Build Beautiful

Send us your feedback, thoughts or comments!

At some point in her career, Meryl Hare made a decision that most designers would find terrifying. She walked away from the volume, the busyness, the spread, the validation of being in demand and chose depth instead. She went from 37 clients to 7. Not because things were falling apart. Because she knew they would if she didn't.

Meryl Hare OAM is the founder of Hare + Klein, one of Australia's most awarded and enduring interior design practices. Over 37 years, she has shaped not just spaces but an approach to what design can be when it's allowed to breathe.

This is a conversation about the courage it takes to say no, the long game of building something that lasts, and what legacy actually looks like when you stop chasing more. About trust, restraint, mentorship, and the beautiful discipline of doing less — and meaning it more.

Key Takeaways:

• Meryl Hare's design journey showcases the importance of intuitive decision-making and resilience amidst challenges.
• Emigrating from South Africa to Australia, Meryl established Hare + Klein and gained renown for timeless, intelligent designs.
• Collaborative relationships with clients and consultants are integral to achieving exceptional outcomes in interior design.
• Embracing trends selectively, while maintaining a focus on timeless elements, ensures lasting aesthetic appeal.
• Building a meaningful legacy involves advocating for the interior design profession and mentoring future generations of designers.

Notable Quotes:

1. "I'm never, ever satisfied. I think it's a little bit like an artist...if you think that you've done everything perfectly, then you probably won’t get better."
2. "The jobs that have given me and our practice the most satisfaction have not necessarily been the biggest."
3. "When I first came here, I remember the first architect I worked with said, oh, you're an inferior desecrator."
4. "If it helps in the work that I'm trying to do through the DIA and recognition of registering interior designers...then I'm delighted."
5. "Making people cry...that to me, that's the joy. That's the joy."

Resources:

• Hare + Klein Website
• Hare + Klein on Instagram: @hareklein

To get in touch with Build Beautiful or to follow us head to our socials: 

 on Instagram

on Facebook

on LinkedIn

If you'd like to be on the podcast, or want to collaborate with Build Beautiful feel free to contact us on [email protected].

Send us your feedback, thoughts or comments!

Build Beautiful is Where Design Meets Depth.
This podcast is about the journeys of creative entrepreneurs - architects, designers, developers, artists, and cultural voices, who are building lives and businesses shaped with intention.

Hosted by creative entrepreneur Linda Habak, each conversation looks beyond the surface of beautiful work to uncover the entrepreneurial path behind it: the resilience, the risks, the pivots, and the quiet moments that change everything.

From architecture and interiors to art, culture, and property, Build Beautiful explores what it really takes to build a creative business - and a meaningful life.

If you believe in creating with purpose and living with intention, you’ll feel right at home here.

To get in touch with Build Beautiful or to follow us head to our socials: 

 on Instagram

on Facebook

on LinkedIn

If you'd like to be on the podcast, or want to collaborate with Build Beautiful feel free to contact us on [email protected].