The Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is Australia’s largest and most successful independent design awards program, which Cult has proudly supported for over a decade. IDEA 2023 has now opened for early bird entries and the program was officially launched last week with a party in the Miele showroom. Read on for a gallery from the event and details to enter IDEA 2023!

Photography by Scott Gick.

Event Gallery. IDEA 2023 Launch Party 

IDEA 2023 kicked off with a party in Melbourne attended by a slew of established designers, industry members, and a few fresh faces. For the ninth consecutive year, Miele Australia hosted the launch event.

For guests, it was a chance to mingle with designers, architects and IDEA 2022 winners and highly commended, plus sponsors from Melbourne and Sydney. While enjoying free-flowing beverages and delicious food prepared on-site, guests delighted in an informative and sometimes cheeky chat between Australian Design Review assistant editor Charlotte Huston and Ryan Russell and Byron George (of Russell & George), the winner of the Designer of the Year award for 2022.

ADR Assistant Editor, Charlotte Hustonn with Ryan Russell at Miele’s Experience Centre in South Melbourne.

Cult General Manager Jeff Tsang, Neolith State Manager Adin Elton and interior designer Paola Reyes.

The duo reflected back on their career beginnings, relationship with IDEA, working dynamic, and design philosophy. Intuitive, intelligent, and witty, Russell and George were unafraid to share their thoughts on the current state of the design industry, and how it relates to their work in social theory.

Speaking on their working relationship as a duo, George commented on the invaluable ability to “bounce ideas” off one another. “We’re different. It’s very helpful to have a different perspective that you respect. If you’re struggling with something, then we can flip it and take over with a fresh pair of eyes,” he said.

Self-described as the ‘Glenn Close of IDEA’, Russell & George were no strangers to being finalists. After seven red-hot cracks, they finally took centre stage as our Designer of the Year for 2022. 

Cult has proudly sponsored the 'Designer of the Year' category since IDEA launched nearly 15 years ago.

Launched by inside magazine in 2003, IDEA celebrates the best of Australian interior and product design across 15 categories and six Special Awards. Cult has proudly supported  this wards program for over a decade. Early bird entries for IDEA 2023 are open until Sunday 7 May. You can enter or find out more information here.