Six Standout Projects: 2020 AIDA Residential Design Shortlist

All faced with the current need to stay home, here at est, we’re constantly reflecting on how our spaces can better serve and nuture us. Cue: the 17th annual Australian Interior Design Awards (AIDA) 2020 shortlist, bringing a fresh wave of inspiration across residential design and residential decoration, as well as retail design, hospitality design, workplace design, public design and installation design.

Heading straight to AIDA’s 2020 Residential Design shortlist, we’re unearthing the quality and breadth of new and reworked homes from across Australia. Some of the nominees we’re already well-acquainted with; such as CHJ Studio’s Penthouse M and Doherty Design Studio’s Back to the Future House, both starring in est magazine issue #35. We’ve shared the Brutalist beauty, Perfect Storm by Killing Matt Woods and recognised Alexander & Co.’s Bondi Junction Home as one of the Best Australian Homes in 2019. The calm and curvaceous Woorak House by CM Studio most recently graced the pages of est Magazine issue #36.

Stay inspired with six standout residential design projects from the AIDA 2020 shortlist, not yet seen on est, by leading Australian architects and interior designers. Winners will be announced on 29 May 2020, in an online celebration. 

Great Ocean Road by Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors

Great Ocean Road isn’t the first project Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors (RMA) have revealed on this celebrated stretch of coastline. Their Ocean House, a study in harmony, revealed their aptitude for blending the natural environment with a home’s sculptural bones, high up in Lorne’s hillside.

This time, it’s a residence set on the dramatic cliffs, with unparalleled views to watch the waves roll in – from the freestanding bath. Fusing sustainable principles with their ambition to conceptualise ‘great living’, the home balances scale with RMA’s signature, luxurious material palette. The project makes a quiet statement, with an assured sense of belonging to its coastal landscape. 

Tree House by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects

One of our Top 10 Australian Designers in 2019, Sydney-based architect Madeleine Blanchfield shares intimate insight into her design practice, with her own home. Located near Bronte Beach, Tree House is home to the architect and her family, with all of the notable hallmarks of an MBA project. Greenery laces most spaces in the home, that are drenched in sunlight, wrapped in timber, and demonstrate a precise eye for scale. Better yet, the home reveals Madeleine Blanchfield’s hand at furniture design, including a monolithic marble dining table.

Canopy House by Leeton + Pointon and Allison Pye Interiors

Leeton Pointon were steadfast on their curvaceous motive in the Canopy House; a refuge for calm and tranquillity. This Melbourne home, designed in collaboration with Allison Pye Interiors, takes its name from the street tree canopies, mirrored beautifully in the sculpted architectural form. Through a play of natural light, the rendered interior reveals a gentle balance between mass, weightlessness and tactility – and one unforgettable staircase design. 

Ruxton Rise by studiofour

Ruxton Rise by studiofour captures their commitment to down-to-earth, durable and sustainable design. Also listed as part of our Top 10 Designers in 2019, directors Annabelle Berryman and Sarah Henry strive for unity with nature to create healthy homes, reflected in Ruxton Rise’s fluid indoor-outdoor scheme. The home asserts privacy, warmth, ventilation and natural light; all on a small footprint. 

Dutch Gable House by Austin Design Associates

You couldn’t find a more potent mix of stately sophistication than in the Dutch Gable House by Austin Design Associates. This timeless heritage home rework is intermitted by steel framing and threaded together by a moody yet glamorous material palette. Special mention goes to the selection of natural stone, parquetry flooring and crowning jewels by Apparatus Studio and Articolo Lighting.

Armadale House by Sanders & King

Sanders & King know what it means to commence a significant renovation of a heritage home and let it settle into contemporary life. Their Armadale House sees the transformation of a dilapidated Victorian mansion and its rear stables; a revival that keeps the historic home’s integrity in tact. Taking centrestage in this marriage of old and new, the kitchen is a classic material compilation of timber veneer, leather and natural stone. The space reveals the hand of an expert craftsman, with its own custom island bench and buttery leather dining nook.