Dulux Colour Awards 2026

"At Billy’s Ayburn, the architects have fully embraced the brief to transform its setting within a restored 1890s homestead in Queenstown. The building’s Victorian character is overlaid with a confident contemporary vision, creating a richly immersive environment well suited to the luxury dining experience it offers. The outcome is deliberately transportive: a layered, high‑impact interior defined by a maximalist approach to colour, texture and materiality, underpinned by a rigorous level of specification.

Drawing inspiration from the richly decorated interiors of European members’ clubs, colour operates as a central narrative device, clearly differentiating the five dining rooms, bars and external conservatory. Each space is imbued with its own identity, informed by the female figures associated with the original homestead. From a rust‑red room referencing the celebrated tale of a daughter’s red beret, to a sage‑toned interior supporting floral wallpaper in homage to the matriarch’s love of gardening.

High‑gloss paint finishes introduce reflection and movement, amplified by marble, metal and mirrored surfaces, while painted ceilings and structural elements heighten the sense of immersion. Though distinct in character, the sequence of spaces is carefully calibrated to feel interconnected. Executed with confidence and restraint, this is maximalism at its most resolved, richly expressive yet composed, refined yet welcoming. The result is an extraordinary atmosphere shaped by assured and deeply considered use of colour."

Simone Haag, judge

“In a welcome worldwide trend, small to mid-size boutique hotels are being designed in more welcoming ways, embracing the home-away-from-home idea, with a high level of customisation and consideration for crafting inviting incidental and public spaces, as well as individual rooms. The recently opened Hannah St Hotel in Melbourne’s Queensbridge Building is a case in point, with the brief calling for a hotel more to be lived in than ‘stayed in’. It is a fine distinction, which plays out here in intimate communal spaces and break-out nooks, which build intimacy before the rooms are even accessed. Although this may seem a straightforward goal to achieve in a small hotel, Hannah St doesn’t quite fall into that category with 188 rooms spanning 10 levels. Integral to the strategy is a beautifully controlled use of rich colours, such as the red-painted ceilings and deeply hued hallways create warmth in what can otherwise be soulless transition spaces. Variations of this theme repeat in the multiple common areas, a series of surprisingly small nooks and concealed breakaway rooms, where the luxe sheen of brass, stainless steel and marble complements the high gloss paint finishes and blush pink carpets. United in their expression of luxury, varied references hark back to 20th century design high points, from 1920 Italian modernism to the opulence of the 1980s, with Flack’s unique contemporary vision pulling it together in truly stunning fashion. For those unable to access this studio’s world of design, Hannah St presents an inspiring and accessible experience.”

Simone Haag, judge