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George Livissianis won the Premier Award at the 2019 Australian Interior Design Awards for Usfin, a radical take on the hair salon. Photography: Tom Ferguson.

Cox Architecture won the Public Design category for Waltzing Matilda Centre, a museum in Central West Queensland. Photography: Christopher Frederick Jones.

Under the Tree netted Arent and Pyke the Residential Decoration award. Photography: Anson Smart.

Australian Interior Design Awards – winners revealed

A daring hair salon designed by George Livissianis was awarded the Premier Award at the Australian Interior Design Awards (AIDA), presented at Forum Melbourne on Friday 31 May.

Distinctive for its moveable hair station pods, Usfin was described by the jurors as a “genuinely clever concept” and “a fine example of where the Australian design industry is today.” 

Celebrating its 16th anniversary this year, AIDA is Australia’s most prestigious and respected awards program for the sector. The winning projects are selected by a jury of architects and design professionals at the top of their fields. This year’s jury said in its comments, “Like every year before it, [this year’s] standard is high, marked by an intellectual rigour and stylistic confidence. So many of the projects can be described as exciting and dynamic.”

Taking out the prestigious Award for Interior Design Impact this year was Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School by BVN. The project saw a dark, sombre 1970s Telstra training centre transformed into an open, light
and energetic primary school. “The exploration of interior planning, materials, movement and the subsequent impact on pedagogy and wellbeing is evident and has resulted in positive benefits to students, staff, parents and the community,” said the jury. 

The 2019 winners were:

Premier Award for Australian Interior Design: Usfin by George Livissianis

Interior Design Impact: Our Lady of
the Assumption Catholic Primary School by BVN

Sustainability Advancement: Arup Melbourne by Hassell with Arup

Emerging Interior Design Practice: Pierce Widera

Residential Design: Oak House by Kennedy Nolan and Edsall Street by Ritz and Ghougassian (joint winners)

Residential Decoration: Under the Tree by Arent and Pyke

Hospitality Design: United Places Botanic Gardens South Yarra by Carr

Retail Design: Usfin by George Livissianis

Public Design: Waltzing Matilda Centre by Cox Architecture

Workplace Design: BVN Sydney Studio by BVN

Installation Design: Escher X Nendo: Between Two Worlds by National Gallery of Victoria and Nendo

Best of State and International awards can be viewed along with commended projects on the Australian Interior Design Awards’ website. The awards program is a partnership event of the Design Institute of Australia and Artichoke magazine. It is supported by Dulux Australia, Elton Group, Space Furniture, Smeg, Laminex, Novas and Oblica, with Denfair as jury host. australianinteriordesignawards.com