Truth is, we’re all a little weird in the bedroom (no, not like that…). We’re talking about the good stuff, the real, unfiltered, between-the-sheets quirks that make us who we are. The doona hogging, midnight snacking, late-night Googling, and questionable PJ choices we’d probably never admit out loud.
Because if we’re honest, the bedroom is where the magic and the mischief really happen. It’s the place for whispered confessions, outrageous dreams, half-formed ideas, and those little rituals that never quite make it out into the daylight.
This time, we’re pulling back the doona with Kitiya Palaskas.
Founder of Kitiya Palaskas Studio, Kitiya is a maximalist, multi-disciplinary designer and artist known for her playful, craft-led approach to design. Since launching her studio in 2010, she has built a world where handmade culture takes centre stage, creating bold installations, props, illustrations and immersive experiences for clients across fashion, advertising, retail and events in Australia and beyond. Everything she touches feels tactile, joyful and a little bit magical, blurring the line between art, design and pure imagination.
Hi Kitiya, thank you for letting us peek inside your bedroom. For those who haven’t met you yet, can you share a little about who you are, what a typical day looks like, and how your bedroom fits into your life as a space to recharge, create, and reflect?
Thank you for having me! I’m a craft-based designer and artist who runs a design studio that celebrates handmade techniques in all their forms. I am a huge maximalist and love treasure hunting and thrifting. My bedroom and home is filled with eclectic objects and artworks from around the world and is a reflection of my experiences growing up in many different countries and cultures.
A typical day for me starts with a slow morning, I’m talking 3-4 hours of pottering, journaling, setting intentions for the day, burning candles, dancing around my living room, and hanging out with my cats. I then go for a walk to move my body, then back home to my new studio (I’ve just transitioned to a WFH set up) to start my work day.
I try to roll with my creative energy as it ebbs and flows throughout the day, taking breaks or shifting things up where needed. After work I’ll go to the gym, see my partner or a friend, or indulge in a few creative hobbies to wind down from the day before bed. My bedroom is a sacred space - no work allowed! It’s cosy and welcoming with ambient lighting. I’ve made my bed into the fluffiest cloud with stacked pillows and a big fluffy doona. It’s the cosiest place in my house.
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Your work spans installations, props, illustration and immersive design, often on a large scale and in very public spaces. What first drew you to this hands-on, craft-led way of working, and how has your practice evolved since starting your studio in 2010?
I actually didn’t expect this to be my career path. I started my creative work life as a craft blogger and fashion and accessories designer (I had an indie label called Heartbreaker in the early 2000s). While trying to get more experience in the fashion industry I started assisting a stylist on shoots. She knew I was crafty and would ask me to make bespoke set pieces, props and costume bits for her jobs. It was a niche service that no one was really offering at the time, and I quickly gained momentum through word of mouth as other stylists, creative directors, photographers and producers started wanting similar handmade things for their projects.
I always knew I wanted to run my own business of some sort, and that it would involve craft or making in some way. Because there wasn’t a job description for what I was doing, it meant that there were also no rules - I could forge my own path and design a career that fit my particular interests and skillsets.
Over the past 16 years, my career has taken me to places I would never have imagined. I’ve worked with actual dream clients, and built a truly diverse skillset.. But after experiencing a major burnout over the last couple of years, I’m finding myself entering a new era which prioritises rest, balance, and slowing down over the hustle and grind of my early career years. My new career goal is to continue to achieve success and make a living as a craft-based designer by working on interesting projects that fill my creative cup, BUT, in a slower, more measured way.
The world of commercial design and making can be very fast-paced and centered around deadlines, rushing, and churning out deliverables. I want to work on projects that honour the pace and true nature of craft - which is a slow, sacred, and gradual process.
What makes a project feel exciting enough that you have to say yes?
I actually don’t usually say yes to projects based on excitement alone, despite being so tempted to do so on many occasions! This is because some jobs that seem exciting have ended up being a total punish and conversely, some jobs that didn’t seem all that exciting when I said yes have gone on to become some of the most rewarding I’ve worked on.
Instead, I have a filtration system of sorts that helps me work out if a project is worth my time or energy. I usually ask myself: Will it push me creatively and help me grow as an artist? Will it elevate my career in some way or lead to further opportunities? Does it pay well? A project has to tick two of these three boxes in order for me to say yes. I tend to find that two out of three still creates a rewarding experience for me. Three out of three is even better! Then there’s a 4th question that is probably more important than all of them put together - “What is my gut feeling about this project?” If I have a bad gut feeling and my intuition is screaming “run!”, it doesn’t matter how many boxes were ticked, I need to listen to my gut and say no. I added this fourth question after one particular experience where the project looked great on paper and ticked those boxes, but my gut said no, and lo and behold, it was SO right.
Sometimes of course, you do take a job just for money, because you gotta pay the bills, and that’s more than okay, but in general I find that using this filtration system steers me in the right direction.
Can you share a moment when a project pushed you outside your comfort zone, and what it taught you about yourself or your creative process?
Because every project I work on is so varied, I feel like I am pushed outside of my comfort zone regularly. There will always be something in a project, (for example, working at a scale I’m not used to, with a material that is new to me, or having to take on a logistical role as well as being the artist) that challenges me.
I think it’s really important to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Sitting in an uncomfortable feeling or situation and trying to move through it rather than avoiding it is one of those critical skills that isn’t really talked about much in your creative tool kit but is super important. That, and being a good problem solver. When you have these skills I find that you’re able to handle many more challenges and it helps you grow as an artist.
Welcome to Between The Sheets, where the only rule is: there are no secrets between the sheets.
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve ever done in PJs?
Went to a T-Pain concert in Miami, Florida.
What’s your go-to midnight snack when you’re deep in a creative flow?
Natural Confectionary Company Sour Squirms.
What’s currently on your bedside table right now?
My Dreamy Moons Year of Growth Journal, my favourite pen, and a hot water bottle.
Do you have a pre-bed ritual that helps you switch off after a big day of making and creating?
Get in bed with a cup of Sleepy Time tea and either journal about my day, knit a few rows of a cardigan I’m working on, or play a bit of Animal Crossing.
How do you relax and recharge when your work is so hands-on, fast paced and full of colour?
I like to work on analogue creative projects that have nothing to do with work, spend time in nature, go on little road trips or adventures, or have a long, hot shower in the dark.
What’s the most creative idea you’ve ever had when you couldn’t sleep?
I actually get ALL my best creative ideas when I’m meant to be asleep! I keep a notebook by the bed so I can scribble them down before I fall back to sleep.
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If your bedroom was a design project, what would the concept be?
Blue! There’s something so calming about this colour for me, so I built my room decor around it.
What’s your biggest bedroom design splurge or object you can’t live without?
I bought two amazing, authentic African barbershop signs from a vendor at the Long Beach Flea Market in California. I had to lacquer them in my hotel room so they wouldn’t be considered “raw wood” by Australian customs, and cut one of them in half to fit in my suitcase (reassembled when I got back from Australia). Not so much a splurge, but involved the most elaborate effort to bring home!
If we peeked inside your wardrobe, what colour or texture would we find the most of?
Literally every colour and/or texture you could imagine - more is more!
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What advice would you give your younger self about building a creative career on your own terms?
Don’t let societal norms or the “shoulds” of a career or life progression dictate your choices! Question everything! Also, remember that everyone is on their own unique path at their own pace. Comparison kills creativity so just do you.
If you could swap bedrooms with anyone in the world, whose would it be and why?
Justina Blakeney - she is my ultimate art and interior design icon.
When you step out of bed in the morning, where’s your favourite place to go for coffee or a slow start?
I make my own coffee in my pink Moccamaster and drink it while journaling my Morning Pages each day, it’s my favourite way to start the day. But if I’m heading out, I’ll go to Scarlett’s Cafe in Footscray for a vegan ice blended coconut coffee. It is delicious.
What still excites you most about making things by hand?
Everything! I love that my hands have the ability to bring something intangible inside my head into the tangible world, it feels like a magic power.
