Excellence in Design Awards 2025

CALL FOR ENTRIES

PURPOSE:

To recognize excellence in interior design projects which successfully address client objectives and demonstrate creative and skillful problem solving.

ELIGIBILITY

RESIDENTIAL, CONTRACT AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION

• The competition is open to all ASID practitioners in good standing in the Tennessee Chapter.
• Participants may be individuals or part of a design team. Note: the ASID TN Chapter member(s) must have a significant part of the team. Therefore, the award will be presented to the individual member(s).

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

• Industry Partners are eligible to enter their projects if their principal place of business is in Tennessee.
• Employees of these businesses may name the creator of the project with the stipulation that they must be an employee of the business that has a designated ASID member.
• May only enter Industry Partner categories.

STUDENT ENTRIES

• Only students can enter student categories
• Students must be ASID or IA Collaborative Student members and enrolled in a Tennessee program

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 

• Architectural firms employing interior designers, who are ASID members, may enter the Architectural Category if an ASID member was an integral member of the design team on the entered project. The award will be given to the ASID member.

CRITERIA

• Each project must have been completed after July 1, 2023.
• No entry that has been submitted in a previous ASID Interior Design Competition is eligible.
• Entrants may submit as many projects as desired.
• Each project will represent one entry in only one category.
• Previous published projects may be entered.
• Entries not following instructions or not meeting the criteria and eligibility rules will be disqualified.

PRICING

Professional Entries - $90 Each

Student Entries - $25 Each

Entry fees are non-refundable.

AWARDS

There are two possible awards for each category; 1st Place award and Merit Award. One "Best of Show" Award will be selected from all the winners of each 1st Place category.

JUDGING:

The 2025 Tennessee Chapter ASID Competition entries will be judged by an ASID Chapter outside Tenneessee. The judge's decisions are final. The judges reserve the right to withhold an award if the entries do not meet the criteria. Judges evaluate entries based on:

• (10) Design Statement including Project Challenges
• (10) Adequately accomplish the client's goals for the projects
• (10) Supporting Documents
• (10) Presentation & Quality of Photographs
• (10) Scale and Proportion
• (10) Effective Space Planning
• (10) Appropriate Use of Color and Finishes
• (10) Creative Use of Space & Functionality of Space
• (10) Integration of Interior Design with Architecture
• (10) Effective Use of Lighting

HOW TO ENTER:

• Complete the entry application online. Entry applications and entry fees must be received no later than July 31, 2025 at 11:59pm.
• No entry fee will be refunded.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• Project Name
• Address
• Interior Designer Name, Address and Firm Name
• Please include a paragraph that gives you biographical information, to include professional organizations in which you are a member, elected or appointed office you have held, awards you have received, and publications in which your work has been featured. Please upload a recent personal photo.
• Design Statment of 500 words or less - be sure to include project challenges and the designer's role and scope of work must be spelled out. How did you accomplish the client's goals for the project?
• A minimum of one photograph with a maximum of 15 must be included. No renderings on projects submitted by professionals.
• Floorplans per level, and optional elevations, schematics, details. The scale must be listed on the drawing sheets.
• Upload a signed release form that you can download HERE

GROUNDS FOR DISQUALIFICATION:

• Entrant is not a member in good standing as per ASID National's guidelines at time of payment for entry
• Information indentifying Entrant's name, design firm, architect or any other collaborating party appears in description, images or on drawings
• If any other designer, architect or builder challenges the Entrant's ownership of the design, the project will be investigated by the Chapter. If evidence shows the lad designer is not included on the submission, the award will be rescinded.
• Submission of Entries not including floor plans scaled with scale noted
• Submission of winning Entries and images from past Tennessee Chapter Design Excellence Award competitions
• Submission of Entry into the wrong category
• Entrant's failure to abide by these Official Rules
• Please do not include designer or firm name on any documents or narratives visible to judges. Never include the client's name. But if project name is visible in photos that is not grounds for disqualification.