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Decorating Den Interiors announces Designer of the Year and other design awards

Easton, Md. — Franchise owner Suzan Wemlinger of Milwaukee, Wisc. (http://www.suzanw.decoratingden.com  ) 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. She was previously Decorator of the Year in 2015.

Her beautiful makeover of a kitchen was selected as the best of 246 entries in 12 categories judged by U.S. and Canadian national and regional design journalists in the company’s 34th International Dream Room awards competition. She also won first in the bathroom category, and thirds in miscellaneous and kitchen, and a third in home office with her decorator Lisa Gramoll.

 

 

 

 

Wemlinger received her award at the company’s 49th annual conference and supplier market held May in Orlando. She also will be honored with a trip to New York City.

 

Designer of the Year Runners-Up   

Tied for Runner-Up were Barbara Elliott and Jenifer Ward Wood of Stone Mountain, Ga. who won first place in commercial for their own design studio, first and third in family room, and second in miscellaneous and third in outdoor; and Lindy and Pam Walker of Jonesborough, Tenn. who won first in the home office category.

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

 

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 makeover of a grand “conservatory” room.

Second place was Janet Bertin and Lorin Petit of Alexandria, Va. for a bedroom makeover.

Third place was Diana Apgar of Middletown, Ohio for a living room design.

 

 

People’s Choice Award

Shelley Rodnar of Ocean View, Del.  won both first and third place in the People’s Choice Award, an online judging open to the public in which more than 34,000 votes were cast among the various entries. Her makeover of a family room received the highest number of votes cast and her design of a dining room attracted the third-highest number of votes.

Barbara McGinnis Hayman, of Spring City, Pa., won second place for a foyer in the miscellaneous category.

 

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.

Jenn MacDonald of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, won first place for a bedroom design. She is an interior design consultant with the franchise owned by Katie Rioux, last year’s Decorator of the Year.

Marni Sugarman of Riverdale, N.Y. won second place for a living room.

Lindy and Pam Walker of Jonesborough, Tenn won third to their home office.

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.

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