The quiet rise of Kolak Living
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Gabe Kolak watched his dad Vic help build the modest homes of Weston Creek and Tuggeranong in the 1970s.
Now you are able to view some of the homes built by Kolak Living within the pages of glossy magazines – with the family business today having come a long way from Vic’s early days.
Vic arrived in Canberra in the late 1960s from Croatia with a prodigious work ethic that has passed down to his son, who now, along with his wife Kelly, runs the family’s growing building company.
Kolak Living has, over the last two decades, adopted a fresh approach, focussing on custom builds and working with some of the city’s top interior designers and architects to bring new and award-winning homes to life. Since Covid, business has expanded and the company has multiple new builds or major renovations currently on the go in suburbs from one end of the ACT to the other.
While maintaining a strong pace of execution, Gabe says he still pursues the same values his dad demonstrated to him while he was growing up – attention to detail, quick problem solving, and forming positive and open relationships with homeowners throughout the building process.
“Canberra is a small city where word-of-mouth and professional reputation is everything. We work really hard to communicate well with our clients at all times and to be realistic with them about every aspect of the build, from what is actually possible to how much it will cost and how long it will take.”
One of the things Gabe’s clients say they love most about him is he answers their calls.
“We understand that for many people, building a home is their biggest dream and our focus is on making the journey clear, positive and supported.”
Gabe says that while the company takes on anything from renovations to knock-downs and rebuilds, he found building homes from the ground up a more fulfilling task.
“Building a home from the ground up is incredibly rewarding because every decision, every detail, and every space reflects the life you want to live. It’s not just about creating a house – it’s about bringing your vision of home to life.”
Having said that, he has the sort of brain that loves a challenge and will constantly engage in the problem solving that is often required in renovations until a solution is found.
While he lives and breathes the building industry, it wasn’t always a given he would move into the family business.
In fact, Gabe went to the Australian National University where he undertook an Arts and Commerce degree. He loved history and languages but also wanted to understand business.
A move to Sydney to work with Lendlease taught him a lot about the field. More importantly, he met his wife Kelly, then working in real estate investment banking.
But the family business and creative side of building drew them back to Canberra where the couple now run Kolak Living while raising a young family.
Says Kelly, “We loved living in Sydney but Canberra has so much to offer, we have a lot to be thankful. Canberra has been wonderful to us”.
They agree it has been the right choice, and they love helping watch the city grow.
As the couple work together to build new display homes, they incorporate all the new techniques, materials and technologies in building and design from around the world. Meanwhile, the small, dedicated Kolak Living team sub-contracts to a larger Canberra-based workforce and have ongoing relationships with the majority of local architectural and interior design professionals. They provide a one-stop shop service, supporting clients from the initial concept and architectural design through to construction, and working with interior designers to add the finishing touches so the home truly reflects the client’s style and lifestyle.
Kolak Living is the one point of contact from start to finish.
While he has now been in the business for over 20 years, Gabe remains as enthusiastic to get out each morning and start the day as he ever did. Kelly and Gabe bring a unique set of knowledge and skills to the business that really helps develop trust with their clients. Similarly, Kelly loves the marketing and financial side of the job too – which she somehow manages to fit in around the kids. They have similar high energies and never get sick of spending their days focussed on building better and more beautiful homes.
