Brahman Perera won the Retail award at the 2024 Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) for the Perri Cutten Mosman project in Sydney.

Ensconced among the verdant streets of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Braham Perera’s winning project, the Perri Cutten bricks-and-mortar retail front in Mosman, recontextualises its setting within the urban and natural environment to create a contemporary dialogue. 

In a nod to the cerulean surrounds of the North Harbour, the shop’s interior presents a coastal palette of porcelain tiles in powder blue, complemented by the tactile materiality of wall-to-ceiling pile carpet in the same hue.

The Perri Cutten Mosman project is a space that draws inspiration from its urban and natural surroundings, harmonising the casual nature of the beach with an urbane sensibility.

Australian Design Review (ADR) spoke with Brahman Perera about his inspiration and sense of courage behind the project.

ADR: What did it mean for you to win your category?

Brahman Perera: Winning the Retail category for the Interior Design Excellence Awards is a significant award for my studio as this is an award that is judged and deemed by the industry and my peers. Retail can be a complex type of project, as invariably you encounter different constraints: time, budget, or overall look and feel of the project. So, to execute this project as something that the clients were very happy with, but also receive that recognition from the industry is something incredibly special for me.

ADR: Tell us about your winning project. What was its inspiration and how did you achieve the outcome that you did?

BP: The clients sought out a key site along Military Road in Sydney’s Mosman – a retail strip with a nucleus of premium retail. The site itself had a simple and malleable floor plan, but required intervention to transition it from its previous ‘beachy’ stylings into something more cultivated. The site was originally a very narrow and dark space, so it was important to look at solutions that could be the most effective given the nature of the space.

I wanted to revise the coastal aesthetic that is common throughout Sydney, but reimagine it as less of a trope and more of a contemporary and sophisticated style. A key design intent was to apply a powdery-blue colour saturation to the entire space, creating a theatrical-set-like backdrop for the garments to take centre stage.

ADR: Did you set out to design something ambitious and award-winning from the beginning?

BP: I don’t think any project is something I commence as wanting to win an award for, but rather I always seek to challenge myself and the client to create something unique. A project is an ever-evolving structure so it’s important to embrace an attitude of adaptability and problem-solving, it’s in the invariable hiccups that special traits and details emerge.

I always want to tell a story in what I design. That story will be constantly shifting and evolving around the client and their narrative, but key design inflections will present themselves: soft materiality, a focus on Australian design, unapologetic use of colour and an appreciation for soft textiles.

ADR: What did you learn from this project that you hope to bring to future designs?

BP: I think I developed a sense of courage in adapting and pivoting materials into new applications. By installing carpet up to the ceiling and creating custom pieces of furniture (with Bieemele) made from rammed earth, I was able to develop further my interest in creating powerful, emotive spaces that aren’t necessarily driven by trends or status symbols.

ADR: How would you describe 2024 for your and/or your studio?

BP: I would describe it as a year of growth, new relationships, new ideas and new beginnings.

ADR: What’s next for you? Can you share any upcoming or current projects you’re working on?

BP: There are more retail projects in the pipeline for me, as well as some beautiful residential projects – both new construction and restoration. I am also developing a range of bespoke design objects in lighting and furniture.

IDEA 2024 was proudly brought to you by our sponsors Miele, Cult, Crafted Hardwoods, Neolith, Halliday + Baillie, Krost, MillerKnoll, Laufen, ForestOne, Zenith, Designer Rugs, and supported by our event partners Axolotl, Four Pillars Gin, Moo Brew Beer and Artfull.

A special thank you to our jury chair Clare Cousins, and our jury members Brooke Lloyd, Davina Bester, Graham Charbonneau, Melissa Bright, Michael Alvisse and Manuela Millan.