By Deborah Asantewaah SARFO
Ideal Home Deco has offered six students of Accra Technical University (ATU) full scholarships for their outstanding interior designs in the Ideal Home Scholarship programme.
Of the 24 participants, designs of these students within the competition’s three categories (furniture, swimming pool and open design concept) were rated best – considering their appearance, functionality, materials used and dimensions among others.
In each category, the award went out to two students with the best designs. This initiative seeks to inspire creativity and innovation among students in the interior design field.
Sonia Anne Carole emerged as winner of the furniture category followed by Gloria Oluwatosen Aregbeyen as the first runner-up in that category, while the best swimming pool design went to Anthony Doe with Selina Appiah taking first runner-up place.
Under the last category – open design concept – the winner and second position went to Dadson Aziz and Rhoda Elorm Ama Nyarko respectively.
Ideal Home Deco is an importer, wholesaler and retailer of porcelain and ceramic tiles and sanitary ware.
In his welcome remarks, Acting Vice Chancellor-ATU, Professor Amevi Acakpovi, underscored the power of collaboration between industry and academia.
He therefore called on both sectors to collaborate for maximum impact, emphasising that none can develop in silos. He added: “Collaboration between academia and industry is far-reaching; it changes lives, shapes careers and contributes to national development”.
“To industry players, you cannot develop in silos and also to academia, we cannot develop in silos. We have responsibility for joining their hands together to train students… it’s the job of industry to come to us, otherwise they get people who they have to re-train before they benefit from their skills.”
He noted that bridging the gap between academia and industry remains a core vision of the institution, emphasising its significance in “equipping students with practical skills, creativity and an entrepreneurial mindset in the world of work”. On June 21, 2024, ATU signed a memorandum of understanding with Ideal Home Deco to promote innovation in interior design and furniture production.
The call for participation in this design competition began in August 2024, challenging students to create unique and functional interior spaces.
Of the 24 designs received, 10 were selected and went through an oral presentation to compete for the 6 scholarship opportunities.
Prof. Acakpovi congratulated the scholarship recipients and urged them to strive for excellence and seize every opportunity to learn and grow.
For his part, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Ideal Home Deco, Tony Haikal, highlighted the company’s commitment to education in unlocking the youth’s potential.
He noted: “We believe that a company’s true power might not only be in its products and services, but also the impact it has on society”.
“We understand that the future of our world depends on young leaders, thinkers and innovators of tomorrow like our great students – and education is the key to unlocking that potential. This is why we are deeply committed to supporting education through our corporate social responsibility initiative,” he said.
He further described the scholarship programme as an investment in the future, also recognising that every individual holds the potential to shape industry, innovate and inspire positive change.
Mr. Hikal expressed his profound gratitude to the leadership of ATU and their partner suppliers who have partially sponsored the scholarship programme.
Similarly, Prof. Acakpovi commended Ideal Home Deco for their foresight and commitment to empowering young designers. He encouraged them to sustain and expand this collaboration to benefit more students.
