Capping the spring season with style and grace, the Southeast’s design community gathered on April 24 at Flourish in Atlanta to fete the 2025 recipients of the Southeast Designers and Architect of the Year Awards. To determine the honorees, a cohort of industry pros had combed through more than 120 submissions, eventually narrowing the field to 27 finalists. And this year’s gala—hosted as always by the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center and its steadfast co-sponsor, Veranda—boasted a bonus reason to celebrate: First-time entrants triumphed in every category. “We were thrilled to see the judges recognize three brand-new winners,” said Katie Miner, general manager of ADAC. “[It] highlights the incredible design talent in the Southeast.”
Voicing an opinion shared by fellow guest judge Young Huh of Young Huh Interior Design in New York, Tim Barber, principal at his eponymous Los Angeles–based architecture firm, added: “What I saw in the work was sophisticated without being flashy. It was inventive without being nonsense. It was practical without being boring. It’s got a really lovely balance.”
Joel Kelly Design of Atlanta—a four-time finalist in the Residential category—claimed the Architecture prize for his creative approach to the lakefront home of a longtime client, drawing inspiration from the classic shingled lodge buildings of its North Carolina location. Contract Design kudos went to another Atlanta-area firm, Rook and Dash: Founding partners Jillian Rooker and Amanda Dashwood won for their elegant, welcoming interiors at Austin’s Cocktailery & Kitchen, notable for its hunter green upholstery, plywood-paneled booths, leather-topped bar and warm brass accents. “To see our names on the list [among] people we had been looking up to for years was so humbling,” said Rooker. Meanwhile, Matt Donahoe of Nashville’s Bureau Interior Architecture | Design earned the Residential prize for a home cast in custom-tinted stucco contrasted by slate roof tiles and solid steel windows—a full renovation that preserved historic components while incorporating contemporary functionality and a simplified aesthetic. “There’s a lot of innovation happening in the South, but with reverence to the past,” he noted. “I think that’s so important.”
“The event just keeps getting better and better,” said judge Ellen McGauley, executive editor at Veranda. “Design in the Southeast is upping its game, and the whole nation’s eyes are on it.” See the stunning projects for yourself in the following video spotlighting the winners and recapping the festivities.
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Homepage image: For their award-winning entry in the Contract Design category, partners Jillian Rooker and Amanda Dashwood of Atlanta-area firm Rook and Dash styled the elegant, welcoming interiors of Austin’s Cocktailery & Kitchen, combining warm wood paneling, plush green upholstery and glowing brass accents | Courtesy of Ali Harper Photography
