National design award for Grace

Teesside University student Grace Moulder has won a prestigious national competition to design the interior of a plush penthouse apartment.

Grace, 21, of Darlington, submitted the winning entry for the National Design Academy’s National Design Award 2011 to create the interior of a £1million penthouse apartment within an existing development in Nottingham.

She is due to graduate from Teesside University later this year with a First Class BA (Hons) Interior Design.

Along with the £3,000 cash prize, Grace’s interior design career will be kick-started by working with NDA Private Clients, the interior design practice of the National Design Academy, to implement her winning design.

She will also receive a professional portfolio of photographs of her design and a one year student membership of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) funded by NDA.

Grace said: 'As this was a national competition I realised the standards would be very high, so I am really proud that my hard work has paid off.

'I look forward to working with the NDA design team and hope that my genuine enthusiasm and passion for interior design will shine through. I will treasure all the experience I gain and hope it will give me the confidence to succeed in the design world. Thanks again to the NDA for giving me such a fantastic opportunity.'

Grace said of her time at Teesside University: 'The course encouraged independent study, allowing you to be free to explore all possibilities within design, think outside the box and use creative initiative. The course has provided me with all the necessary key skills for working in the design industry.'

Five other short listed designers also won a one year student membership of BIID, a NDA workshop of their choice and a coveted NDA National Design Award trophy.

The NDA National Design Award 2011 prize ceremony will take place in the completed penthouse this autumn. Progress on the development can be followed on the NDA National Award blog at ndanationaldesignaward.blogspot.com.

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