Behind The Design

Two years ago, Andrew George sat in this chair known as the Passive House guy. Now he's back, and he's not so sure he ever was. In this return conversation, the owner of Lou Projects looks back on the hardest stretch of his career: a run of complex projects, rushed contracts, countless variations, supply issues and long-distance jobs that left his business running on fumes, all while build...

Chloe Matters co-founded Tom Mark Henry, one of Sydney's most recognised design studios, and then walked away from it. Pregnant and working hours that left no room for family, she stepped back to work out what kind of mother, designer and business owner she actually wanted to be. That reset became Matters and Made, a studio known for calm, tonal, deeply tactile homes. In this episode, Camilla...

Twenty years ago, Sonia Warner and Jacinta Woods started Woods & Warner with two people, no plan B and a shared goal of creating beautiful spaces. Today they lead a seven-person Sydney studio, and most of what they know about running it was learned the hard way. In this episode, Camilla sits down with both directors for an honest look at what it really takes to build a design studio that lasts...

What happens when a designer spends years pursuing the practical path before finally trusting his creative instincts? Stefan Vignogna of Bespoke Joinery Design built his career around bespoke kitchens, considered interiors and technical expertise. In this episode of Behind the Design, he joins Camilla Ingall to share the personal and professional decisions that shaped his journey, from studying la...

Bowerbird Interior’s success isn’t just a story about beautiful design. It’s a story about what happens when the business behind the design keeps getting bigger. Lauren Lewis, co-founder of Bowerbird Interior, joins Camilla to explore the side of the design industry we rarely see: the people, systems, logistics and commercial decisions behind the finished spaces. What started as a property styling...

What do two successful designers admit when there is no guest to interview and the questions are coming straight back at them? Sarah Reid is the host of Her Design Her Story, and in this special episode of Behind the Design, Camilla Ingall and Sarah Reid turn the questions on each other, reflecting on the careers, shows, businesses and lessons that have shaped where they are today. As the conversa...

What happens when the business you're building almost ends before it really begins? Phil and Lina Strati, the husband-and-wife team behind L.P StratiCo Builders and Aesthetic Developments, share the real story behind their journey from secure corporate and construction careers to building businesses of their own. It wasn't a straight line. After quitting their jobs in the most unexpected w...

What actually makes a home luxurious? According to luxury builder James from Jakin Luxury Living, it has far less to do with expensive finishes and far more to do with how a home performs, feels and supports the way you live. In this episode of Behind the Design, I sit down with James, founder of Jakin Luxury Living, to unpack what really goes into building high-end residential homes and why the b...

Lighting is often one of the last things considered in a project, but it can completely change how we experience a space, from the way materials and colours are perceived to how the room actually feels. In this episode of Behind the Design, I sit down with Jay and CJ, founders of Objects for Thought, to explore the thinking, process and business decisions behind their contemporary lighting brand....

When people think about preparing a home for sale, they usually picture the finished styling. What they don't see is everything happening behind the scenes to make that transformation possible. In this episode of  Behind the Design , I sit down with  Amy Smith , founder of  Huntley + Co , a Sydney-based furniture hire business created specifically to support property stylists, interior designers a...

Choosing natural stone is about far more than aesthetics. In this episode of Behind the Design, I sit down with Nathan Karpenko, co-owner of CAV'ART Designer Stone, to explore what really happens behind the scenes when selecting one of the most important materials in a home. Nathan shares his journey from working in luxury hotels to leading one of Australia's most respected natural stone s...

What actually keeps an architecture business alive past the first project? Most people judge an architecture firm by the finished home. The clean lines, the light-filled kitchen, the project that lands on Instagram. Behind that image sits a business built on budget conversations, team trust, and a reputation that took years to earn. In this episode of Behind the Design, I sit down with Chris Trott...

What does an interior stylist actually do? It's a role that most people only notice in the final image. The beautifully photographed home, the perfectly layered living room, or the project that lands in a magazine. But behind those images is a creative process that most people never see. In this episode of “Behind The Design”, I sit down with interior stylist Bea Lambos to talk about the world...

A beautiful home rarely tells the full story. Behind every completed project is a team navigating site constraints, heritage restrictions, unforeseen challenges, client expectations, and hundreds of decisions that never make it into the final photographs. In this episode of Behind the Design, I sit down with Jack Williams, founder of JW Projects, to unpack the realities of residential construction...

Finished homes, polished brands, and resolved details are what we usually see. What’s less visible is the pressure underneath: the hard decisions, constant judgment calls, and the reality of sustaining growth. James McCarthy knows that reality well. In this episode of Behind the Design, I sit down with James McCarthy, co-founder of GatherCo, a trade-only supplier in the architecture and interiors...

Colour gets the attention, but it is rarely where the real work happens. Mariah Burton built Folk Studio on something quieter than a signature aesthetic, a belief that the person living in the space is always the starting point and that the brief is never really the Pinterest board, the budget, or the timeline. It is the human being sitting across from you at that first meeting, and everything tha...

Most material decisions are still driven by aesthetics. But the real shift is happening in safety, performance, and sustainability, the layers a renovator or end user often doesn’t see, and rarely gets guided through. That’s the conversation missing across the broader industry. In this episode of Behind the Design, I sit down with Erin Payne from Cosentino to explore how one of the world’s leading...

From chasing design milestones to discovering what truly makes work meaningful, this episode takes you behind the scenes of large-scale hospitality design. In this episode of Behind the Design Podcast, I chat with Nasim Köerting, Design Director at Merivale, about the realities of leading some of Australia’s most recognised hospitality projects. From her early career in London to managing complex...

“Design doesn’t need to please everyone. Designers like McQueen, Schiaparelli, and Margiela showed me that discomfort, exaggeration, and vulnerability aren’t flaws—they’re tools.” In this episode of Behind the Design, I talk with Nelli Hegi, founder and creative director of Hegi Design House, about creating furniture that’s more than functional, it tells a story. Nelli blends furniture, art, fashi...

From kitchen joinery to high-end design, this is what it takes to turn craft into a sustainable business. In this episode of Behind the Design Podcast, I sit down with furniture maker Tim Noone, founder of Tim Noone Furniture, to talk about his journey from kitchen joinery to creating high-end custom furniture. He shares the challenges of crafting beautiful pieces while keeping a business sustaina...

Building a design studio is often celebrated as creative freedom, yet many founders discover that without boundaries, success can start to feel unsustainable. In this episode, I sat down with Kate Lawrence, founder of Kate Lawrence Interiors and bedding brand Sleep Ins, to unpack the real story behind building and reshaping a creative business. Kate speaks candidly about: • Saying yes to everythin...

Behind every beautiful piece of joinery is a series of decisions, conversations, and mistakes no one ever seesIn this episode, I sat down with Luke from Élan Joinery and SKUPA , to talk through what really goes into custom joinery and furniture, beyond the finished photos. From early planning and material selection to timelines, teamwork, and trust, Luke shares how thoughtful joinery is built arou...

Trends come and go, but brands built on craft, instinct, and resilience tend to stick around. In this episode of Behind the Design, host Camilla Ingall sits down with Charles Hinckfuss, founder and creative force behind MCM House. Charlie shares the unpolished reality behind building one of Australia’s most recognisable furniture brands, from early days focused purely on survival, to growing a nat...

Design doesn’t need to shout to make an impact. In this episode of  Behind the Design , Camilla Ingall sits down with  Daniel Boddam , founder of Daniel Boddam Studio, to unpack his philosophy of  quiet living ; a design approach rooted in restraint, calm, and deep respect for the Australian landscape. Daniel shares his journey from architecture into furniture design, why he deliberately plays the...

In this episode, Camilla sits down with Stephanie Ferrara, founder of Laidback Lee Design, to explore how she built a growing design studio while renovating her own family home as an owner-builder and raising two young daughters. Steph shares how a Covid job cut sparked her leap into business, what she’s learned from flipping character homes, and how stepping onto site as a woman and now a builder...