Dulux Colour Awards 2009 - Show Your Colour Touch

Now in their 23rd consecutive year, the Dulux Colour Awards (DCA) has achieved an inimitable industry status as a channel for creating and showcasing some of the country's most inspiring and thoughtful applications of colour in design.

The 2009 programme promises to be no exception, with architects and interior designers encouraged to 'show their colour touch'.

The prestigious Awards have traditionally attracted some of Australia's most brilliant and lauded design professionals, including John Wardle, McBride Charles Ryan, Kerstin Thompson, Nonda Katsalidis and, more recently, '08 Grand Prix winner the Carr Design Group. However, DCA draws considerable praise for its commitment to fostering emerging talent, as spokesperson and first-round DCA judge Andrea Lucena-Orr explains.

"Dulux understands the importance of nurturing a respectful and creative attitude towards colour early on, and our DCA tertiary category is an exceptional opportunity for developing specifiers to show their colour touch. This is also a great opportunity to be exposed to industry circles and aspirational peers," said Lucena-Orr.

The 2009 programme is set to continue to motivate all levels of the industry, with fresh additions to prize incentives. The 2009 DCA Grand Prix winner will enjoy a return business-class airfare and accommodation to Paris for the acclaimed Maison-Objet exhibition, $2000 cash and will - for the first time ever - be offered the opportunity to design the colour scheme of the Bookshop feature at designEX 2010 in Sydney (working in consultation with designEX's chosen feature designer). Winners of the Commercial Interior, Commercial Exterior, Residential Interior, Residential Exterior and Sustainable Interior categories will each receive trophies and $1,500 cash whilst the student specifier winner will walk away with a trophy and $1,000.

"As part of Dulux's sponsorship of Interior Designer Awards Colour in Commercial Interior Design and Colour in Residential Interior Design Awards, DCA entries will be automatically entered into the Interior Designer Awards free of charge and all finalist projects will be displayed at designEX. This is a wonderful industry cross-pollination that illustrates Dulux's understanding of our specifiers and what they deem as genuinely valuable. It also demonstrates the continually evolving contribution of DCA within the design community," said Lucena-Orr.

All submissions will be reviewed by an internal Dulux judging panel comprising Andrea Lucena-Orr and her fellow colour specialists Gavin Gilligan and Julie Johnston. An external panel of prestigious industry representatives is expected to be announced shortly.

All entrants must submit a project description, colour boards including colour swatches and digital imagery. Entry forms will be downloadable via www.dulux.com.au.

Entries close 20th February 2009 and an exclusive invitation-only Gala Awards Ceremony will be held in Melbourne on Wednesday 01 April 2009.

For more entrant information please contact Dulux Colour Awards, 03 9263 3607.