Shortlist for IDEA 2025 revealed

Following more than 500 entries, the shortlist for the 2025 Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is finally ready to share.

As the longest-running interior design and architecture award program in the country, IDEA has attracted the leading lights of Australia’s creative community since 2003. This year proves no different, with a grand total of 328 distinct, captivating projects showcased in our final shortlist.

A broad range of new and known names mark this year’s entrants among a diverse assembly of creatives. Above all else, devotion to new ideas and novel approaches to client needs was evident in every project that made it to our final selection.

The Boot Factory and Mill Hill Centre Precinct by Archer Office, entered in the Public Space category. Photo: Hamish McIntosh.

We warmly thank all of the studios who submitted projects to IDEA 2025. To see if your practice was selected, head to the entire shortlist here.

Check the links below to view the IDEA 2025 shortlist for each category:

All of the shortlisted projects for IDEA 2025 will feature in issue 121 of inside magazine, which will be available to order next week here.

Darling Point residence by Mim Design, entered in the Residential Interior category. Photo: Anson Smart.

Next stages

Now that the announcement of the 2025 shortlist has been made, our jury panel – Melissa Leung, Jade Whittaker, Andrew Glover, Conrad Lowry, Matiya Marovich, Meryl Hare and jury chair Paul Hecker – will assemble to choose the winners of all 14 categories, as well as seven Special Awards.

These Special Award categories include Overall Project of the Year, Designer of the Year, Emerging Designer of the Year, the IDEA Gold Medal, the Sustainability award, Mark Robinson Community award and the new Enduring award.

People’s Coffee café by Studio Tate, entered in the Hospitality category. Photo: Tom Blachford.

The live judging of two special awards will take place in the following events:

IDEA 2025 Emerging Designer of the Year presentation: Taking place on Thursday 28 August at 6:00pm at the ForestOne Melbourne showroom (601 Victoria Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067).
IDEA 2025 Designer of the Year presentation: Taking place on Thursday 18 September at 6:00pm at the Cult Brisbane showroom (925 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006).

All winners of IDEA 2025 will be announced at our yearly gala party, held at the Seymour Centre in Sydney this November. Dates will be available soon, and tickets will be on sale at the end of August. Subscribe to Australian Design Review for updates.

House Gretchen by Lintel Studio for Architecture, entered in the Colour category. Photo: Luc Rémond.

This year’s line-up promises to be a dazzling showcase of the very best in homegrown Aussie design and architecture, and we look forward to raising a glass with the A+D community.