HerCanberra Interior Series: Emily & Leisa

Posted on 20 September, 2014

Emily and Leisa, the creative mother and daughter duo, recently invited me into Emily’s newly renovated living and dining room to discuss their passion for design and their new interior decorating venture.

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Emily and Leisa have always had an eye for design. Prior to moving to Canberra five years ago, they owned a deli in the small country town of Cowra. Their ability to arrange the deli with beautiful homewares quickly gave them recognition within the community for their merchandising ability.

Soon enough, other stores in the town would ask Emily and Leisa to style their shop fronts too.

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A similar thing occurred when Emily and Leisa rented properties in Cowra. Houses they rented seemed to sell whenever they went to market, because of all the thought that went into the styling. So much so that the local real estate agent cheapened their rent, allowing them to move into those properties that struggled to sell, and style them as they wished, and as a result moved more than 10 times during their time in Cowra.

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Taking this experience with her to Canberra, Emily recently decided to renovate her Ngunnawal home, with some help from her mother. From the outside, the house looks like any other on the street, but as the saying goes, one should never judge a book by its cover. Once inside, the dark timber floorboards instantly convey a touch of class.

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Paired with the bright white walls, the living space feels harmonious, setting a base for the glamorous furniture and brightly coloured artwork. Emily tells us that her design began with the black leather chesterfield sofa that now takes prime position in the living room. Upon completion, Emily started receiving compliments on her newly renovated space.

It was after this that the pair started to think about how they could turn their passion for interiors into a career. It was only on a recent holiday to New York that Emily and Leisa could see where it is they wanted to focus their creativity. Each day Emily and Leisa would walk down Fifth Avenue, they were mesmerised by the stunning architecture and the high end interiors.

It was from this seed of inspiration that Fifth Ave Interiors was born. Leisa and Emily describe their design style as vintage glamour. They both enjoy transforming not-so-glamorous interiors into something quite unique.

If you would like to read a little more about their work, or contact Emily and Leisa check out Fifth Ave Interiors or find them on Facebook.

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