Up and coming designers showcase their talent

Offered to all second-year interior design students and forming part of their curriculum, the Crosby Challenge is an opportunity for students to showcase their skills.

An annual competition run by Crosby Tiles in collaboration with North Metropolitan TAFE, the Crosby Challenge sees students design and present a resort-style bathroom concept for a proposed client.

Students are randomly allocated one of three design themes, which serve as the main influence within their design.

Crosby Tiles Customer Service Manager Antoni Daniel said the three themes for this year were coastal, rural and urban.

“We selected geographical locations this year, as often clients desire to achieve a connection with the environment they are living in and want these elements reflected within their homes,” he said.

“The quality of the students’ work was of such high calibre it made tough work for our judges.

“It was extremely difficult for us to agree on just nine finalists this year.

“Judging took longer than we had anticipated, as it came to drawing a fine line to narrow down the winners.”

According to Mr Daniel, the type of windows used was the most popular way each of the themes were reflected in the designs.

“Almost all students this year incorporated large, extravagant windows in truly creative ways within their bathroom designs,” he said.

“Harnessing the essence of their theme, the finishes and materials selected for the bathroom reflected the mood and story the students had created within their concept and brief.

“Not only had a lot of thought gone into the interior fit-out, an equal amount of creativity went into the window as an element within the design.”

The brief required competitors to incorporate ambulant accessibility

requirements into their designs, and Mr Daniel said this was achieved in multiple ways.

“Other than consideration of spatial layout, most students’ designs had large, open walk-in showers, often with tiled plinths for seating,” he said.

“Generous-sized bathtubs and special thought towards the space that may be required to access a toilet suite were also incorporated.”

Taking a look at the standard of the designs, Mr Daniel said each year the judges were amazed at the creativity and quality of the work, with this year being no exception.