Tessa Pawson is a senior associate and the interior design lead for Peddlethorp. With significant experience in both Australia and New Zealand, Tessa delivers projects across the hospitality, residential, retirement and workplace sectors. Her passion is designing bespoke and individual solutions for clients, with a focus on creating experiences rather than simply beautiful spaces.

What are you looking forward to while judging this year’s Interior Awards?

In last year’s awards, we saw many of the entries demonstrating excellent cultural and social outcomes and I think the introduction of the new ‘Community Impact’ award is a wonderful addition to the programme. With sustainability initiatives becoming more commonplace for many organisations, I’m hoping we’ll see some really clever examples of how these have been implemented beyond the more traditional tick-box accreditations. Other big issues our industry has faced over the past 18 months are escalating costs and building material and labour shortages, so I think we’ll see projects where the design has been dramatically influenced and changed as a result of these challenges. I’m also really looking forward to seeing the range of entries – we’re so lucky to have so many talented, diverse and innovative designers here in New Zealand and I think there’ll be some robust and invigorating discussion about design with the great team of jurors we have on board this year.

What key piece of advice would you give to those thinking of entering the awards?

Do it! Looking back at recent past winners, smaller design studios are walking away with the top prizes and I think this really shows the depth of talent we have in this country and the fresh thinking that sometimes gets lost on bigger projects with bigger budgets. Projects where cost or size is a constraint have the most potential to innovate and think outside the box, and if you can articulate the design process and narrative compellingly, it’s no longer just about the beautiful pictures. What I love about these awards is that they really do celebrate the best of the best. Being shortlisted to the top three projects means, even if you don’t win the category, it’s still an excellent achievement to reach the interview stage.

Who do you admire within the interior design industry and why?

There are many designers here in New Zealand and internationally that I admire, but if I have to single one out as a big influence in my own design thinking, it’s Patricia Urquiola. What she has achieved in her career is truly impressive, as an architect and product designer, and the projects she’s worked on are enviable. So often, when I’m designing a space, I have a piece of furniture or a rug or a finish in my head but I can never find exactly what I want and she is brilliant at creating a bespoke solution for a space. Urquiola has incredible talent, designing not only amazing spaces but also wonderful items that become instant classics – and that is something I aspire to. Her interior spaces resonate with me, not only in the composition and curation but the use of colour, texture and pattern – they are feminine but not in an overt way, pared back while also being bold and clever.

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