I’m still taking this one in!
I’m incredibly honored to share that our team received three awards at this year’s Interior Design Society Designer of the Year Awards (IDS Awards). To have two projects that we loved so much recognized by our industry is incredibly special, and I’m feeling very grateful.
Our Medina Colonial Lakeside project received:
1st Runner Up – Whole Home, 3,000 Sq. Ft.+
1st Runner Up – Kitchens, 351–500 Sq. Ft.
And our Woodinville English Charm project received:
Winner – Living Spaces, Up to 150 Sq. Ft.
Three awards. Two wonderful homes. And a whole lot of people behind them.
The Best Part Comes Long Before the Award
Of course, receiving an award is exciting. There may have been a happy dance or two! But when I think about what makes these projects truly special, my mind immediately goes to our clients.
We are invited into our clients’ homes, their routines, their family lives, and often into a space that already holds years of memories. They trust us to listen, to understand how they want to live, and then to help create a home that feels like them. That trust is something I never take lightly. A project like this an amazing build team and we were honored to collaborate with Stan and Justin Lawton, of Lawton Builders, and the many talented artisans and craftsmen who help execute the design.
The real reward comes when the construction dust has settled, the furniture is in place, and our clients get to simply live in the home we created together. When the kitchen works better for a busy weeknight. Or the family naturally gathers in the living room. When a home that has been loved for decades suddenly feels right for this next chapter. That will always be the best part of what we do. The awards? Those are a pretty wonderful cherry on top.
Medina Colonial Lakeside
Our Medina Colonial Lakeside project was a very special one from the beginning.
Our clients had lived in their lakeside home for more than 25 years. They loved their home and its incredible setting, but after decades of family life, they were ready for it to better reflect how they live today. Rather than changing the home into something completely different, we wanted the renovation to feel like a natural evolution.
The kitchen became a major part of that transformation. We enlarged and reworked the space to improve storage, functionality, and flow while creating a beautiful gathering place for family and friends. Warm walnut, natural stone, custom cabinetry, thoughtful lighting, and details designed specifically around our clients helped create a kitchen that feels elevated without feeling too precious for everyday life.
That same philosophy carried throughout the entire home. Every decision was made with the goal of creating something beautiful, comfortable, enduring, and personal. Having Medina recognized in both the Whole Home and Kitchen categories feels especially meaningful because those awards reflect what we hoped to accomplish from the very beginning: creating a home where all of the individual details work together as one.
Woodinville English Charm
Our Woodinville English Charm project has an equally special story.
This was another home filled with years of family memories. Our clients had raised their family here and were now entering a new season of life that included grown children, grandchildren, gatherings, and plenty of everyday living. They wanted the home to feel lighter and more elevated while still being comfortable, welcoming, and practical.
Throughout the renovation, we focused on natural materials, warm wood tones, soft neutrals, custom millwork, and spaces that could handle real life beautifully. The living areas were designed to feel open and inviting, with thoughtful architectural details, durable fabrics, and plenty of warmth and texture. We collaborated with Travis Counsell, of Trucraft Northwest for the renovation.
Seeing one of those spaces receive Winner – Living Spaces, Up to 150 Sq. Ft. is such an honor. Because sometimes it isn’t the size of a room that makes it special. It’s how thoughtfully every inch is used and, more importantly, how that space makes you feel when you’re in it.
It Always Takes a Team
No project like these happens because of one person.
Beautiful homes come together through collaboration between our clients, our design team, architects, builders, craftspeople, vendors, installers, and so many talented people working behind the scenes.
There are hundreds (and sometimes what feels like thousands!) of decisions along the way. There are challenges to solve, details to rethink, materials to source, drawings to review, and plenty of conversations before we ever reach that final installation day.
To have the finished work recognized by our peers in the design industry is incredibly meaningful, and I’m so proud of everyone who helped bring these homes to life. But more than anything, I’m grateful to our clients.
Thank you for trusting us with your homes, your ideas, your stories, and the way you want to live. Getting to create spaces that become the backdrop for everyday life, family gatherings, celebrations, quiet mornings, and everything in between is why I still love what I do.
Coming home with three IDS Designer of the Year Awards is pretty exciting. Getting to create these homes in the first place was the real win.
Kindly,
Michelle
