2018-2019 Designer of the Year Award: Entry Way/Foyer

Winner: Barbara Owens, Owens Interiors at Home, Texas

The European architecture forms the structure of this soaring formal 28 foot entry.  A double free- floating staircase with a bespoke hand forged iron railing, frames the entry. The custom railing and marble treads centers around the elegant White Thasso flooring with a black marble inlay.

This massive light filled entry is stunning from every view. Custom light fixtures in a platinum finish, line the groin vaulted hallways below and  the upper balcony. The spectacular entry fixture 8' long x 6' wide showers down on its guests over 6000 crystals.

There was a squeak in the right side of the staircase after installing that was a mystery as to what was causing it and that side had to be completely taken down and reinstalled. Once the stairs were installed they sat too close to the front doors. The decision was made to move the entry out a few feet and take some of the space from the covered front entry. The client was extremely particular about the flooring. The designer went through many, many samples before finding a supplier with enough pure white Thasso to satisfy the homeowner. The manufacturer could not find a vat large enough to fit the original size of the fixture. The designing team compromised and scaled back the size of the fixture. In addition, the thousands of crystals made the fixture extremely heavy. 

1st Runner Up: Kara Karpenske, Kamarron Design, Minnesota

This grand foyer was not living up to it's magnificent potential. Designer Kara Karpenske had a vision to add custom pieces with bold upholstery to add impact and a grand sense of space to this foyer yet. This design masterfully blends existing architectural elements with stunning modern design features.

The lack of furnishings was a total disconnect in relation to the space. Luckily, the sheer size of the space lends itself to greatness. Existing wood paneling was refinished to a richer walnut tone with more of a sheen to allow it to shine as a key impact feature. Re-grouting the marble flooring and buffing brought new life to this incredible grounding element. Existing gold chairs are reupholstered with a bold linear upholstery to create a modern spin on traditional antique furniture.  Hand painted wallpaper blows away the backdrop.