No glass ceiling here

Asaf (left) and Samaya Zakay with their glass creations in their Byron Bay outlet.

DIGBY HILDRETH

THESE days, their friends call Samaya and Asaf Zakay "corporate hippies", because their cottage industry - Zakay Glass Creations - has grown into a serious business enterprise.

And Ms Zakay admits that they "are always pushing ourselves to a new level. Asaf is always having new ideas".

But the couple behind Zakay Glass Creations have a relaxed, smiling demeanour that hardly fits the buttoned-down corporate stereotype.

Their drive to expand seems more aesthetic - and spiritual - than commercial. But they are certainly succeeding in that arena too.

Their large Byron Bay gallery contains items worth up to $20,000; they export to countries as diverse as Bosnia, the Maldives and Japan and have plans to set up an outlet in New York.

Clearly Ms Zakay possesses some formidable marketing skills.

"He makes them, I sell them," she says of the spectacular geometric glass sculptures, jewellery and lights conceived and created in their workshop in Byron's Arts and Industry Park,

The business began modestly, in their home, when the couple came to Australia after living overseas. The plan was to make glass stars and Mr Zakay did just that, specialising in 3D Stars of David in glass - beautiful decorations, which they sold through community markets.

They took a step up with a year as part of the business incubator scheme.

"The incubator course was great, a good starting point. It gave us the courage to see ourselves as a business instead of just a hobby," Ms Zakay said.

Three years later they are thriving and have just launched a whole new range - Luminary Light Supplies - which have a light fitting inside. Like the rest of their products, the lights are based on the golden ratio - the proportion found everywhere in art and nature.

"It's another beauty behind the beauty," Mr Zakay said.

The range will be launched on Friday at the Zakay outlet, 6/102 Centennial Cct, Byron Bay.