Designer Rugs is proud to announce the winners of the 5th edition of the Evolve competition. This exciting milestone officially kicks off the company's 40th-anniversary celebrations. The highly anticipated awards night took place last Thursday at the Designer Rugs showroom in Richmond, where the local design community gathered to honour exceptional new talent.
The Evolve competition provides a dedicated platform for the architecture and design community to explore their creativity through floor design. The program challenges participants to push boundaries and redefine what is possible with rugs. Now in its fifth year, the competition features two distinct categories: Under 30 and Over 30. This structure allows the industry to celebrate an exciting new generation of creators alongside amazing established talent. For the 2025-2026 series, designers were tasked with creating pieces centred around the concept of the Power of Colour.
During the announcement event at the Richmond showroom, the esteemed judging panel came together to make their final decisions. The judges viewed the finished rugs in real time, experiencing the vivid colours and textures in person before making their difficult choices.
The Under 30 category featured an impressive shortlist of emerging designers who fully embraced the colourful brief. The finalists included Maggie Craig from Woods Bagot with her design Maggie, Unjelique Hajjar from Unjelique Hajjar with Abstracted View, and Iledlin Kruger from Blanc Atelier Interiors with Kine. After careful deliberation, the judges awarded the top honour for the Under 30 category to “Maggie” by Maggie Craig, Woods Bagot. As the Under 30 winner, Maggie receives a $2,000 cash prize and an exclusive trip to Copenhagen for the 3daysofdesign event in June.
The Over 30 category showcased remarkable work and sophisticated spatial understanding from established professionals. The shortlisted designs were Lazuli by Anne-Marie Randall from FJC Studio, Slice by Daniela Casadio from Daniela Casadio, and Zozo by Amanda Meiklejohn from Williams Ross Architects.
The judges proudly presented the Over 30 category honour to “Lazuli” by Anne-Marie Randall from FJC Studio. As the Under 30 winner, Maggie Craig from Woods Bagot receives a $2,000 cash prize and an exclusive trip to Copenhagen for the 3daysofdesign event in June 2026.
Inspired by Harriet Korman’s 1971 Untitled, this rug design combines clean lines, subtle rhythm, and tonal shifts to create a sense of calm, depth, and harmony. Rooted in personal memories of rugs as places for play and storytelling, the piece is both grounding and serene, with a quiet boldness that brings personality to a space.
Inspired by Yves Klein’s iconic ultramarine and grounded by warm mocha, clay, and ecru tones, this design explores the balance between abstraction and materiality. Structured as a rhythmic woven grid, it uses subtle tonal shifts and precise blue accents to create a sense of depth, movement, and tension between the infinite and the handmade.
Following the successful showcase and final judging event, Designer Rugs is thrilled to announce that the official Evolve collection is now available. Each award-winning piece can be viewed and purchased through the Designer Rugs network, and the collection is suitable for both residential and commercial applications. All designs can be customised to perfectly suit the unique requirements of any space.
View New Collection | Brochure | Contact your nearest showroom to view Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
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