Bow Valley College's Interior Decorating Diploma students are bringing home more than just inspiration from Toronto. They've returned with four national awards after an outstanding showing at the 2026 Decorators & Designers Association of Canada (DDA) Student Design Competition.
The awards were presented during the DDA Gala in Toronto on October 1, celebrating top student projects from interior decorating and design programs across Canada.
BVC dominated the Design & Decoration - Single Room category, taking all three podium positions:
· Gold: Missy Brewer and Samuel Lang
· Silver: Clarissa Furlan Cid Araujo
· Bronze: Shauna Peets
The college also earned bronze in the Design & Decoration - Multi Rooms category, awarded to Ivy Wang
The annual competition recognizes student decorating and design excellence across Canada and is designed to create a level playing field for students from a variety of educational institutions and program backgrounds.
For gold-medal winner Missy Brewer, the recognition marked the culmination of months of creativity, collaboration and hard work.
"Seeing an idea we developed together progress from concept to competition and ultimately to the Gala in downtown Toronto has been an incredibly rewarding experience," said Brewer, who partnered with Samuel Lang on the winning project. "Being part of this competition was a bout so much more than the award. It was an opportunity to learn, challenge ourselves, connect with the design community, and experience firsthand the incredible talent and passion within our industry."
Brewer also credited the support she and Sam Lang received throughout their journey.
"We are both immensely proud of this achievement and deeply grateful to everyone who helped make it possible," she added.
The students' success came as no surprise to the program's faculty.
"I'm beyond thrilled for our students," shared Kerry Sharples, Program Chair. "They've worked so hard to get here, and earning gold, silver and bronze in single-room design, alongside bronze in multi-room design, is an incredible achievement."
The awards reflect not only the talent of the students, but also the dedication of the instructors who support them throughout their studies.
"Our instructors are amazing, and these awards reflect both our students' talent and the care, expertise and encouragement behind them," she noted. "This is such a proud moment for Bow Valley College and our Interior Decorating Diploma program."
The awards further demonstrate how Bow Valley College students are making their mark on Canada's design industry, applying classroom learning to real-world projects that stand out on a national stage.
For Brewer, the recognition is both a milestone and a starting point.
"I'm incredibly grateful for this experience, proud of what we accomplished, and very excited for what comes next."
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