Our Founders’ Story
A family led Melbourne builder you can trust
Ellari Homes began with a simple belief:
building a home should feel exciting and secure.
Our story starts with Founder & Director Damian Kot, a carpenter turned construction leader, and his wife Katryna Kot, whose strengths in operations, marketing and process bring structure and clarity to everything we do. Together, Damian and Katryna set the tone for a builder that values care, craftsmanship and transparency.
Damian’s passion for building began early, helping his dad with home renovations and outdoor projects and developing a love for making things well. After moving to Melbourne at 12, he met Andrew and Tom Dyduk, and a hands-on friendship grew through weekend projects and problem-solving. The trio even began Engineering at university together before choosing different paths: Damian pursued a carpentry apprenticeship, Andrew moved into web and technology, and Tom joined his father in hospitality, launching the first Schnitz store. Seeing its potential, Andrew later helped scale Schnitz into a successful national franchise. That experience in systems, operations and customer service now complements Damian’s on site expertise and Katryna’s management focus.
"we build homes by our family, for your family"
Guided by honesty, integrity, transparency and accuracy, we deliver modern, liveable homes across Melbourne and Victoria, homes that feel like you.
Damian’s carpentry journey took him across Melbourne on projects ranging from $50,000 to $3 million, giving him broad exposure to sites, budgets and client expectations. After meeting Katryna, he stepped into leadership roles in the building industry, first as a Site Manager with a large volume builder, then after being approached he was promoted at one of Australia’s largest volume builders to Construction Manager. He went on to support the growth of other successful building companies, building a reputation for clear planning, quality delivery and steady leadership.
When a major builder collapsed and families were left in limbo, the four formalised Ellari Homes to provide a steadier path for clients. Our name reflects our family roots: Ellari blends the names of Damian and Katryna’s children, Ellena and Arek (Ari). With more than 20 years in the building industry, Damian leads delivery, while Katryna, Andrew and Tom bring strong business acumen and operational discipline. Backed by the Dyduk family, Ellari Homes combines practical know-how with robust systems, financial strength and a commitment to clear communication. The result is a process clients can trust, from early site assessment and permits through demolition, construction and handover.