On 1 October, the Design Institute of Australia – the peak design professional body steering Australia’s design industry – celebrated the exceptional contributions of four distinguished members of the Victorian design community.

Fellows and Life Fellows are recognised for their exceptional talent, their commitment to the design community, and their achievements through the realm of design or associated professions.

Fenton was inducted as a Fellow alongside interior designer David Flack (founder, Flack Studio), while Jo-Ann Kellock (outgoing CEO, DIA) and Rob Backhouse (Hassell) were made Life Fellows of the DIA.

“Fellowship is reserved for those who have made a truly outstanding contribution to the design profession,” a spokesperson for the Design Institute said of the newly-inducted Fellows. “Your work, leadership and generosity to the profession continue to raise the bar for all of us.”

Over her thirty years practicing interior design, Fenton has created spaces across all sectors, including education, workplace, culture, residential, retail, and transport projects. Fenton’s work is defined by a focus on creating engaging environments that foster a strong sense of place and enrich how people experience the built environment.

Her significant projects include Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention Centre, Younghusband Woolstore Redevelopment, Sculptform Showroom, NAB Co-Working Village, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne Connect, and many more.

Recalling an interior project at 101 Collins Street, Fenton aimed to create a sustainable framework by steering away from fleeting trends and investing in enduring heirloom pieces.

“We designed around the concept of investment in beautiful and enduring materials, furniture pieces, and artwork as a way of elevating the value, quality, and longevity of quality design.” 

On working with existing fabric on the Younghusband Woolstore Redevelopment, Fenton adds the job of the designer is to reveal and work productively with a site’s history, rather than overwrite it. “The strategy is to carefully edit existing buildings, adopting a sustainable and inclusive framework while retaining the rich patina and markings of the past,” she explains.

Formally trained in Fine Arts, Fenton began her career in sculpture before transitioning into interior design.  Most recently, Fenton submitted a PhD by practice research at RMIT University – among the first interior design PhDs by practice research submitted in Australia.

Titled “Palette-Practice: A Conceptual Colour & Material Framework for Composing Interiors”, this research is situated within her ongoing interior design practice, focused on large-scale commercial projects undertaken through Woods Bagot. It examines colour and material as a mode of inquiry, articulated through what Fenton defines as palette-practice: a method of composing interiors through the assembling, arranging, and refining of colour and material relationships.

“My PhD gave me the rare chance to pause and reflect on that practice: how ideas begin, how colour and materials help us imagine a place, and how a design grows through conversation, testing and making with others,” says Fenton.

“I’m deeply grateful to RMIT, to the teachers who first encouraged me as an undergraduate, and to my supervisors, Suzie Attiwill and Anthony Fryatt, for their extraordinary patience and support over these past seven years.” 

As a regular participant in public forums, Fenton has appeared on a number of awards juries, discussion panels, and design competitions, promoting critical discourse and fostering a culture of curiosity and design rigour. Fenton helps to promote greater design literacy and public awareness within the wider community, engaging in activities for MPavilion, Open House Melbourne, Saturday Indesign, Melbourne Design Week, and more. She has also published insights in various industry publications.

A regular guest critic at RMIT University, Fenton helps to foster a culture of curiosity and critical analysis within the next generation of designers. Over her three decades with Woods Bagot, Fenton has mentored cohorts of emerging designers, engendering a culture of support and collaboration within the studio.

“The greatest joy in this profession, for me, is what happens when we make things together,” adds Fenton. “It’s what keeps me curious, and what I hope to pass on to the next generation of designers.” 

The Design Institute of Australia VIC Fellowship Presentation & Designer Networking evening took place at The Front Room Gallery in Fitzroy on Thursday 1 October.

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