Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/579640
PAPERCITY DESIGN AWARDS AT HOUSTON DESIGN CENTER DESIGN'S A selection of scotches Deep Eddy Vodka BIG NIGHT ANNE LEE PHILLIPS TOASTS THE WINNERS. PHOTOGRAPHY JENNY ANTILL CLIFTON AND DANIEL ORTIZ. T here's no higher compliment to designers and architects than being applauded by a jury of their peers — especially when said peers include Rachel Ashwell, designer and the queen of Shabby Chic; Jan Showers, Dallas decorator and furniture designer; and Barbara Westbrook, Atlanta designer celebrated for her sophisticated Southern interiors — all three with new books just out. These experts spoke on panels at the Houston Design Center earlier that day and signed their new books for fans before the evening's ceremony. Connie LeFevre once again hosted the design community in her glorious Design House, Inc., showroom for pre-ceremony, nerve-smoothing cocktails before the grand reveal. Fred Baca, Todd Mason, and Sheri and Grant Roane represented The Houston Design Center, which serves as partner and host of the annual PaperCity Design Awards. Denzil Hollingsworth, also with HDC, tapped into his wine connection with Napa Valley Wine Club to serve up beautiful wines from Flora Springs Winery, Roederer Estate, Rombauer Vineyards and Silverado Vineyards, which paired nicely with bites from Arcodoro restaurant. To please all palates, Erdington Group provided Brugal rum and Macallan, Highland Park and Famous Grouse Scotch whiskeys, while Deep Eddy Vodka served up its libation, which is handcrafted in the Hill Country. With the ice broken, everyone headed upstairs to Alkusari Stone Showroom for the ceremony. Publicist Alton LaDay and PaperCity editor in chief Holly Moore welcomed guests, judges and participants, and revealed that the awards, celebrating design creativity across 17 categories, continue to gain momentum: Year three marked the most competitive to date with 181 impressive entries. Ashwell, Showers and Westbrook announced the winners and runners-up in each category, punctuated with clever commentary. (Ashwell's comic timing especially surprised the crowd.) Winners took the stage to accept their awards: elegant engraved silver trays from sponsor Christofle Paris, — to much applause from the audience. The celebrated designers and architects and first place winners: Ginger Barber (who swept two top categories), Julie Dodson, Dillon Kyle, Marie Flanigan, Melanie Anderson (accepting on behalf of Sandy Lucas of Lucas/Eilers), Caroline Frantz and Morgan Jones of Caroline Morgan Interiors, Shane Cook, Aaron Rambo of Found, Rame and Russell Hruska of Intexure, Kelie Mayfield and Erick Ragni of MaRS, Mayfield and Ragni Studio (who also won two categories), Pete Ed Garrett of Studio Red, Michael Morrow and Taryn Kinney of Kinneymorrow, Matt Stephens and Jeffrey Brown of Powers Brown Architecture, and Cassie Hart (accepting on behalf of Karen Pulaski of Tribute Goods Fine Linens). Aesthetes: Ringside Design's Trey Tomjanovich (designer of the beautiful awards website), developer Carol Isaak Barden, Found's Ruth Davis, Jonathon Glus, Vicki Rusca, Lee & Associate's Chris Nash (top winner Barber's son), Phoebe Tudor, Courtnay Tartt Elias, Meg Lonergan, Gin Braverman, Aaron Laine, Susanna Showers Moldawer, Suzanne Duin, and Rusty Arena, and in from Dallas Design District, DDD senior real estate manager Pam Dawson, and Dunhill Partners' Bill Hutchinson (Dunhill owns a large swath of DDD) and daughters Rachel, Tess, and Holly. OCTOBER | PAGE 106 | 2015 Anita Joyce Kelie Mayfield Becky Harrison Connie LeFevre Janie Mason Megan Hotze Marie Flanigan Tom Alkusari Todd Mason Corinne Plumhoff Alison Meyer Ginger Barber Chris Nash Rame Hruska Russell Hruska Bill Hutchinson Melanie Anderson Jan Showers Barbara Westbrook Rachel Ashwell Fred Baca Gin Braverman Ruth Davis Aaron Rambo Shane Cook Michael Mandola Morgan Jones Rusty Arena Lee Wilde Phoebe Tudor Jim Ware Dancie Perugini Ware Rachel Hutchinson Tess Hutchinson Holly Hutchinson Olivia Persia Caroline Frantz Leasa Roy Courtnay Tartt Elias Grant Roane Julie Dodson Alton LaDay Sheri Roane Cassie Hart Kirby Sinclair Talbot Cooley Pam Dawson Lila Chumbley Taryn Kinney Michael Morrow Jim Hardy Vicki Rusca Denzil Hollingsworth Rob May Darla Bankston May Carol Isaak Barden