And although the pair have done their best to keep their focus on their build and impressing the judges with their incredible ‘Japandi’ aesthetic (a mix of Japanese and Scandinavian styles), Steph and Gian have managed to ruffle a couple of feathers themselves.
From the heated body corporate meeting called in the first week due to Steph’s dad helping them out on site, to being targets of some on-set negativity, the couple have had to keep strong so as not to get dragged into the fray.
“Even if we’re at the centre of the drama or someone’s annoyed at us or something, you know, we’re just so in our own lane and focused on what we’re doing that we don’t even try and partake in it,” Steph explains. “I’m super passionate about [design] … so that’s my main focus. The other stuff in the group is just noise, we’re just not engaging in it.”
Steph admits her calm confidence may have got people offside, adding that “me really knowing what I want and being really quite vocal,” may have contributed to the personality clashes. “Which is sort of sad, in a way, that just because you’re someone that exudes confidence that you have to be judged based on that.”
But Steph assures us she isn’t letting it distract her. “It didn’t affect me,” she adds. “If someone judges anyone, it says more about them than me.”
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