Laurie Rudd, freelance outdoor living writer and owner of Laurie Rudd Public Relations and Marketing, was once again selected by the Decorating Den franchise organization as a judge for its 2020 Annual Dream Room Design competition.
The contest, which currently is celebrating over 40 years of great design, is conducted online with judging in ten categories. The 2020 competition culminates with a presentation of awards during Decorating Den’s annual conference. Rudd has been a judge for the competition for the past five years.
“I have had the pleasure of working on articles featuring designers and projects from within this organization and appreciated being asked to participate as a judge for their competition,” said Rudd. “With my focus on the home industry and writing about interior and exterior products, retailers and designers, it was a pleasure to be a part of recognizing the efforts of these designers.”
Judges for the competition were selected from journalists across the U.S. and Canada. For each of the twelve voting categories including kitchens to outdoor rooms, before and after photos are provided for projects by Decorating Den franchise owners. First, second and third place votes are entered online and then tabulated to determine category winners. From the twelve first place category winners, a Decorator of the Year is selected. Cash prizes and prestigious Tiffany bowls are among the awards given to winners during their annual conference celebration.
The competition history includes it beginnings as a window treatments contest with photographs and/or sketches affixed to a manila file folder submitted as the only entry criteria. As Decorating Den has expanded its home furnishings product offerings, the Dream Room contest has kept pace with the ever-changing world of design. Rules were put into place; professional photography became a requirement; and design boards for each room entry were required for judging. Boasting over 300 annual entries, the Dream Room contest has proven to be a treasure trove of great design ideas for all to enjoy.
Each year prior to the editorial judging, voting is opened up to the general public resulting in a People’s Choice award. “Since 2012 when the online voting began, this portion of the competition has averaged over 20,000 votes,” said Ross Feltz, Decorating Den, Easton, MD.
