The Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) this week announced the winners of the second annual #GetYourGreenOn interior design competition.
The competition recognizes interior designers who feature products from SFC-member manufacturers and suppliers and set high environmental standards.
The award winners are:
-Katherine Snedeker of The Arrangement in Dallas, TX
-Jessica Garcia of Des-Syn Inc. in Atlanta, GA
-Kirsten Flynn of Sustainable Home in Palo Alto, CA
Snedeker took the top honor, the 2017 Sustainable Design Excellence Award. Snedeker repurposed a 1978 storage warehouse for residential use that features products from SFC members Phillips Collection, Loloi, Feizy, Classic Home and Vanguard Furniture.
She encountered some unexpected challenges during the project, some of which required environmental soil testing and asbestos removal.
“The utmost issue became the health and well-being of the inhabitants,” explains Snedeker. “Upon discovering asbestos on some of the building surfaces, we followed EPA hazmat standards for removal of the contaminated surfaces. The environmental footprint took on greater importance as we progressed, refining the intent of the project and to be as eco-minded as possible."
Garcia won the 2017 Shared Spaces $30,000 & Above Award. Her room features SFC-member products from Lee Industries and Loloi and adheres to the “Natural, Sustainable and Responsible” guidelines of the educational resource group Wellness Within Your Walls.
“We furnished the interiors with SFC member products to create a home that is not only beautifully built and designed, but also sustainable and free of harmful toxins,” Garcia explains.
Flynn won the 2017 Shared Spaces $30,000 & Under Award. In addition to featuring products from SFC members Two Sisters Eco Textiles, Ekla Home and Suite Sleep, Flynn’s ranch home renovation is energy- and water-efficient.
“This was a ground-up green reimagining of a ranch home, with the goal of creating a design that was beautiful and healthy for the inhabitants and the planet, as well as address the client’s strong concerns about healthy indoor environments,” Flynn says.
Garcia also won the 2017 Outdoor Spaces $30,000 & Above Award. Her cabana and terrace, a transition area connected by bi-fold glass doors, increases the usable square footage of the home.
Two entrants were also named #GetYourGreenOn category finalists. Lisa Peck and Christina Rymer of LiLu Interiors in Minneapolis, MN are finalists in the Shared Spaces $30,000 & Above category.
“From the solar panels and geo-thermal in-floor radiant heat to the sofa fabric and interior paint, each decision was made to support health, aging in place, sustainability and net zero energy,” Peck explains.
Bernadette Upton of EcoDecor Inc. in North Palm Beach, FL is a finalist in the Shared Spaces $30,000 & Under category. For the 1950s-era rehab, Upton chose products from SFC members American Leather, Kravet fabrics, Baker Furniture and Jaipur Living.
“Sustainability, daylighting, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, easy accessibility, energy efficiency and health and safety issues were all concerns that were addressed,” Upton explains. “Although this was an extremely tight budget, this project proved to be ‘saving green while going green’ experience.”
