Something is happening in Perth. The Western Australian design scene is on the rise — underlined by the fact that this year’s IDEA Designer of the Year presentation took place in WA for the first time in its 23-year history. On Thursday 22 August, a blustery winter’s night, a chic crowd gathered in the new Cult showroom to see presentations from seven nominated designers.

Cult founder and director Richard Munao kicked things off by saying it was about time IDEA touched down out west.

“It always feels like things are happening on the east coast,” Munao said. “This is the best awards program in Australia, so it’s great to finally bring it to Perth.”

Bates Smart director Mark Healey gave a quick tour of four projects his firm has seen nominated this year, starting with Brisbane’s Rivière (Residential Multi). Healey explained how the project was built around creating as many amenity spaces as possible, allowing residents tocome together for organic and unexpected meetings.

Space was also crucial to The Embassy of Australia (Public Space) in Washington DC, where the centre was “hollowed out” to create a double atrium with galleries and breakout spaces. The sunburned nation is evoked throughout the design, from the limestone at the entrance and the dominant blackbutt panelling to the extraordinary carpet of the Ambassador’s office.

Healey finished by walking us through two very different projects nominated in the Workplaces over 1000sqm category. The first was a detailed, warm and domestic office environment for legal firm Pinsent Masons in Melbourne, which contrasted with the more stark, subterranean and industrial design for Transurban in Sydney.

Independent designer Brahman Perera said Holbrook House in Melbourne (Residential Interior) and Perri Cutten Mosman in Sydney (Retail) exemplified his timeless, layered and personalised approach to interiors. He noted that both projects demonstrated his commitment to heritage, with the painterly colour scheme of his Perri Cutten design reflecting his interest in set design. The theatrical flavour of the latter gave a stark contrast to the warm stone and beachy aesthetic of his other nominated retail project, DISSH Bondi. He also spoke of his love of the artisanal — he favours handicraft pieces — and how they informed his work on Hopper Joint in Prahran (Hospitality).

Domenic Cerantonio of Cera Stribley talked about the importance of storytelling in his studio’s work, stressing that design should have meaning. He discussed three projects, including the studio’s own office in Richmond (Workplace Under 1000sqm), which fused the warehouse’s history with cutting-edge finishes, as demonstrated by the contrast of brickwork and stainless steel.

The Deco House in Pascoe Vale (Residential Single) featured a similar blend of tradition and innovation, with the clean lines and open spaces of the extension embellished with deco detail and custom furnishings. The third project, the Winning Appliances showroom in Redfern (Retail) was constructed from an unconventional mix of materials around a central, banana-shaped bench, creating a sense of different settings and environments.

Doing more with less was the central theme of Brooke Lloyd’s presentation for COX Architecture. The firm’s studio at 70 George Street (Workplace over 1000sqm) has not only slashed its carbon footprint through various measures including clever cross-ventilation, but the fittings were also designed in a way to be easily removed without causing waste or damage to the building. Likewise, the team’s approach to the ground floor lobby and forecourt at the iconic Sydney tower, Aurora Place (Public Space), was to retain as much of the original structure’s fabric as possible. Where timber had to be removed from the lobby, it was repurposed as custom-designed external furniture. On other projects, including Australia Place in Perth (Public Space), COX has created premium spaces using rejected materials. For Sydney’s Poetica (Hospitality), they stripped the building back to use the original structure as a means of decoration.

Zenifa Bowring and Rhys Bowring from Rezen Studio were happy to be representing Western Australia with their four projects. 190STG (Public Space) saw them refurbish the interior of a 1980s, brutalist building in the Perth CBD with flashes of the state’s landscape, including Pilbara marble, to build an inviting contrast to the exterior. Vin Populi (Hospitality) in Fremantle paid homage to the restaurant’s long history, dividing the space into three spaces with different personalities, with peeled-back brick walls and fittings that gave a nod to the area’s maritime connections. 320 Rokeby (Workplace under 1000sqm) was designed for a small business, but intended to have a domestic vibe. Warm, natural materials were used to create a sense of home away from home for workers and clients alike.

Alex Hopkins from Studio Tate said her firm created experiences, rather than spaces. Malvern Residence III (Residential Single) was a home designed for the changing needs of a young family, where adaptability and functionality were at the forefront. Activision headquarters (Workplace over 1000sqm) had a similar functional bent, allowing for spaces where workers could play and collaborate. The aesthetic mixed 2020s technology with 1980s gaming nostalgia. 

Pincho Disco in Melbourne (Hospitality) had a high-energy atmosphere suitable for all-day service, with South American flourishes imbuing the restaurant with a lively personality — the vibe being “party while you eat”. Pro bono project The Living Room (The Mark Robinson Community Award) was a space designed to inspire hope for people at risk of homelessness. A sense of safety was evoked by a soothing palette of colours, with the interior constructed from materials that had either been donated or delivered at reduced rates.

The final presentation, introduced by Sophie Bond of Hassell, was a video in which the studio’s designers unpacked their nominated projects. The first was the Michael Kirby Building at Macquarie University (Institutional), where the bushland setting inspired an approach that saw them expose as much of the structure’s timber as possible. The Square at T1, Melbourne Airport (Retail) was conceived as a piazza, designed to transform the arrivals experience for travellers. Local materials offered a welcome to Country, while a ceiling light plane — constructed from 500 individual light boxes — provided warmth and a clear pathway.

The Deloitte building in Sydney fused local context with a global outlook, attempting to capture what the harbour city might look like to an outsider. Local was also central to the Design Wall for Melbourne Now (Event), an inviting display structure built to show off Victorian designers. Last for the evening was the MinterEllison offices in Perth (Workplace over 1000sqm), which were designed to give staff access to the best and most picturesque parts of the building, allowing for clear light and beautiful views.

The evening wrapped up with a few quick words from Clare Cousins, chair of the IDEA 2024 jury, who thanked everyone for coming and noted the breadth of talent on show.

“We on the jury certainly have our work cut out for us,” Cousins said.

Winners of Designer of the Year will be announced, alongside winners from the other IDEA categories, at the IDEA Gala on Friday 29 November at the Forum in Melbourne. Gala tickets are on sale now.

The Interior Design Excellence Awards, IDEA, are presented by Australian Design Review and Niche Media, with the support of our sponsors: ForestOne, Crafted Hardwoods, Cult, Halliday + Baillie, Krost, Laufen, Miele, MillerKnoll, Neolith, and Zenith.