Interior decorator student Jaz Lynch has won the top prize in Floored, a Designer Rugs competition held in partnership with TAFE NSW.

Lynch’s winning rug, Chromatic Rhapsody, was one of five finalists selected from 69 student entries to have their digital designs manufactured by Designer Rugs and exhibited for judging. The competition was part of a 10-week project for Certificate IV Interior Decoration students to create a unique custom rug design.

The competition concluded with a finalist exhibition held on World Interiors Day, 23 May. Lynch’s winning rug stood out to the judges for its choreography of movement and artistry, featuring vibrant pops of edgy colour and dynamic shape combinations.

“I feel honoured and humbled to win this award,” Ms Lynch said. “The Floored project offered an open brief that allowed me to explore form, line, and shapes freely. My style is very artist-led. For this rug, I hand drew the shapes, added colour with paint and posca pens, and then converted these elements into vectors to refine the design digitally.”

Despite running a busy graphic design business during the week, Ms Lynch is eager to broaden her creative horizons.

"I've always pursued opportunities to upskill as I don't want to become stagnant as a creative,” she said. “The TAFE NSW Certificate IV in Interior Decoration course provided me with the skills I need to expand my branding work into interior design. I've acquired a broad range of specialised skills in interior styling, colour selection, and planning and designing spaces. I hope to venture into designing interior furniture. Through the course, I've discovered a talent for making lamps from paper pulp, and I aspire to have a gallery exhibition in the future.”

TAFE NSW Interior Design teacher Catherine Whitting highlighted the benefits of the program.

“Floored is a fantastic project as it provides hands-on, practical experience that allows students to put their interior decorating skills into practice and work with industry,” Ms Whitting said. “It also offers a unique opportunity for TAFE NSW students and teachers across the state to connect and collaborate, fostering a sense of community and shared learning.

“The level of talent displayed by all our students was truly impressive. Each of our finalists brought a unique vision and style to their designs, showcasing the creativity that is fostered at TAFE NSW. Congratulations to Jaz Lynch and all the finalists for their remarkable achievements.”

Media contact: Mel O’Connell, Communications Specialist, 0409930777 melanie.oconnell@tafensw.edu.a