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
"Energy Over Empire" — Simone Mathews on Choosing to Build Smaller
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Introduction
Somewhere along the way, ambition began to look like a larger studio, a bigger team, a longer list of projects. Simone Mathews, founder of Soul Home, decided to walk the other way. Alongside her builder husband Ben, she's quietly built one of Australia's most interesting design and development practices, including Soul of Gerringong, The Bower and The Pause.
In This Episode, We Explore:
* Why she rejects "balance" in favour of shifting priorities
* Her accidental first job at 19 as PA to Rodney Adler
* The unplanned path from marketing to real estate to interior design
* The story behind Soul of Gerringong
* Building brand partnerships on authenticity, not free products
* Her design philosophy: creating a "holiday feeling" at home
* Straddling developer and designer roles without losing herself
* Why she deliberately shrank her studio instead of scaling it
Why This Conversation Matters
Most business stories celebrate growth for its own sake. Simone's challenges that quietly and convincingly, choosing energy over empire, and proving that a smaller, more intentional business can be the more successful one.
About Simone
Simone Mathews is the founder of Soul Home, an interior designer, property developer and mother of four. Alongside her builder husband Ben, she has built one of Australia's most distinctive design and development practices, including Soul of Gerringong, The Bower and The Pause.
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