Canberra’s top stylists have been crowned, with the winners of the Decorate for a Difference challenge announced at the raize the roof charity house auction on Saturday 20 October.
Maria Cerne and Nicole Liakos, aka ‘Sisters from the Southside’, were declared the winners, with ‘Lone Stylist’ Rose Poglase the runner-up.
The sister duo took on the kids’ retreat, a child’s bedroom and the powder room, and say they are “super proud to have the title of Canberra’s best stylists”.
“We had the smallest zone, so we had to be clever in our furniture and accessory choices to make the rooms come together and feel magical for children.”
Five teams were tasked with styling the home for sale with donated products from Ikea. The winners were decided by a mix of a judge’s vote and votes from the public, with every dollar donated counted as a vote for your team of choice.
“The best part of the challenge was seeing the empty house transformed into a beautiful family home. Creating a space for people to connect with, and enjoy, was a rewarding experience.”
The sisters say the hardest part of the decorating challenge was unpacking their 150 Ikea products from their boxes.
“Opening boxes with a set of car keys was not ideal! Thank goodness for the amazing team of Ikea staff who helped us flat pack on the day – they were a godsend.”
The sisters weren’t the only winners on the day; almost $10,000 was raised from the auction of the Ikea furniture, and over $28,000 through the Decorate for a Difference competition.
The raize the roof charity house also went to auction on Saturday. While the house didn’t sell under the hammer, raize the roof co-founders Danielle and Lincoln Dal Cortivo say they are committed to “getting the right price” to ensure they raise as much money as possible for Starlight Children’s Foundation and SOS Children’s Villages, Botswana. Sale proceeds will be split evenly between the two charities.
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