The Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2025 shortlist reveal proved a sparkling affair at the iconic Abbotsford Convent, where the bright lights of the Australian interior design and architecture community came together to celebrate the year’s achievements. 

On Thursday 14 August, the historic Magdalen Laundry at Melbourne’s heritage-listed Abbotsford Convent played host to many of Australia’s most innovative and inventive interior designers and architects.  

Spread across three large rooms branching from the spacious, relatively untouched Industrial School – complete with the chipped pastel paint of past decades – the 2025 IDEA shortlist reveal found a fitting home in one of the city’s best-loved buildings. 

Guests collecting refreshments as the event got underway

The main entrance foyer saw exhibition displays from this year’s IDEA sponsors, including Crafted Hardwoods, Cult, Designer Rugs, ForestOne, MillerKnoll, Laufen and Zenith. 

The program’s overall sponsor Miele were present at the event in the form of Miele ANZ leader of project sales Leo Wallin, marking an important addition to the evening’s proceedings given the extent of the brand’s valuable support of the IDEA awards. Beyond this, Miele’s contributions to the architecture and design community was further highlighted in a brief, engaging promotional film that played after Wallin’s introductory address to the crowd.

An array of sparkling refreshments was on offer from Chandon, our event partner for this year’s IDEA awards. Guests were provided with a 2018 Vintage Brut as a special treat, alongside a flavoursome Garden Spritz. In addition to these delicious beverage options was a wide spread of colourful canapes, around which many of the guests assembled in animated chatter before presentations.

Miele ANZ leader of project sales Leo Wallin

Highlighting the achievements and innovations of the past year

Before a packed assembly of guests and nominees for the 2025 IDEA shortlist, including several members of the 30UNDER30 cohort, the evening’s showrunners provided a celebratory overview of the year’s accomplishments and the richness of the Australian design community. 

Australian Design Review (ADR) brand manager Alvin Wu launched proceedings in his welcome address, underlining the importance of awards ceremonies such as these in recognising the hard work and devotion of all working within this specialist field today.  

IDEA sponsor Chandon

The second speaker of the evening was ADR’s general manager of commercial Jillian Hood, who warmly thanked the sponsors of this year’s IDEA awards for their generous contributions. She also emphasised the product displays situated in the main entrance space of the venue, underlining the importance of having physical samples for the design community to observe and interact with. 

Hood also made keen reference to the contributions of event sponsor Chandon, herself raising a glass with the suggestion that the winemaker’s contributions to the evening were surely going down a treat.

Next up was a historical overview of the Magdalen Laundry from Sophie Berrill, managing editor of inside magazine. The magazine’s latest issue, 121, was also celebrating its launch party that night and contained the full shortlist for IDEA 2025 for guests to peruse in detail across the evening. 

‘An industry that’s never been more diverse and exciting’

Guests were able to liaise with industry colleagues and network more widely over drinks and canapes

Dressed for the occasion, the two keynote speakers of the night were IDEA 2025 jury chair Paul Hecker, founding principal of Melbourne-based practice Hecker Guthrie, and fellow jury member Conrad Lowry. 

Speaking first, Hecker outlined the sheer scope and skill of entrants in this year’s awards lineup as something quite daunting – but, he stipulated, “also really exciting”. 

“It makes you realise the industry has never been more exciting; it’s never been more diverse,” he said.

The turnout of this year’s event prompted Hecker to admit there were many unfamiliar faces among the crowd, though he emphasised that this was not an unhappy observation. 

IDEA 2025 jury chair Paul Hecker (centre) and fellow jury member Conrad Lowry (right)

“It is so amazing to see so many new companies, having their submissions acknowledged and shortlisted,” Hecker announced. “The quality is extraordinary, and so from my perspective, that is really exciting!”

More broadly, Hecker reflected on the evolution of the industry and the changes he has noticed over time, particularly among this year’s entrants, who demonstrated an incredibly high level of detailing in the finished product. 

“When I started, ‘interior decorator’ was a really bad word! The big word was designer, and we were interior designers and wanting to be acknowledged as that. I think, these days, these lines are becoming blurred…” Hecker said. 

GroupGSA associate director Andrew Glover, one of the evening’s numerous keynote speakers

“I’d like to think, designers are all out there seeking to create the most wonderful spaces for our clients.” 

On that note, Hecker handed the mic to Lowry and invited his thoughts on this year’s lineup. 

The work submitted this year, Lowry assured us, was “truly extraordinary”. “Now that we’ve gone through what was an incredible shortlist – and we spent days, solid 12-hour days going through it – to a select shortlist, we’re going into judging in September,” Lowry said.

The hard work and long hours surely paid off, with Lowry offering further assurances that there would be an impeccable selection of finalists presented later in the year. 

“I’ve got to say,” he concluded, “we’re really excited by the opportunity coming in September, to have a round table to come to conclusions about who we think the winners will be.” 

IDEA sponsor Chandon made for a very welcome presence among the evening’s assorted guests and event speakers

The final speaker of the evening was GroupGSA associate director Andrew Glover, who echoed the positive sentiments of each speaker that evening. He shared his thoughts on the landscape of Australian workplace design, which, as this year’s shortlist demonstrated, he believed was truly “second to none”. 

Tantalising prize draws to add to the celebrations

In addition to Chandon’s generous contribution to the evening’s catering, the prestigious winemaker is also offering a series of prize giveaways. With top prize in the form of an all-inclusive day stay at the newly redesigned Homestead of the winemaker’s Yarra Valley estate, valued at nearly $5000, devotees of the esteemed French sparkling wine can also snag one of three tantalising runner-up prizes. 

The extensive renovation work is a tranquil exercise in how to bring the natural world into a welcoming harmony of spacious interiors. For fans of exquisite sparkling wine and peerless interior design alike, the prize draw at Chandon’s remarkable Homestead is a prize to satisfy the sights and tastebuds of the lucky winners.

The shortlist reveal presented great opportunities for the design and architecture community to engage with peers and make new connections

With plenty to look forward to as the warmer months roll in, you’ll have to be quick as entries close 7 September 2025. More details about Chandon’s luxurious prize draw can be found here. 

In addition, another contest in affiliation with IDEA 2025 comes from program sponsor Designer Rugs, which has partnered with one of this year’s judges, Meryl Hare, in a unique collection. 

With the keenly anticipated fifth edition of their Evolve Design Competition, the boutique textiles specialist is giving entrants the opportunity to create their own unique rug design. 

Delicious offerings of cheese, fruit and dips presented a gorgeous canape display

This year’s theme, ‘The Power of Colour’, boldly invites interior designers, architects and decorators to unleash their creativity with explorations of shape, shade and form that will evoke plentiful storytelling possibilities. 

After the final shortlist was revealed, numerous copies of the latest issue of inside were laid out by the exits so that guests could take one and study the full shortlist in more detail on their journeys home, and over coffee the next morning. 

As with every IDEA shortlist reveal, the 2025 celebration proved a successful convergence of creativity and ingenuity within Australia’s thriving interior design, product design and architecture community. 

Niche Media managing director, and publisher of inside magazine, Paul Lidgerwood (left) with Australian Design Review brand manager Alvin Wu

Revealing the winners of IDEA 2025

Following the vibrant launch of the IDEA shortlist, the final winners of IDEA 2025 will be announced at our yearly gala party, held at the Seymour Centre in Sydney this November. Dates and tickets will be available soon. Subscribe to Australian Design Review for updates. 

As well as this, 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 6pm 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 6pm at the Cult Brisbane showroom (925 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley Qld 4006).

Photography by Scott Gick.