Interior of the Year 2026
The Interior of the Year Awards is an annual programme which celebrates the strength and uniqueness of professional commercial and residential interior architecture and design in New Zealand.
Now in its sixth year, Interior of the Year expands to include commercial interiors across categories including Retail & Hospitality, Workplace, Civic, Education, and Health, in addition to the existing categories: Residential, Kitchen, and Bathroom.
The Emerging Designer Award will recognise practitioners in both residential and commercial categories, while the Resene Colour Award recognises exceptional use of colour in a commercial or residential setting.
The Categories
- Workplace
- Health & Wellness
- Retail & Hospitality
- Civic
- Education
- Residential
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Emerging
- Colour
The Prizes
The Supreme Winner, named Interior of the Year 2026, receives a prize valued at $10,000 including a cinematic video package, a cash component and media value across Nook Publishing’s print and digital brands, while all category winners receive a prize package valued at $8,000 including a cinematic video package.
All winners will be published in the August issues of Architecture Aotearoa or HOME, and featured across all digital channels ensuring your work is seen by more than one million people in New Zealand — and around the world.
Key Dates
- Entries Open - 3 May 2026
- Judges Announced - 6 May 2026
- Partners Announced - 8 May 2026
- Entries Close - 5 June 2026
- Finalists Announced - 12 June 2026
- Judging Commences - 15 June 2026
- Awards Evening at Auckland Museum - 30 July 2026
The Judges
Abdallah Alayan, Principal, Monk Mackenzie
Abdallah Alayan is a multi-award-winning Architect and designer. With broad experience delivering diverse works both locally and abroad, Abdallah’s approach is driven by the harmonisation of large-scale moves and small-scale details. As a Principal at renowned design firm Monk Mackenzie, he is dedicated to the continual elevation of design quality emerging from Aotearoa to the globe.
Anna Hill, Principal, Jasmax
Anna is a Principal and Interior Sector lead at Jasmax, leading the design direction and overall vision across all interior projects. She brings a strategic, design-led approach that aligns client aspirations with thoughtful, high-performing environments, balancing spatial experience, materiality, and brand. Known for her collaborative approach, Anna works closely with clients, stakeholders, and consultant teams to build alignment and unlock the best project outcomes. Her work is defined by a clear narrative, strong attention to detail, and a commitment to delivering cohesive, enduring design.
Gary Lawson, Director, Stevens Lawson Architects
Gary is one of the founding directors of Stevens Lawson Architects. Gary, along with business partner Nicholas Stevens was the recipient of the 2022 NZIA Gold Medal for Architecture, New Zealand’s highest honour for an Architect. Stevens Lawson Architects have been the recipients of 30 NZIA National Awards, the New Zealand Architecture Medal, the John Scott Award for Public Architecture, and are winners of the New Zealand Home of the Year Award a record five times. The practice won the 2022 World Architecture Festival Completed Buildings – Religion category and was Highly Commended in the Completed Buildings – Civic and Community category.
Federico Monsalve, Editor, Architecture Aotearoa
Architecture Aotearoa’s editor Federico Monsalve has convened the awards since its inception. He is also the convenor of the Home of the Year Awards — a position he has held since 2021 — prior to which he served as convenor of the former Interior Awards from 2014-2020. He has also served as a judge at the World Architecture Festival, among others.
Guest International Judge
David Flack, Founder, Flack Studio
David Flack is the founder and principal of Flack Studio, a Melbourne-based architecture and interiors practice known for its rich, expressive spaces. Since starting the studio in 2014, David has carved out a distinct approach – one that leans into emotion, mood, and material, rather than chasing trends.
He’s the designer behind some of the most widely discussed interiors of the past decade – from the award-winning Ace Hotel Sydney to Troye Sivan’s much-talked about Melbourne home. His work has earned global recognition,with five consecutive listings inArchitectural Digest’s AD100 and a spot in Vogue Living’s VL50,where he was named Creative of the Year in 2024.
But the studio’s impact goes beyond what it creates. Through Plinths, a rotating exhibition series supporting emerging artists, and the Open Library – a regular gathering for conversation, ideas, and community – Flack Studio has built something bigger than design alone.
Join us at Auckland Museum on Thursday 30 July for an evening celebrating the best of New Zealand interior architecture and design at the 2026 Interior of the Year Awards.
Bringing together the country’s leading architects, designers and industry figures, the evening unfolds among the ideas, people and projects defining contemporary design culture in Aotearoa — culminating in the unveiling of New Zealand’s most exceptional interiors.
Our Partners
It is through the generous support of our partners that we are able to celebrate and champion the people, ideas and refined craft behind the interior architecture and design produced in New Zealand, and to showcase it on a global stage.
Thank you to Inzide, Autex Acoustics, Laminex, Resene, Plumbline, Forte, Peter Fell and Powersurge — brands that both support and help define exceptional commercial and residential design in Aotearoa — for your continued commitment to and support of our local design story.
