Graduate Grace sees her interior design come to life

Teesside University graduate Grace Moulder is seeing her national prize winning interior design for a £1million penthouse take shape.

Grace, 22, of Darlington, who graduated last year with a First Class BA (Hons) Interior Design, won National Design Academy’s National Design Award to create the interior of a £1million penthouse apartment within an existing development in Nottingham.

Along with the £3,000 prize, Grace’s interior design career is getting a kick-start by working with NDA Private Clients, the interior design practice of the National Design Academy, to implement her winning design. The competition attracted entries from students across the UK.

Grace said: ‘I will treasure all the experience I’m gaining 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.'

She 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 provided me with all the necessary key skills for working in the design industry.'

Grace is now considering setting up her own interiors company, having recently completed a leadership and entrepreneurship course which involved having to pitch a business plan.

She added: ‘I managed to have some work commissioned through twitter, after coming across a brickwork contractor who was seeking artistic impressions and illustrations for a project they are working on.’

Commenting on Grace’s prize-winning interior design, NDA Private Clients practice manager James Pilling, said: ‘Grace clearly paid attention to the brief and delivered appropriate solutions for the client’s requirements. The use of historical reference mixed with contemporary transitional design adds real depth to the scheme which meets the brief admirably.'

Marianne Shillingford, creative director of Dulux, said: ‘Grace has captured the essence of luxurious living in a style that is both understated and elegant. The mineral palette of colours and clever use of materials and shapes is simply stunning.'

Owner of the penthouse, Ian Roberts, who had the difficult task of choosing between the six shortlisted designs, said: 'The quality, innovation and creativity of the short listed entries exceeded my expectations and selecting a single winner was very difficult.'

Progress of the penthouse installation can be followed on the NDA National Award blog

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