The winners of this year's REMODELING Design Awards span the globe to showcase the best in residential and light commercial remodeling. From an addition on a modern Mexican casa to a sushi house in Texas, the projects highlight the work of talented design and construction teams.

The Best of the Year winner is a music studio with an Asian bent that inspires the eye as well as the ear. Our distinguished panel of judges met at REMODELING's Washington, D.C., offices and chose 36 winners out of a pool of over 200. Besides the Best of the Year award, they chose seven grand, 10 merit, and 18 honorable mention awards.

Judges

Jeffrey Clark, Metropolitan Design Build, St. Louis

Susan Piedmont-Palladino, Washington Alexandria Architecture Center, Virginia Tech, Alexandria, Va

©Woodruff/Brown

George Meyers, GTM Architects, Kensington, Md.

Stephanie Witt, Kitchens by Stephanie, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Andrew Poticha, Design Construction Concepts, Northbrook, Ill.

Vince Butler, Butler Brothers, Manassas, Va.

Best of the Year: Whole-House Remodeling

Symphony of Design

©Woodruff/Brown
Products
Entry doors: Andersen; Hardware: Baldwin; Interior doors: Morgan; Paints/Stains: Benjamin Moore; Windows: Andersen.
Click here to find manufacturer info.

When remodeling is successful, the sum of all its parts should sing. And that's what happens in this barn renovation -- literally and figuratively. The transformation of a humble outbuilding into a music studio is the best singular cohesive expression of all the entries, the judges agreed. They especially liked how the theme of the studio was represented in every detail of the structure.

The original building was erected in 1965 and laid claim to 689 square feet of space. The client, a professional violinist, asked Centerbrook Architects to renovate it into a music studio. Several years earlier, the firm had expanded and renovated her main house. The client wanted the music studio to be flooded with natural light and connect to the surrounding yard. She also requested that the design incorporate her Japanese heritage and her love for the violin.

Architects James Childress and Stephen Holmes added an artistic twist to the structural requirements. They extended the barn's eaves and added windows, but in order to meet budget, they left the roof and walls intact. Outside, the tongue and groove siding blends into the wooded setting. On the interior, the wood ceiling panels, modeled on the fabric ceiling panels found in the main house, echo the curve of a violin while providing good acoustics.

The judges said the design was imaginative and clear and made good use of the budget. They especially liked the view through the copper-canopied front door. "It doesn't take a lot of money to do something exquisite," one said.

Category: Whole-house remodeling, $150,000 to $300,000

Location: Guilford, Conn.

Contractor: Russ Smith, Triangle Builders, Essex, Conn.

Designers: James C. Childress, FAIA, Stephen B. Holmes, AIA, Centerbrook Architects and Planners, Centerbrook, Conn.

The competition is sponsored by Marvin Windows and Doors.

Grand Awards

Kitchen Remodeling / Lean and Clean

Additions / Whimsical and Warm

Old-House Renovation / Manor Born

Additions / A Welcome Addition

Commercial Remodeling /Asian Aura

Old-House Renovation / Modern Makeover

Small Project/Detail / Steel Fusion

Merit Awards

Whole-House Remodeling / Craftsman Spirit

Whole-House Remodeling / All Together Now

Small Project/Details / Bare Essentials

Additions / Glass Jewel

Whole-House Remodeling / East Meets West

Bathroom Remodeling / Surface Changes

Bathroom Remodeling / Tudor Tones

Old-House Remodeling / A Better Bungalow

Whole-House Remodeling / Nature's Path

Whole-House Remodeling / All in a Row

Honorable Mentions Part I

Honorable Mentions Part II