The Interior Awards have been running for a decade now. What was your favourite interior project over that period – domestic or international?

Marcel: There are literally so many great projects every year and, on a personal level, I love looking at the amazing residential entries and dreaming about what we could do with our family home. But, to be honest, the projects for the Awards that I always remember tend to be those that have used our products in innovative out-of-the-box ways. Recent jobs such as MediaWorks, Mercury Energy, Maori TV and Auckland Airport Hotel are great examples.

Michelle: The MediaWorks office for sure. Seeing that being manufactured and then seeing the final result was amazing.

Jonathan: Internationally, it would be Google London. It was 5 years in the making, so bespoke, hard to coordinate from New Zealand, a difficult brief, a difficult design, delivered!
Domestic would be MediaWorks. Working with the crew at Warren and Mahoney, out-of-the-box –I love working as part of a wider team, collaborating on the wild ones.

With New Zealanders exploring more and more of our own country over the last year, have discovered (or rediscovered) a new favourite spot?

Marcel: Probably Rotorua. It can be cheap and cheerful but the mountain biking is absolutely world-class. Plus the kids always love hot pools, so it’s a great family spot any time of year.

Michelle: I visited Queenstown for the first time recently. It’s beautiful, there are lots to do and the people are so friendly.

Jonathan: Tongariro National Park/Kaimanawa National Park, off the desert road – I love the high country and am completely at home in the mountains. Above the tree line life is reserved for the strong, hardy, delicate and niche and in a great colour palette.

Tell us about one new skill or interest that you’ve acquired over this last crazy year?

Marcel: Running. Although I’m not sure that it’s much of a skill and it’s a love/hate relationship, but it’s a habit that’s somehow stuck so I’ll take it.

Michelle: I have started playing golf. It’s very challenging but also can be very rewarding. I’ve got a long way to go but am really enjoying it.

Jonathan: I’ve learnt to play the uke. My son Lou is coming up to 18-months-old and loves music. He brings it to me most mornings saying (gui)tar and we make up a wee song for the morning. The ukulele is so good to bash out a wee tune to get a wiggle!

At a time when we’ve all binged TV, books, podcasts and other media, what was your favourite find?

Marcel: Schitt’s Creek. It feels weird admitting it but that little Netflix programme was a consistent laugh.

Michelle: Gold and Opal Hunters on the Discovery channel – it’s amazing the machinery and skill they use to find these materials for a living.

Jonathan: Blown Away, the glass-blowing reality tv show from Canada. They generally get four hours to make art in glass or be eliminated! Fire, art, pressure and a few cheesy puns in 25-minute chunks. It’s addictive!

Meet the rest of the Interior Awards sponsors here. And click here to enter your projects into this year’s Awards.