Mark Sacro
Top Designer is a legacy Publisher Renee Dee built to recognize and showcase the amazing talent behind some of Orange County’s most opulent and extravagant homes. Each year, a handful of designers are awarded Top Designer for their innovative designs, unique approaches and incredible work ethics.
Please join us in congratulating 2024’s Top Designer inductees: Wendi Young, Jen Samson, Denise Morrison, Summer Jensen and Errol Dejager. These five incredible designers continue to push the envelope of innovation in the interior design industry with every new project they complete.
Wendi Young
Wendi Young Design
Wendi Young, principal of Wendi Young Design in Newport Beach, is a seasoned professional passionate about creating spaces that captivate the senses, elevate emotions and enhance well-being. Throughout her career, she’s been able to transform a wide range of environments and blend styles to craft unique and harmonious spaces.
Young’s love for the transformative power of design started at a young age. This fascination led her to pursue a formal education in design. She graduated as the Valedictorian from the Interior Design Institute with her associates degree, then went on to California State University, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree.
For Young, design is deeply spiritual. She believes in tuning into a space’s intrinsic energy and letting it guide the creative process. This intuitive approach, combined with her technical expertise, helps her create environments that resonate with her clients.
To Young, listening closely to a client’s desires and aspirations is the key to a successful project, and she always strives to exceed expectations. Young’s reverence for collaborating with a creative team has helped her build long-lasting relationships with many clients and collaborators who return for multiple projects.
Young’s passion for design extends beyond the profession. She has a strong interest in art, nature and human connection. Whether integrating natural components into a design or fostering community and connection, she finds joy in every part of the creative process. The designer’s bucket list includes working on such dream projects as renovating a cool boutique hotel and building a wellness center.
Jen Samson
Jen Samson Design
Jen Samson is the principal designer at Jen Samson Design in Laguna Beach, a boutique design firm that offers a full range of creative services rooted in passionate and inspired design. JSD focuses on various residential and commercial projects, working closely with clients to deliver their unique aesthetic while meeting their lifestyle needs. Along with a penchant for one-of-a-kind vintage, antique, and bespoke pieces, Samson has the innate ability to create spaces that are altogether modern, eclectic and unique.
Samson has always wanted to design beautiful spaces that reflect her clients’ sense of home. She spent the earlier years of her career honing her keen eye and passion for all things beautiful. She helped build lifestyle-driven programming for “E!” and the “Style Network.” She then went on to work for renowned luxury fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo as the director of West Coast public relations. Before jumping full steam into interior design, Samson also created and launched a successful artisan-crafted, hand-crocheted shoe brand, Painted Bird.
JSD has built a reputation for beautiful, unexpected design that sparks intrigue and self-expression. Samson is known for combining styles and forging sophisticated but relaxed modern spaces, often playful and always distinctive. Inspired by world travel, culture, fashion and interiors, both new and old, the designer brings a curated, unique abandon to every project, leaving a lasting impression.
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Denise Morrison
Morrison Interiors
Denise Morrison is a celebrated interior designer known for her distinctive approach to new luxury construction. As the founder and principal designer of Morrison Interiors in Costa Mesa, she has significantly impacted the industry with her unique design philosophy.
Morrison was born and raised in Southern California. From a young age, she was captivated by the idea of redesigning her family’s homes and was constantly moving furniture to enhance comfort and beauty. This early passion led her to study fine art, where she unveiled her trademark design principle: tension.
Morrison’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that a home is a place where our best memories are made and family and friends gather over good wine, food and conversation. “Creating spaces that facilitate these memories is my passion,” she says.
A repeat Luxe RED Awards winner and a 2024 international finalist for the Andrew Martin Award, Morrison is a prominent speaker at industry events, including Las Vegas Market’s Best of the West, and High Point Market’s Best of Market Style Spotter. She has also shared her insights on various vendor and editorial platforms and was a guest on the “Design Biz Survival Guide” podcast.
Morrison’s career took off after she re-entered school at the Interior Design Institute in Newport Beach, following a period as a stay-at-home mom. Her business grew into a family-centered enterprise. In 2016, she launched a second business, House of Morrison, as a retail store. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it transformed into a trade-only source for bespoke luxury case goods and upholstery and is a trusted trade partner for many in the design industry.
Morrison Interiors continues to grow, focusing on luxury projects nationwide. The designer’s dedication to incorporating unique and special details into every project ensures that each home reflects her clients’ lifestyles and aspirations.
Summer Jensen
Hawk + Co.
Summer Jensen is the principal and founder of Hawk + Co., a prestigious interior design firm in Laguna Beach. Jensen’s work is undeniably luxurious, underpinned by a minimalist, idyllic, geometric aesthetic. With an eye for detail, no element is overlooked, and no shape is taken for granted. This meticulous approach results in a unique blend of minimalistic elegance.
Jensen’s palette of choice is neutrals, carefully chosen to evoke a connection with nature, enhancing the timeless appeal of her designs. She believes that Mother Nature is the greatest artist.
The designer likes to harmonize her clients’ spaces and advocates for Biophilic design, which aims to reconnect people with the natural world. Inventive problem-solving and Jensen’s technical skill set provide a path for her dynamic designs. With her unique perspective and intuitive understanding of her clients’ needs, Jensen excels in interior design.
The designer’s work has garnered global recognition, with features in top titles such as Interior Design Magazine, CA Home + Design, Forbes, Mansion Global, and Business of Home. Her expertise and achievements have been acknowledged with various accolades, including winning the Platinum and WOW awards in the Single-Family Custom Home category for the Best in American Living Awards (BALA) in 2021, The Gold Nugget Awards Grand Award for Best Custom Home 7,500 to 9,000 sq. ft. in 2024, the Best Residential Build Award form CA Home + Design in 2022, and the Fantini Design Award for excellence in bathroom design.
Additionally, Jensen has forged partnerships with leading industry brands, including Snyder Diamond, and Gaggenau, sharing her knowledge and expertise through collaboration. Jensen is a CID/NCIDQ-certified interior designer.
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Errol Dejager
Dejager Design
Errol Dejager is the founding principal of Dejager Design Inc., a full-service interior design firm with offices in Newport Beach and Beverly Hills.
With more than 30 years of experience working with world-renowned architects and builders, his specialty is interior architecture and design in the luxury, high-end residential market. He is currently developing projects in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Miami that range from 4,500 to 105,000 square feet.
Dejager’s personable and creative approach has awarded him many unique opportunities to develop and build a portfolio of eclectic, elegant, holistic design work. He also prioritizes integrating technology into the design process and the home.
Though creating beautiful interior spaces is his core passion, Dejager’s background in architecture, landscape design, and construction has given him a unique understanding of the entire process and has allowed him to be a valued team member. Ultimately, he is inspired by the continual expansion of technologies and collaborations he enjoys with clients, leading architects, designers and contractors.
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