Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards 2013 finalists revealed

Greg Natale, Iain Halliday and Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie (jointly) are in the running for the top prize of designer of the year in the 2013 Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards. What a fantastic line-up of talent! It’s particularly exciting for Greg and Iain, who took the crowns in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

The prestigious awards, a collaboration between the magazine and the furniture brand, are now in their third year and this year received the largest number of entrants to date. The official announcement of the finalists, accompanied by a profile of their work, is revealed in Belle’s June/July issue, on sale today. This year, flamboyant American interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard was the international judge.

Belle Editor-in-chief Neale Whitaker described Australia’s interior design signature as world-class. ‘The exciting thing is that every year the confidence of Australian interior design grows. It has developed a profile that is truly international, directional and dynamic.”

Attributes including diversity, originality and balance were all flagged by the judging panel, which included Australian architect David Katon and Belle interior design editor Steve Cordony. Coco Republic executive director Anthony Spon-Smith found the residential category a particular highlight: ‘The quality is fantastic and I think we all found it very hard to judge,” he said.

The winners will be announced on 22 May at a champagne reception at Coco Republic’s Alexandria showroom in Sydney. I can’t wait! The winner of the Belle Coco Republic Interior Designer of the Year will receive two return flights to Maison et Objet, Paris, plus Parisi bathroom products to the value of $10,000, a $3,000 Cadrys rug voucher and a SMEG fridge. Prize packages in each category include a $1,000 Coco Republic voucher and $1,000 Cadrys rug voucher.

All the winning interior designers and their work will be published in Belle’s August/September issue.

THE FINALISTS

Residential

• Brighton house, Melbourne – Greg Natale Design
• Carlton residence, Melbourne – Hecker Guthrie
• Perikic house, Sydney – Greg Natale Design
• Sydney harbour house – Justine Hugh‐Jones Design

Hospitality

• Claremont Tonic, Melbourne – Hecker Guthrie
• Monopole, Sydney – Pascale Gomes McNabb
• Rosetta, Melbourne – BKH

Commercial

• George & Allen, Sydney – Hecker Guthrie
• Jac + Jack, Sydney – George Livissianis
• Peter G Bouchier, Melbourne – Doherty Lynch

Corporate

• Clemenger, Melbourne – Foolscap Studio
• Design studio, Sydney – Thomas Hamel & Associates
• Resolution, Sydney – Tom Ferguson Architecture & Design

Interior designer of the year

• Iain Halliday, BKH
• Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie, Hecker Guthrie
• Greg Natale, Greg Natale Design

The judges

Margie Attard – NSW & WA Manager, Coco Republic Interior Design; Steve Cordony – Interior Design Editor, Belle; Shareen Joel – Industrial and Interior designer; David Katon – Architect; Anthony Spon-Smith – Executive Director, Coco Republic; Neale Whitaker – Editor-in-Chief, Belle; Jean Wright – Senior Design Consultant, Belle; International judge Martyn Lawrence Bullard – LA-based interior designer.