
Dylz: Just to be myself. I’ve got a lot of friends and they like me for who I am, so: be myself, don’t change, even if you are on television.

The Block NZ: Girls v Boys screens Sundays at 7pm and Monday – Wednesday, 7.30pm on TV3.

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