Cruising To A Sunny Win

When Renee Sutton received the phone call from Somfy to say she’d won the $10,000 prize in their House to Home Beautiful competition, at first she thought it was a trick, or even a scam. She says she’d never won anything in her life before and this prize was more than she’d ever dreamt of.

“To the person on the phone, I probably didn't sound excited because I was still trying to get it through my head that I had won,” she says, laughing. “It took a while to realise, but it was really awesome getting that news that day. It was very exciting.”

Once the reality set in, Renee and her family (husband, Anthony and sons, Max, 8, and Joey, 3) discovered that dreams really could come true. They won a $10,000 window furnishings package through local Somfy Expert, Noosa Screens and Curtains.

The first homeowners have been living in their home on the Sunshine Coast hinterland for just on a year, and funds have been really tight.

And, while window furnishings were high on the family wishlist, Renee says she didn’t think they’d be able to afford them for years.

The prize also came with a special celebrity bonus – a one-on-one hour-long consultation with interior design expert Wendy Moore. Wendy is the General Manager of Home Beautiful magazine and judge on Channel 7’s House Rules.

Wendy flew up to Noosa to meet Renee and the owners of Noosa Screens and Curtains, Tony and Susanne Cruise. The Cruises turned Wendy’s visit into a special celebration for their customers, with a champagne afternoon tea, so locals could get to meet Wendy, chat to her about their homes and get some personal advice.

It was also a great opportunity to show off their brand new showroom to the Noosa locals, as it features displays of all the Somfy motorised components.

“It was ideal for someone like Renee who was looking at all these different motorisation options, to be able to see them in action, and see how they would operate and work,” says Tony Cruise. “We've got a very interactive display here. We've got 100 square metres of showroom.”

“We've got motorised curtain tracks, motorised blinds, motorised external screens, motorised folding arms and motorised roller shutters as well.”

Renee says she really enjoyed speaking to Wendy and found her advice invaluable. “She was amazing to talk to,” she says. “I felt like she was a really down-to-earth lady. It was really nice. She gave me some advice of what to do in the kitchen and dining area and how I can make it more homely. That was really awesome, because I had no idea. She was really good.”

Wendy says that it was wonderful to see the prize go to such a worthy winner. “She was just so lovely and I could see that her family would really use it,” she says.

“I loved meeting her and everyone else in Noosa – it was such a great day.”

Renee says she particularly loves the freedom that the Somfy package will give her – and the peace of mind, especially for her young family.

“You don't have to worry about the safety aspect of having the hanging cords,” she says. “And, I find mornings for me are always crazy. Just having to wake up, and with the touch of a button not having to go around and individually open each blind and curtain is just a real benefit.”

And it all got even better for Renee. The Cruises decided to add to the $10,000 prize by including some extra roller blinds for her house, which covered all the window furnishings she needed – and the electrical installation costs.

Tony says the whole event was so positive for his store that he wanted to make Renee’s prize even more special.

“I just think it finishes off her whole experience,” he says.

And the icing on the cake? Renee says that Tony and Wendy have told her that her new blinds, exterior awning and Somfy automation will help her to manage the strong Queensland sun and make her home more comfortable over the summer.

“We were going to put air-conditioning in, but I'm thinking if we have all the right curtains, block outs and awning, I don't even know if we'll have to put it in anymore,” she says. “We might be able to just live with the fans.”

“I can’t believe my luck.”