2018-2019 Designer of the Year: Living Spaces $30,000 and Above

Winner: Nicole Yee, Nicole Yee Interiors, California 
This room was over-filled with a grand piano, large scale furniture, 1980s vinyl windows, and French doors opened to yet another unused outdoor patio space and the beautiful view beyond was obstructed. The designer added a gorgeous paneled ceiling, raised the floor and carried through exquisite French limestone. All of the windows and doors were replaced and reconfigured.

The designer incorporated a beautiful built-in bookcase in what was previously an awkward niche. Window treatments and luxury custom furnishings and accents were then layered in to make this a stunning and welcoming space.

There were two structural wing walls in the space that could not be removed. The solution was to create gorgeous 20 foot custom draperies to conceal them. In addition, together with a structural engineer, the designer was able to come up with a very stable method for raising the floor height to level it with the rest of the house. 

First Runner Up: Midori Karasawa, Style Guide Interior Design, Oregon

The main objective of this design was to take advantage of the home’s classic architecture, its million-dollar city view, and to give purpose to the rarely used living room. The designer created intimacy while taking full advantage of the expansive floor plan to create a multi-purpose room. 

The abundance of natural and organic patterns and textures is infused in the surface materials, art and accessories to counterbalance the cool color scheme and thus bring warmth and visual interest to the whole. By focusing on a few key elements of the interiors, a  minimalistic aesthetic was achieved. 

A pair of hanging bubble chairs for the girls’ reading perch, a deep sofa that allows the family to sit together and snuggle, and leather chairs that tie to a marble top table to enhance the adult conversation area, achieved the objective of designing a space that was family-friendly. 

The designer was challenged with how to bring intimacy and warmth into such an expansive home. 

To prevent the room from becoming too stark and thus uninviting, the designer used of lots of natural organic interior elements in the finish materials and accessories.

2nd Runner Up: David Fruscione, Republic of Decor, Florida

 Inspired by city living and clean lines, the clients wanted their future home to reflect a modern beach feel.  The open floor plan blending a blue, white and grey color palette incorporated sophisticated timeless furniture, accents of luxe wall coverings with statement decorative accessories.

Since adding the lanai to the interior living space, the designer had to climatize the room as well as visually tie it together.  The designer added the same flooring to that area, refinished the sliders and added solar shades to all the windows.