What does it actually mean to be an “award-winning” interior designer?
- aewanchyna
- May 2
- 3 min read
There’s no point pretending: winning an award feels pretty darn nice. While winning an award for interior design work is nowhere close to winning an Oscar or Grammy, we’ve been privileged to receive industry accolades for our work at Andrea Jae Studio.
The two major accolades within the interior design industry in Vancouver are the HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association BC Georgie Awards: both symbols of industry excellence as acknowledgment of a business’ strong best practices.
We were recently privileged to be shortlisted for the CHBA Georgie Awards 2024 in the esteemed category of Best Condo Renovation under $250,000, for this West Side Penthouse project.
But behind the glitz and glam of trophies and ceremonies, what does it actually mean to be an “award-winning” interior designer? Let’s look behind the curtain call:
Awards represent adherence to industry standards
Industry standards weren’t created to be award criteria; award criteria is created from industry standards. Accredited organizations like HAVAN and CHBA serve as leaders, community connectors and educators for builders, developers, suppliers, and designers.
HAVAN’s Code of Ethics holds members accountable when it comes to provincial and federal building codes, quality standards, employment, and health and safety regulations. CHBA’s work is centred around serving as advocates in the residential construction industry, collaborating with both the private and public sector.
When we work on any interior design project, we’re not doing the work with a potential award as the motivation. The award is simply the by-product of excellent, high-quality, industry standard work.
Awards build up healthy industry competition
As with any industry, competition in of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, have you ever noticed clusters of shops selling similar products or services all situated on the same block, such as the Bridal District in New Westminster?
The same logic can be used for interior designers. Being surrounded by the best of the best, the cream of the crop - the industry award winners - we elevate each other to produce the highest quality work we can. Competition is also good for consumers: it allows you to choose an interior designer that best suits your project’s style. While only one person takes home the award, everybody wins.
Awards challenge us to be creative and innovative
No matter what direction an interior design project might take - minimalist, maximalist, or anything in between - creativity and innovation are always present.
With all interior design projects, we ultimately follow the direction of our client. Your vision dictates our vision. We’ll never push a client to do something that they might not be comfortable with just for the sake of pushing the envelope for an award. But when we do find a client who’s curious, who’s open, who wants to try something just a little bit different, we go with it.
When we worked with a client in Vancouver in 2022, St. George’s Home, the entire process was an active engagement of listening to the client’s story: their needs, their histories, and their hopes for the future. The colour teal was used to tie in a custom piece of furniture that meant a lot to the family. This project won a HAVAN Award and was shortlisted for a Georgie - but with or without the trophy hardware, we still created a winning space for our clients.
Awards provide opportunities for growth and exposure
Prior to winning an Oscar in 2009, Austrian and German actor Christoph Waltz did not work much in North American cinema. After winning the Golden Statue, though? Waltz was able to build a thriving career in Hollywood, including a role in the James Bond series, along with another Oscar win in 2012.
While Christoph Waltz would have still been a talented actor in their own right without the Oscar, there is no denying the positive impact the award had on his career. It presented his talent and acting prowess to an entire audience that wasn’t familiar with his work prior. He was able to meet other industry professionals during Awards season. His name search in Google spiked substantially during both Oscar wins.
Again - winning an award for interior design isn’t nearly on the same league as winning an Oscar. But the benefits are the same. Previously winning an award at Andrea Jae Studio opened up us to new opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible before such as press exposure, new industry relationships, and new clients.
Do you want to create a show-stopping award-winning space in your own home? Reach out to us today at https://www.andreajaestudio.com/contact.
