Easton, Md. — Franchise owner Suzan Wemlinger, of Milwaukee, Wisc. was named Decorator 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 beautiful makeover of a dining room was selected as the best of 267 entries in 11 categories judged by U.S. and Canadian national and regional design journalists in the company’s 31st International Dream Room awards competition.

Wemlinger received her award at the company’s 46th annual conference and supplier market held this month in Jacksonville, Fla. She also will be honored in New York City at a dinner with renowned interior designer Mario Buatta.

The company’s Dream Room Awards competition results in four top design awards and two runners-up for each.

Decorator of the Year Runners-Up

First Runner-Up was Kathy McGoarty, of Lansdale, Pa., who won first place in the living room category.

Second Runner-Up was a tie between Katie Rioux, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who won first place in the kitchen category and Deborah Bettcher, of Wayne, Pa., who won first place in the bedroom category.

Donayre Award

Barbara Elliott and Jennifer Ward-Woods of Stone Mountain, Ga., won the Donayre Award, which is voted on by company franchisees and is named for Carol Donayre Bugg, ASID, company vice president and director of design. They won for their design of a bedroom makeover.

First Runner-Up was Barbara Tabak, of Harrisburg, Pa., for an outdoor space, which also took second place in the miscellaneous category judged by the journalists.

Elliot and Ward-Woods also took Second Runner-Up for a kitchen that earned second place in that category as judged by the journalists.

People’s Choice Award

Elliot and Ward-Woods and McGroaty tied for the People’s Choice Award, an online judging open to the public in which more than 20,000 votes were cast among the 267 entries. Elliot and Ward-Woods won for a bathroom; McGroaty won for family room.

Deanna Frazier, of Plano, Texas, won second place for her design of bedroom.

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.

Cassy Young, of Bogart, Ga., won first place for a living room design.

Abby Dahlinghaus, of Eaton, Ohio, won second place for a commercial space, a clubhouse for residential community.

Ana Gil-Jones, of Exton, Pa., won third place for her bathroom makeover.