25 Years of Designing Life Better
October 30, 2026
What a quarter-century of designing homes has taught us about people, change and the meaning of good design.
Twenty-five years is a long time to do anything. Long enough to see trends arrive, disappear and occasionally return wearing a different name. Long enough to watch technology transform an industry and the way we live in our homes change almost completely.
It is also long enough to discover that some things never really change.
When we established Studio Minosa in 2001, kitchens were largely places for preparing food, bathrooms were practical necessities and working from home was something most people rarely considered. Inspiration came from magazines, showrooms and conversations rather than an endless stream of images on a screen.
Today, kitchens are the social centre of the home, bathrooms have become places of retreat, and our homes are expected to accommodate more activities, generations and demands than ever before.
Yet one thing remains consistent. People want homes that understand them, support their routines and make everyday life better.
Perhaps that is the most important thing we have learned in 25 years.
Beyond What We See
Design is often judged by what we can see. The composition of a room, the beauty of a material, the precision of a detail or the way natural light falls across a surface. These things matter enormously, but experience has taught us that the most successful decisions are often the least visible.
They begin with listening.
Understanding why a family gathers in one particular corner of the house. Why someone needs a quiet place to retreat. Why a kitchen that looks extraordinary in a photograph might be frustrating to use every morning.
Early in our careers, we were naturally focused on creating beautiful spaces. We still are. But years of conversations, completed projects and observing how people live have brought another layer to our thinking.
A beautiful home is one thing. A beautiful home that feels effortlessly right for the people living in it is something quite different.
That understanding comes from experience, curiosity, occasional mistakes and a willingness to keep asking questions.
More Than a Design Studio
Studio Minosa has never been just a business to us. It has been a significant part of our lives, built together, one project, one decision and one relationship at a time.
And it has not always been easy.
Economic downturns, difficult projects, changing markets, long hours and decisions that keep you awake at night. Running a creative business means constantly balancing imagination with commercial reality, and there have certainly been moments when that balance has tested us.
But there have also been extraordinary rewards.
The clients who have trusted us with their homes. The craftspeople who have brought complicated ideas to life. The collaborators who have challenged our thinking. And the people who have joined our studio, contributing their talent, energy and perspective.
Some of those relationships have lasted decades.
Looking back, it is not simply the completed projects we remember. It is the people, the conversations, the challenges overcome together and the moments when an idea that seemed almost impossible finally became reality.
Staying Curious
One of the more interesting things about reaching 25 years is realising how much there still is to learn.
We have witnessed the transition from hand-drawn documentation to sophisticated three-dimensional design, extraordinary advances in materials and the emergence of artificial intelligence. The tools available today would have been almost unimaginable when we began.
And we find that exciting.
Experience gives us confidence, but it should never make us comfortable enough to stop questioning the way things are done.
We are increasingly interested in how homes can respond more intuitively to the people living in them, evolve as families change and embrace technology without losing their warmth or humanity.
Our thinking about luxury has evolved too. Luxury is not necessarily about having more. It is about intention. A home where every decision has been considered in relation to the people who live there.
The Next Chapter
There is a temptation, when celebrating an anniversary, to spend all your time looking backwards. And certainly, there is much to be proud of.
But perhaps the most rewarding part of reaching this milestone is that neither of us feels finished.
We still get excited by an unusual brief, a challenging floor plan or a new material. We still debate details, question one another's ideas and believe the best solution is worth searching for.
And we still get enormous satisfaction from seeing a family walk into their completed home and recognise that it has been designed around them.
Twenty-five years ago, we began with a belief that thoughtful design could make everyday life better. Today, we understand that designing life better is not a particular aesthetic or destination. It is an ongoing commitment to listening, learning and creating homes that genuinely improve the experience of living.
To everyone who has been part of our journey; our clients, team, collaborators, friends and family — thank you. You have shaped our story in ways that go well beyond the work itself.
Twenty-five years on, we are proud of what we have created. But we are even more excited about what we have yet to imagine.
Simona Castagna & Darren Genner
Founders, Studio Minosa
Design Life Better
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