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What happens when the creative business you've spent years building begins to take more from you than you can give?

Alexandra Kidd is the founder of Alexandra Kidd Interior Design, a respected Sydney-based interior design studio that has grown from a solo practice into an all-women team of twelve.

For more than 20 years, Alexandra has built a career creating thoughtful residential interiors. But behind the success of her design practice was a very different personal experience.

At the end of 2018, after years of managing an increasingly demanding business and carrying the responsibility for almost every decision, Alexandra experienced a breakdown that forced her to reconsider how she was living and working.

In this episode of Build Beautiful, Linda Habak sits down with Alexandra to explore the realities of building an interior design business, the personal cost of ambition and the process of rebuilding both her life and her studio.

From the pressures of growing a creative practice to learning how to delegate, establish boundaries and rediscover the joy in her work, Alexandra shares an unusually candid account of what happens when success comes at a personal cost.

Their conversation also explores the next chapter of her creative journey, including the launch of Atelier, her collection of Australian-made glass lighting created in collaboration with local artisans.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Alexandra's early relationship with design and the personal experiences that shaped her career
• Building an interior design studio from a solo practice into an established team
• The challenges of managing rapid business growth and increasing project demands
• Her experience of burnout and the breakdown she experienced in 2018
• The twelve-month recovery period and the difficult process of reassessing her priorities
• Learning to ask for help and letting go of the need to control every decision
• Introducing stronger business systems, delegation and professional boundaries
• Rebuilding a creative business around a healthier way of working
• Launching Atelier and exploring a new creative direction through collectible glass lighting
• Redefining success after more than two decades in interior design

Why this conversation matters

Creative businesses are often built on passion, personal investment and an enormous sense of responsibility. But when the person behind the business becomes responsible for everything, the cost can be significant.

Alexandra's story challenges the idea that success must come at the expense of our wellbeing.

It's a conversation about vulnerability, resilience and recognising that sometimes the most meaningful growth comes not from doing more, but from changing how we work and live.

About Alexandra Kidd

Alexandra Kidd is the founder of her eponymous Sydney-based interior design studio, which has grown into an all-women team of twelve.

With more than 20 years of experience in residential interior design, Alexandra is known for her thoughtful approach to creating considered, enduring interiors.

In 2024, she launched Atelier, a collection of Australian-made glass lighting developed in collaboration with local artisans.

About Build Beautiful

Hosted by interior designer and property developer Linda Habak, Build Beautiful explores the human stories behind creative lives and businesses, from interior design and architecture to creative entrepreneurship and beyond.

Where design meets depth.

Season 3 is proudly supported by Tappeti Fine Hand-Crafted Rugs.

Follow @buildbeautiful_podcast.

Proudly supported by Tappeti Fine Hand-Crafted Rugs.

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