Mark Humphrey

The new Deco Debutante Award has been launched to showcase exciting new and emerging talent in interior design.

It has been created by Jo Welch, who developed The Deco Affair, the invitation-only event to celebrate the end of London’s interior design season.

The award is being run with KLC School of Design which runs professional courses in interior design in Chelsea and Hampton Court, London. The winner will be announced at The Deco Affair which takes place in London on November 3.

The Deco Debutante Award will be presented to a graduate who champions design that is inspiring, original and cutting edge. “I wanted to launch an interior design award to specifically discover and showcase exciting new and emerging talent, celebrating true design integrity,” Jo Welch explained.

Award entrants for 2011 were KLC’s recent diploma graduates whose work was reviewed by a panel of leading industry judges including Patrizia Gucci of Gucci and Patti Patti, artist and designer Mark Humphrey, KLC principal Jenny Gibbs, Jo Welch, and Ryan and Anita Kohn of Living In Space.

Graduates’ work was judged for the quality of their spatial planning, creative use of materials and finishes, professional accomplishment, the overall visual impact of presentation and the wow factor, the effective use of skills and knowledge to communicate design ideas, awareness of prescient and current thinking at forefront of industry, and originality, individuality and design creativity.

The top three graduates will have their work on display at The Deco Affair. The winner will be presented with a white onyx sculpture designed by Mark Humphrey, engraved with their name, which will be passed on to each Deco Debutante Award winning designer.

Pictured are some of the judges with the trophy: Nick Steele, Jenny Gibbs, Jo Welch, Ryan Kohn, Mark Humphrey and Paul Bonnici-Waddingham.