Who is Daniel Kostiuc, and what is his background in interior design?

Daniel Kostiuc is a luxury interior designer based in Brisbane, Queensland, with more than twenty years of experience across Los Angeles, London and Australia. He studied Interior Architecture at UCLA and began his career in Los Angeles, including time with Kelly Wearstler. He then spent eleven years at Intarya in London, rising from Creative Director to Managing Director, before founding his own studio, a deliberately small practice for private residential commissions.

What kinds of homes has Daniel designed?

Daniel has designed private residences on four continents, including Grade II-listed properties such as The Lancasters in London. His experience spans heritage buildings, contemporary new builds and complex whole-home refurbishments. Today, the studio focuses on luxury homes in Brisbane and South East Queensland, with select commissions interstate and overseas.

Why choose a boutique interior design company over a large design firm?

With an independent studio, the designer who interprets your brief is the designer who creates your home. At Daniel's studio, there is no hand-over from a principal to a junior team after the first meeting. Daniel leads every commission personally, from the first conversation to final installation.

How many projects does Daniel take on each year?

A limited number, by design. Because Daniel leads each project personally, the studio accepts only as many commissions each year as he can give his full attention. Early enquiry is recommended for homes with a fixed completion date.

Does Daniel have a signature interior design style?

No, and that is deliberate. His aim is a home that could belong to no one else, not a recognisable house style repeated from client to client. Each interior grows from the owner's taste, history and way of living, layered so that it feels collected rather than decorated.

What does luxury mean to Daniel?

For Daniel, true luxury is felt rather than seen. It lies in precise proportions, well-placed light, tactile materials, quiet acoustics and furniture made to fit the people who use it, rather than in visible displays of expense.

How does Daniel design for Brisbane's subtropical light?

Daniel treats Queensland's strong light as a material in its own right. Rather than defaulting to stark whites, he works with complex neutrals, subtle tonal shifts and textured, light-absorbing surfaces that soften glare and keep rooms warm and composed from morning to evening.

Will a highly personal interior affect my home's long-term value?

Daniel designs for longevity rather than trends. The permanent fabric of a home rests on sound proportion, enduring materials and fine craftsmanship, while the most personal expression lives in furniture, art and objects that can evolve with the family. The result is a home that feels unmistakably yours and endures as a well-made property.

Does Daniel design furniture?

Yes. Where the right piece for a client's home does not exist, he designs it, specifies its materials and oversees its making. Daniel also designed the Kos Collection, a furniture line made by the Italian atelier Orsi and available through 1stDibs. His instinct for furniture traces back to his grandfather, who made furniture by hand, and to parents who founded a fashion label.

Does Daniel renovate heritage and character homes in Brisbane?

Yes. Having worked on Grade II-listed properties in London, Daniel brings direct experience of designing within heritage constraints. In Brisbane, that applies to Queenslanders, Federation and inter-war homes, and Art Deco and Moderne residences, where the aim is to respect original character while making the home work for contemporary life.

Does the studio take on projects outside Queensland or overseas?

Yes, for select commissions. With a career spanning Los Angeles, London and Australia, Daniel is experienced in directing projects across time zones and coordinating international suppliers. Interstate and international work is accepted where the brief and the home are the right fit.

Brisbane interior designer Daniel Kostiuc seated in a dining room with abstract art, flowers and a black-and-gold chandelier

Daniel Kostiuc — Brisbane Interior Designer

Based in Brisbane, Daniel Kostiuc Interior Design is a residential interior design practice working throughout Australia and internationally. Led by Daniel Kostiuc, the studio draws on more than twenty years of experience across the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, delivering private residences and residential developments.

The studio has established relationships with trusted tradespeople, craftspeople and suppliers in Brisbane, supported by access to specialist makers and resources across Australia and around the world.

Each project begins with a close understanding of the client’s requirements and aspirations, and is shaped in response to its architecture, setting and brief.

about Daniel

After studying Interior Architecture at UCLA, Daniel began his career in Los Angeles, working with Kelly Wearstler. He later joined Intarya in London as Creative Director before becoming Managing Director, leading a multidisciplinary team across private residences, property developments, boutique hotels and superyachts. Projects completed under his direction have received recognition from the Society of British and International Interior Design and the UK Property Awards, among others. His work has also appeared in House & Garden’s Directory of 100 Leading Interior Designers and successive editions of the Andrew Martin Interior Design Review.

Bronze armchair and glass side table against a sculpted white wall depicting tropical foliage and birds

OUR APPROACH

Each project begins with a thorough study of the property and a detailed client brief. We consider how spaces connect, how light moves through them, and which architectural elements should be retained, restored, or introduced. Proportion and circulation define the structure of a scheme, while colour, materials, furniture, and art determine its atmosphere. Contemporary and vintage pieces may be combined with the client’s existing artwork and furniture, giving the interior specificity without imposing a prescribed aesthetic.

THE TEAM

We undertake a limited number of commissions each year, allowing Daniel to remain personally involved from concept through to installation. The team works across design development, documentation, sourcing and project coordination, collaborating with clients, architects, consultants, contractors and specialist makers. Proposals are presented clearly, practical requirements are addressed within the broader design, and continuity is maintained throughout delivery.

INTERNATIONAL REACH

Through his international career, Daniel has built relationships with suppliers, craftspeople, artists, galleries and dealers around the world. These connections enable the studio to source beyond any single market and commission furniture, lighting, textiles and decorative elements from those who make them best. The studio also coordinates work across borders, managing international procurement, shipping and installation alongside local project teams. Lead times and logistical requirements are considered from the outset, particularly when bespoke pieces are produced in several countries.

ENQUIRE ABOUT YOUR PROJECT

Experience Shaped by Craft

Daniel Kostiuc is a luxury interior designer based in Brisbane, Queensland, with more than twenty years of experience across Los Angeles, London and Australia. He studied Interior Architecture at UCLA and began his career in Los Angeles, including time with Kelly Wearstler. He then spent eleven years at Intarya in London, rising from Creative Director to Managing Director, before founding his own studio, a deliberately small practice for private residential commissions.
Daniel has designed private residences on four continents, including Grade II-listed properties such as The Lancasters in London. His experience spans heritage buildings, contemporary new builds and complex whole-home refurbishments. Today, the studio focuses on luxury homes in Brisbane and South East Queensland, with select commissions interstate and overseas.
Projects completed under Daniel's direction have been recognised by the Society of British and International Interior Design and the UK Property Awards, among others. His work has also appeared in House & Garden's Directory of 100 Leading Interior Designers and in successive editions of the Andrew Martin Interior Design Review.
With an independent studio, the designer who interprets your brief is the designer who creates your home. At Daniel's studio, there is no hand-over from a principal to a junior team after the first meeting. Daniel leads every commission personally, from the first conversation to final installation.
A limited number, by design. Because Daniel leads each project personally, the studio accepts only as many commissions each year as he can give his full attention. Early enquiry is recommended for homes with a fixed completion date.
No, and that is deliberate. His aim is a home that could belong to no one else, not a recognisable house style repeated from client to client. Each interior grows from the owner's taste, history and way of living, layered so that it feels collected rather than decorated.
For Daniel, true luxury is felt rather than seen. It lies in precise proportions, well-placed light, tactile materials, quiet acoustics and furniture made to fit the people who use it, rather than in visible displays of expense.
Daniel treats Queensland's strong light as a material in its own right. Rather than defaulting to stark whites, he works with complex neutrals, subtle tonal shifts and textured, light-absorbing surfaces that soften glare and keep rooms warm and composed from morning to evening.
Daniel designs for longevity rather than trends. The permanent fabric of a home rests on sound proportion, enduring materials and fine craftsmanship, while the most personal expression lives in furniture, art and objects that can evolve with the family. The result is a home that feels unmistakably yours and endures as a well-made property.
Yes. Where the right piece for a client's home does not exist, he designs it, specifies its materials and oversees its making. Daniel also designed the Kos Collection, a furniture line made by the Italian atelier Orsi and available through 1stDibs. His instinct for furniture traces back to his grandfather, who made furniture by hand, and to parents who founded a fashion label.
Yes. Having worked on Grade II-listed properties in London, Daniel brings direct experience of designing within heritage constraints. In Brisbane, that applies to Queenslanders, Federation and inter-war homes, and Art Deco and Moderne residences, where the aim is to respect original character while making the home work for contemporary life.
Yes, for select commissions. With a career spanning Los Angeles, London and Australia, Daniel is experienced in directing projects across time zones and coordinating international suppliers. Interstate and international work is accepted where the brief and the home are the right fit.