Charlotte Living magazine’s first annual Who’s Who in interior design list was assembled by Home and Garden Editor Vicki Payne, and includes Emily Clark, Caren Bistany, Jeanine Devaney, Anita Holland, Beth Keim, Lisa Mende, Lisa Sherry, Amy Vermillion, Traci Zeller and Ally Whalen.

Honored by the magazine and women’s leadership society WithIt, these ten women represent a range of backgrounds, educational training and experience. Payne wished to specifically feature Charlotte designers as a response to years of reader requests for designer recommendations.

From left: Stephanie Bradley, Roberta Hayes, Margi Kyle, Vicki Payne and Kathy Buckley.

“I went into this search thinking, What would it be like to find an interior designer as a consumer?” said Payne.

From left: Lisa Sherry, Jeanine Devaney, Amy Vermillion,Traci Zeller and Ally Whalen.

She began by looking up designers though online sources such as Houzz and Pinterest, and from there researched designers’ specific websites and testimonials of past customers where available. After narrowing her pool to about 15 designers, Payne sent out a request for samples of work, headshots, and responses to questions on topics such as favorite Charlotte shopping spots and the hottest design trends. This request served not only as an opportunity for research but also as a test. Those who did not respond were not followed up with because, as Payne put it, “a consumer is not going to chase someone down.”

From left: Emily Clark, Caren Bistany, Anita Holland, Beth Keim and Lisa Mende.

Payne and WithIt hosted a cocktail party for the selected designers to celebrate their successes and to involve them in the local chapter of the women’s leadership organization on April 9.