There are a multitude of categories to enter in the 2023 INDE.Awards but The Influencer is in a class of its own. It is a game changer, a template for living better and more sustainably and is the category that brings the future to the here and now.

The entries that comprise The Influencer make a real and tangible difference to architecture and design through great thinking. These are projects and products that make an indelible impact on people, place and culture.

While there are many ways to influence, important considerations include forward-thinking, creating projects and products that are designed for longevity and ensuring that sustainability is central to every concept. And so, it is appropriate that the renowned furniture supplier K5 Furniture (K5) is the partner of The Influencer category at this year’s INDE.Awards, as this company is indeed a leader with influence on every level and has been for more than 20 years.

The K5 ethos and that of its partners celebrates design innovation, craft, and sustainability, providing quality designer furniture sourced from makers and crafts people and through design collaborations and research. It also manufactures under licence, exclusive lines of Australian and Scandinavian furniture.

Each product within the beautifully curated ranges from K5 has been designed by an exemplary architect or designer and this is the continuum within all of K5’s offerings. Great design is not just the function, form and style of an object but the intrinsic sustainability and the thinking behind the design that is always future-focused. This is the essence of K5, its curation of products and the ethos of the company.

K5 resolves to make a lasting contribution to design culture by sourcing only the highest quality Australian and internationally designed furniture made from natural materials such as wood and natural fibres. As sustainability is part of K5’s DNA, timber is sourced from environmentally grown and selectively harvested new growth forests. Recycled metal and plastics are also utilised in furnishings wherever possible and surface treatments to metals are primarily powder coating, as it has a low environmental impact. K5 provides furniture that is authentic and has provenance. They are objects that stand the test of time and, in fact, simply become better with age.

‘K5 for Life’ celebrates design innovation, craft and sustainability across products and operations through three key programs. This includes: K5 Circularity, which investigates creating from renewable resources where nature is regenerated, resources are circulated to allow for recapturing waste, and materials are retained in productive use, in a high value state for as long as possible; K5 Renew, which follows the lifecycle chain from design, responsible material sourcing, manufacture and distribution to end-users and repair and reuse, including a take back and repair program to extend the life of K5 products; and K5 Restore, a commitment to the UN Global Compact and the universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

As an example, one of the core innovation projects happening at the moment is “Metanoia+” that focuses on circularity and regenerative materials. For this project K5 and Monash University are collaborating on the design of interior products made from mycelium (from mushrooms) a regenerative material along with fibre waste. The project, Phenomenal Fungi – a Circular Innovation Project, was a finalist in the Victoria Premier’s Design Awards this year.

The variety of products that comprise the K5 offering is enormous, with brands such as Kinnarps, David design, Green Furniture Concepts, Nikari, Inno, Abstracta, Nola and Karl Andersson & Soner, to name but a few. Products include chairs, sofas and modular pieces, tables, desks, storage, acoustics and screens, writing boards, lighting and accessories, outdoor furniture, theatre seating and hygiene solutions. Add to this, collections for the workplace, education and healthcare sectors and a range designed for children – well there is literally the perfect product for every application and project.

While K5 provides an almost limitless choice of furniture and objects for the commercial and residential sectors, one range of note among the many is the Boyd Collection. Developed and made under licence by K5, it celebrates the design genius of iconic Australian architect, Robin Boyd. Manufactured to exacting detail, this range is sleek and smooth, mid-century design perfection that is as contemporary today as it was when Boyd first created the designs.

To support such diverse collections, K5 recently relocated its Sydney showroom to Devonshire Street in Surry Hills and invites architects and designers to visit, touch and feel the furniture, discuss options and be inspired by the breadth of furniture, lighting and objects on the floor.

While influencing design direction for the better is part of K5’s ethos, The Influencer category at the 2023 INDE.Awards also creates the platform for architecture, design and product creation to impact future directions. It takes courage and persistence to make change and support the process.

If you have a project or product that influences, then we urge you to enter the 2023 INDE.Awards here and read the criteria here. This is an opportunity to showcase your studio, talent and innovative design on the regional and global stages and, in turn, become influential.