2018 Houston PaperCity Design Awards: And the Winners Are…
BY Matthew Ramirez and Catherine D. Anspon // 04.23.18
M. James Design Group
The annual Houston PaperCity Design Awards elicited more than 260 entries in 19 categories with almost 1,500 images of projects downloaded into digital libraries for our judges – designers Miles Redd and Alex Papachristidis; Ray Booth with McAlpine, New York City and Nashville; Gen and Benjamin Sohr with Paper & Pencil Creative Development Co. in Nashville; Joe Nahem, Nahem-Fox in NYC; and Dara Caponigro, creative director of Schumacher.
For the second year, the awards celebration on Monday night kicked off Texas Design Week Houston. The evening began with a cocktail celebration in the new Post Oak Hotel followed by the presentation in the Post Oak Ballroom. The winning entries were announced by three of the judges – Ray Booth, and Gen and Benjamin Sohr. Baccarat’s Houston general manager Vicki Rusca presented the beautiful Baccarat awards.
We had two special awards this year. The first is the Resiliency Award, which goes to textile designer Rusty Arena, who suffered almost total destruction of his facilities and showroom due to Harvey. The next award is the Greater Good Award, which recognizes projects that stand alone in scope, brilliant design, and service to Houston. Levy Park received the Greater Good Award. See more on these Awards and recipients following the winners listing.
Thank you to our PaperCity Design Awards Sponsors: Porcelanosa, Circa Lighting, The Post Oak Hotel, The Shade Store, Heritage Auctions, Baccarat, and Alton LaDay Media.
Watch for the October 2018 print issue of PaperCity magazine for more on the winning projects. To purchase tickets for Texas Design Week, which runs through Friday, April 27, go to texasdesignweek.com.
Residential Interior Design Over 3,500 Square Feet
Firm: TC Interiors
Lead Designers: Talbot Cooley and Blaine Gabrisch
Runner-Up: Marie Flanigan Interiors, Marie Flanigan

Residential Interior Design Under 3,500 Square Feet
Firm: M. James Design Group
Lead Designer: Melinda James
Runner-Up: Tokerud Co., Courtney Blair

Residential Architectural Design Over 3,500 Square Feet
Firm: Murphy Mears Architects
Lead Architect: Kyle Humphries
Runner-Up: Murphy Mears Architects and Jill Egan Interiors, Kirby Mears and Jill Egan

Residential Architectural Design Under 3,500 Square Feet
Firm: studioMET
Lead Architect: Shawn Gottschalk
Runner-Up: M+A Architecture Studio, Mark Schatz

Singular Space – Bedroom
Firm: Benjamin Johnston Design
Lead Designer: Ben Johnston
Runner-Up: Dodson Interiors, Julie Dodson

Singular Space – Kitchen
Firm: Jennifer Fredette Morris Design
Lead Designer: Jennifer Morris
Runner-Up: Lauren Haskett Fine Design, Lauren Haskett

Singular Space – Bath
Firm: Lauren Haskett Fine Design
Lead Designer: Lauren Haskett
Runner-Up: Marie Flanigan Interiors, Marie Flanigan

Singular Space – Children’s Room
Firm: Ann Wolf Interior Decoration
Lead Designer: Ann Wolf
Runner-Up: Meg Lonergan Interiors, Meg Lonergan

Singular Space – Dining or Entertaining
Firm: Katie Scott Design
Lead Designer: Katie Scott

Use of Small Space
Firm: Marie Flanigan Interiors
Lead Designer: Marie Flanigan
Runner-Up: Lauren Haskett Fine Design, Lauren Haskett

Hospitality Design – Hotel, Restaurant
Project: Hotel Alessandra
Firms: Rottet Studio and Gensler
Rottet Studio Lead Principals: Lauren Rottet, Chris Evans, Jeff Horning, Kristin Amundsen
Gensler Lead Architects: Jaime Alvarez, Brooks Howell, Mike Knight
Runners-Up (Tie): Osso & Kristalla/Potente, Gensler, Brooks Howell and Lisa Pope Westerman. Doris Metropolitan, Construction Concepts, Joshua Weisman

Retail Design
Project: Paloma Beauty, Heights
Firm: CONTENT Architecture
Lead Architect: Jesse Hager
Lead Designer: Gail Chen
Runner-Up: Casa Showroom, Mirador Group, Jerry Hooker

Commercial Design – Office, Theater, Spiritual or Public Space
Project: Hedge Fund Company / Think Tank
Firm: Abel Design Group
Lead Designer: Simona Furini
Runner-Up: DLR Group Houston office, DLR Group, Filippo Castore

Residential Historical Restoration / Preservation
Project: Perthshire Renovation
Firm: studioMET
Lead Architect: Yoon You
Runner-Up: Queen Anne Cottage, Ben Koush Associates, Ben Koush

Commercial Historical Restoration/Preservation
Project: The Warrant Building
Design Firm: Pamela Hope Designs
Lead Designer: Pamela O’Brien
Architectural Firm: A2studio Architects and Prevot Design Services
Lead Architect: Lori Arnold
Runner-Up: The Rice Lobby & Amenities Renovation, Page, Marissa Yu

Residential Landscape Design
Firm: Creative Tonic
Lead Designer: Courtnay Tartt Elias
Runner-Up: Lanson B. Jones & Co. Landscape Architecture, Lanson Jones

Commercial Landscape Design – Outdoor Public Space, Monument, Gardens (Tie)
Project: Heights Mercantile
Firms: Developer Radom Capital, Steve Radom. And SWA Group Landscape Architecture, with Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.
SWA Lead Landscape Architects: Kinder Baumgardner, Clayton Bruner, Jake Salzman, Rhett Rentrop, Chris Gentile, Jacob Galles
Lead Architects: Michael Hsu, Maija Kreishman, Scott Magic, and Abheek Sarkar

Project: The Acre at Allen Center
Firms: OJB Landscape Architecture, with Morrison Dilworth + Walls
OJB Lead Landscape Architect: Chip Trageser
Morrison Dilworth + Walls Lead Architect: Mark Dilworth

Best in Furniture Design – The Mecox Flying Point Collection
Firm: Mecox
Lead Designer: Mac Hoak
Runner-Up: Steel Ply, Kevin Kirton

Best in Product and Textile Design
Project: Park City Handmade Wall Covering
Firm: Lucas/Eilers Design Associates
Lead Designers: Sandra Lucas and Melanie Anderson
Runner-Up: Matt Camron Rugs, Sarah Tringhese

2018 Resiliency Award
Firm: Arena Design
Founder and director: Rusty Arena



Greater Good Award
Project: Levy Park
Firm: OJB Landscape Architecture: Jim Burnett, Chip Trageser, Scott Blons
Firm: Natalye Appel + Associates Architects: Natalye Appel, Stephanie Millet, Danny Samuels, Megan Sheffy, Donna Kacmar, Claire O’Connor
Foundation: Upper Kirby District Foundation: Maureen Sanders, Board Chairman

