Interior Design 2026

INTERIOR DESIGN 2026

WELCOME As our undergraduate academic year 2025–26 draws to a close, we are extremely proud to present this year’s graduates of BA (Hons) Interior Design.

This year has been marked by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, infiltrating many aspects of our curriculum and design process. For anyone looking back at this yearbook in 25 years’ time, perhaps reflecting on where their peers and tutors are now, 2026 may also be remembered as a significant shift in design practice. The years that followed may have been defined by designers testing the capabilities of AI, challenging its limitations, and reaffirming the value of human creativity, intuition, and critical thinking.

As a programme, it is important that we remain informed, curious, and critical of AI. We must be willing to test and challenge new tools that may become the new normal within interior design practice, while continuing to champion the human-centred values that underpin great design. Our role is not simply to adopt technology, but to ensure it supports our thinking, enhances our creativity, and enables us to push the boundaries of what is possible.

The work presented within these pages and exhibited at the Degree Show reflects a generation of designers navigating this evolving landscape with curiosity, ambition, and integrity. They have achieved this whilst also showcasing their individual personality and range of skills, often moving away from the computer to work manually, enriching the design process that remains fundamentally human-centred, driven by the ability to understand people, challenge assumptions, and imagine better futures.

Alex Stothard, Programme Leader

CLASS OF 2026 Ammara Aboobaker Riham Awale Kusum Bagiyal Carrie Bonnick Eleanor Burnell Krushali Chandrakant Oliver Clay Meg Diaz Charlotte Flower Goda Galdikaite Lucy Green Razan Harisi Kyran Hobbs Hong Weixuan Indira Janavicius Elisha Jarvis

Harmanjot Kaur Joky Adjei Anthea Laguda Ellie Lloyd Mikolaj Mazur Grace McDonald Zuzanna Molka Edith Francheska Mora-Aquino Leen Murad Deja Murray-Carr Roxanne Ocampo Ruby Oldroyd Emmanuel Opoku Amber Layla Padua Munjyot Kaur Pardeshi Victoria Payne

Rowaida Ramadan Aspen Renaut Amiliah Riaz Blanca Ruiz Hernandez Elizabeth Segero Benish Shabbir Jiya Shah Samaira Singh Latonya Smith Zuzanna Stramska Antria Theodorou Min Khant Tun Katarzyna Twardosz Aliyah Variava Reem Yasin Emily Youll

AMMARA ABOOBAKER ammarah.aboobaker@outlook.com LinkedIn: Ammara Aboobaker Portfolio via QR code

The Aqua Selous Escape This project develops the interior design of a women-only wellness space within Winstanley House, Leicester. It focuses on spatial planning, material selection, and atmosphere to create a culturally sensitive environment. Guided by the four natural elements, the design creates a cohesive, multi-sensory experience that supports relaxation, wellbeing, and inclusivity.

RIHAM AWALE ririawale@hotmail.com LinkedIn: Riham Awale LinkedIn via QR code

The Secret Experience The Secret Experience reimagines the iconic Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show as an immersive exhibition celebrating confidence, empowerment and self-expression. Located within Leicester Print Workshop, the project combines experiential storytelling, interactive installations and flowing architectural forms to create a luxury destination that encourages visitors to engage, reflect and leave feeling inspired.

KUSUM BAGIYAL bagiyalkusum@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/kusumbagiyal-138889291

SOUNDSORIA (WHERE SOUND BECOMES SPACE) SoundSoria transforms the Middletons Building into an immersive wellness timed space where sound becomes space. Inspired by the three states of matter- solid, liquid, and air, the project combines sound, light, materiality, and digital interaction to create a multi-sensory journey that encourages relaxation, reflection, emotional connection, and personal wellbeing.

CARRIE BONNICK carriebonnick@gmail.com LinkedIn: Carrie Bonnick Instagram: @carrie_interior

THE DNA DISCOVERY The DNA Discovery is located within Leicester Market Food Hall, right in the heart of Leicester city centre. Designed for groups of 2–5 people aged 14+, it encourages collaboration as they explore the interactives and activities together. The space celebrates the discovery of DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester and highlights Leicester’s contribution to major scientific breakthroughs, putting the city on the map. The exhibition encourages visitors to continue their learning journey at the Richard III Visitor Centre, where they can explore a real historical case involving DNA.

ELEANOR BURNELL E.m.burnell@outlook.com

HORRIBLE HISTORIES: THE YUCKY YEARS The exhibition introduces children aged five – twelve to the Romans, Normans, Tudors and Victorians through humour, gore and interactive learning. Inspired by Horrible Histories, it uses technology, hands on activities and a scavenger hunt to make history memorable, accessible and exciting for school groups and families.

KRUSHALI CHANDRAKANT krushalichandrakant11@gmail.com LinkedIn via QR code

LEICESTERSHIRE UNITY CENTER Located in Leicester, this community centre combats social isolation through a fluid, open-plan architectural design. It fosters organic, intergenerational bonds by connecting Gen X’s practical mentorship with Gen Z’s search for belonging. Shared spaces—including a kitchen, gardening zone, workspace, and games hub transforming the structure into a purposeful social ecosystem.

OLIVER CLAY Jraymond_designs@outlook.com Instagram: @Jraymond_designs

AQUASCAPE HUB The Aquascape Hub is an innovative interior environment that seamlessly connects the outdoors with the built space through the integration of water features, ecosystem ponds, natural materials, and open-plan design. Combining retail, educational exhibition spaces, hospitality, and community engagement, its multifunctional layout promotes learning, wellbeing, and interaction while showcasing sustainable aquatic landscapes and biophilic design.

MEG DIAZ megdiaz2005@icloud.com www.linkedin.com/in/megdiazosborn Instagram: megdiaz.designs

RE-RAIL STUDIO Re-Rail explores how adaptive reuse, circular economy principles and regenerative textile systems can be integrated within architecture to address the environmental impacts of fast fashion. Through sustainable construction strategies, material recovery and visible repair processes, the project transforms Leicester Central Station into a closed-loop fashion infrastructure that extends material lifecycles and promotes more responsible consumption.

CHARLOTTE FLOWER Lottieflower22@icloud.com

WORLD OF IMAGINATION The World of Imagination is an interactive exhibition designed to encourage children to read through creativity and immersive experiences.

The exhibition aims to create a fun and engaging environment where children who enjoy reading can connect with others who share similar interests, while also encouraging children who may not typically read to discover how books can spark imagination and transport them to new worlds.

Targeted at children aged 5–11 alongside their parents and carers, the exhibition is designed to be inclusive and accessible for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, those who are neurodivergent or living with disabilities. Through interactive and sensory experiences, the project seeks to make reading feel enjoyable, welcoming, and accessible to all.

GODA GALDIKAITE Goda.g03@gmail.com LinkedIn via QR code

MUSEUM OF THE MIND The Museum of the Mind is an immersive, interactive museum that helps visitors explore how the human mind works through engaging, multisensory exhibits. Designed for children aged 5–15, families, schools, and teachers, it makes psychological concepts easy to understand.

Located in a restored late-19th-century train station which is now Lane 7, the design balances educational experiences with safety considerations around the building’s original brick, steel, and concrete features.

LUCY GREEN lucycaitlingreen@hotmail.co.uk linkedin.com/in/lucygreen11

STRAVA X SPOTIFY GYM Strava x Spotify Gym reimagines the modern fitness experience by combining physical activity with personalised music and digital connectivity. Designed for young adults, the project creates a community-focused environment where technology, wellbeing and social interaction enhance motivation, engagement and overall user experience.

Inspired by movement and progress, the design translates digital brand identity into physical space.

RAZAN HARISI Razan.m.alharisi@gmail.com

UBAYYAH An interior design project inspired by Najdi culture, blending traditional identity with the experience of Najdi coffee in a warm contemporary space. Through earthy materials, colors, architectural details, and carefully designed lighting, the project creates a sensory atmosphere that reflects local heritage, offering comfort, authenticity, and a modern cultural experience.

KYRAN HOBBS Kyran.hobbsINTD@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/KyranHobbsINTD Instagram: @Kyranh_ InteriorDesign

LIMINAL Liminal: A State, Time, Or Space of Transition, Ambiguity, Or Being “In Between”.

Liminal makes use of immersive environments to educate visitors using its own surroundings about the topic of liminal spaces.

Liminal encourages visitors to explore and interact via interactives, media presentations, VR, as well as a maze-like design that forces encourages visitors to make their own path.

HONG WEIXUAN 1296812766@qq.com

REIMAGINING LPW Reimagining LPW converts a historical industrial Leicester building into a concept flagship for Maison Margiela. The adaptive reuse design is itself an articulation of a deconstructed brand identity that combines luxury retail, curated museum, and panoramic mini-bar. Soft resin and fabric inserts provide aesthetically stimulating contrasts to the unpolished, raw architectural grid.

INDIRA JANAVICIUS Indira.janavicius@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/ijinterior Instagram: ij.interior

CIRCADIA Inspired by Blue Zone communities and human biology, this interior design project marries the environment with natural rhythms. I utilised circadian aligned lighting techniques, natural materials, and social seating arrangements, to supports mental clarity, community feeling, and holistic wellness.

ELISHA JARVIS elishajarvis@yahoo.com LinkedIn: Elisha Jarvis

UNLOCKED Unlocked combines an immersive escape room with a dining experience in one venue. Families and friends work together to solve puzzles, crack codes, and complete a themed bank robbery storyline. Guests can enjoy food during or after the experience, creating a fun, interactive, and memorable activity for all ages.

HARMANJOT KAUR harmanjot.kaur2670@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/is-harmanjotkaur

RE-CONNECT Re-Connect is an immersive exhibition that takes visitors on a journey through the mind, exploring the effects of excessive digital consumption on wellbeing, relationships, and self-awareness. Through interactive and reflective experiences, the exhibition encourages digital detox, meaningful human connection, and mindfulness, empowering individuals to reconnect with themselves, others, and the world around them.

JOKY ADJEI adjeijoky@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/ in/joky-a-050337215 Instagram: @_joky.xo_

FABRIC OF BECOMING The Fabric of Becoming is an immersive exhibition that celebrates African culture through fashion, textiles, hair, and jewellery. Through interactive, sensory, and storytelling experiences, visitors explore the origins, evolution, and future of African dress and identity. The exhibition provides a space for Black communities to reconnect with and appreciate their heritage through fashion, while encouraging wider audiences to learn about the histories, meanings, and cultural significance behind African creative practices.

ANTHEA LAGUDA Anthealaguda1@outlook.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/ anthea-laguda-0803132a4

MUSEUM OF URBAN SUBCULTURES A former industrial building reimagined as a cultural institution celebrating the movements that shaped modern youth identity. Four immersive zones, Hip-Hop, Skateboarding, Punk, and Rave, occupy Lane 7, Leicester, each with distinct materiality, atmosphere, and display strategies, inviting visitors to explore the spaces, sounds, and stories behind urban subculture.

MIKOLAJ MAZUR Mikolajmazur7@gmail.com

ECO-MOTION Eco Motion transforms the historic Leicester Central Railway Station building into a sustainable fitness and wellness centre. Combining biophilic design, adaptable fitness spaces, a nutrition café, and community facilities, the project promotes physical and mental wellbeing while supporting urban regeneration, sustainability, and stronger connections with nature.

GRACE MCDONALD Gmcdonaldg@icloud.com Instagram: @grace.intd

WINSTANLEY SADDLE CLUB The Saddle Club is a welcoming equestrian club that promotes riding skills, horse care, and sportsmanship. Members enjoy lessons, training, competitions, and social activities in a supportive environment. The club encourages confidence, teamwork, and a lifelong passion for horses while providing opportunities for riders of all ages and abilities.

ZUZANNA MOLKA zuzia252003@gmail.com linkedin/zuzannamolka

BLOOMIA Bloomia is a women only leisure and wellness center located in Leicester. The space is designed around five emotional zones: Calm, Joy, Release, Nurture and Reflection. Each zone creates a unique sensory experience through carefully chosen lighting, colour, texture and decoration. As women move through the entire building they are guided on a multi-sensory journey through all the emotions that encourage relaxation, empowerment and emotional wellbeing.

EDITH FRANCHESKA MORA-AQUINO edithmoraaquino@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/francheskamora-aquino-261495235

THE MEMORY PALACE The Memory Palace is an immersive dining experience that explores how memory shapes human connection. Through a series of atmospheric environments inspired by nostalgia, reflection, imagination, and stillness, the project uses food, materiality, lighting, and storytelling to transform dining into a journey through personal and collective memory.

LEEN MURAD leenanis3636@gmail.com LinkedIn: Leen Murad

DAR SITEE Dar Sitee, meaning My Grandmother’s Home, is a celebration of Palestinian culture, memories, and traditions. Inspired by the warmth and hospitality found within Palestinian homes, the project combines dining, storytelling, and cultural displays to create an experience that allows visitors to connect with the people, history, and everyday beauty of Palestine.

DEJA MURRAY-CARR dejamc30@outlook.com

ANTI-STORE Anti-Store is a disruptive retail experience that challenges overconsumption through interactive tools and reflection. Focusing on fast fashion’s environmental impact, it encourages visitors to buy less, shop less often, and use what they own. The exhibition highlights habits, prompts reflection, and aims to inspire changes in consumer attitudes and behaviours.

ROXANNE OCAMPO roxanneocampopugz@gmail.com LinkedIn: Roxanne Ocampo

EASTGATE LOUNGE A vibrant, colourful and welcoming establishment functioning as a cafe, pottery painting workshop, restaurant and mini venue for the young adults of Leicester to loiter at and socialise. The purpose of the project is to defy the modern day third place as a unwelcoming, monotone and transactional space where time to relax costs. Opening up commercial spaces for young adults to relax and unwind with one another can aid in developing community outside of friends and family enabling connection amongst the ‘loneliest’ generation. The combination of multiple functional spaces within the building invites young adults along with the general public of Leicester to bond over personal interests such as art, performance and food. Public Spaces are vital for city growth and community development - commercial settings should not only be accessible by the public but intentionally catered for the interests’ and comfort of the people entering these spaces.

EMMANUEL OPOKU emmaopoku781@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/emmanuel-opoku14933726b LinkedIn via QR code

DIASPORA THREADS: FASHION, IDENTITY AND MIGRATION Diaspora Threads explores the relationship between fashion, identity, and migration through an immersive exhibition design. Inspired by my own experience of moving from Ghana to the UK, the project creates a space where stories of displacement, belonging, and cultural pride can be shared, encouraging visitors to reflect on their own journeys and connections to identity.

AMBER LAYLA PADUA amberlaylapadua@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/amber-padua

UNDERCURRENT - STUSSY Reimaging the future of streetwear retail, this concept for Stussy combines shopping, skate culture, creative collaboration and social interaction within a single immersive destination. Inspired by the brand’s cultural heritage and evolving consumer expectations, the design creates a vibrant community hub that encourages engagement, self-expression and meaningful brand experiences.

MUNJYOT KAUR PARDESHI munjyot.pardeshi@icloud.com

KICKZ&GRIME KICKZ&GRIME is a dedicated space celebrating expression and heritage through UK grime culture and streetwear fashion. Located within the Lane 7 building, it integrates a streetwear retail area, a hospitality zone featuring Wing Kitchen, and a versatile event space designed to accommodate a wide range of customer experiences.

VICTORIA PAYNE vapayne.business@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/vapayne Instagram: @vapinteriors

起點 ORIGIN ORIGIN is an immersive interior experience that explores the hidden layers of Cantonese identity beyond familiar stereotypes. Inspired by the contrasting urban landscapes of Hong Kong and Macau, the project transforms memory, culture, and everyday life into a spatial narrative.

Through a journey of uncovering and reflection, visitors move beyond surface perceptions to engage with the complexities, contradictions, and human stories embedded within Cantonese life.

ROWAIDA RAMADAN Rowaida88888@gmail.com

SAHRAWA Sahrawa is a contemporary Libyan and Moroccan café inspired by the rich culture, hospitality, and traditions of North Africa. The café offers an inviting atmosphere where customers can enjoy authentic food and beverages in a thoughtfully designed space. Blending traditional influences with modern design, Sahrawa creates a unique and memorable cultural dining experience.

ASPEN RENAUT aspen.renaut56@gmail.com

PUNK’S NOT DEAD! This project is designed to create a community for Punk and Punk-alike.

It contains the main aspects of Punk culture and includes them all in one space. From DIY workshops, a comfy café, and a tattoo and piercing studio available in the day, to a bar, music venue with local bands playing, and a welcoming hang out space at night; this project provides a safe place for new Punks to learn and experience the real culture, and a regular hang out spot for those more versed in the scene.

AMILIAH RIAZ Amiliahjai@gmail.com

SWEET CHEEKS Sweet Cheeks is an adult retail store inspired by the welcoming atmosphere of a bakery. Designed to reduce the stigma and discomfort often associated with entering taboo retail spaces, the concept uses familiar bakery elements, free samples, and playful storytelling to create a relaxed, approachable environment that encourages curiosity, exploration, and positive customer experiences.

First Floor Mood board

To further develop the model, I introduced thin linear elements connecting the layered forms. These represent strands of string, acting as symbolic links between different parts of the structure and reinforcing ideas of togetherness, connection and continuity.

While each layer remains distinct, the connecting elements suggest that every stage reinforce inclusivity and celebrate diverse identities, Rainbow elements of the journey is part of a larger experience, creating a sense of unity throughout the aligning with Sweet Cheeks’ sex-positive values. composition.

The strings also emphasise the movement between levels, visually guiding the eye through the model and strengthening the relationship between individual spaces. This exploration helped me consider how connections can be created within the final design, not only through physical circulation routes but also through visual relationships and shared experiences.

Sensuality is communicated through suggestion rather than explicit imagery.

BLANCA RUIZ HERNANDEZ blanca.ruizhern@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/ blancaruizhern

GREAT CENTRAL HOTEL The Great Central Hotel is a boutique hotel and community café located within a former Leicester railway station. Through immersive storytelling and historically inspired design, the building narrates its own past.

Each space reflects a different stage of its history, creating a journey of discovery that builds a deeper connection between visitors and the building.

ELIZABETH SEGERO esegero44@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/ elizabethsegero

PLATFORM. Platform is a creative co-working, multidisciplinary workspace in Leicester, created through the adaptive reuse of a former entertainment venue. The design introduces a range of flexible spaces for individual work, collaboration, and social interaction. Aimed at graduates, freelancers, and small studios, it supports shared learning, skill development, and a supportive creative community.

BENISH SHABBIR shabbirbenish21@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/benish-s2114b9403/

MAISON L’OCCITANE SPA HOTEL L’Occitane Spa Hotel: From Earth to Essence transforms Winstanley House, Leicester, into an immersive wellness destination inspired

by Provence, France. Integrating hospitality, spa, retail, and crafting experiences, the design translates L’Occitane’s values of nature, craftsmanship, and wellbeing into a sensory spatial journey that celebrates slow luxury, authentic storytelling, and meaningful connection to nature.

JIYA SHAH Jiya.Shah13@outlook.com

CHROMATIC STATES Chromatic States is an immersive museum experience designed within Leicester Market Food Hall. The proiect explores how colour, liaht, materiality and spatial design can influence human emotion. Visitors journey through five distinct emotional environments: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Calm each designed to evoke a unique sensory and psychological response. hrough interactive installations and experiential design, the project encourages reflection on the relationship between emotion and the built environment

SAMAIRA SINGH samaira1210@gmail.com CV via QR code

THE COCO HOUSE The Coco House is a contemporary hospitality concept in Leicester that combines a bar, lounge, and gaming experience within an immersive environment. Inspired by cocoa trade and fair exchange, the project reimagines nightlife through storytelling, hospitality, and Maya-inspired design for adults seeking unique social experiences.

LATONYA SMITH latonyasmith274@gmail.com Instagram: LSARTWRLD TikTok: LSARTWRLD

ART WITHOUT BORDERS An immersive, inclusive art event within Leicester Market Food Hall, providing a platform for underrepresented artists and makers to showcase diverse creative practices. The design promotes exposure, collaboration, networking, and development through flexible exhibitions, interactive experiences, and multifunctional spaces, primarily engaging art students, collectors, creatives, and industry enthusiasts.

ZUZANNA STRAMSKA zuza.interiors@gmail.com Instagram: @interiorsbyzuza

THE LIVING TAPESTRY The Living Tapestry is an immersive cultural hub celebrating Polish folklore fashion through exhibitions, workshops, and performance.

Located in Leicester, the project preserves traditional craftsmanship while encouraging contemporary interpretation. By combining storytelling, sustainable design, and community engagement, it creates a dynamic space where heritage, creativity, and cultural identity flourish.

MIN KHANT TUN minkhanthtun.chindwinygn@ gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/min-khanttun-a932613b0

GEMS & JEWELLERY HUB This project aims to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of gem mining and promote the use of recycled materials in the gems and jewellery industry. Targeting students, professionals, and collectors, it encourages sustainable practices and responsible consumption to help reduce environmental damage while supporting the long-term future of the jewellery sector.

KATARZYNA TWARDOSZ LinkedIn: Katarzyna Twardosz

WOMEN FOR WOMEN Women for Women is a community centre created to support women’s mental health and overall wellbeing. It provides a safe and supportive environment where women can focus on self-care, develop new interests, and build meaningful connections with others. The project promotes open conversations about mental health, encouraging women to share their experiences without fear of judgement and helping them feel less alone.

REEM YASIN Reem.yasin.99@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/reem-yasin608b4b404

MAISON LUXE Maison Luxe is a luxury jewellery boutique that combines retail, hospitality, and exhibition spaces within three interconnected pavilions.

Featuring Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Harry Winston, the boutique offers curated shopping experiences, exclusive exhibitions, a Frenchinspired café, jewellery aftercare services, and secure storage facilities within an elegant and immersive environment.

EMILY YOULL Emily.youll2004@gmail.com

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WORKSPACE AND GALLERY This project is a workspace and public gallery for the National Geographic. It focuses on user wellbeing, community building, sustainability, accessibility, inclusivity and visual storytelling. It has a concept of the spiral of evolution. It also aims to portray brand values through design and inspire more sustainable mindsets in visitors.

THE TUTORS

ALEX STOTHARD

SAM WILLIAMS

NICKY HARDING

POOJA SHAH

MATHEW BETHANCOURT

BRIAN WEALTHALL

GINNY PETRIE

NOTES

COVER DESIGN BY MEG DIAZ