What inspired you to enter the Interior Awards Emerging Design Professional category last year?

Lauren Hickling (LH): I’ve always been a huge follower of the awards. I watch the live presentations each year, as it’s not often you get an insight in to the design process of the local projects you admire. Having recently completed the new workplace for Kiwi Property, it felt like the right time to enter the Emerging Designer category.

How did you find the process of entering and, once you were a finalist, presenting live to the judges?

LH: I think the two-tier process of an initial entry then presenting live to the judges is a unique and exciting way to run an award. The whole process of preparing the first entry and then pulling together a cohesive, 10-minute presentation gives you the chance to reflect on how far you’ve come and what really does drive you. You don’t always get the chance to pause and look back while you’re in the rush of the everyday.

What was your first thought when you heard your name called as the winner?

LH: I think it was pure shock; I was up against two other very talented designers, so I really didn’t know whose name would be announced.

Perhaps the most important question: What did you do with your $1,500 prize money?

LH: I’d had some travel planned for a while, so the money was well spent exploring the US and Mexico.

What have you been up to since last year’s awards? Did winning the Emerging Design Professional category affect your career at all?

LH: I spent several months travelling before landing in Vancouver, Canada. The process of the awards made me narrow in on what my design ethos is and helped me have open conversations about what I wanted from my time working in Vancouver. It also helped me land a dream job working for McKinley Burkart, an interior design company with a focus on lifestyle and experience in hospitality and retail.

How did you friends and colleagues react to the win?

LH: Absolutely over the moon; I think my grandparents still have a cut out from the story Gisborne Herald ran about my win on their fridge.

Where is your trophy now?

LH: It sits pride of place on my bedside table in Vancouver, next to a handful of other reminders of home.

What advice would you give to people who are thinking of entering the awards? 

LH: The initial entry is easy to complete (so go do it!), but do take the time to reflect and refine what you’re trying to convey; a set of beautiful images can only show so much. 

Read more about Lauren’s winning submission here.

The Emerging Design Professional category celebrates designers working either in practice or on a self-employed basis who are under 35 years of age.

Submit your entry now to the 2019 Interior Awards at interiorawards.co.nz.