One architect and one interior designer, both from Melbourne, have won the top prizes in Australia’s premier rug design competition.

After months of anticipation, Designer Rugs has announced FJC Studio project architect Anne-Marie Randall and Woods Bagot interior designer Maggie Craig as dual winners of its Evolve competition. 

The annual competition provides a unique and generous platform for Australia’s architecture and design community to try its hand at rug design. Running since 2010 and following a hiatus, the program was rebooted for its fifth iteration in September 2025, challenging a new wave of creatives to push the boundaries of what is possible with rugs. 

Bringing ‘The Power of Colour’ to life

For the 2025-2026 series, hopeful entrants were tasked with creating pieces under the prompt: ‘The Power of Colour’.

The jury members – including Williams Burton Leopardi director Sophia Leopardi, Bates Smart director Brenton Smith, DKO Architecture associate Jacob Olsen, Designer Rugs senior designer Lia Pielli and Geyer Valmont design studio leader Tamara Rozo – shortlisted just six rug designs in February.

The full shortlist was on display at the Evolve awards night, held at Designer Rugs’ Richmond showroom on Thursday 26 November. Earlier that day the judging panel gathered to make their final decisions, able to behold and touch the rugs, made from 100 percent New Zealand wool and shiny nylon, in all of their luxurious tactility.

The event marked the first time that the identities of the designers behind each rug were made public. It also doubled as a preview of the Evolve 2026 collection, which comprises all six shortlisted rugs, available to purchase as of this week. 

“Tonight is especially meaningful because it also marks the start of our 40th anniversary celebrations as a business,” Designer Rugs’ marketing manager Ammie Marshall told attendees, hinting at more celebrations to come throughout the year.

The award-winning designs

Evolve’s two winners represent two distinct categories: Over 30 and Under 30.

“This allows us to celebrate an exciting new generation of creatives alongside the amazing established talent shaping our design industry,” Marshall explained.

The Under 30 category featured an impressive shortlist of emerging designers who enthusiastically embraced the colourful brief. Alongside the winning design ‘Maggie’ by Craig, other shortlisted rugs included ‘Abstracted View’ by Unjelique Hajjar from Unjelique Hajjar and ‘Kine’ by Ildelin Kruger from Blanc Atelier Interiors.

The Over 30 category shortlist showcased remarkable work and spatial understanding from established professionals. Randall’s winning design ‘Lazuli’ was among sophisticated company, including ‘Slice’ by Daniela Casadio from Daniela Casadio and ‘Zozo’ by Amanda Meiklejohn from Williams Ross Architects. 

As winners of Evolve 2026, both Craig and Randall receive a $2000 cash prize each and an exclusive trip to Copenhagen for the 3daysofdesign event in June.

Designer Rugs’ showroom manager Marija Tomic congratulated all of those who submitted a design and “trusted us with your visions”.

“It’s so beautiful to see them all come to life,” she said. “We at Designer Rugs are extremely proud of this collection.”

The Evolve 2026 collection

Following the successful showcase, Designer Rugs announced this week that the official Evolve collection is now available through its network. 

The collection is suitable for both residential and commercial applications. All designs can be customised to suit the unique requirements of any space.

View the Evolve 2026 collection here.

Photography supplied by Designer Rugs.