Design Innovation Shines at 2024 Australian Interior Design Awards.

Northcote House by LLDS. Photography: Tom Ross.

Daddy Cool by Pattern Studio Photography: Tom Ross.

Mo Jacobsen by YSG Studio. Photography: Anson Smart.

Fairlie Apartment by Kennedy Nolan Architects. Photography: Derek Swalwell.

Kirribilli Downsize Apartment by Tsai Design. Photography: Clinton Weaver.

Empty Nest Dream: An Apartment in Kirribilli by Amandine Simonetti Architecture and Interiors and Tsai Design.

When the owners of this Kirribilli apartment called in Amandine Simonetti and Jack Chen for the interior overhaul, it was clear what the first step would be...

Petite Retreat by jcHQ. Photography: Pier Carthew.

The Australian Interior Design Awards have illuminated the pinnacle of design excellence for 2024, reflecting our industry’s thriving and evolving nature. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the awards, a tribute to the enduring partnership between the Design Institute of Australia and Artichoke magazine, which culminated at the gala event held at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth last Friday.

The 2024 entries exhibited an unparalleled level of sophistication, creativity and meticulous attention to materiality. The jury noted a refreshing dynamism in this year’s submissions, regardless of the designers’ experience levels.

With 222 projects making the shortlist, this edition saw the highest number of entries. Categories spanned residential, retail, hospitality, public, workplace, and installation design, along with awards for sustainability and emerging practices.

Northcote House by LLDS took out the top gong for the prestigious Premier Award for Interior Design, captivating the jury with its fusion of technology, sculpture, and innovative materials. Praised for creating unfamiliar yet alluring spaces, the project excelled in sustainability by manufacturing every component within a five-kilometre radius. This achievement earned Northcote House multiple accolades, including the Award for Residential Design and the Best of State Award for Residential Design (Victoria).

Checkmate by YSG Studio. Photography: Prue Ruscoe.

Union Street House by Prior Barraclough. Photography: Ben Hosking.

Von Leach Residence by Amelda Wilde Interior Design. Photography: Cricket Saleh.

Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit by Kennedy Nolan with Finding Infinity. Photography: Eve Wilson.

Proclamation House by State Of Kin. Photography: Jack Lovel.

The Residential Design Category showcased exceptional projects, with Pattern Studio’s Daddy Cool sharing the award. Daddy Cool’s playful yet sophisticated minimalism transformed a traditional terrace, earning the Best of State Award for Residential Design (New South Wales). Amelda Wilde Interior Design’s Von Leach Residence won the Award for Residential Decoration, distinguished by its expressive design reflecting the occupants’ values and its use of vintage furnishings and recycled materials.

In the Hospitality Design Category, Studio Massive’s Purple Pit and Akin Atelier’s Reine and La Rue received top honours. The jury lauded Purple Pit for its punk sensibility and innovative juxtaposition, while Reine and La Rue’s heritage-sensitive fit-out created intimate dining experiences within a grand setting. J.AR Office’s Gerard’s earned commendation for its dramatic minimalism, winning the Best of State Award for Commercial Design (Queensland).

HOSPITALITY DESIGN

Gerards by Jar Office. Photography: David Chatfield.

Bambino by Looks Generous. Photography: Ph Do.

Saigon Sensation: Bambino by Looks Generous.

Looks Generous saturated every corner of Bambino with intention, veiled by a pièce de résistance, an aluminium waffle ceiling that encompasses the marriage of eighties-era Italo-Disco to cultural hotbed Ho Chi Minh City in one fell swoop.

Purple Pit by Studio Massive with Latitude Group. Photography: Peter Clarke Photography.

Bar Besuto by Tom Mark Henry. Photography. Damian Bennett.

Reine & La Rue by Akin Atelier. Photography: Tim Salisbury.

RETAIL DESIGN

Song For The Mute Flagship by Pattern Studio. Photography: Tom Ross.

The Future is Now: Song for the Mute Sydney Flagship by Pattern Studio.

It doesn’t take being a fashion or design buff to recognise that Pattern Studio have encapsulated something sort of remarkable at 350 George Street. Inserted into the original high street is a glimpse of the future, and the future is Song for the Mute.

Up There by Kennedy Nolan. Photography: Sean Fennessy.

Constructing a Persona: Up There Melbourne Store by Kennedy Nolan.

From bold colour choices, sculptural mascots at the door, clever use of integrated lighting, reflective metal surfaces paired with lustrous, yet sparing fabric choices, the physical gestures in Kennedy Nolan’s design work harmoniously to deliver an abstract space devoid of time or place.

Pidapipo Laboratorio by Dion Hall. Photography: Earl Carter.

Familiar and Futuristic: Pidapipo Laboratorio Fitzroy by Dion Hall.

Melbourne’s beloved Pidapipo has a new Italian dessert destination in the heart of Fitzroy. With interior architecture by Dion Hall, Laboratorio is enveloped in stainless steel, taking cues from the high glamour of the 70s.

Letao Sydney by Kholland Architectural Interiors. Photography: Kristoffer Paulsen.

The Award for Installation Design went to Hassell and the National Gallery of Victoria for Design Wall 2023, praised for its zero-waste ethos and cohesive visual language. Jackson Clements Burrows Architects’ Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre won the Public Design Award for its sustainable and welcoming community space, which integrates First Nations principles.

Pattern Studio’s Song For The Mute flagship store took the Retail Design Award for its adaptive reuse and modular retail pods, embodying the brand’s ethos. Dion Hall’s Pidapipó Laboratorio received commendation for its unique design. In Workplace Design, Wardle’s 477 Pitt Street and BVN’s Intermain shared the award, with the former also winning the Best of State Award for Commercial Design (New South Wales).

The Sustainability Advancement Award highlighted the industry’s commitment to eco-friendly initiatives, with Kennedy Nolan’s Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit standing out for its adaptive reuse and longevity. Studio Shand was recognised as the Emerging Interior Design Practice, impressing the jury with their interdisciplinary approach and cohesive design outcomes.

For the full list of winners, click here.

EMERGING PRACTICE

Findex Brisbane by House Of Paule. Photography: Nicholas Wilkins.

Cork House by Studio Shand. Photography: Traianos Pakioufakis.

House Lupe by Lintel Studio For Architecture. Photography: Luc Remond.

WORKPLACE DESIGN

Deloitte Workplace Sydney by Hassell. Photography: Earl Carter.

Four Interconnected Vertical Villages: Deloitte’s New Headquarters by Hassell in the Quay Quarter Tower.

With Sydney Harbour as its spectacular backdrop, Deloitte’s new headquarters is full of surprises. Located inside the Quay Quarter Tower, the project enables a hybrid workplace orientated around four interconnected vertical villages.

477 Pitt Street by Wardle. Photography: Peter Marko.

Intermain by BVN with Intermain. Photography: Martin Siegner.

Today Design by Studio Edwards. Photography: Peter Bennetts.

Dynamic and Raw: Today Design Workspace in Collingwood by Studio Edwards.

What happens when you say goodbye to plasterboard? Studio Edwards has a pretty good answer to that question. Born out of an unwavering commitment to sustainability, this workspace was constructed entirely from readily-made materials, and without applied finishes.

PUBLIC DESIGN

Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects. Photography: Victor Vieaux.

AGNSW Library & Members Lounge by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. Photography: Cieran Murphy.

Memorial Hall Christ Church Grammar School by Mcildowie Partners. Photography: Eve Wilson.

INSTALLATION DESIGN

Melbourne Now Community Hall by Boardgrove Architects. Photography: Eugene Hyland.

Design Wall 2023 by Hassell and NGV. Photography: Earl Carter.

Melbourne Now: NGV’s History-making Exhibition With 200+ Victorian-based Artists Now Open.

Bold in scope and scale, Melbourne Now highlights the vibrant creativity of local emerging, mid-career and senior practitioners and collectives—including many who are presenting at the NGV for the very first time.

[Images courtesy of Australian Interior Design Awards.]