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The Outstanding Interior Design Finalists In The TDF + Laminex Design Awards 2020

TDF Design Awards

We get to see our fair share of excellent interior design projects here at TDF. And the lineup for this year’s shortlisted projects in the TDF + Laminex Design Awards 2020 has got us feeling pretty pumped! The quality of residential projects coming from Australian designers never fails to blow us away.

Supported by De’Longhi, the Interior Design category received 75 entries this year! This has now been narrowed down to 14 of the very best, with projects coming from a nice mix of both emerging and established practices.

With the final call in the hands of our judges Miriam Fanning (Mim Design), Juliette Arent (Arent & Pyke) and Chelsea Hing (Chelsea Hing), here are the projects that represent interior design excellence across the country over the past year.

20th July, 2020

CJH Studio, Penthouse M. Photo – Cathy Schusler.

CJH Studio, Penthouse M

A low-maintenance, minimalist home in Queensland, CJH Studio opted for gentle curves, soft lines and creamy tones. These elegant interiors are a sophisticated response to the original building’s curvaceous form.

Budge Over Dover by YSG Studio. Photo – Prue Ruscoe. Ross Farm ‘Barn’ by Studio Moore. Photo – Eve Wilson.

YSG Studio, Budge Over Dover

Honed with an artisanal energy mutually celebrating whimsy and functionality, YSG transformed this hard-edged freestanding coastal house into a tactile haven celebrating nuanced colour and sculptural forms. Curved walls, archways, and rounded banquette seating soften previously harsh geometric lines, while sage Marmorino polished plaster walls and blushing aubergine ceilings complement the handmade terracotta tiles lining the walls and floor. 

Studio Moore, Ross Farm – Barn

The Barn is one of three dwelling properties on Ross Farm – a former dairy farm turned boutique accommodation. The building has its own identity defined by pitched ceilings, granite, and a striking floor-to-ceiling glass rear facade. Studio Moore were inspired by the landscape of neighbouring Wilson’s Promontory National Park, designing the raw and handmade interiors palette to complement the honesty of the immediate natural surrounds.

Read our original story here.

Malvern Residence Two by Doherty Design Studio. Photo –  Derek Swalwell.  Art House by Studio CD. Photo – Anson Smart.

Doherty Design Studio, Malvern Residence Two

An extensive renovation of a 1980s house originally designed by architect Peter McIntyre balances Palm Springs-style resort living with the needs of a modern family. In a nod to the building’s heritage, Doherty Design Studio borrowed an 80s-era dynamism to combine bold paint tones, custom terrazzo flooring and brass inlays. The contemporary upgrade exemplifies how today’s interior design can be sympathetically applied to significant older architecture.

Read our original story here.

Studio CD, Art House

An expressive family home from Studio CD is inspired by the grandeur and detailing of  European architecture, elevated by art and colour. Custom designed furniture adorned with period details are a welcome surprise against the addition of neon, stone and modern hardware.

Read our original story here.

Toorak Residence by Workroom, with furniture, art and object styling by Simone Haag. Photo – Derek Swalwell. Potts Point Residence by Flack Studio. Photo – Anson Smart.

Workroom, Toorak Residence

A robust yet warm and comfortable family home. Workroom’s thoughtful use of concrete provides a sense of permanence and strength, as well as a lightness that defies preconceived notions of the material. The house unfolds into a series of spaces that appear to be hewn from a single block of concrete, using form, scale and light to create a tactile sanctuary for family life. All architecture and interior design by Workroom, with furniture, art and object styling by Simone Haag.

Flack Studio, Potts Point Residence

Positioned in the heart of Potts Point, Flack Studio designed this project for a couple to spend their ‘twilight years’. Described as a ‘love letter’ to Sydney, and to the clients themselves, this five-level home strives to maintain its original essence while creating a self-contained world.

Spanish Queen House by Robson Rak Architecture & Interiors. Photo – Felix Forest. Brass House by Edwina Glenn. Photo – Sharyn Cairns.

Robson Rak Architecture & Interiors, Spanish Queen House

A complete restoration, renovation and addition of a 1920s Spanish Mission home by Robson Rak Architecture & Interiors sees a rich layering of textures and patinas traverse the renovation towards a steel and glass atrium addition. Silver-grey limestone floors, travertine benchtops and tarnished silver light fittings comprise the luxurious old-world material palette.

Edwina Glenn, Brass House

An extensive renovation of a formerly ‘vanilla’ home turned contemporary haven with reflective brass, steel windows, and parquetry. Where possible, Edwina Glenn salvaged joinery to be remodelled and refinished, lending the space a comfortable, ambient feel beside its modern detailing.

Flack Studio, Middle Park Residence. Photo – Anson Smart. Fowler and Ward, Bourke Street Apartment. Photo – Tom Blachford.

Flack Studio, Middle Park Residence

Middle Park Residence is a full scope renovation of an original Edwardian, reflective of the owner’s personality. Every inch of the house was custom designed for the client, resulting in a conversation between materials and objects that totally embodies the distinctive Flack Studio flair.

Fowler and Ward, Bourke Street Apartment

Fowler and Ward’s renovation of a 1981 city apartment draws on the bold form of the striking existing building as inspiration for the totally new family home within. The presence of bold terrazzo, brass mosaics and an island of clashing stone and glass reflect the focus on texture and materiality initiated by the building’s rich exterior palette. In addition, the spatial layout was completely reorganised to accommodate the essentials of family living.

The Quarterdeck home by Studio Gorman . Photo – Prue Ruscoe. Ross Farm’s Dairy by Studio Moore. Photo – Eve Wilson.

Studio Gorman, The Quarterdeck

‘50s elements alongside the latest technology bring this mid-century home into the 21st century and beyond. Studio Gorman restored the original subtle shipping references by reinstating the butterfly roof, exposed steel beams, and shiplap panelling to the front facade. Colour is layered sparingly over a base of limed and oiled American oak, encouraging the dominance of simplicity over a muted palette of mustard, russett and petrol blue.

Read our original story here.

Studio Moore, Ross Farm – Dairy

Initially three separate buildings, this boutique accommodation has been redesigned as a cohesive, three-bedroom structure defined by charred timber and a raw, moody material palette. Local cypress timber was used to line the walls and build furniture, while recycled tin sheets clad the building’s exterior. The round concrete bath is a repurposed water trough and with old concrete from the former cattle yard filling the gabion walls for insulation, this building design by Studio Moore received a 6-star energy rating!

Read our original story here.

Slow Beam by Hearth Studio. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Hearth Studio, Slow Beam

A jewel-box of a house designed as a unique Hobart getaway. The two linked pavilions take advantage of an existing cutting from a previous owner’s abandoned earthworks. Hearth Studio positioned black-stained ply interiors in contrast with bold and striking colours, commissioning custom carpet by Melbourne-based artist Esther Stewart to wrap the lounge in opulent and joyously colourful geometries.

Read our original story here.

The Design Files + Laminex Design Awards 2020 Interior Design award is presented by De’Longhi.

De’Longhi offers consumers innovative home appliances with a distinctive combination of style and performance across coffee, comfort and a range of kitchen appliances. De’Longhi was recently voted Australia’s Most Trusted Brand in the highly competitive category of Coffee Machines as judged by Australians in the 2020 Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Survey.

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The Design Files acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

First Nations artists, designers, makers, and creative business owners are encouraged to submit their projects for coverage on The Design Files. Please email bea@thedesignfiles.net