Build Beautiful
Build Beautiful
Where design meets depth
Hosted by interior designer and property developer Linda Habak, Build Beautiful is a podcast about more than just aesthetics - it’s about the intention behind the spaces we shape and the stories we tell.
Each episode features honest, insightful conversations with designers, developers, architects, artists, and creative thinkers who are reimagining the way we live, build, and create.
This is a space for the ideas behind the work - the risks, the pivots, the process. The quiet decisions that shape extraordinary outcomes.
Because beauty isn’t just what we see - it’s what we feel.
And what we choose to build, together.
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Build Beautiful
Nasim Koerting: Refugee Roots to Merivale Design Director
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Refugee Roots to Merivale Design Director: Nasim Koerting on Creative Freedom
In this episode of Build Beautiful, Refugee Roots to Merivale Design Director: Nasim Koerting on Creative Freedom, Nasim Koerting shares how her refugee background shaped her identity, leadership style, and creative direction at Merivale — Australia’s most iconic hospitality group. From migrant identity and self-worth to creative freedom, intuition in design, and leading large-scale hospitality projects, this is a deeply personal conversation about building atmosphere, soul, and meaning into public spaces.
As Design Director at Merivale, Nasim works across some of Australia’s most recognised venues, helping shape spaces that are known not just for their style, but for their emotional impact. We explore what it means to design from intuition, how constraints can elevate creativity, and why the journey matters more than the outcome.
If you are a designer, creative, migrant child, or anyone navigating identity and ambition, this conversation will resonate.
In This Episode:
00:00 – Introduction: From Refugee Roots to Merivale
01:20 – Discovering interior architecture by accident
03:00 – Growing up as a migrant child in Australia
05:55 – Breaking cultural expectations in creative careers
09:50 – The pressure to prove yourself as a refugee’s child
11:03 – Publication, ambition, and the myth of “making it”
14:20 – Moving overseas: Israel, Spain, and London
16:38 – Creative direction in London and non-linear career paths
17:40 – The call from Merivale
18:13 – Leading design at scale across iconic hospitality venues
19:51 – Creative freedom vs brand and business constraints
21:00 – Sourcing vintage pieces in France
23:36 – When design mistakes become breakthroughs
25:42 – The collaborative Merivale design process
31:26 – Why Merivale built an in-house design team
32:21 – Living with your spaces and constantly evolving them
36:31 – Where creativity really happens
38:36 – Leadership, self-doubt, and managing large teams
41:12 – Burnout, boundaries, and reclaiming creative energy
45:45 – Advice to young designers from migrant backgrounds
53:25 – What “Build Beautiful” means to Nasim
Connect with Nasim Koerting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nasimkoerting/
Connect with Build Beautiful
Instagram: @buildbeautiful_podcast
Website: buildbeautifulpodcast.com
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