The Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is Australia’s largest and most successful independent design awards program. Launched by inside magazine in 2003, the program celebrates the best of Australian interior and product design across 15 categories and six Special Awards.

Cult has been a proud sponsor of the IDEA awards since the very first event, and we extend our warmest congratulations to the winners, highly commended, and shortlisted practices awarded at last week's IDEA 2021 ceremony. Here we spotlight the winners, and share some photos from the night. 

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: Yasmine Ghoniem, YSG Studio. 
Sponsored by Cult 

Daring palettes, organic shapes and unexpected textural pairings elicit experiential outcomes with lasting impact at Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem’s Sydney practice, YSG Studio. Its immersive approach to sculpting spaces for private residences, plus the hospitality and commercial sectors, is realised through the creation of abundant elements – from joinery to individual furnishing pieces.

Four Pillars Gin Distillery in Sydney by YSG Studio. 

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD: SJB and Jackson Clements Burrows. 
Sponsored by Cultivated  

Nyul Nyul Packing Shed by SJB. 

The Packing Shed is a purpose-built timber facility that was installed at Twin Lakes on the Dampier Peninsula for the harvesting and processing of Indigenous foods on Country. The partially prefabricated structure is designed to withstand cyclonic wet season conditions while providing a cool natural environment for meeting and working.

Located on the land of the Nyul Nyul people, who are the custodians of Winawarl, the Country also known as Twin Lakes Cultural Park, the design evolved over a more than 10-year period in a pro bono collaboration between traditional owners, architects, builders, engineers and the Orana Foundation. It is the product of a bottom-up process that sits outside the government funding model, giving community full agency to direct the process by assuming the role of client.

Photo Credits: SJB

La Trobe University Apartments by ​Jackson Clements Burrows.

La Trobe University’s twin building student accommodation features a considered palette that references the macro to micro of the site’s indigenous landscape, respecting its Australian bush campus context. The colour spectrum indicates a progression from the whites, silver and greys of eucalyptus trunks to the vibrant colours found in the details.​​

Photo Credits: Peter Clarke and John Gollings

IDEA 2021 EVENT GALLERY 

Over 500 design industry members reunited at Randwick Racecourse reception rooms for the IDEA 2021 ceremony. We were delighted to reconnect in person after so much time online over the last two years. A big thank you to Niche Media, the Australian Design Review and  editor Elisa Scarton for hosting such a brilliant celebration.

Joshua Ellis (Brand Manager, Cultivated by Cult), Adam Haddow (Director, SJB), Beau Fullwood (Senior Associate, SJB), Bonnie Herring (Director of Architecture, Breathe Architecture)

Joshua Ellis (Brand Manager, Cultivated by Cult) presenting the IDEA 2021 Sustainability award, which is sponsored by Cultivated. 

Jock Taylor (Regional Sales Manager, Cult Design) and Richard Munao (Founder & Director, Cult Design) 

The 2021 IDEA Awards saw over 500 members of the design industry come together to celebrate the best of Australian interior and product design across 15 categories and six Special Awards.

Richard Munao (Founder & Director, Cult Design), presenting the Designer of the Year award which Cult has sponsored since 2013. 

Photography courtesy of Niche Media.