ASID NJ Announced Winners of Design Excellence Awards

July 24, 2024  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

Emmy award-winning George Oliphant of NBC’s “George to the Rescue” served as master of ceremonies and sprinkled stardust over the entire evening, bringing robust enthusiasm and an understanding of the challenges designers face to the attentive audience of interior designers, sponsors, industry partners and friends and family.

Twenty-one interior designers won a total of 43 prizes among them in 18 categories.  Martin Grodman of American Brass & Crystal was honored with the Industry Partner Award for lighting design by Anna Maria Mannarino, Allied ASID, and four students won awards as well. 

Reno’s Appliance and Salzone Fine Art were Star Sponsors.  Premier sponsors were Sherwin Williams, Sub-Zero/Wolf and Cove, TJ Painting and Wayne Tile.  Select Sponsors were Benjamin Moore, Exceptional Flooring Concepts, Janus et Cie, Samuelson, Steve's Custom Drapery Shoppe and Wostbrock Home.  Sapphire Chapter Sponsor Design NJ and Pearl Chapter Sponsor Room & Board were also highlighted.  

Designers could submit projects in residential and commercial / non-residential sectors. Winners spanned categories from Residential Single Space and Outdoor Living Spaces to Retail/ Showroom, Exhibit Space, Public Spaces, Athletic Facility.                                                                                          
Judges were comprised of past award-winning ASID members and followed strict criteria in their judging. The criteria, which varied somewhat from category to category had one constant, however.  Entrants in all the categories were judged on “Positive impact on life and the human experience.”

"Winning projects demonstrated purpose, integrity, creativity and how exceptional design can transform spaces,” said Marina V. Umali, ASID, CID, President of the New Jersey Chapter. “The NJ Design Excellence awards reinforce the ASID commitment to demonstrating how design impacts lives.” 

The winners were as follows:

Residential Historic Preservation:

Gold - Miriam Silver Verga, Associate ASID, Mimi & Hill, Westfield  

Silver - Diane Durocher, ASID, CID, Diane Durocher Interiors, Ramsey

Residential Single Space: 

Silver - Jennifer Pacca, Allied ASID, Jennifer Pacca Interiors, Wyckoff 

Bronze - Oreoluwa Oderanti, Affliliate ASID, Inspired Ore Home Décor, Irvington 

Bronze - Sarah Storms, Allied ASID, Styled by Storms, Maplewood  

Residential Two or More Spaces, 2,501 to 5,000 Square Feet:

Gold - Yelena Gerts, Allied ASID, House of Style & Design, Holmdel

Silver - Miriam Silver Verga, Associate ASID, Mimi & Hill, Westfield  

Bronze - Sarah Storms, Allied ASID, Styled by Storms, Maplewood  

Residential Two or More Spaces, More Than 5,000 Square Feet:

Silver - Jennifer Pacca, Allied ASID, Jennifer Pacca Interiors, Wyckoff

Bronze - Alexa Harris-Ralff, Associate ASID, AHR Designs, Millburn

Bronze - Zak Yossry, Allied ASID, and Sarah Fetouh, Allied ASID, Short Hills Design Studio, Millburn 

Residential Apartment, Condo, Townhouse or Loft:

Gold - Yelena Gerts, Allied ASID, House of Style & Design, Holmdel

Silver - Diane Durocher, ASID, CID, Diane Durocher Interiors, Ramsey

Bronze - Arlene Reilly, Allied ASID, Bernards Decorating, Inc., Bernardsville

Residential Small Bathroom, 50 Square Feet or Less:

Gold - Tracey Stephens, Allied ASID, CID, Tracey Stephens Interior Design, Montclair

Silver - Sheila Rich, Allied ASID, CID, Sheila Rich Interiors, Monmouth Beach

Bronze - Yelena Gerts, Allied ASID, House of Style & Design, Holmdel

Residential Large Bathroom, 51 Square Feet or More:

Gold - Beth Insabella Walsh, ASID, CID, INSABELLADESIGN, Little Silver

Silver - Tracey Stephens, Allied ASID, CID, Tracey Stephens Interior Design, Montclair

Bronze - Miriam Silver Verga, Associate ASID, Mimi & Hill, Westfield  

Residential Small Kitchen, 150 Square Feet or More:

Gold - Liz Curry, Allied ASID, Liz Curry Studio, South Orange

Silver - Tracey Stephens, Allied ASID, CID, Tracey Stephens Interior Design, Montclair

Bronze - Denise Pough, Allied ASID, A-Jay Interiors by Dee, Paramus

Residential Large Kitchen, 151 Square Feet or More:   

Gold - Sharon L. Sherman, ASID, CID, Thyme & Place Design, Wyckoff

Gold - Sarah Storms, Allied ASID, Styled by Storms, Maplewood  

Silver - Julie China, Allied ASID, Idea Space Architecture + Design, Maplewood

Bronze - Anna Maria Mannarino, Allied ASID, Mannarino Designs, Holmdel 

Bronze - Miriam Silver Verga, Associate ASID, Mimi & Hill, Westfield  

Residential Show House Space:  

Gold - Susan Farcy, Associate ASID, Susan Farcy Interior Design, Wyckoff

Silver - Diane Durocher, ASID, CID, Diane Durocher Interiors, Ramsey

Silver - Arlene Reilly, Allied ASID, Bernards Decorating, Inc., Bernardsville

Bronze - Anna Maria Mannarino, Allied ASID, Mannarino Designs, Holmdel 

Residential Specialty and Unique Interior Spaces: 

Silver - Diane Durocher, ASID, CID, Diane Durocher Interiors, Ramsey

Bronze - Cozette Brown, Allied ASID, Cozette Brown Interior Design, Ringwood

Bronze - Sharon L. Sherman, ASID, CID, Thyme & Place Design, Wyckoff

Outdoor Living Spaces:

Silver - Jennifer Pacca, Allied ASID, Jennifer Pacca Interiors, Wyckoff

Commercial Single Space:

Gold - Jennifer Pacca, Allied ASID, Jennifer Pacca Interiors, Wyckoff

Commercial Several Spaces, 10,001 Square Feet or More:

Silver - Hong Jin, ASID, Netta Architects, Mountainside 

Retail/Showroom, Exhibit Space, Public Spaces, Athletic Facility: 

Gold - Hong Jin, ASID, Netta Architects, Mountainside

Silver - Liz Curry, Allied ASID, Liz Curry Studio, South Orange

Commercial Special and Unique Spaces:

Silver - Anna Maria Mannarino, Allied ASID, Mannarino Designs, Holmdel 

Government/Institutional Spaces:

Gold - Hong Jin, ASID, Netta Architects, Mountainside 

Industry Partner Category:

Winner: Martin Grodman, American Brass & Crystal with Lighting Design by Anna Maria Mannarino, Allied ASID

Student ASID awards went to Jacqueline Ferreira of Brookdale College, Silver, and Esther Marquez of Berkeley College, Bronze, in the Student Residential Space category; Sarah Jolly of Kean University, Gold in the Student Commercial Space category; and Aubree Gergich of Kean University, Silver in the Student Public Space category.