(1) Best Whole Home Design
A Fresh and Rustic Contemporary
Urbanology Designs
Every room inside this rustic contemporary 6,500-square-foot house in Flower Mound is well designed without being pretentious and relaxed without looking undone. That's thanks to the casual, luxe design style of the homeowners, who had tired of their previous heavy furniture and dark tones. "They literally gave a bunch of things away to friends and just started over," said Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs. That gave Ginger the chance to play with scale, as she did with statement-making fixtures like the three large metal pendants in the living room. The design wowed the judges. "There's a nice study in forms here - from the concrete fireplace surround in the bedroom to the sculptural furniture and natural edge mantel in the living room. The organic and modern shapes blend seamlessly here," said Design Awards judge Kelly Keegan.
(2) Best Children's Roomor Nursery
A Modern and Minimal Kids Room
Urbanology Designs
Children's rooms don't have to be filled with color to stimulate the senses. Ginger Curtis proved that with this children's room that Design Awards judge Albert Marichal described as "a light and airy, beautiful, bold, abstract room." IKEA bookshelves, wooden toys and pompom banners combine to create a dreamy space for sleep and play. "The goal was to create a minimalist children's room still loaded with texture and playful interest," said Curtis. "The room delicately entices the imagination of little ones without being over stimulating."
Ginger Curtis
Ginger Curtis got her start with interiors, designing furniture and selling it in boutiques. The mother of five has a talent for designing relaxed but luxury spaces with organic materials and earth tones. Currently Ginger is working on a massive renovation of an old fire station in North Richland Hills that will become home to her design firm, Urbanology Designs, plus a coworking office space.
(3) Best Dining Room
An Essential Dining Room Design
KL Milam Interior Design
When four boys under the age of 13 live in a home, durability is of the utmost importance. That was one of the challenges facing Kim Milam, proprietor of KL Milam Interior Design, when furnishing this dining room. That's why she went with a hammered zinc-top table with a reclaimed elm base. Design Awards judge Kelly Keegan praised the space for its mix of that chunky wooden table with modern Panton chairs. "There's a nice eclectic mix of furniture styles and art that blend well together here. The design looks "of today" but won't date quickly either," Keegan wrote.
Kim Milam
With 20 years of experience, Kim Milam holds a degree in interior design from TCU and has served as an instructor for the university. She worked with a nationally recognized design firm before opening KL Milam Interior Design in 2003. Kim is also the owner of House Essential - a retail space and design boutique on Camp Bowie Boulevard that sells original art, bespoke furniture and accessories.
(4) Best Living Space
Comfort in Minimalism
B Smart Builders
Architectural integrity is celebrated in this living room as heirloom pieces, passed down from the homeowner's grandparents, sit below a 16-foot-tall cathedral ceiling. "This is fantastic, transporting me back to the "70s and my childhood," exclaimed Design Awards judge Annette Mallard. Cheryl Bean of B Smart Builders, who designed the room to align with the adjacent open dining space, praised her client's great eye.
Cheryl Bean andHeather Smitherman
After graduating from Texas A&M with a Master in Engineering, Cheryl Bean ran multimillion-dollar defense projects with Lockheed Martin. Cheryl combined her experience with her love of architecture and homes and launched B Smart Builders in 2009. Cheryl leads the team with director of business development, Heather Smitherman. The TCU grad is heavily involved with all clients from the beginning of the design build process.
(5) Best Kitchen
An Expanded Galley
Konstruckio Studio
"There's a ton of sophisticated, modern personality in this pretty standard footprint. I like how the materials are varied but are cohesive together." Design Awards judge Kelly Keegan summed up the beauty of this remodeled kitchen by Marta Rozanich of Konstruckio Studio. Rozanich overcame the challenge of this small galley kitchen when she discovered a cavity of unused space between a fireplace on the other side of the kitchen and the kitchen wall. The resulting space, with an island, quartz countertops and porcelain stone tile flooring, is a model of both form and function.
Marta Rozanich
Marta Rozanich received a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University and a Master of Architecture from Arizona State University. She's a registered architect with more than 11 years of experience designing custom residential homes, multi-family and speculative housing, as well as boutique commercial and hospitality projects. Her firm, Konstruckio Studio, is a full-service architecture and interior design firm that specializes in environmental awareness and custom solutions.
(6) Best Master Bedroom
Playing with Patterns
Kay Genua Designs
Nothing makes a bedroom cozier than multiple fabrics and patterns. Such was the strategy of Kay Genua of Kay Genua Designs when she designed the master bedroom in this Ridglea-area home. Brunschwig & Fils drapes sit against a light blue wall - chosen by Genua to offset the dark hues and heavy antiques. Design Awards judge Annette Mallard said the space "looks like a luxury suite at a B&B." Multiple patterns, Chippendale chairs, a skirted side table and bespoke furniture are made cohesive by a colorful Feizy rug.
Kay Genua
Kay Genua opened her namesake firm in 2002. Before her career in interior design, Kay worked in fashion for Bloomingdales in both New York City and Dallas.She has a knack for mixing heirloom antiques and new bespoke furnishings, as well as a keen ability to mix color and pattern when working with fabrics. In addition to residences in the Fort Worth-Dallas area, Kay has designed homes in Boston, Houston, Marble Falls, Port Aransas, Beaver Creek, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Seattle.
(7) Best Outdoor Space
A Hill Country-Inspired Resort
Heritage Design Studio
"This gorgeous outdoor escape" as Design Awards judge Kelly Keegan calls it, was designed for a family who knew exactly what they wanted. "They were relocating from London and looking for Texas Hill Country inspiration but with a transitional tone," says designer Angela Hough, one part of the husband-and-wife Heritage Design Studio team. So the duo stuck to materials like travertine tiles, Austin chalk, concrete and teak. The resulting spaces in this expansive outdoor resort are calm, rustic and relaxing.
Chris Hough
After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Architecture, Chris Hough began apprenticing with noted architects in the Highland Park and University Park areas in Dallas. His passion for historically inspired homes led him to study the archetypes of European and American Architecture of the late 1800s and early 1900s. It's that knowledge and love of art that compelled him to launch Heritage Design Studio in 2000.
(8) Best Specialty Room
A Sophisticated Cabana
KL Milam Interior Design
The winner of best specialty room erases all ideas of pool cabanas with striped towels and red accents. Kim Milam took a 22-by-22-foot stamped concrete slab and three sets of French doors and created this unexpected cabana that houses a full kitchen, TV area and dining table that seats six. A 16-foot ceiling and Oly Studio wood light fixture add another level of elegance in this award-winning space.
