Design Awards 2015

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

What started as a simple bathtub installation ended up becoming a whole-home remodel for designer Nathan Taylor and his team, but the end result is absolutely stunning. 

“This home was very dark and closed in,” Taylor says. “The wife wanted to build new and start over, but the husband didn’t want to leave the property.” That meant Taylor had to find a way to breathe new life into this home while retaining the original structure. Taylor needed to incorporate the owners’ style and love of art in a way that would make the family feel right at home. He had his work cut out for him.

Instead of the polished woodwork that now gleams in the sunlight, the home’s large wood beams, flooring and cabinetry were all a yellow oak that made the home look outdated. 

To give the spacious country property a more modern look, much of it had to go. The doors were raised to 8 feet, all cabinetry was replaced on the main floor, hardwood floors were refinished, LED track lighting was installed, skylights were added to the vaulted ceiling and the thick wood beams and ceiling were re-stained a darker, more elegant color. Now instead of an outdated, gloomy home, the space shines with style and warmth.—E.B.

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

It’s no wonder this fun and eclectic kitchen has been added to more than 10,000 idea books on Houzz, or that it was featured on Houzz as the kitchen of the week. Bright and spacious, this kitchen is just plain dreamy. But when designer Nathan Taylor first walked in, it was cramped, dark and didn’t meet the growing family’s needs.

“It doesn’t matter how big or how small your house is,” Taylor says. “Everyone congregates in the kitchen, but there wasn’t room in this house.” But by the time Taylor and his team were done working on the room, the family had all the space they could dream of.

To open the room and improve its functionality, Taylor knocked down the load-bearing wall that separated the kitchen and the dining room. New appliances were brought in and rearranged in the space, new hardwood floors were installed, the walls were painted a brighter and more inviting color, and modern light fixtures and a subway tile backsplash were added to give the kitchen a pop of modern style.

The old narrow cabinets that required a force of nature to close were replaced with open shelving that used repurposed wood taken from Obelisk Home. The island features a butcher block top and drawers that can be pushed open from either side, which, with the fact that the whole island is on glides, makes this piece incredibly functional.

Once all the construction was complete, the finished product gives the family the perfect place to gather for dinner, entertain friends or just unwind from a long day. “The owners wanted the kitchen to feel in sync with the original home,” Taylor says. “This gives them the style they want with all the modern conveniences they were missing.”—E.B.

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

When their kids were heading off to college, these homeowners wanted to create a cozy space for entertaining, and they looked to Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative’s interior designer Brandi Bailey for help. Bailey worked to transform a dated multi-purpose room to an entertainment space for friends and family, and she added a sleek hearth area as a unifying focal point.

Before the space was remodeled, it was used as a catch-all area and home to a fish tank, an air hockey table, a drum set and an artist station. One of the debates for the remodel was having a pool table or dining room to accompany the cozy new hearth area, because there wasn’t room for both. But Bailey found a solution to accommodate both homeowners’ wants with a dual purpose pool and dining table. The table has an adjustable height and removable sections on top, allowing it to easily transition from a game space to an eating area.

Bailey worked with the homeowners to meet their eclectic tastes and create a contemporary look for entertaining. “One of the homeowners is an artist and had an appreciation for original and local artwork,” says Bailey.  “I knew they wanted the space to be fairly sleek and modern, so I let the artwork and fireplace be the feature point in the room with gallery-like lighting.” 

While the new hearth area is the perfect space for the homeowners to cozy up and relax on a quiet night in, it also easily transforms into a quiet spot for conversation when the adjoining game area is buzzing with activity. Bailey found a creative solution to combine two traditionally separate areas in a modern and unexpected way, and the homeowners couldn’t be happier with the outcome.—K.J.

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

Sometimes interior designers have to tailor their designs to a well-defined room. But not always. “When we started with this living room, it was a blank slate,” says Interior Designer Heather Landolt of Decorating Den Interiors. But that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. “Sometimes starting with a blank canvas is actually more difficult than having a piece from which to draw inspiration,” Landolt says. “That was the case in here.” 

This living room offers a golf course view, and the couple, Ken and Laura Treat, knew they didn’t want to distract from the beautiful greens. They also knew they wanted to balance the large windows with proportional furniture pieces, and Laura wanted to make sure that Ken would get his desired contemporary feel without making the space feel cold and austere. “After selecting new paint for the entire home in warm grays, we finally had a starting point,” Landolt says. 

They chose a luxurious shag rug to make a statement, and they selected elegant Libby Langdon furniture pieces with beautiful, contemporary feminine lines. They decided to flank the fireplace with a pair of sofas and added extra seating with an updated tufted wing-back chair and cocktail ottoman. And last but not least, they added shimmering champagne pillows and brushed brass accents to soften the room and create a warm glow. “The pillows add a little glam, but we were careful to create an area where guests would feel comfortable sitting down,” Landolt says. And aside from adding that bit of glitz, the shimmery pillows serve another purpose: they pick up on the metallic design on the wallpaper in the adjacent dining room. “It’s a balancing act,” Landolt says. “We were careful to make sure that nothing felt out of place.”—S.W.

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

This new construction project was a blank slate for designer and homeowner Patti Johnson. She had a distinct vision in mind—to create an open living space with a cool and serene feel in every room. 

In the dining room, the monochromatic color scheme left all the attention to the space’s wonderful features, including the suspended beams. The 14-foot ceiling was chosen to create visual interest in the room, and it also allowed for enough room to hang the statement chandelier over the table. “The beams created visual distinction to the ceiling without closing it in,” Johnson says. “Getting the alignment right was one of the challenging parts of the design, but I think it turned out beautifully.”

Another one-of-a-kind feature in the room is the suspended open fireplace, which Johnson also designed. It allows for a seamless flow between the living and dining rooms, but still creates a visual block to separate the areas. Continuing with the airy feel of the room, Johnson chose a glass table with low, neutral matching chairs to blend elements of the room together. She wanted the table to float. “This leaves more attention to the art and fireplace,” Johnson says.—K.J. 

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

Patti Johnson, both the interior designer and homeowner of this master bedroom, wanted a relaxing space that still had personality and charm. She started with the color scheme, which included all shades of cream, silver, gunmetal and gold. Johnson knew she wanted the bed to be the focal piece of the room, and she planned the space around it. The bed was custom designed and adds a contemporary flair with the magnificent floor-to-ceiling draperies and mixtures of fabrics, textures and colors. 

“I just love the sereneness of all of the pieces and the colors,”Johnson says. “It helps make the room quiet and relaxing, yet you still have some wow factor in the space with the drapes.”

To make an even more inviting space, Johnson added a seating area complete with a fireplace that has three sides of glass, glass rocks and a marble hearth. The final touch of the room was the addition of mirrored boxes on the ceiling, fashioning a distinct level of sophistication and drama. The modern and sleek bedroom combines a little glam, a little glitz and a whole lot of style to make it a space fit for royalty.—K.J.

Winning Designers

Residence

Project Goal

While Jeremiah Lee specializes in architectural drawings and planning and Susie Edie regularly perfects interior design finishes, the two Rock Solid Renovations pros regularly tackle projects as a team. That was the case in this remodel work at this home, which was originally built in 1976. The owners looked to Rock Solid Renovations to create a master suite that echoed the architectural styles they regularly enjoy on their travels to Hawaii. But it took much more than just a simple facelift to reach their goal—it also took a bit of restructuring. The project started by gaining additional space, utilizing an unused bedroom and bathroom that adjoined the existing master suite. “We were able to take two small dated bathrooms and two closets and combine them to create the master suite,” Susie says. 

After the new space was created, the team got to work making it beautiful. They replaced the space’s old 8-foot flat ceiling with a vaulted ceiling complete with exposed beams and wood cladding, and they added a large freestanding tub that greets the owners as they enter. A marble clad Roman shower occupies the opposite side of the bathtub wall, and new casework was designed to create a double vanity, a make-up vanity and a custom closet system complete with a center island. “Now the feel is similar to a classy, tropical-style spa,” Susie says. “The clients are thrilled with the outcome.”—S.W.

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

While redesigning the powder bath in this classic Craftsman-style home, Susie Wieland of Wieland Studio aimed to add a bit of pizzazz to the space. The challenge was to keep the existing shower, and give the entire space some wow factor. “Keeping the shower was part of the client’s wish list,” Wieland says. “I created the new design based around that wish.” 

The existing antique iron tub was removed and relocated to the new master bathroom upstairs. The antique pedestal sink was refinished and relocated into the new smaller bath, and a new toilet was set in the space. The existing, previous dark shower was paved with crisp white tile and given a glass door, and a simple marble floor was added to lend a classic, unfussy feel. 

To add a bit of a dramatic effect, the wall behind the sink was paved with small glass tiles in glossy black, and the rest of the walls were painted to match. A polished nickel light fixture with spiky arms was added to the ceiling and casts dramatic shadows in the room, and polished nickel fixtures and hardware give the space a punch. “The new space is the perfect blend of classic and contemporary,” Wieland says.—S.W.

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

The owners of this house recently added a pool, and they needed a major renovation to create a seamless flow from inside to poolside. They turned to Interior Designer Andrea Deckard for help. The office had to be relocated, and with not much square footage to work with, Deckard knew that maximizing the space was essential. She created several creative solutions to make this new office work for the homeowners.

Behind the bookcases is a hidden door, which provides one of three points of entry into the room. The bookcases also have filing cabinets underneath, eliminating the need for bulky storage under the desk. 

They also added a bay window with additional seating and a set of French doors. “We wanted it to be functional, not just attractive,” says Deckard. 

Another unique feature of the office is the beautiful herringbone floor design, which looks like wood but is actually porcelain tile that won’t be damaged by wet feet or the rolling office chair. To complement the traditional and heavy European style present throughout the entire home, Deckard also included signature accents like the ceiling pendant, the faux finish of the walls, and the desk with beautiful wrought iron legs and a marquetry wood top.—K.J.

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

Forget about scheduling flights and packing luggage for a relaxing weekend in Nantucket. Just sprawl out in this room, and watch the clouds float by overhead as the clink of seashells transports you to those sandy beaches thousands of miles away.

With the exception of the carpet, the ceiling fan and the bed, designer Nathan Taylor and his team changed everything about this guest suite and transformed it into a relaxing oasis.

“The family loves to vacation in Nantucket, so we knew we needed to incorporate the greens and blues from the ocean,” Taylor says. He even had his team paint the ceiling, turning it into a dreamy, cloud-dotted sky. The walls got a splash of warm seafoam green, and chandeliers fringed with delicate seashells hang on either side of the bed to really bring that beach atmosphere into the room. But those shimmering shells aren’t just ornamental. When the air conditioning kicks on, the shells gently clink together to create a quiet serenade.

For that finishing touch, Taylor decorated the walls with pieces of driftwood and artwork by Gavyn Sky, and linen pillows and a linen wingback chair were added to add a soft touch.—E.B.

Winning Designer

Residence

Project Goal

Instead of working with homeowers who have years of ideas stashed away for when they remodel, designer Nathan Taylor and his team worked on this bedroom suite with a 15-year-old boy and used his love of baseball as the base for redesign.

When Taylor first started on this project, the room was truly an ode to America’s favorite pastime. The walls were covered with baseball stitching, and the bunkbed was adorned with tiny handpainted baseballs and bats. While the young baseball enthusiast wanted to keep the baseball theme, it was time to give the room a more adult and masculine style. “We wanted to give him a room he could still enjoy when he’s in college,” Taylor says. That meant giving the room a new polished look.

The bedding was picked out, wall colors were selected and new furniture was brought in. And while the room got a stylish facelift, that homage to baseball was never ditched. Even the bedding and window treatments, complete with the blue and white ticking and red top stitching, harken back to the glory days of baseball when the New York Yankees reigned over the ball diamond. Taylor and his team were able to knock this project out of the park.

To give the room a more adult style that would last its owner well into college, a large leather bedframe was added, as were an oversized leather chair, end tables and a modern desk. And all those baseball collectables—they were neatly organized on pennants and put on display. Vibrant artwork by Shelly Forbes was hung on the walls, and the closet door was swapped out for a sliding barn door that also serves as a dry erase board where family and friends can leave notes.

The finishing touch was a massive British flag rug. “He really wanted an ode to Great Britain,” Taylor says. “This room is very eclectic, but it’s also timeless.”—E.B.