19 Years in Interior Design
19 years in interior design. And somehow, I still love it.
In September 2007, I started my career in interior design. Nineteen years later, I’m based in Sydney and running TID Studio, continuing to do what I’ve loved throughout my career — creating homes, solving layouts, exploring materials and obsessing over the details that make a space feel just right.
Looking back, my career has taken me through some very different cities, studios and design cultures. Each chapter has shaped the way I approach residential interior design today.
Kyiv → Dubai → Copenhagen → Melbourne → Brisbane → Sydney
Sydney — TID Studio Today
And now I’m here in Sydney.
TID Studio is now based in Sydney, where I continue to specialise in residential interior design, working with clients on renovations, new builds and individual spaces within the home.
While my locations have changed, the fundamental part of my work hasn’t.
I still love the process of taking an idea and turning it into something real.
I love solving a difficult floor plan, finding the right piece of stone, developing a custom joinery detail, building a 3D model and seeing a client experience their future home for the first time.
And perhaps most importantly, after 19 years, I still believe that the best interiors aren't about following one particular style. They are about understanding the people who live there and creating a home that feels genuinely theirs.
Brisbane — OlaInteriors Becomes TID Studio
In Brisbane, I began another very important chapter: building my own studio.
I worked independently for around three and a half years under the name OlaInteriors, developing my own design process, working directly with clients and gradually building the foundation of what would become TID Studio.
This was about much more than designing beautiful interiors. It was about learning how to run a design business, develop a clear process, manage projects from concept through construction and create an experience that felt personal to each client.
Over time, OlaInteriors evolved into Tailored Iconic Interior Design Studio — TID Studio.
Brisbane was where I truly began shaping the studio I wanted to create.
Melbourne - Top High-End Studio
My next chapter brought me to Melbourne and the opportunity to work at McKimm, one of Melbourne's highly regarded high-end residential studios.
I was incredibly honoured to be part of the studio and to experience their approach to creating sophisticated, highly detailed homes.
It was an important part of my professional development and gave me an even deeper understanding of what goes into delivering truly considered high-end residential interiors — from the overall architectural vision through to the smallest details.
Copenhagen — A Different Approach to Home
After Dubai came Copenhagen, where I worked independently as an interior designer for two years.
It was a completely different design environment.
I loved the Danish approach to residential interiors — considered and functional, but still warm, comfortable and very lived-in.
Living and working there also gave me the opportunity to discover Danish furniture designers, manufacturers and materials much more closely.
It changed the way I looked at the relationship between functionality, simplicity and atmosphere — something that continues to influence my work today.
Dubai — Five Years of High-End Residential Design
Dubai was a huge chapter in my career.
I spent five years working in the city, including my time with 47 C, working across high-end residential projects and experiencing a very different side of the interior design industry.
The scale, materials, level of detail and expectations were unlike anything I had experienced before.
Working on luxury residences taught me a great deal about delivering highly considered interiors, coordinating complex details and understanding how every element contributes to the overall experience of a home.
It was challenging, fast-paced and incredibly valuable — and remains one of the most influential chapters of my career.
Kyiv — Where It All Started
My journey began in Kyiv, where I studied interior design and started gaining professional experience while still at university.
Those early years introduced me to the realities of working on residential interiors, developing technical skills and learning how much thought goes into creating a successful home.
I had the opportunity to work on some beautiful, high-end residential projects, including exclusive kitchens and interiors featuring international brands such as Poliform.
It was during these years that I realised just how much there was to learn — and how much I wanted to keep growing within the industry.
19 Years Later
From Kyiv to Dubai, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Brisbane and now Sydney, every chapter has added something to the designer I am today.
Different studios taught me different things. Different cities exposed me to different approaches. Different projects challenged me in completely new ways.
And I’m incredibly grateful for all of it.
19 years down — and I’m not finished yet 🤍
