Interior Design Innovator Winners
Our IDA winners have been announced! Discover who our judges picked for best in Interior Design!
Timeless Appeal A black-framed mirror from Inside Avenue over a white mantel sets the tone in the living room, where custom purple pillows from Lynn Morgan Design provide a pop of color. The lamp is Ralph Lauren Home. The Mesa coffee table from Circa Antiques has a bluestone top. The striped rug is through J.D. Staron. photograph by jeff mcnamara
left: Dine-In Style A chandelier and sconces through Circa Lighting add panache to the dining room. The sisal rug is Merida Madagascar through Redi-Cut Carpets & Rugs. The painting is by Brian Kammerer. Central Zone (above, left) Barstools from Restoration Hardware provide seating at the island. Robert Abbey Penelope pendants are through The Accessory Store. Cabinetry through NuKitchens. Short Stop A Jonathan Adler rug takes center stage in the upstairs landing (above, right), where an Oomph mirror hangs over an Emissary garden stool. Suite Serenity (bottom) Morgan designed the upholstered bed, chair and blue lacquer console that give the master bedroom a sense of harmony. Black and white framed photography is by Jeff McNamara. photographs by jeff mcnamara
Winner
A SIMPLE AND SOPHISTICATED PALETTE CREATES A MODERN YET TIMELESS LOOK IN A DARIEN TOWNHOME
“This style of living works equally well for a young couple with children seeking a maintenance-free life or empty nesters who want room to entertain the grandkids,” says interior designer Lynn Morgan about the model townhouse she designed for a planned community in Darien. “It’s very traditional architecture, but there’s a contemporary layout, so the goal was to make them work together and keep it simple.”
The open floor plan centers around the kitchen where the stacked gray cabinets, farm sink and Carrara countertops balance the stainless steel appliances and open shelving. “It’s traditional with a modern accent,” says the designer, who painted the window frames black to add a touch of sophistication, and went on to similarly paint the windows and doors in all the main rooms. “We decided to go with a black and white color scheme. It’s fresh, but it’s also very New England.”
With that theme in mind, Morgan selected white linen furnishings, a black and white striped rug, and a custom bluestone and metal coffee table to ground the living room. In keeping with her simple, no-fuss philosophy, there are no window treatments, the pillows are low-maintenance cotton, not silk, and artwork is black and white photography by local artists. “It looks great and is a very cost-effective way to fill your walls,” she adds.
A subtle shift occurs in the master suite, where Morgan defines the wall color as “a whisper of sky blue with a hint of gray.” “We wanted this space to feel more spa-like, so we introduced the lacquered furnishings, painted the windows white, and put soft sheers on the them,” she says.
Want to see more winners from the Innovation in Design Awards? Click on a category below to view each winner:
bath
architecture
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Art Under Glass (top right) Sculptures by Francis Upritchard adorn a Lucite coffee table in the den from HB Home. The painting above the sofa is by Mickalene Thomas. Personal Greeting (left) In the entry, a Pluma Cubic Kugel K suspension lamp illuminates a monkey by Francis Upritchard and a neon sign by Jeppe Hein. Clean Lines (bottom left) White plastic Eames chairs surround a distressed-wood trestle table from Restoration Hardware. Nutella painting is by Kevin Berlin. Boy’s Life (bottom right) A Globe lamp by Artemide lights the desk in a boy’s room. The monkey painting is by Jill Greenberg. photographs by frank oudeman
Innovator 2
CAREFULLY CURATED ART SETS THE TONE AND PROVIDES LAYERING IN THIS GREENWICH HOME
The first thing you see when you enter this Greenwich residence is a smiling furry creature perched on a pedestal, and a neon art piece stating, “Please do not touch the artwork.” Tall order for a family with three kids, one of whom routinely attempts to play hockey in the house, but totally tongue in cheek for homeowner/art dealer Josephine Schlank, who believes artwork should be accessible and everywhere.
In collaboration with architect/designer Farnaz Mansuri, the duo “organized the layering of the space via the art,” says Mansuri, who then reconfigured the rooms to create a flow totally devoid of dead ends. “There are no corridors, which allows you to slip from one space to another.”
After determining the living room should function as a gallery with very few furnishings, Mansuri set her sights on the den that does double duty as a family gathering place and entertainment area. Here, the gray linen sofa complements the oak floors stained deep eggplant, and the Lucite coffee table sets off the unusual—Mansuri calls them “creepy”—glass-enclosed sculptures.
For a family that eats three meals a day together, a welcoming kitchen was essential, so she opened up the existing kitchen and dining room to give the space views to the outdoors. Next, the cabinet panels were redone and open display shelves were added. A painting of a jar of Nutella next to the wood trestle dining table makes the point that art is welcome everywhere.
Want to see more winners from the Innovation in Design Awards? Click on a category below to view each winner:
bath
architecture
kitchen
landscape
Modern Family In the family room, a distinctive Solária Home lighting fixture draws the eye upward. The custom wallcovering is through Surfaces by David Bonk and sconces are by Urban Electric. A Connecticut Stone fireplace complements a zinc and wood coffee table. Turquoise leather ottomans, perfect for overflow seating, are tucked under an Apropos Furniture console graced by a Mr. Brown Home lamp. photograph by davidson mcculloh
Innovator 3
THESE BEACH HOUSE INTERIORS ARE FOUNDED ON SPECTACULAR WATER VIEWS AND KID-FRIENDLY DETAILS
Before she could begin filling this Rowayton beach house with furnishings that suited the casual lifestyle of a family of five, architect Susan Alisberg had to do some revamping of her client’s spec home. “They wanted an easy house that took advantage of the views. But the staircase was on the wrong side, and the whole first floor had seven-foot ceilings,” says Alisberg, who relocated the stair to be adjacent to the family room and created double-height ceilings with windows that frame the water and coax natural light.
According to Alisberg, overseeing the architecture, construction and interior design gave her the opportunity to conceive design details like the oversized wainscot, bookshelves
and fireplace in the great room during the planning stage. “The wainscot and its soft blue color give the room a nautical feel,” says Alisberg, who upholstered all the furnishings with indoor/outdoor fabrics. “The kids have separate play areas and this is meant to be an adult space, but the fabrics are durable for whoever uses the room.”
That same sentiment drove the selection of the forgiving zinc-top coffee table and the easy-to-clean tightly woven wool rug that covers the wide plank oak floors. Additional wood touches like the barn door that closes off the playroom and a stump side table add warmth, while a pair of bold turquoise leather ottomans provide a fun jolt of color.
Want to see more winners from the Innovation in Design Awards? Click on a category below to view each winner:
bath
architecture
kitchen
landscape
