Paola McDonald of Olamar Interiors takes top prize, the Sustainable Design Excellence Award; three category winners and two finalists celebrated during SFC’s 10th Anniversary Gala; #GetYourGreenOn winners to headline interior design discussion on Jan. 22, 2017, during Las Vegas Market
Edenton, NC – Five interior designers received top honors in the Sustainable Furnishings Council’s inaugural #GetYourGreenOn competition, which was fêted Oct. 21 in conjunction with the SFC’s 10th Anniversary Celebration at High Point Market.
Paola McDonald of Olamar Interiors, Haymarket, VA, took the top honor, the 2016 Sustainable Design Excellence Award, for her Washington D.C. row house. The upbeat, colorful residence featured product from SFC members (a requirement of the competition), specifically Jaipur Living, Jeffan International, Phillips Collection and Surya.
“We do our best to use and support vendors and manufacturers who are committed to the community and to the environment,” McDonald explained. “We strongly consider our vendors’ policies and commitment to community … and continue to pursue relationships with new vendors who strive to do good things for our community and our world.”
Three entrants were named #GetYourGreenOn category winners:
• Sheree Vincent of Fusion Designed, Minneapolis, was named winner of the 2016 Shared Spaces $30,000 & Above Award. Her winning lake home featured SFC-member products from Kravet and Lee Industries, as well as mindful design choices such as in-floor radiant heating, energy-efficient windows, low-VOC paints and wall finishes, and Energy Star®-rated appliances.
“As stewards of their own lake environment, my clients understood the importance of choosing sustainably when remodeling their home,” Vincent reflected. “Choosing SFC members gives me peace of mind, as I know they have already been vetted by a third-party process. As a designer, it takes some of the guess work out for me and narrows the field of choices.”
• Robin Wilson of Robin Wilson Home, New York, earned the 2016 Shared Spaces $30,000 & Under Award. In addition to featuring product from SFC member Somerton Dwelling, Wilson’s dining room featured no-VOC paints and stains from Benjamin Moore.
“The family wanted to have a home that was a sanctuary,” Wilson said. “And while the renovation was in progress, they did not want their children to experience respiratory issues.”
• The 2016 Outdoor Spaces $30,000 & Above Award went to Dann Foley, Dann Inc., Palm Springs, CA, for his restoration of a historic home’s front entry and double piazzas. Area rugs from SFC member Loloi Rugs and benches from SFC member Safavieh were featured in the winning project.
“My approach to this design was ‘living with the past, without living in it,’ ” explained Foley of the home, which is certified by both the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic Charleston Foundation. “Because of the historic significance of the house, it only seemed fitting to choose materials, finishes and furnishings that were as real and honest as possible. Sustainability was not only a personal goal, but one that made both environmental and professional sense in such a gem of an old home.”
Finally, two entrants were named #GetYourGreenOn category finalists:
Rachel Winokur of Rachel Winokur Interiors, Los Angeles, was named a 2016 finalist in the Shared Spaces $30,000 & Under category. Her update of a client’s Spanish Mediterranean-style residence featured a sectional from SFC member Cisco Brothers.
“The sectional hit all the necessary points: sustainability, look and price,” Winokur said. “It is reassuring to know Cisco Brothers products are made sustainably … and will last a long time and hold up under a lot of use.”
Dann Foley, Dann Inc., Palm Springs, CA, earned a second distinction in this year’s competition: 2016 finalist in the Shared Spaces $30,000 & Above category. For this country club residence update, Foley choose products from SFC member Nathan Anthony, Kravet and Loloi Rugs.
“It has been my experience that the more modern the client’s mindset, the easier it can be to educate them on the value of green choices for their home,” Foley advised. “Having said that, the reason behind choosing the SFC member product was simple, it was the best choice when all things were considered.”
Foley and his fellow #GetYourGreenOn winners and finalists will be in the spotlight during a panel discussion Jan. 22, 2017, at the Las Vegas Market. The designers will discuss their winning projects, explain why they chose the products they did, and also share how they make decisions for pollution reduction, especially the reduction of energy use and elimination of harmful chemicals in residential interiors. The panel discussion will also serve as the launch of the 2017 #GetYourGreenOn competition.
