Decorating Den Interiors announces Designer of the Year

Decorating Den Interiors announces Designer of the Year and other design awards at its 50th anniversary conference and supplier market. Interior design is forever changing so there is always a need for more modern and innovative designs to stay up to date with current trends. Trends can vary drastically from room to room, but making sure each space flows from one to another is a true form of art. Whether it’s using paint and wall art, or furnishings like glass shower doors and vanities, each room needs to wow in order to be in the running for the designer of the year award.

This is particularly true for the rooms in our homes that we use the most. Take the bathroom for example. There is nothing more relaxing than a nice hot bath at the end of a long day or an energizing soak underneath the best electric shower that money can buy in a room that has been custom designed just for you. Consequently, investing in a high-quality shower can make all the difference to your nighttime routine. Above all, turning your bathroom into a home spa can not only help you to relax and unwind, but this can also be a prime opportunity to demonstrate your interior design skills. But you have to make sure that you are placing these expensive sets of equipment under a home warranty utah, or any other region so that if anything were to go wrong it could get fixed or replaced quickly and efficiently. And that is of course what the Designer of the Year awards aims to celebrate.

Another room in the house that often gets used heavily is the office. If you work from home, there is a very good chance that you spend at least 8 hours a day in your home office and therefore it is important that your working environment is decorated in a way that enables you to work productively. Whether you like to furnish your home office with comfortable vintage pieces, or if you prefer the modern styles offered by office furniture specialists like Office Monster, the choice is totally up to you. Just be sure to surround yourself with furniture and artwork that inspires you to do your best every single day.

So, let us now discuss the big winners! Easton, Md. Franchise owner Kimberly Paulus of Missouri City, Texas was named Designer of the Year, the highest design award presented by Decorating Den Interiors, North America’s largest interior design and home furnishings franchise company and leading in-home decorating service.

Her makeover of a bedroom was judged the best of 385 entries in 12 categories by a panel of interior design journalists from across the U.S. and Canada. “My design resulted in a transitional master retreat that offers a serene, relaxing atmosphere in blue and grey,” she said. “Detail trim frames wall sconces and artwork while breaking up the expansive space. Luxurious bedding and designer fabrics add depth while furniture selections add interest. Sheer window treatments frame the seating area and soft lighting adds to a quiet mood. Bedrooms are not my only field of expertise though! I simply cannot wait to get to work on some bathrooms next time.”

She also was tied for third in the living room category and took two honors among first-time participants in the competition.

Designer of the Year Runners-Up

First Runner-Up was Lynne Lawson and her decorator Laura Outland, of Columbia, Md., who won first in living room and third in commercial. Second Runner-Up was the sister duo of

Barbara Elliott and Jennifer Ward-Woods of Stone Mountain, Ga. who won firsts in bathroom, children’s rooms, and family rooms along with seconds in bedrooms and kitchens.

This was the company’s 35^th Dream Room Awards competition. Other awards announced at the Paris Las Vegas conference were:

Donayre Award

Winners of the Donayre Award, which is voted on by company franchisees and is named for Carol Donayre Bugg, ASID, retired company vice president and director of design, were Lynne Lawson and her decorator Laura Outland, of Columbia, Md. for their living room makeover.

Second place was Terri Ervin of Dacula, Ga. for the main lobby in an over-55 community clubhouse.

Third place was Barbara Elliott and Jennifer Ward-Woods of Stone Mountain, Ga. for a family room design.

People’s Choice Award

Barbara McGinnis Hayman, of Spring City, Pa., won both first and second first in the People’s Choice Award segment, an online judging open to the public in which more than 30,000 votes were cast among the various entries. Her makeover of a bedroom received the highest number of votes cast and her design of a dining room attracted the second-highest number of votes.

Shelley Rodner of Ocean View, Del. won third place her design of a family room.

Patti Award

Named after Patti Coons, former public relations director who was instrumental in starting the Dream Room competition, the award is for first-time entries into the competition and is judged by those franchisees who have achieved Decorating Den Certified Decorator status.

Kimberly Paulus of Missouri City, Texas won first place for her bedroom design and second for a commercial space.

Kisha Lake, a decorator with Elliott and Ward-Woods, won third place for a bedroom.

Decorating Den Interiors was founded in 1969 and has interior design professionals and decorators throughout the U.S. and Canada. Its design professionals offer full-service interior design that includes fine furniture, case goods, accessories, lighting, floor and wall coverings, draperies and other hard and soft window treatments from its custom LIVV Home Collection™ of furnishings. Its design professionals bring samples directly to the client’s home or office, provide complimentary design services and personally oversee projects through installation.