Can you tell us about your background and what led you to founding HEGI Design House?
I was born in Kazakhstan, raised in Germany, and now live in Australia. My upbringing was a collision of cultures, architecture and resilience, which naturally shaped my design lens. Hegi Design House was born from a deep desire to create pieces that are more than furniture. I started the studio in the middle of the pandemic, carving a space where craftsmanship meets storytelling, and where design dares to be brave, sculptural and unapologetically collectible.
We’d love to know more about HEGI Design House’s ethos and the craftsmanship behind each piece of furniture. What makes the brand and its offering so unique?
At Hegi, we don’t follow trends. We follow emotion, form and materiality. Every piece is designed to evoke curiosity and connection. We work with artisans and fabricators who treat materials with reverence – hardwood, brass, fabric – each selected for its honesty and potential. Our ethos is rooted in creating heirlooms for the future: collectible, sculptural furniture that bridges fashion, art and architecture. Each piece is limited, authenticated and designed to be passed down – not thrown away.
Can you share what you’ve learnt on your journey of entrepreneurship so far?
Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster of resilience. I’ve learnt that there is no right time, only right intention. You have to show up – on days you feel inspired and especially on days you don’t. I’ve learnt to honour process over perfection, to protect creativity as a sacred resource, and that true growth often happens in quiet, unglamorous moments. Also your “why” must be louder than your fear. That’s what carries you forward.
Tell us where you find inspiration for your work?
I don’t chase inspiration – I observe. It finds me in unexpected places: a shadow falling on a wall, a crumpled napkin, a childhood memory, or a piece of clothing from a couture runway. Nature, too, plays a huge part. But it’s often emotion that sparks it first. I’m fascinated by duality – hard and soft, bold and delicate, rigid and fluid and how to capture that tension in a physical object.
What is the creative process of designing a new piece of furniture?
It always starts with a feeling, a visual whisper I can’t shake. Then come the sketches – rough, chaotic, honest. I let ideas marinate before refining them through material studies and models. Once I know a piece has a soul, I collaborate with our fabricators to bring it to life. The process is intuitive but methodical. It’s never linear – some pieces take months, others years. But each one is a slow unfolding of vision, craft and patience.
Can you share what’s next for Hegi Design House and yourself personally?
We’re launching a new collection that blurs the lines between haute couture and furniture – more sculptural, more daring and unapologetically collectible. We’re also expanding internationally, collaborating with select galleries and bringing our work to new audiences through curated exhibitions.
Personally, I’m focused on building CURARTA – a groundbreaking authenticity platform and digital asset bank for collectors. It’s designed to preserve the stories, provenance and value behind each collectible object, from furniture to fine art. Beyond the physical, I want to keep creating pieces that bridge emotion, memory and material – designs that feel alive, that invite people to feel, question and connect.
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