HPMKT :: HICKORY CHAIR

Last week we skipped over to High Point, NC for spring market. It was new product overload, but we walked away with a great experience and several new resources. Upon our arrival we bee-lined for our very favorite showrooms. Hickory Chair ate up most of our first day, with gorgeous casegoods and upholstery for miles -

Suzanne Kasler's product line always impresses us. Her upholstery is the most comfortable ultra down option, while her casegoods are timeless and functional. We especially love this piece below, that becomes so versatile when the finish is changed.

You have never seen anything like the Hickory Chair showroom at Highpoint. It is so well organized, professional, and enormous. The convenience and custom capabilities that they provide makes all of the difference to designers. They are always a go-to resource for us because we know that we can rely on their quality and customer service.

TRADITIONAL HOME SHOW HOUSE

We are lucky that the Traditional Home Show House happened to coincide with this year's High Point Market, giving us a reason to make a pit stop in Greensboro, NC before we started the market madness on Saturday. And boy, are we glad we did because there are some pretty fabulous spaces -

Suzanne Kasler's Den

great table lamps

Miles Redd's Living Room

Very excited about the Gracie Wallcovering

Dining Room by Jeffery Muse

Great malachite chest in his bathroom by Traci Zeller & Lisa Mende

Her Bedroom by Bob Brown

Daughter's Room by Kara Cox - love that pink lacquered ceiling

We were mesmerized by the Upstairs Hallway by Jack Fpillips - SO well done!

 

If you are in the Greensboro area, stop by the show house at the Adamsleigh estate. The property and home itself are worth the trip. Originally owned by John Hampton Adams of Adams-Millis Corporation and designed by architect Luther Lashmit in 1929 as an English-Tudor inspired home, it still stands as one of the most beautiful properties in North Caroline next to the Biltmore Estate.

The Show House will be open for tours until May 5.

33RD ANNUAL ASID DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Last Thursday night was the 33rd Annual ASID Design Excellence Awards at the beautiful Summerour Studio. It is an event that we look forward to every year! There was live music, drinks, and design from all market segments of our industry. The board really out-did themselves this year by putting on the best awards ceremony yet. We were also very touched by the dedication of the event to the late Grace Howard, who was our chapter's Administrative Assistant and back bone for nearly 20 years.  
We have such a great time at this event because it is a time to recognize our fellow designers and their accomplishments. We love seeing each project and what other firms have been working on over the past year. It ranges from football stadiums, to corporate offices, to singular residential spaces, and more. You can find the contract winners in last Friday's Atlanta Business Chronicle and the residential winners to be featured in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

We were pleased to have received an award for our Kids II design and last year's Symphony Show House space. Congrats to all of the winners from last Thursday night!

STAIR RAILINGS

Things are coming along at our new construction job and we are excited to see the massive structure actually turning into a home! This week the sheetrock is going up, so that will be a huge leap forward. With all of this progress, some pressing design decisions need to be made. Number one on the list is the design for the stair railing. We are pulling inspiration for our blacksmith in order to come up with a design.

Darryl Carter

J. Randall Powers

Stan Dixon

Stan Topol

Brad Heppner

Summerour Architects

What is your favorite design?

PORTFOLIO REVIEW

Last night was the ASID + Knoll Portfolio Prep. This event is a priceless opportunity for design students to receive feedback on their portfolio from the leaders in Atlanta's design community. As an industry, we are truly invested in our emerging professionals and are eager to share the real world perspective with them. The turn out was incredible, with reviewers from Carson Guest, Heery, tvsdesign, Gensler, and more. We were excited that Melanie was asked to be among this prestigious group to give her input on what she expects in a portfolio.

Kristy Killeen welcoming the group 

Alan Robbins of Knoll reviewing 

The reviewing process was like speed dating, where each student was able to sit with a professional for about 15 minutes to present their portfolio, ask questions, and get a general idea of what an interviewer is looking for. 

Our own Melanie Millner giving her feedback 

When the students had a break from reviewing, they then had the opportunity to meet and mingle with some of ASID's Upstart Professionals. This is a group of young professionals who have recently graduated and are currently working in the design field. The upstart professionals were able to share information on career paths, interviewing, and general design knowledge. There was a ton of advice on what programs to be proficient in, how to get involved, and networking tips.

All-in-all it was a wonderful and successful night! Knoll is always an amazing host, and ASID gave these students some invaluable face time with Atlanta's top Interior Design firm principals. 

2013 PHILIP TRAMMELL SHUTZE AWARDS

We had the honor of attending ICAA's Southeastern Chapter Philip Trammell Shutze Awards dinner on Saturday night at the Piedmont Driving Club. If you are not familiar with Shutze's work, he was an Atlantan who became one of America's most renowned classical architects and designed some of Atlanta' most stunning homes. This is always an inspiring event, recognizing the most successful classical projects completed today. We were excited to be part of the evening and able to celebrate these very talented architects and designers. Here are a few highlights from the night -

 D. Stanley Dixon Architects - Residential under 4,000 square feet

Very gracious Stan Dixon accepting his award 

Bill Baker - Residential over 10,000 square feet 

Stan Benecki accepting the award on behalf of Bill Baker 

and the team who brought this project to fruition 

John Howard - Landscape/Garden Design

This project was particularly exciting because the home is an original Shutze home. 

John Howard went into the History Center's archives to research Shutze's original drawings and intentions for the gardens. 

So fantastic.

Lauren and Stephanie enjoying the evening

Congratulations to this year's recipients -

Artisanship/Craftsmanship - Windley Residence Grand Stair - Kevin Grisso, Custom Artison Group
Landscape/Garden Design - English Manor Garden - John Howard, Howard Design Studio
Residential, under 4,000 square feet - Mediterranean Style Villa in Lost Tree Village, FL - Stan Dixon, D. Stanley Dixon Architects
Residential, 4,000-10,000 square feet - Mountain Home in Cashiers, NC - James F. Carter
Residential, over 10,000 square feet - Meyers Home - William Baker, William T. Baker & Associates
Commercial/Civic/Institutional - Jane Hollock Brock Recital Hall - Neil E. Davis, Davis Architects
Residential Interior Design - Pine Hill Place - Joel Kelly, Joel Kelly Designs
Renovation, under 4,000 square feet - Robbins Residence -  Blair Robbins, Blair Robbins Designs
Renovation, over 4,000 square feet -  Columbus, GA - Rick Spitzmiller, Spitzmiller & Norris
Other - A Stable in Union Springs - James F. Carter

Look out for all of the winning projects to be published in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles. We can't wait to see what next year has to offer!