We Won the INDA Award for Residential Design 2026

A Moment We Will Remember

We are honored to share that our Elm Grove Residence has been awarded the 2026 INDA Award for Residential Interior Design. For a studio that started six years ago in a converted warehouse with two desks and a coffee machine, this recognition means everything.

The award was announced at the INDA ceremony in Milan on January 18th, alongside projects from studios we have admired for years. Standing on that stage and hearing our project described as a benchmark for thoughtful residential renovation was surreal.

The Project That Started It All

Elm Grove is a 2,800 sq ft renovation of a 1920s bungalow in the inner suburbs of Melbourne. The clients, Claire and Tom Ashford, came to us with a deceptively simple brief: make it feel like it has always been here.

The Design Challenge

The original home had beautiful bones — high ceilings in the front rooms, original timber floors, and a graceful roofline — but decades of patchwork renovations had buried them under plasterboard, carpet, and fluorescent lighting. Our job was not to impose a new identity but to uncover the one that was already there.

Material Decisions That Defined the Project

We retained the original facade and roofline while completely rethinking the interior layout. The rear of the house was opened into a single kitchen-dining-living zone that flows directly into the garden. Key material choices — recycled brick salvaged from a demolished factory, brushed limestone sourced from a quarry in regional Victoria, and white oak joinery milled by a local craftsman — connect the old and new seamlessly.

Every material was selected not just for how it looked, but for how it would age. The brick will darken with time. The limestone will develop a soft patina. The oak will mellow from honey to amber. In ten years, these rooms will look better than they do today.

What the Judges Said

The jury praised the project for its restraint and sensitivity to context. Their citation noted that the design demonstrates how renovation can be an act of preservation rather than erasure, and that the material palette shows a maturity and coherence that elevates the everyday experience of living.

The Detail That Was Singled Out

The judges specifically mentioned the kitchen island — a 4.5-meter slab of honed Elba marble that anchors the open-plan space. They called it the heart of the home, noting that its scale and materiality give the room a center of gravity that makes the entire floor plan feel grounded.

Thank You

This award belongs to the entire team. To our designers who spent months refining every detail. To our builders who executed the vision with precision and care. To our stone mason who has been with us since our second project. And most importantly, to Claire and Tom, who trusted us to reimagine their home and gave us the creative freedom to do it properly.

What Comes Next

We are not slowing down. This recognition reinforces our belief that residential design matters — that the spaces where people raise their families, share meals, and find rest deserve the same attention and craft as any public building or commercial project.

We are grateful for the recognition and excited about what lies ahead.