We are honored to present the second annual Home & Design Excellence Awards. Showcasing the depth and breadth of talent in DC, Maryland and Virginia, this juried competition recognizes outstanding work in residential architecture, interior design, custom-building, kitchen and bath design, landscape design and remodeling. Congratulations to the winners, chosen from 152 entries. They are listed here and further spotlighted in corresponding sections of this online version of the Idea Book.
WINNERS
BUILT TO PERFECTION
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Grand Award
Contemporary Architecture
McInturff Architects
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Merit Award
Contemporary Architecture
Robert M. Gurney, FAIA Architect
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Grand Award
Traditional Architecture
Donald Lococo Architects
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Merit Award
Traditional Architecture
Harrison Design
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Grand Award
Custom Build, Over 4,500 sq. ft.
Pyramid Builders
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Merit Award
Custom Build, Over 4,500 sq. ft.
Sandy Spring Builders
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DREAM KITCHENS & BATHS
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Grand Award
Kitchen Design
Stephanie Gamble Interiors
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Merit Award
Kitchen Design
Colleen Healey Architecture
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Grand Award
Bath Design
Beyond the Box Interiors
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Merit Award
Bath Design
Jenkins Baer Associates
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS
INSPIRING INTERIORS
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Grand Award
Whole House, Traditional
C. Newman Interiors
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Merit Award
Whole House, Traditional
Interior Concepts, Inc.
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Grand Award
Whole House, Contemporary
Hendrick Interiors
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Merit Award
Whole House, Contemporary
Farnady Interiors
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Grand Award
Outstanding Room Makeover
EL Studio
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Merit Award
Outstanding Room Makeover
Lorna Gross Interior Design
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Grand Award
Specialty Space
Farnady Interiors
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Merit Award
Specialty Space
Fitzsimmons Design Associates Inc.
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READY, SET, REMODEL
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Grand Award
Interior Renovation
Robert M. Gurney, FAIA Architect
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Merit Award
Interior Renovation
Fowlkes Studio
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Grand Award
Curb Appeal
Donald Lococo Architects
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Merit Award
Curb Appeal
Robert M. Gurney, FAIA Architect
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THE JUDGES
Three expert panels judged the 2023 Home & Design Excellence Awards. Many thanks to our esteemed local jurists, listed below:
Architects (Architecture, Custom Build, Remodel)
| Amy Gardner, FAIA, LEED AP, established Gardner Architects in 2003. The Silver Spring-based firm artfully crafts buildings and places, guided by a commitment to environmental stewardship. Gardner is a professor at University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation and has twice led UMD’s winning entries in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. |
Simon Jacobsen founded Jacobsen Architecture, LLC, with his late father, modernist architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen. The award-winning Middleburg firm focuses on residential, commercial and institutional design, interiors, furniture and lighting. In 2022, Rizzoli published American Modern Home: Jacobsen Architecture + Interiors, a book devoted to projects Jacobsen designed with his father. |
Stephen J. Vanze, FAIA, launched award-winning, DC-based BarnesVanze Architects in 1989 with partner Ankie Barnes. In addition to his practice, Vanze has served as president of the Washington Architectural Foundation, president of the AIA/DC and board member and chairman of the Old Georgetown Board of the United States Commission of Fine Arts. |
Interior Designers (Interiors, Kitchen & Bath)
| Mary Douglas Drysdale founded Drysdale Design Associates in 1990. Her acclaimed Washington, DC-based firm creates beautiful, functional residences noted for interior architecture, one-of-a-kind furnishings and curated art. Drysdale has received many accolades and awards; her work has been published extensively and has appeared on more than 70 magazine covers. |
Mona Hajj marries romance, sensibility and personality, whether a project is grand or rustic, rich in tradition or contemporary and simple. Her award-winning Baltimore studio creates soft, inviting, comfortable rooms layered with beauty. Hajj’s work has been widely published and she’s the author of two books, Interior Visions (2011) and A Romance of East and West (2019). |
Paul Sherrill founded DC-based Solis Betancourt & Sherrill with partner Jose Solis Betancourt in 1990; today, their award-winning, internationally recognized firm employs a staff of six, creating elegant and thoughtful designs in a range of styles and aesthetics. A monograph, Essential Elegance: The Interiors of Solis Betancourt (2010), celebrates the firm’s work in the U.S. and abroad. |
Landscape Architects (Landscape)
| D. Miles Barnard, RLA, ASLA, specializes in residential landscape architecture that incorporates principles of sustainability and ecological restoration. Over the past two decades, his Chestertown, Maryland, firm, South Fork Studio Landscape Architecture, has completed a wide range of projects, from high-end residential design to historic restoration and commercial development. |
Scott Brinitzer, PLA, ASLA, launched Scott Brinitzer Design Associates in 1987 with the goal of creating beautiful, enjoyable spaces that enhance quality of life. His award-winning Arlington, Virginia, firm combines a landscape architecture practice with garden installation services. Brinitzer is a past president of the Landscape Contractors Association MD • DC • VA. |
Katia Goffin, ASLA, founded McLean-based Goffin Gardens in 2013. Her boutique landscape design and architecture firm creates award-winning projects that are recognized for a classic European sensibility combined with thoughtful contemporary elements and informal wildflower meadows. Trained in the U.S. and Europe, Goffin brings more than 25 years’ experience to her work. |
