Home Living October 2019

from Mornington Peninsula Magazine October 2019

Ninja tackles 31 burgers

home living

HOME LIVING

Closing the blinds at The Roman Empire

And just like that, after more than 30 years of supplying high-quality blinds, drapery and bed heads, The Roman Empire is shutting up shop on Wednesday, October 16. Managing director Don Hailes grew the business into what it is today, with 30 staff who have become like a family.

As a teenager, Don owed his father money for rent. At the time he was a frustrated musician getting nowhere fast — just fast into debt. His father was in the retail blind business and offered Don the opportunity to assist him fitting blinds to pay him back. It was a task Don enjoyed, and from that day he’s never strayed from the industry. It was during his time working for his father that he was picking up some parts from a blind manufacturer one day and was offered a job. “I didn’t know when I said yes back then that it would have turned into all of this,” said Don.

When asked to name the most rewarding moment of his career, Don said he couldn’t have answered that until a month ago. As a predominately wholesale business distributing all over the country to large companies such as Spotlight, the news spread fast about Don’s plans to close. His phones ran hot as he was inundated with lovely calls to say thank

you for his quality customer service and products, along with “we’ll miss you” emails. And what followed was more calls to offer his staff jobs. With some of them having been with Don for 25 years, he was overwhelmed with joy that everyone who was after a new job had in fact received a job offer without even applying. The calls literally didn’t stop. It was testament to the business he’d developed, the staff he’d coached and the industry standards they’d established.

“You see your work colleagues more than you see your own family. We are a family. It was difficult to announce the news and see their faces. But when we heard that everyone had been offered new positions, it affirmed to me that we’d been doing something right.”

Don feels like a free man, yet he’s recently forgone his retirement plan for a larger role in his blind component business which isn’t nearly as demanding and can be completed “when I feel like it”. Hmmm, we’ll see — he just can’t get enough.

Mornington Peninsula Magazine wishes Don and his staff an enjoyable farewell celebration and all the best moving forward.

KATE SEARS

• Mobile Care Centre

• Maintenance & Repairs

• Pumps, Filters, Chlorination & Heating

• Chemicals & Accessories

• Free Water Analysis5985 1913 Shop 3, 5 Napier St, Rye

www.aquapoolandspaspecialists.com.au

Issue 95, OCTOBER 2019 www.morningtonpeninsulamagazine.com.au 61 )

HOME LIVING

A reflection of your personality and style

A Fresh Touch is an intimate colour, interior/exterior design and decoration practice consulting on both the Mornington Peninsula and in Melbourne.

Having been in the industry for more than 20 years, owner Michelle Fieldsend continues to strive to provide her clientele with the individualism they crave. “Rather than following trends, my approach is to create a unique identity for each scheme, reflecting my clients’ individual taste, personality and lifestyle, while offering affordable design solutions for new or existing spaces,” she said.

Michelle is passionate about all facets of design and believes it’s an essential component for delivering a comprehensive and successful project. “During my first year of studies, I was awarded the 1999

FIAA Young Interior Designer of the Year. Recently I have been honoured to receive many nods for my work, including countless features on houzz.com.au and in such prestigious publications as Home Beautiful and Living Etc magazine (UK).

“Included among my enduring clientele are Grollo Homes and now also Forme Homes, assisting their clients in the selection of materials, finishes and colours for exteriors and interiors.

“Small or large scale, I look forward to adding a fresh look to every inch of your home or work space.”

Phone Michelle on 0408 559 105 for a consultation.

A FRESH TOUCH A: Tootgarook W: www.afreshtouch.com.au FB: afreshtouchinteriors INSTA: afreshtouch

Intimate Colour, Interior/Exterior Design and Decoration practice. Contact A Fresh Touch for your next project, large or small.

Michelle 0408 559 105 www.afreshtouch.com.au

Consulting Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne

( 62 Everything we love about the peninsula, fresh every month mornington PENINSULA Magazine

Offer ends Sunday October 20th 2019

earlysettler.com.auHOME LIVING

home living

$2,000 cashback when you switch your eligible home loan to CommBank.

• Apply by 10 January 2020 and fund by 6 March 2020.

• Available for owner occupied home loans with Principal and Interest repayments only, Investment loans and Viridian Lines of Credit.

• Minimum refinance of $250,000.

To find out more, drop into your local Mornington Peninsula branch and talk to a Home Lending Specialist today.

Things you should know: Customers must refinance their home loan from another financial institution. New loans and top-ups are not included in the minimum refinance amount. Refinancing of an existing Commonwealth Bank or Bankwest home loan and Bridging Loans are ineligible for this offer. One payment per borrowing entity and per customer, credited to a Commonwealth Bank transaction account. Cashback cannot be combined with a Wealth Package fee waiver. We reserve the right to terminate the offer at any time. Subject to credit approval. Fees, charges, terms and conditions apply. Commonwealth Bank of Australia. ABN 48 123 123 124. Australian credit licence 234945.

– – – –

– – – – –