The finalists of the Seidler Textures Rug Award 2008 have been announced. The award honours the late Harry Seidler, who had a reputation for using shag pile and textured rugs to soften the hard lines of his buildings.

The competition was open to interior designers, architects and specifiers who used a Designer Rugs shag pile or textured rug in commercial or residential developments between January ’06 and July this year.

The winner will be announced on 19 November 2008 and will receive a four-day trip to Vienna  – the birthplace of Seidler – a trip to Copenhagen, and their own Designer Rug valued at $5000.The winner will also have their project and profile featured in Indesign magazine and receive a 2 year subscription, with runners up scoring a 2 year subscription to Indesign and DQ and features in Indesign and on indesignlive.com

The finalists are listed below, for more info visit designerrugs.com.au 

Byron Bay private residence, Liz Dixon: Director, Pod Interiors – The Dinosaur Design Boulder rug aimed to complement the casual and relaxed Byron Bay lifestyle.

CBRE North Sydney, Vanessa Craig: Senior Designer, FutureSpace – With polished concrete floors this project used the Coral shag carpet, providing warmth and texture to the utilitarian floor.

The Waterfront, Kingston Canberra, John Taylor: National Design Manager, Apartments Stockland – This brief asked for rugs in four atriums reflecting the strong geometry of the architectural forms. The rugs allude to the autumnal reds and cool greens of Canberra’s seasonal landscapes.

Hunt and Hunt Head office, Sonia Attard: Interior Designer, Cunsolo Architects – The bold red textured rugs create a focal point in this foyer, softening what might otherwise have been a quite cold, hard interior space.

Collins Tower Practice, Wen Mah: Designer, Collins Tower Pty Ltd – This project drew on the principles of Feng Shui, exploring the elemental forces of nature.