Newcastle Interior Designer, Louise Mackay, has taken out the Student Category at the 34th annual Dulux Colour Awards, which was held late last month.

With a record-breaking number of entries, the judges selected projects which displayed innovative use of colour in built environments across both commercial and residential spaces.

Each year, architect and design professionals submit entries that demonstrate their exceptional use of colour across a range of projects.

Louise’s project, Ascend, impressed the judges and earned her the prestigious industry recognition.

The Dulux Colour Awards finalists are chosen from universities and colleges nationwide, making this is a fantastic accolade for Louise who is graduating with an Advanced Diplomaof Interior Design this year at Sydney Design School.

In response to Louise’ project, judges said her design was sophisticated and unique in its simulation of colours, which was quite magical.

“A nod to the Queen Victoria M Pavilion, this free-standing pod incorporates a VR engine designed to simulate colour’s effects on a person,” they said.

“Its reflective blue chromatic exterior sits well with its surroundings while cocooning those within. It is a sophisticated high-tech concept, in which the student has considered the effects of colour across a whole day, and its execution could be quite magical.”

Louise said she was honoured to be recognised by the industry for herproject.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have been awarded winner in the student category of the 34th Dulux Colour Awards 2020 for my project, Ascend,” she said.

“To be recognised for my approach to colour amongst a strong suite of student work from across Australia and New Zealand is a huge honour and achievement. Congratulations to the other winners and finalists!

“Thank you to the amazing team at Sydney Design School who have mentored and inspired me over the past 18 months.

An extra special mention goes to my mum, Deborah Lawson, who supports me endlessly so I can pursue my dreams.”

Ascend is a conceptual pop-up cafe in collaboration with Sydney Festival and Carriageworks Sydney. The design is colourful and contemporary–a high contrast to the industrial host of the Carriageworks.

“In our current climate of COVID-19, designs like Ascend inspire joy through a careful curation of colour and form,” Louise said.

“I love playing with high-chroma hues of pink, orange and purple to create a vibrant space where guests are invited to ascend to joy.”

Inspired by muse, Jean-Michel Basquiat, the concept of the cafe takes on the unconstrained cultural-commentary that the artist is known for.

A poet, musician, and graffiti prodigy in late-1970s New York, Jean-Michel Basquiat had honed his signature painting style of obsessive scribbling, elusive symbols and diagrams, and mask-and-skull imagery by the time he was 20.

Customers are invited to indulge in this interactive, innovative concept cafe to engage in cultural commentary as part of the Sydney Festival.

Guests are invited to graffiti the walls of Ascend with messages of joy.

Overtime the concept cafe will evolve – a making of everyone who makes up Ascend.

Louise fell in love with interior design after years of renovating local properties around Newcastle.

She has been working in the Communications and Marketing sectors across Newcastle for the last ten years.

Louise also founded and directed Newcastle Fashion Week to raise money and awareness for young adults with cancer following her own diagnosis.

IMAGE | Louise Mackay’s Ascend design project concept.