Shutze Awards 2023
Happy fall!
As we transition into all things autumn, I'm eager to share my highlights from one of my favorite fall traditions - the Shutze Awards. As many of you know, this annual event, hosted by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Southeast Chapter (ICAA Southeast), is a “regional awards program to recognize the finest practitioners of architecture, interior design, landscape design, and craftsmanship in the classical tradition within the Southeast region.”
Presented over a deliciously-curated dinner, this industry celebration was held in the Shutze-designed ballroom of the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta, Georgia last month. The evening's location paid homage to the award's namesake, Philip Trammell Shutze, the internationally-revered Atlanta architect, known as one of the 20th century’s most devoted classicists.
Read on to celebrate this year's award recipients, learn why this event holds such importance, and see special highlights from the evening!
Allow me to set the scene of the evening for you: guests mingled over cocktails served in the Piedmont Room and on the patio overlooking Midtown Atlanta. The black-tie event had attendees from across the design community dressed to the nines. The Ballroom was filled to the brim with tables donning stunning bouquets of dahlia florals by Bittersweet Botanicals. (Fun fact: Bittersweet Botanicals sourced from eleven different growers to obtain all the gorgeous dahlias for the evening!)
As a gourmet dinner of gazpacho, filet, fresh vegetables, and more was served, Los Angeles designer Madeline Stuart started the program with her humorous and entertaining spirit. The program continued with some of Atlanta's biggest industry names welcoming us to the annual event, including the President of the ICAA Southeast, Wright Marshall (Revival Construction), Chair, Derek Hopkins (Harrison Design), and Co-Chair, Jackye Lanham (Jacquelynne P. Lanham Designs, Inc.). Special thanks to ICAA Southeast Chapter Director, Lynn Amoroso, who coordinated and executed a fantastic evening for all!
L-R Barbre Hoar, me, Meagan Rhodes, Ashley Gilbreath
Ashley Gilbreath Interior Design
Award: Interior Design 4000 to 8000 SQ. FT.
We worked with Ashley on her first book, The Joy of Home, released in spring 2023, so it was an honor for her to win a Shutze award this year as well! It was delightful to work on this Lake Martin home with the AGID team and the home's architecture firm, Tippett, Sease and Baker.
Gracious Lakeside Simplicity
Designer: Ashley Gilbreath Interior Design; Architecture: Tippett, Sease and Baker
Photography: Emily Followill
Melanie Millner, The Design Atelier
Award: Interior Design Under 4000 SQ. FT.
I am deeply appreciative of the enduring professional relationship Melanie and I share, one that has gracefully evolved and flourished since our initial collaboration in the early 2000s. I was so proud to see her win a long-deserved Shutze Award this year, and for such a well-deserved project!
Horse Farm Retreat
Interior Design: The Design Atelier;
Architecture: J. Ryan Duffey Architect, Hazel and Grey Architects; Builder: The Berndsen Company
Stylist: Eleanor Roper; Photography: Emily Followill
Award: Architecture | Renovation 2500 to 5000 SQ. FT.
The amazing Buckhead renovation winning this award is just one of this firm's many beautiful projects over 30 years! It was an absolute pleasure working with the brilliant minds of Andrew Cogar, President of Historical Concepts, and Interior Designer Jackye Lanham.
Refreshed Classical Revival
Architecture: Historical Concepts; Interiors: Jacquellyne P. Lanham Designs
Photography: Emily Followill
Norman Davenport Askins Architect
Award: Architecture | Renovation Over 5000 SQ. FT.
Norman Askins added yet another Shutze Award to his list of awards this year! Many of the architects who win this award year after year have worked under Norman. That being said, Norman is so well-deserving of this recognition, along with the talents of Interior Designer Amy Morris who truly added to his architectural design!
Generational Atlanta Residence
Architecture: Norman Davenport Askins Architect; Interiors: Amy Morris Interiors
Photography: Emily Followill
Award: Interior Design | Single Room
Suzanne Kasler's stunning work won this year's single room category. Celebrated far and wide, her work in this grand room was showcased in the 2022 Flower Magazine Show House.
The Salon
Interior Design: Suzanne Kasler Interiors
Photography: Emily Followill
So much more than a glamorous night, the Shutze Awards hold a special significance, both to me personally and to the broader design community. These awards are a beacon of exceptional achievement. Winning a Shutze Award is an affirmation that a project has not only met but exceeded the highest standards of quality and innovation. In addition, knowing you are competing against a pool of incredibly talented professionals makes the victory all the more meaningful.
The awards also foster collaboration among various professionals, promoting interdisciplinary teamwork and integrated design. They uphold this cherished tradition within the design community and encourage the continuation of a legacy of design excellence, motivating today's top names and emerging designers and architects alike.
A few of my favorite moments of the event included the memorable acceptance speech from Jim Strickland upon receiving the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. With sensational gratitude, Jim's speech was moving, funny, and encapsulated his marvelous career. It was an honor to see him recognized for his talent and to reminisce on some of our photo shoots over the years with Jim, Andrew Cogar, Terry Pylant, Kevin Clark, Dawn Fritz, and many others on the team.
It was an honor to be invited as a guest to experience such a lovely evening and seeing a number of our clients receiving awards. What a joy it was to celebrate everyone, see so many friends, and feel appreciation for the opportunity to play a small part in such successful and vibrant projects in our region!
This special event will surely carry me into the next season with gratitude and creative inspiration - especially alongside additionally celebrated clients winning other notable awards in 2023, including:
Anna Booth, Regional Winner of Luxe Red Awards 2023 - Bathroom Category
Gordon Dunning, National Winner of Luxe Red Awards 2023 - Kitchen Category
Historical Concepts, Regional Winner of Luxe Red Awards 2023 - Interior Architecture Category
Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, Bath of the Year 2023
Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Kitchen of the Year 2023
I am honored to be part of such an amazing and talented community of creatives, and I look forward to all that is still to come this year with each of you!
Wishing you a delightful fall,
