It’s time to celebrate the best new spaces in Australia, with the 2023 Australian Interior Design Awards winners just announced. Now in its 20th year – and working from a lengthy nomination list – the annual awards recognise interior excellence across hospitality venues, retailers, art exhibitions, private homes and creative studios.
Melbourne’s French bistro-inspired Her Bar by Dion Hall took out the top award for Hospitality Design. Located on the ground floor of HQ Group’s Pacific House multi-storey venue, Her Bar was praised by judges for its “representation of the quintessential Australian experience”.
The second-floor Music Room, a soundproof bar and listening room modelled after vinyl-spinning boltholes in Japan, received a commendation in the same category. (Fourth-floor Thai restaurant BKK also got a nod on the shortlist earlier this year.)
Outside of the Her Bar family tree, Melbourne’s moody Chinese-inspired bistro Moonhouse by Ewert Leaf – boasting elegant burgundy booths, art deco chandeliers and curves all over – was also commended for Hospitality Design. As was Kiln, designed by Fiona Lynch Office, at Sydney’s Ace Hotel.
Perth’s grand Postal Hall, by Trower Falvo Architects with Alessio Fini, was a co-winner in Retail Design. Host to elegant concessions like Edicole bookstore, it makes the most of the space at the heart of the historic State Buildings complex.
Sharing the top gong for Retail Design is the Gallery Shop by Akin Atelier at the Art Gallery of NSW’s new Sydney Modern Building. The airy store design proved a fitting win for the $344 million building, hailed as the most significant new cultural project in Sydney since the Opera House.
Still in Sydney, the top Residential Design award went to Madeleine Blanchfield Architects for Nine-Square Bondi, a project based on space, objects, memories and place for a family recently relocated from Hong Kong.
Brisbane has reason to celebrate, with local studio Jar Office taking out the award for Emerging Interior Design Practice. Jar Office also had projects in the residential and retail space recognised, with The Disco receiving the Best of State Award for Commercial Design (QLD) and Oxlade garnering a commendation for Residential Design and Best of State Award for Residential Design (QLD).
In Adelaide, Korean “street toast” fave Super Egg, with an industrial-style fit-out in chrome and concrete from Genesin Studio, gained a commendation for Retail Design and a Best of State Award for Commercial Design (SA).
The awards are delivered by the Design Institute of Australia and Architecture Media’s Artichoke magazine. This year’s jury panel included Melissa Bright (Studio Bright), Jeremy Bull (Alexander & Co), Maria Danos (Maria Danos Architecture), Brian Donovan (BVN), Stuart Krelle (Luchetti Krelle), Rosie Morley (Fender Katsalidis), Georgie Shepherd (Georgie Shepherd Interior Design) and Aaron Wooster (Smart Design Studio).
Winners were announced on Saturday June 3. See the full list of awards here.
