Our 2026 Design Awards

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We look forward to the Design Awards every year.

The Wood Soup project, by Kyle Bamrick of Kyle Bamrick Architecture + Design, won third place in the Residential New Construction/Renovation category. Photograph by Anthony Crisafulli Photography.

After three decades of poring over cutting-edge designs and functional, beautiful spaces, we still manage to receive entries that amaze, delight and impress our judges. This year, we looked through more than seventy-five entries in ten categories, submitted by local architects, designers and builders — some new, some familiar, all talented and bringing just a little more functionality and harmony to our homes, businesses and public spaces.

The submissions were reviewed by our talented judges:

Janice Randall Rohlf, a longtime publishing professional based in New England who specializes in architecture and design. She is the editor of New Hampshire Home magazine and has contributed to numerous regional and national publications, including Fine Homebuilding, Ocean Home, Northshore Home and New England Living.

Julia Bernert, an architect and founder of Westport, Massachusetts-based Clearwater Architects and critic at the Rhode Island School of Design who teaches architecture studios at Roger Williams University.

We hope that flipping through the winning entries will inspire you to add a dash of color or some softness to your living spaces. Here’s to thirty years of living beautifully through design!

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Residential New Construction/Renovation

First Place: Green River Project, Adam Titrington, Estes Twombly + Titrington Architects

The Green River Project by Adam Titrington of Estes Twombly + Titrington Architects. Photograph by Warren Jagger Photography.

Photograph by Warren Jagger Photography.

The owners of this home wanted a modern design with a large living area that opened up to the outdoors and privacy between the main and guest bedrooms. Architect Adam Titrington broke the single-story home into a series of linked pavilions that provide privacy while maximizing views. Varied roof and ceiling heights bring intimacy to the bedrooms and a sense of openness to the great room, which opens to eleven-foot-high ceilings. “Beautifully detailed and integrated with the landscape,” Bernert says. “A refined minimalist palette of interior materials links spaces to each other while keeping the focus on connectivity and views.”

Architect: Adam Titrington, Estes Twombly + Titrington Architects. General Contractor: The Grenier Group. Structural Engineer: Loren Yoder, Yoder + Tidwell. Landscape Design: Ashley Iannuccilli, Traverse Landscape Architects. Photography: Warren Jagger Photography.

Photograph by Warren Jagger Photography.

• Second Place: Cozy Gentleman’s Cabin, Joseph Combs and Erin Hunter, Studio Hearth Architecture + Design

• Third Place: Wood Soup Project, Kyle Bamrick, Kyle Bamrick Architecture + Design

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Take a peek at this year’s second- and third-place projects below:

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Historic Renovation – Residential

First Place: The Noble, David Sisson, David Sisson Architecture

The Noble, by David Sisson of David Sisson Architecture. Photograph by Christian Scully, Design Imaging Studios.

The building at 126 Adelaide Ave. in Providence’s Elmwood neighborhood has had many lives: First as the Westminster Unitarian Church in 1901, then as a home for a Swedish Methodist congregation, and then becoming the Hood Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1977. In 2014 and 2015, the Providence Preservation Society named the long-abandoned building a Most Endangered Property. Tasked with creating fifteen residential units inside, architect David Sisson managed to add a second story without changing the height of the building, while keeping most of the exterior intact. The original sanctuary, flanked by gorgeous millwork and stained-glass windows, was preserved, with residents using it as a relaxing co-working and recreation space. Bernert calls it “adaptive reuse at its best; this project is beautifully linked to the architectural, collective community history and importance of the original church.”

Architect: David Sisson, David Sisson Architecture. Developer: Touchdown Realty Group. Civil Engineer: Commonwealth Engineers & Consultants, Inc. Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineer: Creative Environment Corp. Photography: Christian Scully, Design Imaging Studios.

• Second Place: Coastal Jamestown Home, Galen Haas, Haas Design

• Third Place: James Street Residence, Jack Ryan, Jack Ryan Architect

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Bathroom 

First Place: Hull Cove Bathroom, Jack Ryan, Jack Ryan Architect

The Hull Cove Bathroom by Jack Ryan of Jack Ryan Architect. Photograph by Nat Rea Photography.

Photograph by Nat Rea Photography.

Architect Jack Ryan raised the existing hipped roof line twelve feet to create this sleek bathroom addition. Smoky gray marble floors extend up the wall behind the floating oak vanity and halfway up the side walls to create shelving for both the shower and soaking tub, while vertical slit windows alongside the vanity let in natural light without sacrificing privacy. “Great use of small spaces,” says Bernert. “Windows and natural light are beautifully integrated and material choices have visual power without compromising unity and tranquility.”

Architect: Jack Ryan (project leader) and Michael Clouse. General Contractor: Jim Standish, The Finishing Touch, Inc. Structural Engineer: Camera-O’Neill Consulting Engineers, Inc. Cabinetry and Millwork: Jutras Woodworking. Photography: Nat Rea Photography.

• Second Place: Coastal Jamestown Bathroom, Galen Haas, Haas Design

• Third Place: James Street Bathroom, Jack Ryan, Jack Ryan Architect

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Residential Interior Design

First Place: Coastal Jamestown Home, Galen Haas, Haas Design

Coastal Jamestown Home by Galen Haas of Haas Design. Photograph by Maaike Bernstrom and Shannon Hammond.

With soft hues, crisp white shiplap and an uncanny knack for sourcing timeless treasures, Galen Haas turned a dated 1895 coastal Jamestown home into an elegant coastal haven. “From the herringbone brick floor to the antique farmhouse table that seats eighteen, this renovation perfectly achieves the goal of melding historic character with the needs of modern family life,” Rohlf says. “The layered approach to interior design endows the home with a homey elegance that is casual yet elevated. Beautifully done!”

Interior Design: Galen Hass, Hass Design. Construction: Behan Brothers. Architect: DiMauro Architects. Landscape: Infinity Design Group. Photography: Maaike Bernstrom and Shannon Hammond.

• Second Place: Sprawling Oaks Project, Janelle Blakely Photopoulos, Blakely Interior Design

• Third Place: Bryer Project, Alex Crecelius, Alex Interiors

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Kitchen 

First Place: Bay View Kitchen, Janelle Blakely Photopoulos, Blakely Interior Design

The Bay View Kitchen by Janelle Blakely Photopoulos of Blakely Interior Design. Photograph by Greg Premru.

With its striking marble range hood, two islands — one for prep and cooking, the other for serving and gathering — custom millwork, premium appliances and stunning views of Narragansett Bay, this luxurious kitchen serves as the functional heart of this Warwick home, where the family loves to gather and entertain. “It’s a truly handsome space, with the sculptural marble range hood and rich mahogany custom millwork,” Rohlf says. “Yet, it is not just eye candy — the high-performance appliances, including the marvelous La Cornue range, indicate this kitchen is impressively functional as well as stunning.”

Interior Design: Blakely Interior Design, Janelle Blakely Photopoulos, principal, and Ali Otterbein, design lead. Architect: Vincent Sorrentino, Studio S Architecture. Builder: Bob Ventura, Completely Custom. Millworker: Jutras Woodworking. Photography: Greg Premru.

• Second Place: Lloyd Avenue Kitchen, Kate Gray, Hamilton Gray Studio

• Third Place: Centripetal Residence Kitchen, Jack Ryan, Jack Ryan Architect

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Unique Indoor Space

First Place: The Noble, David Sisson, David Sisson Architecture

The Noble by David Sisson of David Sisson Architecture. Photograph by Christian Scully, Design Imaging Studios.

Architect David Sisson kept the historic integrity of this former Providence church alive while creating a modern sanctuary for twenty-first century residents. He was able to add a floor and fifteen residential units to the interior of the space without altering the building’s height. Instead of holy relics, the nave is now anchored by exposed beams, stained-glass windows and a two-story cosmic mural dedicated to the capital city. “Particular coups were fitting in the residential units without changing the building height and preserving the stained-glass windows without having a pervasive feeling that this was once a church,” Rohlf says.

Architect: David Sisson, David Sisson Architecture. Developer: Touchdown Realty Group. Civil Engineer: Commonwealth Engineers & Consultants, Inc. Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineer: Creative Environment Corp. Photography: Christian Scully, Design Imaging Studios.

• Second Place: Jamestown Bunk Room, Alex Crecelius, Alex Interiors

• Third Place: Narragansett Guest Suite, Lauren Winsor, House of Winsor Interiors

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Historic Renovation – Commercial

First Place: Track 15, Marsella Development Corporation and Vision 3 Architects

Track 15, by the Marsella Development Corporation and Vision 3 Architects. Photograph by Angel Tucker Photography.

The Marsella Development Corporation had a dream for Providence’s old Union Station: to turn the 1898 railroad station into a thriving, 18,000-square-foot food hall filled with local independent eateries. For realizing its vision last March — while also keeping many of the old train station’s historic details intact — judges awarded first place in our Historic Renovation – Commercial division. Bernert calls it “a complex and carefully detailed restoration of an historically significant space in the capital city.” Patrons come to Track 15 for the food; fans of historic architecture come for the exposed brick and rubble stone masonry walls, barrel-vaulted ceilings and steel trusswork of days long past.

Owner/Developer: Marsella Development Corporation. Architectural Team: Ryan Haggerty, principal in charge; Colin Gadoury, associate principal; Taylor Matthes, staff architect, Vision 3 Architects. Construction Manager: Construction Management & Builders, Inc. Photography: Angel Tucker Photography.

• Second Place: The Noble, David Sisson, David Sisson Architecture

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Outdoor Space/Landscape 

First Place: Dumplings House Landscaping, Dennis Staton, Design Outside

Dumplings House Landscaping by Dennis Staton of Design Outside. Photograph by Anthony Crisafulli Photography.

The residents of this Jamestown home sought a modern coastal retreat where they could entertain, gather and relax while leaning into the surrounding woodlands and dramatic ledge outcroppings. A series of layered gardens, new native plantings and rugged boulders and fieldstone steppers are in conversation with, rather than competing with, the natural environment. Bernert calls it an “exemplary synthesis between natural and introduced landscape elements. The terraced gardens are beautifully integrated, adding visual interest and variety to the water views.”

Photograph by Anthony Crisafulli Photography.

Landscape Architect: Dennis Staton, Design Outside. Architect: Gale Goff Architect. Landscape Contractor: RP Marzilli & Co. Builder: Highland Builders. Photography: Anthony Crisafulli Photography.

• Second Place: L’Artisan Cafe, Jack Ryan, Jack Ryan Architect

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Commercial New Construction/Renovation

First Place: Community Preparatory School Arts & Athletic Center, LLB Architects

Community Preparatory School’s Arts & Athletic Center by LLB Architects. Photograph by Nat Rea Photography.

The bold colors used in Community Preparatory School’s new Arts & Athletic Center, representing the multicultural students and faculty, have been described as both “technicolor dreamcoat” and “Lego house.” The hues were an important choice for LLB Architects when designing the Providence building, which houses a multifunctional gymnasium, performance area and art gallery. So was space, and LLB Architect’s plans dovetailed with the school’s immediate and long-term development goals. “Thoughtful site planning and bold architectural expression — including a colorful theater volume symbolizing the school’s diverse community — integrate the building with its neighborhood while supporting long-term campus growth,” Rohlf says. Architectural Team: Kathleen A. Bartels, architect of record; Brian Valentine, consulting principal; James Marshall, project manager; Patrick Torborg, project designer; Teresa Campos, project designer; Angela Olson, interior designer, LLB Architects. Photography: Nat Rea Photography.

Photograph by Nat Rea Photography.

• Second Place: Gooseneck Vineyards, 2Hands Studio

• Third Place: Rhode Island College’s Horace Mann Hall, LLB Architects

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Commercial Interior Design

First Place: Alimente, Britt Machado, JohnnyCakes Design

Alimente by Britt Machado of JohnnyCakes Design. Photograph by Angel Tucker Photography.

The goal: Create a soothing, inviting space for Alimente, a nutrition counseling and consulting company, where clients of all body types and cultural identities could feel comfortable. Britt Machado of JohnnyCakes Design chose a calming palette of pink, green, cream, black and chrome and worked with local vendors to craft custom furniture with low seating and table options. The result is a welcoming space inside a stunning 1880s Victorian on Providence’s West End, where details like original fireplaces and American chestnut double doors share space with fidget tools, assistive devices and completely customizable lighting options. “This type of minutiae, combined with the overall color palette, locally made furniture and prioritizing sustainability sets this project apart from the pack,” says Rohlf. Bravo for inclusiveness! 

Photograph by Angel Tucker Photography.

Interior Design: Britt Machado, JohnnyCakes Design. Vendors Used: Studio Cotty, Soda Glass House, Jordan’s Jungle. Photography: Angel Tucker Photography.