Interior Design Awards

See the Best Living/Great Room Entries in Our 2017 Interior Design Awards Contest

Winning looks from area design professionals.

By Ilene Denton December 14, 2017

Winner: Perlman Residence Ellen Hanson, Ellen Hanson Designs

It took only a couple of weeks to furnish this sophisticated Lido Shores living room, interior designer Ellen Hanson of Ellen Hanson Designs and the Burns Square home furnishings boutique, Pansy Bayou, told us. But “the mix of an antique rug with a cocktail table made of a large tree root and vintage Zanuso chairs with a rare rattan Kaerholm Grasshopper Lounge creates the impression of a collection years in the making,” she says. An eclectic mix of art ranging from African tribal to European contemporary complements the rigorously limited color palette. Our judges said: “A wonderful collaboration between art and space.”

Photography by Seamus Payne

Jill Geisdorf, Chic on the Cheap: Sarasota Country Club

Jill writes: “The homeowners inherited this house from the husband's parents. It had green carpet and lots of wallpaper that looked great....great back in the day, not this day. A full refresh of the house was in order and the clients wanted something coastal and bright. They have four grown children so having a big gathering space was important.”

Photography by Coastal Home Photography

Stephanie Nolan in collaboration with Thom Felicia: Laurel Park

Stephanie writes: “Due to the small scale of this home, we had to maximize the square footage, so we designed the sofa sitting area against an exterior window wall (which faces the pool) and facing our focal point—a modern fireplace wall cladded in white, marble stacked stone. A beautiful orb pendant in polished nickel and stainless-steel fireplace surround add that touch of metal to convey our ‘modern’ styling, while the white tongue & groove ceiling and wood floor keep to our farmhouse look. The white marble stacked-stone fireplace with its touch of mica adds a bit of a sparkle and again emphasizes the luxury of the room without being overpretentious. Conscious of scale, we chose appropriate sized furnishings from Thom's collection and finished the room with draperies that really convey that coastal feel in various tones of blue.”

Photography by Jimmy White

Jessica Napoli, Chic on the Cheap: Kanaya

Jessica writes: “Midcentury design is all about the timeless, classic look that utilizes natural materials in a contemporary way. Taking the concept of midcentury colors but modernizing them meant that they would be more vibrant, which not only created an updated midcentury look, but also catered to my color obsession. (I personally love color; color is my jam!).”

Photography by Luis Tamayo

Angela Rodriguez, Angela Rodriguez Interiors: The Oaks Bayside

Angela writes: “When walking through the front door, your eyes go straight out to that incredible view. But from there, the next thing that happens now is that they glide right up to that awesome ceiling, down to the crystal chandelier, and then around the room. I feel like this living room is the WOW first impression this special house always deserved.”

Photography by Angela Rodriguez Interiors

Chelsea Dunbar, Blu Home: Siesta Key residence

Chelsea writes: “We did very little architecturally to this dated home; however, changing the stair design and adding some fun, family-friendly furniture/art makes this house feel new again. The living room is fun and contemporary. We love that it feels warm with the addition of color and is still approachable.”

Photography by Jennifer Park/Blu Interiors

Scores of design pros submitted their best recent projects—bold condo remodels, bright midcentury updates, grand mansions and more—for our inaugural Interior Design Awards competition.

Today, we take a look at the winner in the Living Room/Great Room category, and at other excellent Living Room/Great Room entries.

Interior Design

Show Comments