Yelana Bryant from Koozi
Koozi co-founder, Yelana Bryant.
Beautifully designed for both home and hound, Koozi’s furniture-first dog crates blend seamlessly into your space while offering your dog a safe and comfortable retreat.
“Koozi wasn’t born from wanting to make another dog bed or dog crate. It came from looking at how people live today with their dogs and recognising that our pets are deeply woven into our lives and homes, yet many of the products available to them felt disconnected from that reality. ”
‘We wanted to create products that felt as though they belonged in a furniture or design store, with an attention to materials, craftsmanship and fabrication. All while still being genuinely useful for dog owners and their pets.’
Marble Bowl & Tray Set in Viola Oro from Koozi.
Hello Yelana—can you introduce yourself?
I'm co-founder of Koozi, a pet furniture and homewares brand based in Sydney. As the product designer and brand marketer, I'm passionate about rethinking pet products through the lens of furniture and interior design, creating pieces that support modern lifestyles and feel as considered as the rest of the home, while remaining functional for life with pets.
What was your work background before Koozi, and how did your experiences shape the brand you run today?
Before launching Koozi, I worked in product marketing within the technology industry. It taught me a lot about understanding customer needs, identifying market gaps and building products around purpose rather than simply selling something because it’s nice.
What I took from that experience was the importance of creating something meaningful, but also the resilience and perseverance required to build a business from the ground up.
Koozi wasn't born from wanting to make another dog bed or dog crate. It came from looking at how people live today with their dogs and recognising that our pets are deeply woven into our lives and homes, yet many of the products available to them felt disconnected from that reality. We’re on a mission to transform that through the pieces we create.
Was there a defining moment that made you realise the pet furniture market was missing something?
For me, it was when I got my dachshunds and was simultaneously furnishing our new home.
I noticed there was no real connection or harmony between considered furniture and interiors and the essential products available for pets. Most options were functional and, at best, cute, but very few felt like they truly belonged in the home and worked cohesively with the design.
I would see a lot of innovation happening in the baby industry, where furniture and products are increasingly designed to feel like a natural extension of a family's lifestyle and interiors. I felt there was an opportunity for pet owners to have the same experience as pets become increasingly intrinsic to the fabric of our homes and families.
That was the moment I realised there was space for a brand that wasn't simply designing products for pets, but designing for the people, homes and lifestyles they exist within.
What problem were you trying to solve when you first created Koozi?
I wanted to create products that allowed dog/pet owners to have the practical items they needed without feeling like they had to compromise on their home and most cherished spaces.
Our sense of relaxation, comfort and identity is closely linked to the spaces we live in and the environment we create. Therefore, the products we bring into those spaces for our dogs should feel integrated and thoughtfully considered.
I also felt there was an opportunity to raise the standard of quality within the category. We wanted to create products that felt as though they belonged in a furniture or design store, with an attention to materials, craftsmanship and fabrication. All while still being genuinely useful for dog owners and their pets.
There's regularly a new hero ingredient or viral routine… how do you decide what's worth paying attention to?
This is a space we don't play into. Our development is founded on chemistry and dermatological science, overlapped with an approach to beauty that is personal to me. Once you have a good understanding of chemistry and physiology, you can see through the gimmicky nature of trends and opt for a more consistent and sound approach.
Pet products have traditionally prioritised function over aesthetics. Why was it important for you to create pieces that felt considered from both a design and practical perspective?
Our driving philosophy at Koozi is centred around the idea of home as a sanctuary. So when we create pieces we think about how this new design integrates, helps or is transformative to our customer’s sanctuaries, and the needs they have with their pets.
If you focus purely on function, you often end up with something practical but visually intrusive. If you focus only on aesthetics, you create something beautiful that doesn't adequately serve its purpose.
The most successful designs balance both. For us, that means creating pieces that help dog owners maintain a sense of cohesion within their home sanctuaries, while investing in products that are useful, durable and support everyday life with their pets.
How do you balance durability and everyday practicality with creating pieces that people genuinely want to display in their homes?
Much of that balance hinges on selecting the right materials and construction methods.
While our goal is to create beautiful furniture, it still needs to be practical, safe and genuinely useful for dog owners. Our furniture pieces borrow principles from traditional cabinetry and furniture design, while incorporating materials and finishes that are suitable for everyday life with pets.
The same applies to our soft furnishings, where we prioritise fabrics that are durable enough for daily use while still feeling at home alongside other furniture and interior pieces.
As someone who entered furniture design when launching Koozi, one of the biggest lessons I've learnt is that great design happens when form and function work together, and not out of balance.
‘We prioritise fabrics that are durable enough for daily use while still feeling at home alongside other furniture and interior pieces.’
The Koozi Side Table Crate in Elm Carrara Marble.
“If you focus purely on function, you often end up with something practical but visually intrusive. If you focus only on aesthetics, you create something beautiful that doesn’t adequately serve its purpose. The most successful designs balance both. ”
The Large Buffet Table Crate in Elm Carrara from Koozi.
‘Our furniture pieces borrow principles from traditional cabinetry and furniture design, while incorporating materials and finishes that are suitable for everyday life with pets.’
What does a well-designed life with pets look like to you?
A well-designed life with pets is about enjoying the everyday rituals we share with them. Elevating the everyday routines, and creating a sense of calm, integration and harmony in our shared spaces. I think good design should make everyday moments feel more enjoyable and at ease.
Do you find inspiration more from the world of interiors and furniture design, or from the pets and owners who use your products?
It's a combination of both.
From a design perspective, I draw a lot of inspiration from interior and furniture design. I'm constantly observing materials, colours, finishes and how spaces come together to create a particular feeling and style.
From a product innovation perspective, much of the inspiration comes from my own experience (and our team’s) as a dog owner who deeply cares about how her home looks and feels, and then sharing that with other dog owners to gather insights. Many of our ideas begin with asking whether something could be designed differently, more thoughtfully or in a way that better suits routines, home spaces and lifestyles.
What do you love most about what you do?
The creativity of design.
I started the initial idea for Koozi when I was twenty-six, bringing home my dachshund puppies, and probably still figuring out what I wanted my future to look like. Looking back, I think I've always been a designer at heart, from drawing and designing digitally, to creative thinking and marketing, but I hadn't yet found the right path for it at that time.
Now, being able to design and create products allows me to combine creativity, problem solving and entrepreneurship in a way that feels incredibly fulfilling. Now, as I approach thirty, I feel very grateful to spend my days building something I own, that I've created alongside my dogs and a wonderful business partner who shares the vision.
What has been one of the most rewarding moments since launching Koozi?
Seeing other dog owners bring Koozi into their homes and how our creations have made a difference.
When you're building a business, an idea can live in your head for a long time before anyone else sees the vision. As a designer, there's something incredibly special about creating a product and then seeing it used and loved in homes all around Australia. It reminds me that what we're really designing isn't just furniture or a pet product, it's part of the most important environment people and their dogs share together - home.
Running your own business comes with plenty of challenges. What have been some of the biggest lessons you've learnt along the way?
The biggest lesson I've learnt is that ideas and concepts are the easy part of starting a business. Execution and marketing is what separates a business from an idea, and actually turning it into something that can sustainably grow.
I've also learnt that challenges are a constant part of building a business. There is always another problem to solve, another decision to make or another obstacle to overcome. Over time, I've become more comfortable with that reality.
What are you currently looking at, reading or noticing that's feeding into your work?
Design-wise, I'm looking closely at new materials, including stainless steel, patterned fabrics and different wood finishes. Something I'm also exploring more and more is the intersection between hospitality design and residential design. I love how boutique luxury hotels focus on small, high-impact details that create an effortless, curated feeling without appearing overly designed.
I’m noticing these principles increasingly influence the way people design their home and interiors. Naturally, I'm thinking about it through a pet furniture and pet owner lens. I'm asking: what are the small, high-impact details that can improve the everyday home rituals we share with our dogs?
Where would we find you on a typical Saturday?
Drinking a coffee with my dogs on a walk in the sunshine, getting fresh produce from the markets to cook something yum, and then probably some socialising with friends in the late afternoon. Running a business makes it hard to fully have an off switch, so there's probably some light work fitted into the day too.
What’s coming up for Koozi this year that you're most excited about?
We're launching a new product later this year that expands on our furniture category, which I'm really excited about.
On a personal note, I'm also expecting a baby boy very soon, so there'll be a new little member joining the Koozi family too.
Stay up to date with Koozi here or follow @koozipets on Instagram.
