The business of design with Katherine Koulizakis

Katherine Koulizakis was surrounded by creative people as a child. Her family renovated every home they lived in, and each house had a unique style of its own. “Looking back, I realise my mother had an eye for interiors,” says Katherine. “I remember her painting my room a beautiful lavender colour, with a soft yellow and olive green hand-painted border stencil.”

Given that Katherine is now the founder and project director of Studio Gaxa, a premier interior and building design studio in Sydney, one might assume that Katherine followed in her mother’s footsteps and pursued a career in design straight out of high school – but this isn’t quite the case.

“I found my way into the design world over many years. Straight out of high school I completed a certificate in interior design but deviated from that path as the CAD and documentation side of the job description wasn't totally for me, so I took a more general pathway of study at university,” says Katherine.

Finding her path

After studying a bachelor of commerce and a master’s degree in management, Katherine took a role as an operations manager for an expanding restaurant brand. During this time, she was also helping her grandfather, who flipped commercial and residential properties for profit, on a new project. The construction director of the restaurant chain noticed Katherine’s work with her grandfather and offered her the chance to oversee the fit-outs of two outlet expansions of the restaurant.

“This opportunity allowed me to make my passion a reality, and I oversaw the design and construction of 21 more restaurant locations the following two years,” says Katherine, who then began flipping properties herself. However, it wasn’t until 2020, when Katherine was working as a project manager for a global retailer, that the opportunity to create Studio Gaxa presented itself.

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“I was an internal project manager travelling between Sydney and Auckland, but when COVID hit my projects were placed on hold, and a redundancy came quickly thereafter,” says Katherine. “That same week I found out I was pregnant with my second child, and among the ambiguity of the pandemic I didn’t know what I was going to do, or if anyone would hire me now.” After a phone call to her best friend – who suggested Katherine start her own consulting business – and a meditation session, the idea for Studio Gaxa was born.

Katherine originally launched the consulting business as Bowerhouse Projects in 2020, but as the business morphed into a design studio, the name was changed to Gaxa Group, which now operates as the project management arm of the business, while Studio Gaxa is the design arm. “The changes allowed us to better position ourselves in the market and cater to our various client groups,” says Katherine. “We now bring an approachable, minimal yet luxurious design conversation to the market, with experiential residential, hospitality, commercial and retail destinations and an expanding portfolio via collaborations with other industry partners.”

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What sets Studio Gaxa apart from others in the industry is Katherine’s high standards of operation. Studio Gaxa delivers highly detailed and elevated mid-range projects with fast design delivery and execution. Studio Gaxa’s straightforward model cuts through the noise of the build and design journey faced by clients to produce functional designs with a high standard of technical documentation and site experience. However, it’s the team culture fostered by Katherine that truly makes Studio Gaxa special.

“I wanted to create a supportive office culture with openness, transparency and a ‘leave ego at the door’ policy,” says Katherine. “I also wanted to provide more onsite and practical experience for our new generation of staff, as we have a very big disconnect between design and constructability of the design intent.”

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While Studio Gaxa is now a thriving business, it hasn’t been without its challenges. Creating a job for herself was one thing, but being the boss of a large team requires the wearing of many hats, from sales and accounting to marketing, video editing and HR, says Katherine, who also had to juggle parenting. “It's a balance that initially required lots of sleep deprivation and intense project management in the business and at home,” says Katherine. “My husband and I work together to ensure outside of work time we are parents first and foremost. It means sacrificing a lot to build the business during the time everyone else is relaxing, holidaying or socialising, but we do it the best way we can.”

Today, Katherine is turning her attention to launching the Studio Gaxa Value By Design workshops for industry specialists and expanding into Queensland with a residential office. “Overall, it's been rewarding to establish a culture of support and collaboration among my team, trades and clients,” says Katherine. “Every day we get to do what we love, and impact clients’ lives to make a better future for the next generation – that's what is the biggest reward.”

See projects by Studio Gaxa on ArchiPro.