IDEA Nepal hosts first-ever interior design excellence awards in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: Interior Designers Association of Nepal (IDEA Nepal) hosted its inaugural IDEA Excellence Awards in Kathmandu, celebrating outstanding contributions to interior design. The event held on Friday brought together designers, students, professionals, and industry experts to honour exceptional spatial design projects and the influence of interior designers in Nepal.

The ceremony began with a warm welcome from the host, followed by the seating of the jury members. Usha Rayamajhi, Vice President of IDEA, delivered the opening speech, addressing students, professors, and media attendees.

Chief guest Narad Mani and Shyam Bahadur Shrestha, President of IDEA Nepal, officiated the inauguration, marking the official start of the awards ceremony.

IDEA Nepal President Shrestha shared insights into the organisation’s vision and goals, emphasising the importance of recognising local talent. He urged national support for Nepali interior designers, stating, "Your love and support run this organisation, and we wanted to give recognition to all of you. We have the most talented interior designers in Nepal, and we should stop importing designers from abroad."

Madhura Karki, coordinator of the judging panel, explained the unbiased judging criteria and the division of the competition into three categories: A, B, and C. She highlighted the importance of pushing boundaries, saying, “The door of opportunity doesn’t open until you push it and for you, we have pushed this door of opportunity.”

In Category C — Emerging Designer Award (Students), the winners were Bini Dangol as the 2nd Runner-up, Yashaswee Shrestha as the 1st Runner-up, and Anisha Maharjan as the Winner.

In Category B, the IDEA Innovative Designer Award recipients were Bishwattam Shrestha for Residential, Rabina Shrestha for Commercial, and Rabina Shrestha again for Hospitality.

In Category A, the IDEA Professional Designer Award winners were Ranjani Shakya Vajracharya for Residential, Mukesh Maharjan for Commercial, and Ranjani Shakya Vajracharya for Hospitality.

The major awards were presented to Sailisha Shakya, who won the ‘Sustainable Designer of the Year’ award, Rabin Shilpakar, who received the ‘Heritage Designer of the Year’ award, and Bishwattam Shrestha, who was named ‘Designer of the Year’.

The event featured remarks from various dignitaries. Ishwor Lal Joshi, President of SONA, expressed gratitude to IDEA for creating an inspiring platform and emphasised SONA's commitment to youth opportunities. Thakur Prasad Sharma, President of SCAEF, congratulated the winners and appreciated the interior design community's participation. Art critic Mukesh Malla praised the winners, while chief guest Narad Mani encouraged integrating traditional values with modern aesthetics to enhance Nepal’s architectural landscape.

In closing, IDEA Nepal Treasurer Sushi Siwakoti reflected on the event's success and the importance of supporting emerging talents in the interior design sector. The ceremony concluded with the distribution of mementoes to sponsors and a vote of thanks by the President of IDEA, outlining the organisation’s future plans.