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
- Retail & Hospitality
- Civic
- Education
- Residential
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Emerging
- Colour
Key Dates
- Entries Open - 3 May 2026
- Judges Announced - 6 May 2026
- Partners Announced - 8 May 2026
- Entries Close - 5 June 2026
- Judging Commences - 15 June 2026
- Awards Evening at Auckland Museum - 30 July 2026
The Judges
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
