General Guidelines: Applicants must be members in good standing of The Interior Design Society. Applicants must be an interior designer member (Associate or Professional) to enter in Space Designs, Specialty Awards, and Business Practices. Applicants must be a student member to enter the student design category. All membership types may enter for IMPACT Awards. Projects completed in 2024, 2025 or 2026 may be submitted. Projects entered into a previous program that did not place as a winner or runner-up are eligible for re-entry. All entries must be original to the submitting designer. All entries must have taken place in a residential space. Commercial projects will be disqualified except for those in the business practice categories. Application questions must be answered fully. Failing to complete the application may result in disqualification or not meeting the minimum score required to be considered. All entries become the property of the Interior Design Society. The designer agrees that entries may be used by IDS in promotional or information materials without compensation to the designer.

Important Dates: Submissions open Monday, March 2nd, 2026. Submissions close Monday, May 18th at midnight (Alaska time). Extensions will not be offered. Finalists will be notified no later than Friday, July 31st, 2026. The awards gala will take place in Las Vegas, NV on Wednesday, September 30th, 2026.

Judging: Judges are comprised of subject matter experts, educators, press, and distinguished designers. Judges are not required to select a winner if submitted projects do not meet the minimum score of the judging criteria. Each submission is rated numerically based on your responses to application questions as well as basic elements and principles of design.

Placements: Space Designs are guaranteed to have a winner AND a first runner-up. Specialty Award categories will have a winner only. See categories below.

Submission Fees: Submissions are $125 each except for IMPACT awards and Student Design Award Submissions which are no charge. All submission fees are non-refundable and non-transferable to other programs or applicants. A 20% early bird discount will apply from March 2nd - 16th, 2026. Applicants may pre-purchase entries during the early bird period to use any in any category, at any time before the final 2026 deadline. Pre-purchased entries are non-refundable and non-transferable to other programs or applicants. 

Questions? Contact doty@interiordesignsociety.org

Required Documentation: All submissions must be accompanied by a release form signed by the homeowner and photographer. Click here to download the form.

Photography: We highly suggest the use of hi-res professional photography. Submission must include at least one “before” photograph except for the new construction and business practices categories. Highly photoshopped photography or digital renderings, including the addition of furnishings or design elements, will be disqualified (except for renderings category). Identifying aspects including but not limited to images of clients, logos, or watermarks cannot be included in photography. Photography file names cannot include identifying information such as designer or client names.

The maximum size for all image and file uploads is 5 MB.