Martin’s background is in engineering with a specialisation in material science and he spent the first part of his career in the brick industry. “I still have a lifelong passion for bricks,” he laughs. “All types of bricks!”.

He started his career with Brickworks Ltd, moved to a Spanish company which sold brickmaking equipment, then back to Brickworks for a time, and from there to CSR for a 13-year stint in which he held eight different roles including Export Manager for SE Asia where he oversaw the export of bricks, pavers and roof tiles. From CSR, Martin moved to Boral for two years and, until 2006, everything he’d done was related to making, selling or exporting bricks, roof tiles & masonry.

It was as State Manager for Laminex that Martin had his first exposure to the industry that was to capture his imagination. “It was certainly a very interesting time,” adds Martin. “The GFC hit shortly after I joined Laminex and we were subject to many pressures but I absolutely loved my time at the company and I had the opportunity to take on a number of projects – large and small”.

Moving from Laminex to Hettich was a change in culture and a slight side step in terms of product range but Martin felt very comfortable with Hettich right from the start. “I really love this company,” he explains. “I love the people I work with and for, I love the brand and I feel very connected with what the company represents”.

Hettich is a family business which started in 1888 and is in its fourth generation of family management with Dr Andreas Hettich now the Chairman of the Advisory Board. Martin explains that he feels invigorated by the pragmatic approach Hettich takes to the market and the longer-term vision the company is able to implement. “I have found the company has a very meaningful long-term perspective. Many of our goals are centred around 2030 and beyond,” he says.

Martin describes joining Hettich as becoming part of a family and he marvels at its ability to create that sense of family despite becoming more of an international business every year. He points to the example of the Covid upheaval and how the business recognised each and every employee to say thank you for their dedication during a very difficult time.

As each generation takes the reins of the business, Martin says he can see how the business is going from strength to strength. “I feel the business has really modernised over the last 10 years,” he adds. “We work as a global business and that means everyone has the opportunity to input suggestions for improvement and be heard”.

As part of an international network of Managing Directors, Martin has regular contact with counterparts in Germany, Japan, Korea, China, SE Asia, New Zealand and Ukraine. “I find these relationships very important & extremely rewarding,” he explains.

The last few years, notwithstanding Covid, have seen a number of significant changes and challenges for suppliers within the industry. Martin says one way in which Hettich responds to these challenges is by seeking ways to be more efficient. “We strive to constantly do better,” he says. “Not just with our product range but also with our customer service and access to information. I’m really proud of the work our customer service team has done with digitisation and we now have close to 70% of orders placed digitally”.

He particularly points to a transitional period where Hettich moved from managing its own warehouse to a 3PL arrangement, something he recognises caused disruption. “We made a strategic decision not to implement a price increase for that reason,” he says. “And I’m so grateful to the customers and staff who stood by us and supported us. That says so much about the relationships we’ve been able to establish and the wonderful culture within our team”.

It’s this approach to relationship building that Martin has focussed on as a key part of his role. “I love that someone can take particleboard and MDF and cabinetry hardware, and use those to make a beautiful piece of furniture,” he adds. “We have some very clever people in our industry and I see our role to support more in our industry to be making high-quality, Australian-made products. We can work together to make the industry the best it can be”.

Martin is seeing an increasing gap between quality and poor-quality products. “As the manufacturer of the product, Hettich controls the output and the quality of the end result,” he explains. “We will be around for the long term to service and support the products and that’s important when you consider the lifespan we expect from a renovation”.

When it comes to a unique approach for the Australian market, Martin is quick to point to the broader Hettich values which fit in very well with the Australian psyche. “Hettich worldwide is a strong believer in sustainability in three key areas – people (safety and wellbeing), social (charity and society), and environment (sustainability and eco-friendliness),” he says. Two other key areas of focus are digitisation – using technology to enhance the company’s and the customer’s experience – and brand representation. “I’m proud that Hettich Australia is leading the way in digitisation and brand recognition,” adds Martin. “All of these areas combined make up the Hettich culture and are a key part of our strategic goals”.

Hettich Australia is also able to provide local insights to global strategies. Martin uses the example of the new Outdoor Kitchen range which was a development led by Hettich Australia. “Every country wants a solution for outdoor barbecues and alfresco living,” says Martin. “But Australia had a unique position with the climate and our attitudes towards outdoor entertaining to really make it work. We worked closely with the product managers in Germany to develop a range of stainless-steel hinges and special drawer runners, handles and bins, and now we have some wonderful examples of customers who have been able to utilise the new product range in that environment”.

Martin also points out the increase in interest thanks to the international tours run by Hettich Australia to allow customers to experience the facilities in Germany and develop a greater understanding of the product range. “Every time we bring a group of customers together it creates such an amazing community,” Martin says. “We pride ourselves on the quality of the tours we run, customer networks and the relationships they allow us to create”.

When asked about the future of the industry, Martin points to the immediate challenges with customers relating their inability to find quality staff and recruit apprentices. “There are far fewer cabinet makers today than even just a few years ago,” he says. “The consolidation of some of the smaller players into the bigger businesses has seen the numbers drop”.

Martin would also like to see the industry as a whole emerge from the recent tumultuous years as a stronger entity with a positive future ahead. “It has been problematic for customers to manage the disruption with the engineered stone silica ban but I was happy to see health and safety prioritised and I think suppliers have responded sensibly,” he adds. “We may see fewer cabinet makers in the future and some smaller businesses may need to specialise or find a niche in the market. Local industry will have a job to do to show customers that it’s worth spending money on quality products across the board”.

But Martin certainly sees positivity in both the long and short-term future for the industry. “No one will lobby better for the industry than our industry,” he says. “And Hettich has a commitment to continue to support those who support our industry”.

Hettich Australia’s future plans rest heavily on a continued investment in digital technologies to improve communication and service, as well as a heavy investment in research and development to ensure an ongoing refinement of existing products as well as the launch of new market-leading products.

For more information visit designwithhettich.au/ or web.hettich.com/en-au/home

Carmel is a qualified Interior Designer and has been working with GIA Renovations in Melbourne for the last 12 years. Her latest accolade – Australian Bathroom Designer of the Year – is a dream come true which still feels quite surreal. “I have so much respect for the other finalists in this category,” Carmel says. “To be on the stage with them and then take out the award was an incredible experience. I still can’t quite believe it happened”.

The project which won her the award (pictured above) was the result of a serendipitous confluence of the right client, the right space and the right time. “I met the client three years ago,” explains Carmel. “I quoted a laundry that didn’t go ahead but we developed such a rapport that, when it came time to renovate the ensuite, the client came straight to me”.

“In some respects, that’s what made it extra special,” says Carmel. “Rather than tinker with the quote to get the price down, the client was willing to wait, save and do it right. But it’s worth it when the client and the designer have the relationship to make it happen”.

Carmel says that she’s never wanted to be anything other than an interior designer and remembers informing her parents when she was still in high school of her chosen career path. They were dubious but couldn’t deny her years of painting (and repainting), accessorising and decorating her bedroom as well as many of her friend’s bedrooms. When she finished school, Carmel attended the Whitehouse Institute in Sydney which she describes as “the most intense course I could have chosen”.

The course ran for two years and Carmel attended school five days per week for long hours – sometimes 12-hour days – but she says this prepared her for the reality of working in a fast-paced industry. It was also a course requirement to work in the industry on weekends so she picked up work with an interior designer/decorator doing drafting and working in the showroom, and then at a tile showroom within a bathroom renovation centre which worked with high-end builders.

“It was an intense two years,” says Carmel. “But it was so amazing to go to school every day and be surrounded by such inspiration”.

A move to Melbourne saw Carmel take a role with a bathroom renovation company before she headed overseas for a time. Back in Melbourne, she started in an interior design role with a company that undertook large extensions and renovations but found the larger, more complex projects were less conducive to life with small children. This led to a suggestion by her cabinet maker to approach GIA Renovations as they saw an alignment of values within design and client management.

“The owner, Illan Elberg, has created an inspiring and fun work space,” says Carmel. “At GIA it’s like a big family where all the highs and lows of renovating are shared and worked through together with designers and trades to get the best outcome for the end result”.

Carmel’s personal design philosophy has evolved over the years but she says the key to a project’s success will always come down to the relationship between the homeowner and the designer. “The more I do this, the more I realise that you have to find clients who you can work with,” she says. “By that I mean finding clients who understand your role in the project and who appreciate what you can bring to the table. The best projects are those where the client trusts the designer to do what they know needs to be done”.

Carmel takes her role as a confidant and adviser very seriously and this comes across in her approach to building a rapport with the client. “My goal is to only quote a project once,” she explains. “It’s important as designers that we are responsible with our client’s budgets and that we don’t undermine the quality of the work by trying to cut corners to win work – especially in the bathroom”.

Carmel doesn’t believe she has a particular design style as she sees her role more as a collaborator and facilitator. “Homes are meant to be lived in and enjoyed, to be used and be messy at times,” she says. “I love the challenge of having to adapt my style to suit the client and the home, and to add value to that space”.

“But I do love colour,” she confesses. “Colour makes your soul happy and there has to be joy in our interior spaces!”.

When asked about how the industry has changed during her 22 years, Carmel says she has mostly noticed the change in the understanding of the role of an interior designer. She started in the industry around the same time that The Block hit our television screens and she feels this has had both positive and negative outcomes.

“I’m not a fan of them but reality renovation shows do showcase the benefit of design and the skills an interior designer will bring to a project,” she adds. “And it pushes the product suppliers to stretch the limits of the product applications as well as provides impetus for bringing in a broader range of products. This, in turn, educates the homeowner to be more adventurous and embrace new ideas”.

When it comes to the hot topic of registration of designers, Carmel agrees there should be the facility to make a distinction between stylists, decorators and qualified designers. In her opinion, any profession with the word “design” at the end should mean that person is skilled enough to be responsible for detailed plans, as well as specification of finishes – both hard and soft. “The process is about so much more than just shopping,” she expands. “You have to have the ability to draw your design concept but also to be able to communicate that clearly to the client and to those who will be bringing the project to life. It’s a very specific skill set”.

Carmel feels passionately about her industry and offers this advice to any newcomers: “Remember that you can do it! Trust who you are and find your own way,” she says. “Don’t try to imitate other designers. Take inspiration if you like but seek out what can be truly yours. Work hard and don’t be afraid of competition, as competition can push you further than you would normally go on your own”.

Carmel says she and workmate Olivia Cirocco continually challenge each other in a positive way and this helps both stay at the top of their game. She loves this part of their work relationship as they both win by continually improving and pushing the boundaries of what they can do. Together they are both keen to look at what the industry can do to support more women in this space. Particularly in the area of communication throughout the project, from the initial design process to handing over the job to the onsite team who are more often male, Carmel feels strongly about building relationships that provide the best outcomes for her clients.

In terms of future plans, Carmel has a number of larger projects that are coming to fruition in the second half of this year as well as balancing work and a busy home life with her three children. So, watch this space!

For more information visit https://www.giarenovations.com.au/ and stay in touch with Carmel via https://www.instagram.com/carmelwylie_interiordesign/

Given this illustrious past, it may surprise you to learn that Rex was originally a clinical biochemist and worked at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne for a number of years before deciding to take a risk and branch out into a completely different profession. By chance, a friend of Rex’s had a small cabinet making business and Rex found helping his mate with designs was far more satisfying than being in the hospital and decided to change his career.

Rex’s first job in the industry was with Customtone Kitchens, the company that gave birth to the kitchen industry as we know it today. They were the dominant player in the kitchen renovation industry for many years. “I always had good spatial skills,” Rex recalls. “So, I think that gave me a really good eye for design and layout, and I quickly found my place within kitchen design”. Rex started as a commission salesman/designer, but quickly found his passion for training and he became Customtone’s National Training Manager.

After 18 months, Rex jumped at an opportunity to purchase a small cabinet making business based in his hometown of Albury/Wodonga and this allowed him to implement new systems and procedures that were more reflective of his personal approach. “One of the biggest benefits of purchasing that business was that over the next few years, I was essentially an apprentice in my own factory,” Rex explains. “It was a steep learning curve but a very important one as it gave me a deep insight into the cabinet manufacturing process. This, in turn, helped me to be a better and more informed designer”.

He relocated the business to Wodonga in Victoria and quickly grew in size to eventually be the largest cabinetmaker between Melbourne & Sydney markets, delivering 20-30 kitchens each week.

“At that time in the industry, the goal was to keep the range of choice offered to the customer to an absolute minimum,” recalls Rex with a laugh. “You’d only offer three door colour options and maybe four benchtop colour options. It wasn’t about the customer experience or education – in fact, the customer wasn’t an important part of the process at all. The aim was to simply sell as many kitchens as you could, so the needs of the customer weren’t even a consideration. It was a fairly brutal business those days”.

Rex remembers that, in the early days, the average kitchen cost around $500 and was made from chipboard, with raw edges exposed, chipboard shelving, no drawer runners, standard 45cm deep benchtops and a 45cm deep forward bowl sink. But he says his time at Customtone showed him there was a different approach to the design and manufacture of a kitchen. It was this revolutionary approach that provided the spark for Rex to re-think his own tactics and start to develop the methodology that has gone on to serve him so well in his business.

As so often happens with small businesses and changing economies, the Albury/Wodonga business did not survive, so Rex made the decision to move to Melbourne, having sold his house to meet his debts. However painful this experience, Rex says it made him realise how passionate he was about the industry, and about finding new and better ways to build productive and harmonious relationships with his clients.

“I realised it was important to take a responsible and ethical approach to selling kitchens,” Rex says. “And I decided that being able to train my own people, using my methodologies, was the only way I would be comfortable staying in the industry”.

Soon after moving back to Melbourne, Rex took over management of a small showroom in Nunawading, and he was supplied by Sunshine Group Industries – at that time the largest cabinet maker in Australia. Very quickly, the store became a success and Rex purchased a second showroom.

“I was lucky that it was a success, but I worked my backside off,” Rex explains. “Eventually, I ended up with seven showrooms in Melbourne and we were selling 30-35 kitchens each week.”

But the industry was still very much focussed on heavy-handed sales tactics, no emphasis on long-term client relationships, and a price war that saw many in a race to the bottom.

The turning point for Rex was a trip to America in 1982 where he attended KBIS for the first time and was introduced to an industry association – the National Kitchens & Bathrooms Association (NKBA). “NKBA taught me so much about how to be more professional,” Rex recalls. “Being a part of a professional association exposed me to more ideas around ethical business relationships with a focus on how to look after customers”.

This triggered a shift in how Rex approached his own business and, shortly after, he sold all his kitchen showrooms except one – even today, he still owns just the one showroom, in Canterbury, Victoria. The success of Let’s Talk Kitchens & Interiors has partially happened organically but has been very much driven by Rex’s personality, commitment, drive and passion to raise standards within the industry.

“For the last six or so years, I’ve only employed CKD, CBD and/or qualified interior designers and all my staff are on salary – no commission-based sales people,” says Rex. “This approach has improved our business tremendously and allows us to take a very professional approach to the service we provide. All of my people are committed to their design profession, not just their bank accounts”.

Rex’s philosophy is centred around the customer, with a focus on education, assistance and ethical actions. “My view of business is not to worry about the money so much,” he says. “If you do a good job and invest in creating relationships, the money will come. As a company we don’t ‘sell’ anything – we develop a relationship with the client that allows the client to make a decision in their own time”.

Rex also maintains his connection to training and still oversees all training of staff members to ensure a cohesive approach to customer service. “My mantra is: it’s never about the price, it’s always about the outcome,” Rex says. “This reaffirms that if you focus on your client’s needs and satisfy those needs, your client will reach a point where they stop focusing primarily on the cost and instead focus on wanting “you” to do their project, because of their trust and faith in you and your care for them”.

Rex laughs when asked about the lessons he has learnt during his time in the industry and says that he was lucky to have learnt what not to do when he was younger. Today, he feels privileged to have had the longevity to create a profitable business with a full-service interior design firm, where the client’s needs are put first.

On his return from his first USA trip, Rex was keen on the idea of setting up an Australian Chapter of NKBA in Australia. The moniker NKBA was unable to be used then, so the initial iteration of the organisation was known as the Australian Kitchen & Bathroom Institute, (AKBI). Rex was in charge of memberships, as well as being the association’s President. It was a tough slog, because most firms were suspicious of Rex’s motives and he became used to hearing “what’s in it for you?”, when approaching new members. Eventually, a relationship with HIA was established and the organisation was renamed NKBA and it grew from there.

For many years, NKBA existed as a subsidiary of HIA until circumstances changed.  Rex explains: “HIA decided to shut down the NKBA as they realised they were a building industry lobby group, not a professional association, per se”.

“I had been trying to get it restarted when Ron Redman (then with Blum Australia) introduced me to Alex Milne, who was also trying to restart the NKBA. Alex had previously been QLD President of the HIA and knew everyone there. Alex and I had a number of meetings with HIA and they assisted us to create a new and independent organisation, that would become the Kitchen & Bathroom Designers Institute of Australia (KBDi), as we now know it,” he adds.

Today, Rex is as busy as he has ever been. “Even now, I still do all the staff training,” says Rex. “And that’s specifically because most people think it’s about how to sell kitchens, but it’s not”. Rex describes the ‘Let’s Talk’ approach as exemplified in the name of the business. “We have a chat, we have a conversation. There are no heavy sales tactics. Our focus is on help, advice and education,” he adds.

Rex feels it’s vital to allow the customer to walk their own path through the decision-making process, and to be able to do this in their own time. This also explains his insistence on the process not being driven by a commission – he doesn’t want to turn his designers into sales people. “It’s a methodology that’s grown organically over time. I do share my experience with design,” Rex explains “But my training is more about the interaction with the clients, how to talk them through the process of design and renovation, and how to create lasting relationships. Once that’s done, the sale takes care of itself”.

When asked about the future of the industry, Rex says he feels positive about the changes he has seen and the new approach to design which is evident throughout new graduates. “The industry now has a value and a standing in the minds of the consumer and I’d love that to become further entrenched,” he says. “I see a wider range of education options and registration of design professionals will mean a more specialised approach to the design process and a more ethical industry overall”.

For more information visit https://www.ltki.com.au/

Brett’s relationship with Blum started in 1986. At that time, Brett’s main experience was in sales, having gone straight from school into a sales support role and completing a marketing certificate at TAFE.

Spotting a job ad in the newspaper, he applied for and was employed as a salesperson for Richard Small Distribution, based out of a small facility in Marrickville. Richard was the agent for a number of products, including office furniture as well as a lesser-known brand – Blum. Brett’s initial contact was more with office furniture than with Blum products but, shortly after he started, the incumbent Sales Representative resigned, and Brett was promoted to the position.

As his time with Richard progressed, Brett took on more management roles that he says were a better fit with his skill set. “I was talking more to people, dealing with distributors and looking at what support they needed,” he explains. “As we grew, that also meant I needed to become involved in stock management and logistics”.

The business grew, necessitating more staff. This provided Brett with the opportunity to gravitate into the administrative and management side of the business.

Happily, this coincided with an expansion of Blum’s product line as the company introduced a new range of drawers to supplement the hinges and runner systems. “This created new challenges within the logistics area so we really had to think about how to manage stock and work with the distribution network,” Brett says.

Within a month or two of starting with Richard Small Distribution, Brett attended a show called Profurn in Melbourne. At that time there were no large exhibition buildings but it showed the industry what was possible and Brett was a witness to the set up of the AWISA shows.

“AWISA was driven by the industry realising the power of these trade shows. We created an association, met Geoff Holland and started planning. The first show was in the Yennora Woolsheds which was the only clearspan space that was large enough at the time,” says Brett.

Not long after this, the original facility at Sydney’s Darling Harbour was built and this allowed for the expansion of the show which soon included Melbourne as a location. “It was always a hit from a machinery point of view,” says Brett. “On the hardware side it was definitely the personalities who drive the show. There were characters who pushed hard and brought an entrepreneurial spirit to making it happen”.

Brett remembers his first visit to Interzum in 1987. “I flew for 30 hours to get there,” he laughs. “It wasn’t an easy thing to do in those days and it meant a long time away from a business but it was an amazing experience”. Brett attended Interzum 16 times in total and, in the beginning, having visitors from Australia was an unusual and unexpected occurrence.

“In the early days at Interzum, the visitors were mainly entrepreneurs looking for new products so it’s changed quite a bit. The show has now moved towards more statements from major businesses about where they are headed and the decorative side of things has become a bit more complex,” he adds.

1997 saw the next big shift with Richard Small retiring and Blum Austria, by mutual agreement, bought the agency to create a new entity – Blum Australia. The new entity was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blum Austria and all the staff transitioned to become Blum Australia staff, with the new management team consisting of Brett as Managing Director, and Bryan Cairnduff and Ron Redman as Sales Managers.

These changes were in the context of so many other changes happening both within the industry and across all businesses. “When I first started communicating with Blum it was via Telex,” Brett laughs. “We even employed a Telex operator specifically for that reason. Then we moved to faxes and soon after we started establishing email addresses to access the company intranet”.

As the technology swiftly changed the landscape, so too did Blum’s product line continue to expand with the appetite for drawers branching out into the need for full-extension runners, and then soft-close mechanisms. “Blum wasn’t necessarily the first to market with these new products, but we were the first to really invest in selling the functionality and usability aspects,” Brett explains.

“We were in the right place at the right time, with the right products, backed by new technologies that helped with the flow of information,” says Brett. “The relationships we could build were suddenly very different and that coincided with a new approach to kitchen design in Australia”.

In the early 2000s, we saw a phenomenal focus on kitchens. Cooking shows were on every channel and the rise of the celebrity chef was in full flight. Renovation and DIY shows were opening homeowner’s eyes to what could be achieved and, all of a sudden, there was an insatiable hunger in the market for hardware.

Blum’s hardware solutions met many of the demands of consumers with more education around the benefits of drawers, the added functionality of soft-close mechanisms and the practicality of in-drawer organisation.

“At this time, we were still working under the original distribution networking arrangement with the distributors placing direct orders and importing the bulk of their stock directly to premises,” Brett explains. “While this had its benefits, it was limited by the space available to store stock and impacted our ability to predict which way the market would go”.

The solution was a purpose-built premises to provide better opportunities to support the distributors, so plans began in 1997 to build a facility in Moorebank. “I don’t think anyone genuinely saw how quickly the market would grow and how fast it would take off,” Brett reflects. “But we could see that the trajectory meant we had to focus on logistics as a main priority”.

The building in Moorebank was Blum’s home for 10 years and it became the hub through which the distributor network was able to scale, allowing previously small enterprises to become national businesses to further support the Blum brand.

“We had just moved into the Moorebank building and we held a presentation for distributors,” Brett recalls. “We created three kitchens in the loading bay – a kitchen from 1997 with no drawers, a kitchen with hinges and some Metabox drawers, and a fully fitted-out Tandembox kitchen with Orgaline”. This became the first of a program of education, training and consultation to ensure a deep connection with the brand and clear understanding of the products and benefits.

As it drew close to the 10-year anniversary of the Moorebank premises, it became clear that the growth in the industry meant more support was needed for the distributor network so a plan was made to build another building that would house a purpose-built, highbay, automated warehouse. “Logistically it just made more sense for Blum Australia to handle orders for everyone,” Brett explains. “Our distributors had scaled up to support the Blum products so it made sense for us to scale up the Blum Australia operation to allow us to service them properly”.

The building process for the new premises was a challenge but Brett relished the opportunity to create something world-class that would show Blum’s commitment to the Australian market. Luckily Blum has many similar facilities around the world so Brett and his team were able to access information and assistance internally to help the building process run smoothly. Even so, it took close to two years to find appropriate land, obtain the necessary permits, finalise the design and get the building under construction. Even with a Project Manager in place, Brett says there was a mountain of administration in order to manage the project properly.

The property was completed in 2010, and then expanded in 2016 when the highbay tower was doubled in size. This activity happened at the same time that David Noakes (Sales Manager) and the Blum sales team was expanding its purpose-built showrooms around Australia and increasing the sales teams to keep pace with product development and provide support for an increasingly complex product range.

“We do have a large and somewhat complex product range so getting that balance right about how much we should stock and allowing for some speculation on what should come in and when to introduce new products was the challenge,” says Brett. “But that’s always been Blum’s attitude – we have to put the effort in and we can’t not provide a premium service”.

When asked to nominate a career highlight, Brett finds it hard to choose just one. “Building the new premises was definitely an experience,” he says. “While we had wonderful support from Austria, it was definitely an Australian/Austrian project and it needed an immense level of collaboration throughout the team to make sure we achieved a good result. Building projects can go astray pretty easily unless all parties are focussed on clear goals so that was my main role”.

Brett credits the company’s long-standing relationships with distributors as a key reason for the success of Blum Australia. “Some of these relationships are more than 40 years old,” he says. “So, we understand collaboration and support and it’s clear on both sides that we create a win-win situation whether it’s building relationships or building buildings”.

Brett officially retires this year and he is understandably looking forward to having time to invest in a number of jobs that have been pushed back. “The kitchen is priority number one,” he laughs. “As that’s long overdue for renovation. And I spent so many years travelling for business, I relish the chance to travel for pleasure and I’m keen to take more time both in Australia and overseas to look around”.

Once Brett retires, Blum Australia will have a new three-person management team in place which better reflects how the company is growing and changing.

For more information visit https://www.blum.com/au/en/

Most recently, she was crowned KBDi Australian Bathroom Designer of the Year at the KBDi 2023 Designer Awards, held in Brisbane. At the same event she took home the Bathroom Designer NSW, Laundry Design NSW and Australian Laundry Design, Master Suites NSW and Australian Master Suites, Small Bathrooms NSW and Large Bathroom NSW Awards.

“It takes a lot of work to enter awards,” she explains. “So, it’s lovely to have that recognition. Of the four categories we entered, I was the lead designer on only one project so it was so cool to be able to share that with the team and for them to see the results of their hard work”.

Sarah won her first “big” award with KBDi (Kitchen & Bathroom Designers Institute of Australia) in 2016 and she says it took a lot of courage for her to enter. “It was my first full home renovation and it was such a big job. But I was so proud of it and, even now when I look back at that kitchen, I’m still amazed at what we achieved,” she says.

As a young child, Sarah says she always had a creative streak but not necessarily in artistic endeavours such as painting or drawing. She was good with her hands, making and creating, using her problem-solving skills to find solutions and overcome barriers.

“I grew up in a creative household – both my parents were always very creative,” she explains. “I remember always making towns and 3D structures from sticks and leaves or whatever I could get my hands on”.

When Sarah left school, she thought she would follow a path to Architecture as it felt more familiar than the concept of “Interior Design” which was at the time a fairly ambiguous term. A visit to the University of Canberra to attend an information session on architecture led to an accidental discovery of Interior Design. “I saw a sign on a door for an Interior Design information session and I stepped in on a whim,” she says. “A past student was describing the course and it absolutely resonated with me. It was everything I loved about architecture but with that extra layer of creativity”.

Sarah completed her three-year course and graduated with her Bachelor’s degree. She started working in the industry while she was still studying taking on roles as an intern, undergoing practical placements and doing whatever she could to supplement her learning. After graduation, she worked for an Architectural firm in Canberra which had just opened an Interior Design division and then moved into a role with a specialist interior design firm.

“I always contemplated going out on my own,” she admits. “But I will always be grateful for the benefits of having all that experience before I established my own business. The catalyst was a move to Wollongong where I looked for work but I couldn’t find anything that felt like a good fit. So, I saw that as a sign to start my own firm”.

As with all small businesses, in the beginning Sarah took on all the job roles and supplemented that with a variety of interns as a way to help others studying in the industry. Becoming established took time – Sarah says it was at least five years before word-of-mouth and referrals were providing the bulk of her work.

“When I started, I knew I had to invest to make sure the business would be a success,” she says. “I took the first five to six months to build the website, prepare the business, undertake an intense amount of networking and make sure I was properly established before we officially launched”.

The name of the business is very personal but also carefully chosen as Sarah knew she didn’t want to link her name to her business. “Somehow I always knew eventually I would have a team and it was important that the designers all feel part of a collective,” she explains. Out and about one day, she had a vision of a raven and then her husband suggested the name Blackbird. “When I looked into the character of a blackbird I really felt it fit with my personality and my aesthetic,” Sarah says. “But the name Blackbird was taken by a graphic designer in Queensland so we flipped it which was the best decision we ever made. The name is unique, it makes people think and it’s memorable, so it’s perfect”.

Sarah’s first official job in her new business was the very small task of choosing a tile for a splashback and organising the trades to complete the installation. Then she took on a bathroom renovation, then another, and continued networking and building the business.

Her favourite project to date is the recently launched Hai Lang Residence. “The projects that resonate with me most are the ones where the client trusts us and this project is no exception,” she explains. “It was challenging in every respect – everything was curved and many of the materials and application were all experimental – so we faced many roadblocks along the way. But I’m so proud of how we pushed through – it was a huge collective effort over the last four years to see it through to completion”.

When it comes to the professionalism of her industry, Sarah feels passionately about accreditation for Interior Designers and educating the industry and the public about professionally-trained Designers and the strengths they can bring to a project. “Accreditation allows us to make the distinction between us and other sectors of the industry,” she says. “I welcome the opportunity to set some standards and benchmark what it means to be an Interior Designer in Australia”.

Sarah does feel that a blanket ban on those without a formal education is not the right approach but she is also passionate about protecting hers and her peer’s rights and having that level of oversight that governs the industry and encourages everyone to provide a more professional level of service.

When asked what advice she would give to those starting out in the industry, she is quick to respond. “Get your degree – that’s what’s going to set you apart,” she says. “Do the hard yards at the beginning of your career and understand that it’s now super competitive. It’s become a very ‘trendy’ career path to follow and most don’t realise how hard you have to work”.

She also recommends developing an “epic” portfolio and working on developing self-confidence. “Ask lots of questions and plan for ongoing learning. Be open to continuing professional development and always be willing to be taught and have the perseverance to keep going,” she advises.

One area Sarah definitely recommends new Designers work on is fostering a belief in yourself. “Creative people can also be sales people but you need to be taught how to make that combination”, she says. “I was definitely shy growing up but, being in business, you don’t have that luxury”.

The other area of advice Sarah has is related to awards and when or how to enter. “I know that feeling of not winning,” she says. “I don’t want people to think we were handed anything – we had plenty of years of entering and walking away with nothing. It’s hard but you have to keep going. All the top designers have had breakthrough projects and you will have yours. While you wait, enjoy the clients who trust you even if it’s a lower budget project – their trust in you is the win”.

In terms of what’s next for Birdblack Design and Sarah’s team, now the Hai Lang Residence is finished they are embarking on a daunting project in Fiji which is next-level complicated. All materials and supplies must be shipped over meaning logistical challenges to overcome as well as managing communication. Then, another large project on the South Coast of NSW which will afford them the opportunity to try a few new tricks, work with some new and interesting materials and generally stretch their creative muscle. So, watch this space.

For more information visit birdblackdesign.com.au/

Kate describes herself as having always been creative as a child and it seems to run in the family. “Mum was a crazy decorator back in England,” she explains. “Every two years she’d redecorate the house and my sister was also very creative and artistic so I grew up in this incredibly inspirational environment”. When Kate was 10 years old her sister married and moved out of home, leaving Kate with a large double bedroom all to herself.

She describes the feeling of freedom and excitement at the chance to decorate the space on her own. “I made curtains, ‘borrowed’ some Lloyd Loom chairs from another room, grabbed a coffee table and my record player and set up my own hideaway,” she says.

Moving to Australia as a teenager in 1967 was a culture shock and after six years she briefly returned to England in the early 70s. But the move to the antipodes eventually led to Kate meeting her husband Ian who was studying architecture. They purchased an 1867 terrace house in Rozelle, Sydney and spent four years renovating it, with Kate rolling up her sleeves and doing much of the work herself. This process gave her the realisation that not only was she hugely interested in design, but she was also very good at it.

“I was lucky,” Kate muses. “I was keenly interested in what Ian was doing and he taught me so much. And that, coupled with the course I was taking with the New York School of Interior Design really helped me work out what I wanted to do”. Kate also took on an architectural drafting course which she credits with helping her hone her knowledge in structural design and understanding the relevance and application of building codes. “In those days you did a lot of learning on the job,” she laughs.

Kate even lived for a year in Lucca, Italy in 1981 and she describes this time as magical, and a place to which she returned often in the ensuing years. “That experience really kick-started my whole love affair with Italy,” she says. “It was amazing and I will never regret it”.

Throughout her career, Kate has always had an interest in and a wish to pursue sustainable design and an opportunity arose in the early 80s to move to Northern NSW and build one of the country’s first solar houses. As it was one of the first of its kind, there were very few templates to follow so Kate was learning while doing. “I did a lot of the building work myself and was on the tools most days,” she remembers. “We built it together and much of the work we did ourselves. It took around 18 months in total and then we lived there for a while before heading off for our next adventure”.

A move to Brisbane saw Kate working for many of the top designers of the time and she is grateful for the opportunities they gave her to take on more responsibility and gain a wide variety of experience. In 1987, she and Ian took the plunge and established their own business – The Design Works – which enjoyed 10 successful years before the recession of the late 1990s particularly impacted the Queensland market.

Kate describes those years as busy and challenging but ultimately hugely rewarding as they worked on high-end residential, hospitality, health and aged care, and retail projects as well as partnering with a number of high-end construction companies.

Another move saw Kate back in Sydney where she obtained her Certified Kitchen Designer accreditation (then through HIA) and was working for a number of kitchen companies, as well as doing some training for HIA. And, then, a wonderful opportunity arose to contribute to a magazine called Luxury Home Design, produced by Universal Magazines (now known as UMCo,) which Kate did for a short time before applying for the job as Editor when the incumbent resigned.

This fortuitous event sparked a relationship that would span more than 16 years and see the launch of many highly successful publications under Kate’s leadership including the renowned Grand Designs Australia magazine. “My philosophy has always been that everybody has the right to experience good design,” she says. “It’s not just for those with means. I really wanted our readers to understand about the benefits of using a qualified designer and I was fabulously lucky to be able to use the magazine as a vehicle for that message”.

Kate also made her mark with Luxury Home Design (now known as Home Design) because she took the approach of covering not only the who’s who of the design industry but also profiling up-and-coming talented young people. She quickly established a reputation as a talent spotter and the magazine was not only gaining popularity with its readership but also with advertisers.

It was important to Kate that she not lose touch with her designing roots, so she continued to take on projects now and again – either for herself or for someone she knew. She mainly stuck to her core interests of kitchens and bathrooms and this meant she stayed in touch with the industry as well.

Another fortuitous meeting came when Kate was asked to give a talk at Enmore TAFE to students studying interior design. She was asked to talk about her own path into the industry and to give the students some ideas about different sectors of the industry. Catherine Whitting was teaching at Lidcome TAFE at the time (now at Enmore) and, following Kate’s retirement from Universal Magazines, she and Kate went on to establish a very successful venture as St James Whitting. This new partnership took on interior design work but also branched out into fabric and rug design, art, and a wonderful collaboration with Resene to develop new paint colours.

Having had such a broad career, Kate struggled when asked to pinpoint one thing she was most proud of. “I’m proud of so many achievements,” she explained. “I loved my time working in health and aged care/retirement villages as these can be very challenging and really require you to have a lot of specialist knowledge. And building my own house was fantastic – it was such a learning curve but I got so much hands-on experience. And my later work with the rugs, fabrics and paint has been so rewarding”.

Kate also believes in giving back to an industry that has provided her with such an amazing career. Over the years she has held a number of voluntary roles including Chapter Convenor of the Design Institute of Australia, President of the Australian Architecture Association and Board Member of the Australian Institute of Architects. She says these roles might be hard work and sometimes time consuming but it has been worthwhile to be able to contribute to promoting professional design.

Kate says that working in a creative field often doesn’t feel like “work” and the satisfaction that comes from finding a fabulous solution is like nothing else. “Every building has to start with a plan,” she says. “You have to have an idea but you also have to get it right – there is a lot to consider – and it has to be practical as well as beautiful, and designed for longevity”.

When asked what advice she would give to young designers starting in the industry she makes a number of points. “Get the best qualifications from the best place you can,” she emphasises. “Then join an industry association such as the Design Institute of Australia – get behind the industry that supports you. Get involved in networking events, go on design tours, and continue your education. Keep in touch with what’s going on in the world – read books, magazines and online publications”.

Kate is well-known in the industry for her commitment to mentoring and also feels strongly about the role designers play in their client’s lives. “You absolutely must leave your ego at the front door,” she says. “Be prepared to take feedback and criticism and be prepared to ‘do’. Remember that you are in someone’s home, and they must live in that space so it’s not about what you want, it’s about them and their family”.

For more information and to stay in touch with Kate visit facebook.com/stjameswhi/

Royston’s journey into the design world was not straightforward; his career has spanned such diverse industries as butchery, hairdressing and painting. Eventually, though, he discovered interior design and soon thereafter started winning awards and making a name for himself on the local and international scene.

After leaving school at 15, Royston worked a number of odd jobs before, incredibly, travelling to Australia on his own when he was 16 through the Big Brother scheme. He eventually worked all over the country, even (literally) running away with the circus for a stint before he ended up on the Mornington Peninsula where he settled for a longer period.

His odd-jobbing saw him involved in a number of renovations and remodelling projects. “I was always very handy,” he recalls. “I’d spend my pocket money on things I could pull apart and remake. I was fascinated with the technical nature of ‘things’ and I always wanted to know how they worked”.

Having met and married his wife Pamela, Royston was encouraged to attend adult education classes which he admits was daunting as someone who had never achieved well at school. But it was here that he connected with a teacher who was able to provide him with techniques to handle challenges such as dyslexia, which he now realised was one of the reasons he had always found schooling so difficult.

Following some time as a hairdresser – also a good fit as this is a very technically-minded profession – Royston decided he wanted to go continue his education. “I was always interested in colour,” he says. “In school, I was part of a national study into colour. All my classmates were tested to see how much of the colour spectrum we could see. Generally, women can see a much broader colour spectrum than men, but one in every hundred men can see the same range as women and I am one of those men”.

Originally Royston had his heart set on undertaking an Interior Design course at RMIT but this was not to be. But the story of how Royston was accepted into a Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration course at his local TAFE exemplifies his determined approach.

“I found out about the course and was told enrolment day was taking place in the near future. So, on the day, I went down and joined the queue. As I progressed through the queue, I chose my subjects, filled in forms and eventually paid my enrolment fee. When I reached the end of the queue they couldn’t find my name on the list – I was supposed to have submitted a folio and attended an interview! But, as I had all my other paperwork ready they stamped my form and let me in,” he says with a laugh.

After Royston graduated, he decided to start his own business. It took cleaning offices and shops at night while he was building up his own practice, but around 5 years later he was finally in a position to say he was a full-time designer. Then, in a move that would prove to be hugely impactful, he decided to enter an awards program.

Royston’s first success was with SIDA (Society for Interior Designers – now part of the DIA) where he was named “Best Kitchen – Runner Up”. His first national award was with HIA in 2001 which set in motion a cascade of awards all the way through to 2015 when he decided to “retire” from entering. In 2005, Royston was honoured with an SBID international award which he says was such an exciting, and humbling, experience.

In Royston’s career he has mostly been associated with bathroom design but his skill set has seen him involved with a wide variety of projects across building and interior design. As he became more well-known he was also invited to participate in industry events, as well as attending overseas design shows. He sat on the HIA (Vic) Kitchen & Bathroom Committee for almost 10 years and joined KBDi in 2007 before joining the national board in 2008, sitting as its President and being promoted to Executive Director in 2020.

“It was an honour to be asked to serve KBDi in this way,” he says. “I tried to use my time in these roles to foster ongoing education and establish connections with training organisations. As well as forging new and enduring relationships, I also worked on mending relationships where needed and I’m really proud of the work we’ve done”.

When asked what is on the horizon for the newly-retired Royston, he mentions catch-up lunches with industry associates and a renewed focus on private projects. “I’m looking to build the design practice back up but I’m very happy to make time to do other things,” he points out. “I’m lucky that I can be a bit more choosy about what projects I take on and I can focus more on those that are meaningful and interesting”.

When asked what advice he would give to anyone starting out this industry he is quick to answer with a laugh: “Don’t be too precious,” he says. “Stay humble and keep your head. Know when to ask for help and don’t be an island”.

If you’re interested in seeing more of Royston’s work, check out his Instagram @RoystonWilsonDesign and drop him a line.

This latest accolade is now added to the long list of awards Carmen has won throughout her stellar independent career. Carmen has created a reputation for design excellence among both her industry peers and her long list of happy clients and is known for her keen attention to detail and stunning balance of form and function.

Carmen says her creative streak was evident from very early in her life. “All my school work was about style and presentation,” she laughs. “I had the most beautiful handwriting and all my work was set out just so – everything had to look just right”. While the more typical school subjects of Maths and English were not her forte, Carmen took out straight As for Art, even winning an art competition in her later school years.

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So, a career in Interior Design seemed a natural progression. Carmen undertook a three-year course at TAFE and admits, even for her, it was a shock to the system. “I genuinely thought it was all going to be about colours and pictures,” she explains. “But it was so much more technical than that and the dropout rate was huge”. Carmen says she feels lucky that hand drawing was still being taught when she studied as CAD was just starting to emerge. She is grateful she can still do both with equal skill.

Following her graduation, Carmen worked in a number of design houses, starting with drawing up kitchen plans for other designers and then moving into doing her own design work. This presented the opportunity to enter industry awards via the company she worked with at the time. That year she took out every kitchen renovation category in the HIA WA Kitchen & Bathroom Awards, an event Carmen says felt surreal. “I was on an all-time high,” she says. “But it gave me the opportunity to throw myself into work and it was an invaluable asset when I decided to go out on my own”.

Having previously won the HIA WA Bathroom Design of the Year and HIA WA Kitchen Design of the Year, adding the HIA WA Residential Interior Design of the Year award feels like a great way to complete the hattrick. “What it represents is huge,” she explains. “And to be able to do it under my own business name is such an amazing feeling”.

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Today Carmen works mainly by referrals and is so proud of the body of work she has amassed. Most of her work is in renovations but she also collaborates on new builds and developments if the project is a good fit.

“I realised quite a while ago that I’m an empath,” she says. “So, when I first meet a new client I really just let them talk. I want to listen closely to what they are saying but also what they aren’t saying; I like to be really detailed with my brief so I have a true understanding of what they want and how I can bring my special creativity to their project”.

And she has a tip she has learned from her years of meeting and assessing new clients – “People tend to dress the way their interior style is, so I can learn a lot about a client just by what they are wearing,” she says.

Carmen starts most projects with basic spatial planning and she likes to be very precise with the mathematical calculations so the “base” of the project is solid. Then it’s a matter of starting on the placement of fittings and fixtures and adding in the special touches that make the project the client’s own. “At the end of the day it’s not my space, it’s theirs” Carmen says. “So, it’s not about me pushing my style onto my clients although most people know what to expect from my designs – it’s always a bit quirky and a bit crazy”.

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When asked what advice she would give to a young designer starting in the industry Carmen is convinced that you need to have a real passion for what you do. “It’s an incredibly technical industry so you need to be prepared for that,” she explains. “It’s not all about pretty colours and decorations. And you need to have broad shoulders because you will be critiqued and you can’t let that slow you down”.

As a fee-for-service designer, she wishes that more members of the industry would charge for design services. “There is value in good design and we need to somehow convey the importance of good design,” she says passionately. “This is an item that is going to be in your home for 20-odd years and, if it’s not designed properly, you will definitely suffer for it”.

Carmen will shortly be embarking on what she describes as “the mother of all projects” which started in design back in 2021. She is hoping construction will start in 2024 but it is a whole home renovation so there has been extensive work in finessing the design and making sure it’s right. The home is significantly aged so no original house plans existed meaning they all had to be created from scratch.

For more information visit linktr.ee/carmenhansberrydesign

He recalls his first woodworking project was a wooden clock, made with his grandfather, which sparked a love of the craft. He soon progressed to more complicated structures including putt putt golf courses and picture frames. But by far the most challenging piece Nick created was a roll top desk which was made at age 16 for his Industrial Technology HSC major work.

“Everyone told me it was too complicated – my teachers and even the guy we purchased the plans from,” he laughs. “But I made it anyway. And the HSC markers didn’t believe at first that it was all my own work but I was lucky my teachers had my back”.

Following his school years, Nick undertook an apprenticeship in Cabinet Making through Lidcombe TAFE and he feels lucky that his employer at the time was able to expose him to a wide variety of residential and commercial projects. “It was great to have so many different things going on,” he explains. “I showed lots of interest and asked lots of questions, so they started letting me get involved in more exciting things”.

After 10 years or so in the industry, Nick decided it was time to start his own business.

Pedulla Studios was established in 2016 in the same premises that it operates from today. Nick applied his years of experience working in a variety of factories to ensure this studio was set up in a way that’s perfect for his business. Today, Nick combines client work with filming for his YouTube channel which he uses to document his work and has been steadily climbing in popularity since it was launched.

In 2023, Nick entered a new project – the Vigne Bench – into the ACFA Industry Awards and was proud to win the “Best Free Standing Furniture” and “Design of the Year” categories.

The Vigne Bench is made from solid American ash, which was chosen for its flexibility and colour, and is so called because the structure of the curved elements reflects the way a vine grows around its trellis. The main seat structure uses a stacked lamination technique to build a solid foundation which is then carved into its final shape. Starting with the idea of the project first, Nick had an image of what he wanted to create but then had to work backwards to reverse engineer the design and manufacturing process.

“This was the first time I’d ever created something on this scale and it worked out better than I could have ever expected,” he says.

Incredibly, the most challenging aspect was not the curved elements themselves but how to join the curved elements to the bench. Nick found that trial-and-error was the only way to find the solution.

“I had to build up sections and then chip away at it until it was right. Which was frustrating as I prefer to calculate first and then cut, but it was too difficult with all the angles,” he adds.

Another part of the challenge is the piece’s application as a 3D structure – no one section looks the same as another.

Nick was also highly focussed on the practicality and usability of the piece so his main goal was to hide the functionality within the beauty. “I knew I wanted it to look good but it had to also be usable,” he laughs. “I was hoping the tension within the curvature would be enough to make it rigid and the two additional curves inside the curved leg act as a support structure as well as enhance the overall design”.

Nick is best known for his following on YouTube where he loads videos of him creating his amazing pieces. The channel was started organically, as a way of Nick documenting his work, but it quickly grew in popularity and has now amassed a substantial audience.

For more information visit pedullastudio.com.au/