Surrounded by industry peers dressed in their ceremonial best, three Atlanta-based design pros celebrated a peach of an evening on April 23 when they were honored at the Southeast Designers & Architect of the Year Awards. Hosted as always by the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center with co-sponsor Veranda, the event highlighted the region’s innovative approach to interiors and architecture, countering any preconceptions of what constitutes Southeastern design today. “We love the chance … to engage with this very vibrant community,” said Steele Marcoux, the magazine’s editor in chief, who served as one of the 2026 judges, alongside architect Tom Kligerman and interior designer Peter Dunham.
The three honorees were selected from a pool of 127 entries. In the architecture category, D. Stanley Dixon Architect won for the fourth time, for projects that included a sprawling yet symmetrical farmhouse compound and a grand residence the firm rescued from what founder Stan Dixon called “a ruin.” “He’s a visionary,” said Katie Miner, general manager of ADAC. “When he submits, you can expect something truly grand.”
The Design Atelier, led by founding principal Melanie Millner, was a first-time recipient of the Contract Designer of the Year Award for a handsome take on a private club in South Georgia, plus a clever approach to the office of a Porsche dealership—wrapping the walls in leather paneling to give the space a luxe feel that also presented a material through line to the upholstery in the premium sports cars. “When I think about Southeastern design, I often think about how sophisticated it is. And this year’s commercial winner truly exemplifies this,” said Marcoux.
Also a four-time winner, Melanie Turner Interiors was named the Residential Designer of the Year. The firm’s submissions ranged from an Italian-influenced home, to a beach house in dialogue with the surrounding landscape, to a layered, modernist, Belgian-informed space. “She uses materials in a way that’s intriguing and timeless, and she consistently brings a perspective that feels uniquely her own,” said Miner of founder Melanie Turner. Watch the designer and her fellow awardees receive their flowers in the following video of the festivities, which features images of all the winning entries.
This story is a paid promotion and was created in partnership with the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center.
Homepage image: One of the award-winning entries by D. Stanley Dixon Architect | Courtesy of Eric Piasecki
