2012 Chrysalis Awards

Whole House Remodel $250,000-$500,000

National Winner: Sullivan Building & Design, Quakertown, Pa.

This cottage had an old tired 1970s feeling that needed to be updated to take advantage of its charming location. A haphazard collection of rooms and spaces needed to be redefined and organized to flow from one space to the next. Here is a totally redone riverfront home that, while only a modest amount of structural renovations and additions took place, the overall environment that was created is clearly testament to the fact that it is all in the details.

Tips for winning projects

After 19 years of administering the Chrysalis Awards, Ken Kanline has seen a very broad sample of what’s going on in the industry. Here are a few words of advice for companies thinking about entering design competitions.

Put it where it belongs.

Many projects can qualify for entry in several different categories. For instance, if you have a whole house remodel in which 70 percent or more of the budget is in a single area, such as the kitchen or an addition, you may be better off entering the kitchen or addition. In these cases if the key area isn’t an award winner, the whole house entry probably won’t be either. As “Deep Throat” told Woodward & Bernstein…”follow the money”.

There’s gold in them thar niche categories.

You can count on competing with very large numbers of entries in some categories like Kitchen, Bath, Addition and Whole House, but not as much in Universal Design, Green Remodeling, or even Commercial Remodeling. So recognize those opportunities when they present themselves.

Money isn’t everything.

Why are there always more entries in the highest price categories?  Believe it or not, judges realize that the challenges can be greater when dealing with smaller budgets, and this is where value is most taken into account (consciously or subconsciously). It is also true that judges are not impressed with expensive projects that depend heavily on high-priced materials and appliances more than design. If you’ve done a great kitchen on a small budget it is just as impressive in its category as the winner of a kitchen over $100,000.

No one will ever know.

If you are shy about submitting your work for evaluation in a competition…get over it. Participating in competitions is one of the best disciplines you can adopt. Preparing an entry forces you to look at your work from a different perspective, and it can be a “company changing” event, win or not. Sure, the winners are published for all to see, but even if you don’t win, you will be better for the experience and no one but the judges will ever know you entered. I can personally name at least 30 companies in the past nineteen years that made a commitment to this process, and used it as a way to help focus their efforts and encourage their staff. These companies may not have won an award in the first, second or third attempt, but eventually they broke through and, even during the years they didn’t win, their businesses grew more successful. Go figure.

2012 CHRYSALIS AWARD WINNING PROJECTS

Kitchen Remodel Under $50,000

National Winner (Team)
Monmouth Custom Builders, Deal, N.J.

National Winner (Team)          
Sheila Rich Interiors, LLC, Monmouth Beach, N.J.

Regional Winner           
Artistic Renovations, LLC, Seven Hills, Ohio

Regional Winner
Michael Nash Custom Kitchens & Homes, Inc., Fairfax, Va.

Regional Winner          
Renewal Construction, Puyallup, Wash.

Kitchen Remodel $50,000-$75,000

National Winner           
Metropolitan Builders Kitchen & Bath, Charlotte, N.C.

Regional Winner          
Case Design/Remodeling Inc., Bethesda, Md.

Regional Winner          
James Barton Design-Build, Apple Valley, Minn.

Regional Winner (Team) 
SEA Construction, San Mateo, Calif.

Regional Winner (Team)
Katja Rimmi Interiors, Half Moon Bay, Calif.

Kitchen Remodel $75,000-$100,000

National Winner           
Jackson Design & Remodeling, San Diego

Regional Winner          
Renewal Design Build, Decatur, Ga.

Regional Winner          
Normandy Remodeling, Hinsdale, Ill.

Regional Winner          
A&E Construction, Pennington, N.J.

Kitchen Remodel Over $100,000

National Winner          
Archia Homes, Duxbury, Mass.

Regional Winner          
Gayler Construction, Danville, Calif.

Regional Winner          
Mosby Building Arts, Kirkwood, Mo.

Regional Winner
Mosaic Indoor Living, Atlanta

Bath Remodel Under $40,000

National Winner          
Beautiful Remodel LLC, Gilbert, Ariz.

Regional Winner          
Knight Construction Design, Inc., Chanhassen, Minn.

Regional Winner          
The Wills Company, Nashville, Tenn.

Regional Winner          
Schmidt Contracting Services, Inc.Annapolis, Md.

Bath Remodel $40,000-$60,000

National Winner          
David Wilkes Builders, Austin, Texas

Regional Winner          
Kitchen & Bath Design Center, Bellevue, Wash.

Regional Winner          
TimeLine Renovations, Inc., Maspeth, N.Y.

Regional Winner          
James Barton Design-Build, Apple Valley, Minn.

Bath Remodel Over $60,000

National Winner
Hanson Carlen Construction, Spokane, Wash.

Regional Winner          
Feinmann Inc., Lexington, Mass.

Regional Winner          
Silent Rivers, Des Moines, Iowa

Regional Winner          
Carnemark Systems & Design, Bethesda, Md.

Regional Winner          
David Wilkes Builders, Austin, Texas

Addition Under $100,000

National Winner
Michael Nash Custom Kitchens & Homes, Inc., Fairfax, Va.

Regional Winner          
Smiley Renovations, Silver Spring, Md.

Addition $100,000-$250,000

National Winner         
John Caruso Builders, Whippany, N.J.

Regional Winner          
J.L. Tippett Construction Company, Potomac Falls, Va.

Regional Winner          
TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+ Builders, Inc., Minneapolis

Regional Winner          
Renewal Construction, Puyallup, Wash.

Addition Over $250,000

National Winner          
CG&S Design-Build, Austin, Texas

Regional Winner          
Vujovich Design Build, Minneapolis

Regional Winner          
Archia Homes, Duxbury, Mass.

Regional Winner (Team)
Sockeye Homes. Kent, Wash.

Regional Winner (Team)
Maple Leaf Design, Seattle

Residential Interior Under $100,000

National Winner          
Ispiri Design Build Remodel, Woodbury, Minn.

Regional Winner          
BRY JO Roofing & Remodelinng, Richardson, Texas

Residential Interior Over $100,000

National Winner          
The Wills Company, Nashville, Tenn.

Regional Winner          
Vujovich Design Build, Minneapolis, Minn.

Regional Winner          
Corvallis Custom Kitchens & Baths, Corvallis, Ore.

Regional Winner          
Gardner/Fox Associates, Inc., Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Residential Exterior Under $100,000

National Winner          
Michael Nash Custom Kitchens & Homes, Inc., Fairfax, Va.

Regional Winner          
Normandy Remodeling, Hinsdale, Ill.

Residential Exterior Over $100,000

National Winner          
Carpenter & MacNeille, Essex, Mass.

Regional Winner (Team)
Lemke & Son’s Construction, St. Paul, Minn.

Regional Winner (Team) 
Woodside Remodelers, Minnetonka, Minn.

Regional Winner          
Allen Associates, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Detached Outbuilding

National Winner          
Michael K. Walker & Associates, Sarasota, Fla.

Regional Winner (Team)
Alward Construction, Berkeley, Calif.

Regional Winner (Team)
Design Set Match, Oakland, Calif.

Regional Winner          
Paulson’s Construction, Inc., Howell, Mich.

Regional Winner          
The Levine Group, Silver Spring, Md.

Outdoor Living

National Winner          
Key Residential, Farmers Branch, Texas

Regional Winner          
Allen Associates, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Regional Winner (Team)
Monmouth Custom Builders, Deal, N.J.

Regional Winner (Team)
Bohn Associates, New York

Regional Winner          
Mantis Design/Build, Minneapolis

Residential Specialty Item

National Winner          
Knight Construction Design, Inc., Chanhassen, Minn.

Regional Winner (Team) 
Grossmueller’s Design Consulting, Washington, D.C.

Regional Winner (Team)
ART Design Build, Bethesda, Md.

Regional Winner          
Chermak Construction, Inc., Edmonds, Wash.

Regional Winner          
Mosaic Indoor Living, Atlanta

Whole House Remodel Under $250,000

National Winner          
Michael Nash Custom Kitchens & Homes, Inc., Fairfax, Va.

Regional Winner          
mackmiller design+build, Eden Prairie, Minn.

Regional Winner (Team)
M Designs Architects, Los Altos, Calif.

Regional Winner (Team)
Lynstar Enterprises Inc., San Jose, Calif.

Regional Winner          
Testament Construction Group, Baltimore

Whole House Remodel $250,000-$500,000

National Winner          
Sullivan Building & Design, Quakertown, Pa.

Regional Winner          
Allen Associates, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Regional Winner          
S.W. Scheipeter Construction, Webster Groves, Mo.

Regional Winner          
CG&S Design-Build, Austin, Texas

Whole House Remodel $500,000-$1 Million

National Winner          
The Block Builders Group, Bethesda, Md.

Regional Winner          
Jackson & LeRoy Remodeling, Salt Lake City

Regional Winner          
Provenance Builders, Dallas

Regional Winner          
PURE Design Environments, Eden Prairie, Minn.

Whole House Remodel Over $1 Million

National Winner          
Glass Construction, Washington, D.C.

Regional Winner          
FatBoy Construction, Tacoma, Wash.

Regional Winner          
CG&S Design-Build, Austin, Texas

Residential Historic Renovation

National Winner           
Sullivan Building & Design, Quakertown, Pa.

Regional Winner          
Provenance Builders, Dallas

Regional Winner
Tru-Built Construction, Lincoln, Neb.

Regional Winner          
Custom Kitchens by John Wilkins, Inc., Oakland, Calif.

Residential Universal Design

National Winner          
Greymark Construction, Houston

Regional Winner          
Glickman Design Build, LLC, North Potomac, Md.

Regional Winner (Team)
mackmiller design+build, Eden Prairie, Minn.

Regional Winner (Team)
Accessibility Design, Minneapolis

Best Green Remodeling Project

National Winner          
Matt Powers Custom Homes & Renovation, Houston

Residential Insurance Restoration

National Winner          
Chermak Construction Inc., Edmonds, Wash.

Regional Winner          
PURE Design Environments, Eden Prairie, Minn.

Regional Winner          
Star Construction Company, West Newbury, Mass.

Commercial Insurance Restoration

National Winner          
Sterling Group DKI, Tacoma, Wash.

Regional Winner          
A&I Incorporated, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Regional Winner           
PURE Design Environments, Eden Prairie, Minn.

Commercial Remodel

National Winner          
Glass Construction, Washington, D.C.

Regional Winner          
TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+ Builders, Inc., Minneapolis

Regional Winner          
Fine Remodel, Sandy, Utah

Regional Winner          
TriVista USA, Arlington, Va.

Basement Remodel

National Winner          
Rule 4 Building Group, Elkridge, Md.

Regional Winner          
DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, Springfield, Ill.

Regional Winner          
Sun Design Remodeling, Specialists, Inc., Burke, Va. PR