A BEAUTIFUL Life
By Melissa Walsh
To be successful it is also important to take advice from other people
T
here’s something intriguing about Gerard and Cynthia Walsh, the stylish couple of Sorrento Furniture who seem to hold the secret to a fun and adventurous life. Gerard is dapper as always in his tailormade suits, pocket handkerchief, slick backed hair and immaculately polished shoes, while Cynthia is effortlessly chic with an eclectic style that reflects an unmistakable chilled out nature. There is nothing false about this couple, who run the immensely successful Sorrento Furniture. They love good champagne, nice cars, and travelling the world. They create stunning pieces of furniture for their clients and spend their life surrounded by beauty, and you would be hard pressed to meet a more down to earth pair. Peninsula Essence talks to Gerard and Cynthia about family, business and their secret to a happy life.
E ssence
16 | PENINSULA
April 2019 March 2019
“I started out as at 15 years of age as an apprentice upholsterer,” said Gerard, whose eye for design, love of colour and form turned out to be the perfect combination for a lifelong career in custom designed furniture. “The love of furniture design was in my blood as I am a third generation furniture maker and have passed it on to one of my sons as well.” While the Mornington Peninsula couple enjoy the finer things today, they certainly didn’t start out with a charmed life but are proof that hard work and a good attitude pay off. “I met Cynthia when she was just 17. I had been working as an upholsterer for many years and a mate asked me to drive him and some friends to a disco," said Gerard who was 23 at the time. The young couple married and bought a house in Dandenong where they started their first furniture upholstery business from their garage.