30. Women Redefining Leadership Through Creative, Multidisciplinary Design
Show notes
In this episode, Camilla sits down with Dani Dean, founder of The Make Haus, to explore the evolution of her multidisciplinary studio, spanning florals, interiors, spatial design, commercial installations, and standout projects like the David Jones Flower Show.
Together, we unpack what it truly looks like to juggle creativity, business, and motherhood. Dani shares why she refuses to niche down, how she cultivates inspiration across disciplines, and why downtime is an essential part of her process, not a luxury.
Camilla also reflects on how burnout has surfaced in her own design practice, and the permission creatives need to slow down, reset, and design from a grounded place.
In this episode, we explore:
• How Dani built a studio spanning multiple creative pillars
• The emotional and practical realities of motherhood in design
• How burnout shows up for creatives, and how to work differently
• The contrasting mindsets behind commercial vs residential design
• The importance of intuition, experimentation, and creative stillness
Whether you’re an interior designer, stylist, floral artist, creative entrepreneur, or simply someone who loves hearing the real stories behind design careers, this episode is full of depth, clarity, and the kind of permission creatives crave.
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00:00:00 – Welcome & Episode Intro
00:00:56 – Meet Dani Dean: The Mind Behind The Make Haus
00:02:27 – How an Interior Path Emerged from Creative Curiosity
00:02:39 – The Moment The Make Haus Expanded Beyond One Discipline
00:08:20 – How Clients Engage Dani Across Interiors, Florals & Events
00:09:32 – Why Dani Refuses to “Pick a Lane”
00:09:50 – Choosing Interiors: The Career Decision That Stuck
00:11:16 – Motherhood, Boundaries & Designing with Less Noise
00:14:46 – How Partner Support Makes Creative Careers Possible
00:18:01 – From Fashion Roots to Interiors & Spatial Design
00:18:30 – Inside Dani’s Intuitive, Tactile Design Process
00:22:13 – What Makes The Make Haus Team Work
00:24:11 – Sources of Inspiration: Objects, Observation & Environment
00:28:14 – Switching Gears: Commercial vs Residential Mindsets
00:29:47 – The Projects That Changed Dani’s Creative Trajectory
00:30:53 – Behind the Fiore Sandwich Shop Concept
00:31:25 – Turning a Client Brief into a Lived Experience
00:33:23 – Why Creative Downtime Isn’t Optional
00:34:25 – Early Signs of Burnout & What Dani Learned
00:40:58 – What’s Next for The Make Haus
* Interior design
* Australian designer
* Creative entrepreneur
* Design studio
* Multi-disciplinary design
* Floristry
* Event styling
* Residential interiors
* Commercial design
* Creative process
* Women in design
* Design inspiration
* Creative motherhood
* Design business
* Burnout recovery