Blum Design Awards Winners
The four winners of the first Blum Design Awards with The Local Project all created exceptional spaces that paid equal weight to form and function.
There is a particular kind of excellence that rarely announces itself, that quietly supports great design. It lives in the weight of a drawer as it closes, a door revealing hidden potential, the seamless line where form meets function. It is the excellence of a considered craft – something that the inaugural Blum Design Awards with The Local Project were created to celebrate.
A platform for architects, designers, cabinetmakers and joiners, the awards showcased a wide range of projects across four categories – Materiality & Detail, Design in Motion, Innovative Integration, and Craftsmanship & Joinery Excellence. Each category highlighted the often-unseen elements that define how we live, telling a story of what is possible when technical mastery is combined with a distinct creative vision.
For Blum Australia, the awards were an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding work of its customers. “We wanted a dedicated platform to honour the skill, creativity and attention to detail that go into designing, creating and building exceptional spaces and cabinetry throughout the home – work that often goes unnoticed but profoundly affects how people live,” says Rachael Davis, Blum Australia’s marketing manager – partnerships and communications.
Entries were judged by an esteemed jury comprising Tim Ross, one of the country’s foremost design personalities, Rose Onans, books editor at The Local Project, and Marshal Cairnduff, marketing manager – products and services at Blum Australia.
The four winning projects, selected from a total of 270 entries, all capture the most essential considerations of Australian design – spaces that move with you, joinery that endures and details that quietly support and facilitate daily life.
Materiality & Detail
Winner Telha Clarke
Project Penthouse Vivace
Location Caulfield North, Victoria
Penthouse Vivace is a celebration of theatrical restraint. Crafted for clients downsizing but not slowing down, the Melbourne project is defined by the conviction of architecture and interior design studio Telha Clarke.
In the kitchen, green leathered granite wraps a five-metre island to create a central focal point in the otherwise subdued space. Reverence for bold materiality continues throughout the penthouse, showcased in the red travertine powder room and hand-finished orbital stainless steel in the kitchen. “We really responded to how the stone and other materials imbued this space with so much character,” Onans says.
Blum’s AMBIA-LINE inserts ensure everything has a place, the SPACE STEP provides hidden solutions to further extend kitchen storage, and a dual set of elegant REVEGO pocket doors hides one of the apartment’s most stunning features – a wine and whiskey bar.
“Blum systems allowed us to ensure everything had a home,” says Amy Byrne, Telha Clarke’s head of interiors. “The clients came from a large family residence and they have a lot of servingware and cutlery, and for these, organisation was crucial.”
“The extensive use of Blum products in the project really helps to support effortless living while optimising the space,” Onans says. “The apartment is incredibly functional and minimal but, at the same time, it has so much depth of character.”
Design in Motion
Winner Kate Anderson Design
Project Solstice Project
Location Minyama, Queensland
This renovation project, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, is the perfect example of a refined and cohesive design vision, reflected in the home’s calm, refined spaces. For Kate Anderson of Kate Anderson Design, Solstice is “a study in restraint, precision and intentionality, a renovation that demonstrates how considered kitchen and interior design can transform not only a home’s aesthetic, but the way it functions and flows”.
In the kitchen, this translates as hidden storage, seamless walls of cabinetry and tailored internal configurations. “The space is aesthetically beautiful, but behind the scenes, there are so many Blum systems working to encourage better functional use of the kitchen by the clients,” she says.
These systems include the SPACE TOWER pantry unit – whose glass fronts “give clear and clean access to what’s inside” – with AVENTOS HK top lift systems installed overhead. In the entry, a REVEGO duo pocket door continues the clean lines of the kitchen but hides a functional drop-zone. “It conceals everyday mess while protecting the home’s footprint and sightlines.”
The judges appreciated how Anderson melded practicality with elevated design thinking. “We thought that the improved workflow in the kitchen was really seamless, thanks to the integrated cabinet solutions and Blum products,” Ross says. “The drawer organisation was also very considered and allowed for better workflows. We could all imagine how the renovation has transformed the family’s life.”
Innovative Integration
Winner Panache Kitchens and Studio Minosa
Project The Invisible Bar
Location Alexandria, New South Wales
For a client who wanted a bar that provided uncompromised function with little to no visual presence, Panache Kitchens and Studio Minosa crafted a radical solution. “They sought the ritual and enjoyment of a bar without the visual dominance or clutter traditionally associated with one,” says Panache Kitchen’s Ashley Little. “The challenge was to integrate storage, organisation and usability within a refined living space without compromising the calmness of the room.”
Rather than being hidden within cabinetry, The Invisible Bar becomes a sculptural moment in a corner of the home’s dining room. When closed, the carefully angled, full-height mirrored doors recede into the background. When opened, they reveal a beautifully detailed space with curated storage, including LEGRABOX drawers with the AMBIA-LINE inner dividing system.
“This allows barware, glassware and accessories to be separated intuitively, maintaining order while keeping all elements immediately accessible,” Little explains.
The Innovative Integration category was about connecting design and functionality with Blum products, says Cairnduff. “The success of The Invisible Bar comes from a complex design that maximises the space available.”
Craftsmanship & Joinery Excellence
Winner Pinnacle Joinery
Project Kahibah Kitchen
Location Kahibah, New South Wales
Set within a home framed by greenery in Kahibah, a suburb in the City of Lake Macquarie, Kahibah Kitchen is a study in restraint and precision. Conceived as an integrated joinery element, the kitchen responds to the rhythms of daily life, opening and closing as needed while maintaining a seamless, furniture-like appearance. Full-height cabinetry was meticulously proportioned to facilitate a functional yet peaceful space.
Blum REVEGO pocket doors are an integral element: a coffee bar and combined laundry and drinks station sit discreetly behind them as fully resolved work zones. “We look to create products that support cabinetmakers to craft functional living spaces for homeowners,” says Blum Australia’s managing director, David Noakes. “This project exceeded our expectations in that regard … we see it as a really good example of how our products can be put together to create a functional kitchen while not losing any of the design edge.”
The expansive space features a warm timber veneer laid to enhance its natural variation, a Taj Mahal stone splashback with a subtle movement that echoes the surrounding gum trees – visible through a wide stretch of glazing – and oak flooring that provides a light-toned grounding.
“Concealed benchtops, integrated handles and carefully resolved junctions allow the kitchen to function intuitively while reading as a composed architectural element rather than a conventional workspace,” says Pinnacle Joinery’s Nathan Condon. “Every component – visible or concealed – was executed with the same discipline and attention to detail, resulting in joinery that balances form, function and longevity, and elevates everyday use through craft.”
