Interior Design is one of Australia’s most dynamic design disciplines. Clever, considered interiors are transformative, and contribute to a cultural identity which is uniquely Australian.
This category seeks to award one distinctive residential interior design Project created by an individual or studio, completed between January 1st 2020 and April 27th 2021. At least one individual per Entry must be a practising interior designer.
This category does not include commercial interiors.
One winner in the Interior Design category will be awarded a $5000 cash prize. Up to two commendations will also be awarded.
Applications have been shortlisted by The Design Files team. Shortlisted entries will be assessed by three expert judges, on the following criteria :
Fulfilment of the client brief / project objective
Originality – something we haven’t seen before, something invented from scratch.
Visual Appeal – beauty, boldness, aesthetic appeal.
Craftsmanship – how well does this project integrate skilled craftsmanship, and demonstrate mastery of a craft?
Function – how well does this space deliver the desired functional outcomes?
Sustainability – how well does this project contribute to positive environmental outcomes, with specific consideration of local environmental impact, management and reduction of waste, water and energy consumption?
Visionary thinking – does this project push boundaries, does it achieve something bigger than the intended commercial outcomes?
Bonus points will be awarded to projects with pro bono or community focussed outcomes, and/or projects limited by an unusually tiny budget.
Dream Weaver is a Rushcutters Bay penthouse renovation that feels revelatory and futuristic, with an upbeat dose of Pedro Almodóvar’s cinematic eccentricity.
Project inspirations range from contemporary Spanish tapas bars and their liberal use of tiling; surrealism; and rich colour gradations evoking a material take on the northern lights.
Paramount to the outcome was a sense of emotional release. Colour, touch are the triggers, with tactile hard and soft surfaces at every turn.
This Rozelle home has been revived with an adroit telescoping of eras and artistic influences. Preserving its historical essence as a purpose built late 19th-century Victorian Georgian corner shop, the three-storey sandstone structure has transitioned into a pragmatic and spacious home for a family of four.
The design response to this apartment renovation is inherently simple, refined, and calming to restore and create freedom.A sanctuary for rest and recharging, but also a space which challenges the mind to perform. The clients move through the space in a continuous evolving and smooth loop.
A longing for ceremony underpins the design approach to this 1920s South Yarra art deco apartment renovation. The project maximises amenity through the implementation of robust and enduring materials, with a view to maintaining the place as a rental property going forward.
Pascale Gomes McNabb is a celebrated Melbourne-based interior design. She is known for her detail-driven hospitality spaces such as Cumulus Inc. and Stokehouse, as well as her highly-considered residential projects.
Sue Carr, founding principal of Carr, has championed and cemented the power of design in Australia for 50 years. Sue’s design philosophy permeates every project and has evolved through a deep understanding of the value that design can impart on the human experience.
Mardi Doherty is the director of Doherty Design Studio (DDS) and has more than 20 years’ experience in residential and commercial interior design projects. Her passion for interior design has led DDS to work on a portfolio of multi-disciplinary projects across Melbourne and encourage the studio to design with a highly collaborative and bespoke approach.
Textural and moody, Barwon Heads house takes cues from its relaxed coastal setting to offer a space of refuge and calm. The design of the home deliberately reveals itself as one journey’s from old into new, and aims to challenge the stereotypical beachside aesthetic.
Architects EAT devised a simple extension that juts out from this heritage Caulfield East home, before wrapping around the rear like a carpenter’s square. The new interiors are a richly detailed interpretation of the original Edwardian facade, featuring dusty purple brick and a distinctive undulating timber battened ceiling.
This Rozelle home has been revived with an adroit telescoping of eras and artistic influences. Preserving its historical essence as a purpose built late 19th-century Victorian Georgian corner shop, the three-storey sandstone structure has transitioned into a pragmatic and spacious home for a family of four.
The design response to this apartment renovation is inherently simple, refined, and calming to restore and create freedom.A sanctuary for rest and recharging, but also a space which challenges the mind to perform. The clients move through the space in a continuous evolving and smooth loop.
A mid-century flavoured decorative approach directly draws from the unique natural vista to inform shapes, scale, texture, and colour in this Double Bay home. Customised and handcrafted, an almost artisanal approach to ‘soften’ the concrete structure and provide comfortable settings, with a strong emphasis on materiality.
A 1970s heritage-listed house in Balmain, NSW, has been re-engineered for contemporary family life. Keeping within the building footprint, Fox Johnston carved extra space and forged stronger connections to landscape and place, while maintaining the integrity of the original structure and material language.
Faced with an overwhelming amount of dark timber joinery and chocolate-hued floors, the new owners of this house on Sydney’s North Shore called on Hugh-Jones Mackintosh to lighten and brighten the interior for their young family. Texture, shapely furniture, and pops of blush and terracotta throughout lend interest and sophistication
A calm and gentle space, but nothing too serious, was this brief for this 1920s Preston, Victoria home renovation. Functionality was key, especially in the kitchen, offering plenty of space to gather as a family to entertain. A Scandinavian meets Japanese aesthetic characterises the updated interiors.
A sophisticated yet robust design approach underpins this speculative twin-townhouse development located in a lively inner-city Melbourne suburb rich in cultural diversity. Interiors are flexible, anticipating multiple work/dwell scenarios, as well as cohesive through the considered composition, function and materiality.
Set amongst the rural landscape of the Mornington Peninsula is this refurbishment of an existing Merchant Builders home. The project demonstrates considered spatial planning and acute attention to detail, resulting in a design that is harmonious with the landscape, yet reflective of today’s modern living approach.
A longing for ceremony underpins the design approach to this 1920s South Yarra art deco apartment renovation. The project maximises amenity through the implementation of robust and enduring materials, with a view to maintaining the place as a rental property going forward.
The mood of this Rushcutters Bay penthouse renovation is revelatory and futuristic, with an upbeat dose of Pedro Almodóvar’s cinematic eccentricity. Project inspirations include surrealism, contemporary Spanish tapas bars and their liberal use of tiling, plus rich colour gradations evoking a material take on the northern lights.