Interiors

The 2023 Australian Interior Design Awards Winners!

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the prestigious Australian Interior Design Awards, where both leading and emerging designers are given a well-deserved moment in the spotlight.

The list of inspiring winners and commendations includes Kennedy Nolan’s beautifully-appointed terracotta and red brick Leftfield apartment for Nightingale, the wonderfully wabi-sabi stay, Sabi in Tasmania and Melbourne’s own Her Bar, designed by Dion Hall (to name a few!).

See all the winners and commendations below!

Written
by
Bea Taylor

Nine-Square Bondi by Madeleine Blanchfield took out the award for Residential Design 2023. Photo – Anson Smart

The project also took out the Best State Award for Residential Design (NSW). Photo – Anson Smart

AND it received a commendation for Residential Decoration. Photo – Anson Smart

The winner of the Residential Decoration Award is Piccolo Palazzo by jcHQ. Photo – Sean Fennessy

The jury said, ‘[it] displays innovation and a strong sense of emotion’.Photo – Sean Fennessy

The home features blushing pink walls! Photo – Sean Fennessy

Melbourne Penthouse by Fiona Lynch Office received a commendation in the Residential Decoration category. Photo – Sharyn Cairns

19 Waterloo Street by SJB received a commendation in the Residential Design category. Photo – Anson Smart

Breathe’s Skye House for Nightingale received a commendation for the Sustainability Advancement Award and for the Residential Design Award. Photo – Tom Ross

Nuud Studio received a commendation for their project Monty Sibbel in the Residential Design category. They also received a commendation for the Emerging Interior Design Practice Award. Photo – Tom Ross

Kennedy Nolan’s Somers House received a commendation for the Residential Design Award. Photo – Derek Swalwell

Dion Hall took out the award for Hospitality Design for his work on Her Bar! Photo – Earl Carter

Clare Cousins Architects received a commendation for their work on Aesop Collins Street for the Retail Design Award. Photo – Peter Bennetts

The winner of the Premier Award for Australian Interior Design; Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Campbell House! Photo – Cieran Murphy

They also took out the Sustainability Advancement Award! Photo – Cieran Murphy

And, the Workplace Design Award! Photo – Cieran Murphy

Writer
Bea Taylor
3rd of June 2023

We always look forward to the announcement of the winners for the Australian Interior Design Awards, and 2023’s line-up promised a formidable competition.

In the end it was Campbell House by Tonkin Zulaikja Greer that not only took out the Premier Award for Australian Interior Design, but also the Workplace Design Award and the Sustainability Advancement Award.

The judging panel (made up of a jury of some of Australia’s esteemed designers) said, ‘It is timeless, elegant, unified and finely detailed, and could very much work as a universal application — it could be a home, it could be a retail store, it could be a workplace.’ They also noted, ‘the way the palette is used to celebrate the heritage and contemporary integration is outstanding.’

Madeleine Blanchfield Architects took out the highly regarded Award for Residential Design with their project, Nine-Square Bondi — a stunning home with soul and intimacy that sought to resolve complex spatial issues. The jury said, ‘it displays an elegant spatial resolution, clarity in its expression and sophisticated curation of objects and furnishing that take the home to another level.’ Nine-Square Bondi also received a commendation for Residential Decoration and the Best State Award for Residential Design (NSW).

Taking home the Award for Residential Decoration was jcHQ’s Piccolo Palazzo — a blushing home the jury said, ‘displays innovation and a strong sense of emotion’.

Other winners of note were Dion Hall for Melbourne’s beloved Her Bar in Hospitality Design; Sabi for stunning stay Sabi in Best of State Awards for Residential Design (Tasmania); Breathe for Nightingale Skye House in Best of State Awards for Residential Design (Victoria); and National Gallery of Victoria for Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse, Victoria for Installation Design.

Once again the Australian Interior Design Awards have showcased a very high calibre of entries, and a deservingly long list of winners and commendations — see them all below!

2023 Australian Interior Design Award Winners:

Premier Award for Australian Interior Design 

Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Campbell House, New South Wales

Sustainability Advancement Award
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Campbell House, New South Wales

Commendations
Breathe for Nightingale Skye House, Victoria
Kennedy Nolan for Nightingale Leftfield, Victoria

Emerging Interior Design Practice Award
J.AR Office, Queensland

Commendations
Nuud Studio, Victoria
Prevalent, New South Wales

Residential Design Award
Madeleine Blanchfield Architects for Nine-Square Bondi, New South Wales

Commendations
Breathe for Nightingale Skye House, Victoria
Fiona Lynch Office for Melbourne Penthouse, Victoria
J.AR Office for Oxlade, Queensland
Kennedy Nolan for Somers House, Victoria
Nuud Studio for Monty Sibbel, Victoria
Sabi for Sabi, Tasmania
SJB for 19 Waterloo Street, New South Wales

Residential Decoration Award
JC HQ for Piccolo Palazzo, Victoria

Commendations
Fiona Lynch Office for Melbourne Penthouse, Victoria
Madeleine Blanchfield Architects for Nine-Square Bondi, New South Wales
Simone Haag for The Whiskey Room, Victoria
YSG Studio for La Palma, New South Wales

Hospitality Design Award
Dion Hall for Her Bar, Victoria

Commendations
Bergman and Co for Sakura, Victoria
Dion Hall for Music Room, Victoria
Ewert Leaf for Moonhouse, Victoria
Fiona Lynch Office for Kiln, Ace Hotel Sydney, New South Wales

Retail Design Award
Akin Atelier for Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Modern Building, Gallery Shop, New South Wales
Trower Falvo Architects with Alessio Fini for Postal Hall, Western Australia

Commendations
Clare Cousins Architects for Aesop Collins Street, Victoria
Genesin Studio for Super Egg, South Australia
Studio Doherty for Mimco Flagship, Victoria

Workplace Design Award
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Campbell House, New South Wales

Commendations
Cox Architecture for 70 George Street, Cox Sydney Studio, New South Wales
Jackson Clements Burrows for JCB Studio, Victoria
Smart Design Studio for Bridge 17, New South Wales
Studio Prineas for Sheeth Headquarters, New South Wales

Installation Design Award
National Gallery of Victoria for Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse, Victoria

Commendation
Gloss Creative for NGV Gala 2022, Victoria

Public Design Award
SANAA (Design Architect) and Architectus (Executive Architect) for Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Modern Building, New South Wales

Commendations
Fieldwork and Brand Architects for Centre for Higher Education Studies, Victoria
Kosloff Architecture for Warrnambool Library and Learning Centre, Victoria
Smart Design Studio for Science Gallery Melbourne, Victoria

International Design
Schin Architects with Atelier W for Lu Style (Beijing CBD), China

Best of State Awards for Residential Design
New South Wales – Madeleine Blanchfield Architects for Nine-Square Bondi
Queensland – J.AR Office for Oxlade
South Australia – Williams Burton Leopardi for Mount Mac
Tasmania – Sabi for Sabi
Victoria – Breathe for Nightingale Skye House
Western Australia – Neil Cownie Architect for 123 House

Best of State Awards for Commercial Design
Australian Capital Territory – Craig Tan Architects for Canteen
New South Wales – SANAA (Design Architect) and Architectus (Executive Architect) for Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Modern Building
Queensland – J.AR Office for The Disco
South Australia – Genesin Studio for Super Egg
Victoria – Fieldwork and Brand Architects for Centre for Higher Education Studies
Western Australia – Trower Falvo Architects with Alessio Fini for Postal Hall

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