ICONIC Design Awards 2024 Wrap Up | Meet Our Judges

Since 1994, Barclay Butera has been the creative force behind his ICONIC design firm and showrooms in Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar, California, and Park City, Utah. Butera is renowned for his approachable elegance and glamorous, chic interiors.

Butera’s success extends beyond his interior design business. He has formed partnerships with a diverse range of the industry’s most respected licensing partners, including Bradburn Home, Castelle Luxury, Eastern Accents, Jaipur Living, Kravet, Leftbank Art, Lexington Home Brands, MDC Wall, Mirror Home, Napa Home & Garden, Winfield Thybony, and York Wallcoverings. And in the fall of 2024, Butera is set to launch a luxury couture collection of chandeliers and sconces with Fine Art Handcrafted Lighting, further showcasing his versatility and innovation.

Butera’s exceptional design projects have not gone unnoticed. They have been featured in a multitude of prestigious media outlets, including NBC’s Today Show, Extra!, HGTV, the New York Times, Architectural Digest, ELLE DÉCOR, House Beautiful, Veranda, Luxe and Traditional Home magazines. This extensive media recognition is a testament to the quality and appeal of Butera’s work.

Butera is also the author of six coffee-table books: Living In Style, Living On The Coast, Getaways and Retreats, Past Present Inspired, Modern Living and The New Traditional.

Brion Jeannette’s passion for architecture began when he was 12 years old and given his first set of drafting tools.  His talent has been honed more than 5 decades since graduating from the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture.  He began his firm, Brion Jeannette Architecture, in 1974 establishing the ‘ground rules’ for his successful professional journey, “Maintain a firm size I can personally manage and take only work that fuels my creativity.”   

He is a pen and paper kind of guy, designing and sketching by hand then working with his very creative staff of professionals to finesse his vision into digital formats. Jeannette is personally involved with every commission from design, through construction and well after, assisting owners with updates and enhancements years later.  

Jeannettes’s breadth of experience includes public libraries, city halls, a fire station and finally over the last 30 years settled exclusively into enhancing lives by designing private homes and estates. He has been commissioned for homes internationally and throughout the U.S., but prominently along the Southern California Coast, where he calls home.   

Jeannette’s emphasis on environmental design was unprecedented in the 70’s-80’s making him a trend setter that caught the eye of the California Energy Commission who called upon him to help draft California’s original Title-24 Energy codes.  He maintains his focus on energy-conserving-design using passive and active systems to generate Net-Zero homes, long before it became essential. His designs are uniquely focused on each client’s desires and the benefits of each site, making his work as varied as each client. 

Jeannette has secured a robust reputation of skillfully working through the various governing agencies of California’s Coastal communities, while protecting his client’s property rights and maintaining his goal of enhancing the quality of life for them and our environment.  

Credit: David Duncan Livingston

Christopher Peacock, founder of CHRISTOPHER PEACOCK, began his career in the early ‘80s, working at Terence Conran’s eponymous furniture store in London. He moved to the U.S. in 1987, where he served as a senior designer for a luxury British cabinetmaker. In 1992, he launched his cabinetry brand, opening his first showroom in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

Since then, he has opened showrooms worldwide, with locations in Greenwich, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, New York, Short Hills, Dallas and Nashville, as well as Cannes and the Cote D’Azur in France and Jakarta, Indonesia. 

His company and brand are recognized as nonpareil in couture cabinetry, and he boasts thousands of installations worldwide. Peacock designed the New York Kips Bay Show House kitchen a record eight times, has appeared on national television and is regularly published in shelter publications internationally. 

Not only does his work grace hundreds of homes, but he is also a top choice of luxury property developers. Every piece of cabinetry is made to order specifically for the client, and his company proudly manufactures it in the U.S. at his workshop. 

Peacock has worked on the homes of not one but two U.S. presidents, as well as many celebrity clients and business owners. His work has been imitated many times, but his cabinetry style, quality of work and jewelry-like hardware remain singularly his own.

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Based in Bergen County, New Jersey, an hour from midtown Manhattan, Plan Architecture creates inspired, lifestyle-enhancing designs, delivered by a passionate and devoted team. Specializing in single-family, custom residences, the firm is frequently hailed as a “hidden gem” by its sophisticated clientele, which comprises celebrities, Broadway luminaries, and prominent figures in the creative industry. 

Established in 2014, Plan Architecture is considered the largest boutique firm in the tri-state area, with a team of 25 helmed by founder and principal Dan D’Agostino, AIA. “My vision is to transform luxury architecture into an art,” says D’Agostino. “One that enriches lives, satisfies wants, and fulfills needs—both beautifully and intrinsically. We do this with honesty, creativity, innovation, excellent communication, professionalism, and patience.”

D’Agostino’s unique and integrated approach goes beyond architectural design: The firm offers a full range of services, including feasibility analysis, programming, master planning, interior design, renovation, alterations, additions, bidding and negotiation, construction administration, and concierge/owner’s representative services. This white-glove support, provided to the clients throughout the design process, is what sets Plan Architecture apart.

An in-house, full-service interior design branch—reserved only for clients of Plan Architecture–was launched in 2018. From furniture to color palettes to lighting, Plan Interiors excels at creating stylish and functional environments that further enhance the architecture. 

Plan Architecture has garnered numerous accolades, including being recognized as the Most Innovative Full-Service Architecture Firm 2023-New Jersey, by Lux Life Magazine. Other nods include a prestigious AIA Gold Medal for a mixed-use structure designed for Lower Manhattan, a National Kitchen & Bath Design Award, a Luxe Red Award, and numerous “Best Of” awards on Houzz. 

Dan Weber, AIA is the principal and founder of Anacapa Architecture & Interior Design, a firm that delivers award-winning residential, commercial, and hospitality projects across California, Hawaii, Utah, and Oregon.

Weber’s interest in architecture was partly inspired by his family, particularly an uncle who is also an architect and the genesis of his interest in the profession. He pursued his passion at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif., earning a Bachelor of Architecture.

Before founding Anacapa Architecture & Interior Design, Weber was a Partner and Principal Design Architect at The Conceptual Motion Company.  

Weber’s passion for sustainability, solving community problems, and creating engaging environments motivates him daily. Under Weber’s leadership, Anacapa Architecture & Interior Design continues to push boundaries and set new standards in the field providing the team with firm-wide leadership, management expertise, strategic planning, mentoring, and inspiration.

Notable projects of Weber’s include designing a vibrant office space for the international video conferencing company Zoom and transforming a historic building from the early 1900s into the contemporary, Drift hotel, a testament to their ability to honor historical significance while introducing modern, youthful elements.

Holly Hunt is a celebrated American businesswoman and esteemed figure in the interior design industry, known for transforming a small furniture showroom into a globally respected luxury design brand.

In 1983, Hunt launched HOLLY HUNT to the design trade showroom within Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. Led by entrepreneurial instinct, she revolutionized the industry of American interior design and reshaped the presentation of furnishings by assembling an unprecedented array of diverse makers and design perspectives in a gallery-like setting. 

Hunt made her lasting mark on the industry by providing unparalleled client services and implementing evolved business practices. She also seized the opportunity to raise the quality of product design by creating her own high-quality furniture, lighting and textile collections while expanding her business to more than a dozen U.S. and international locations. In 2014, she sold HOLLY HUNT to Knoll.

Hunt has continually inspired change and innovation throughout her career. Led by her astute business acumen, discerning eye and constant instinct to challenge the status quo. She remains committed to pushing boundaries within the industry. In 2021, she embarked on a new endeavor: House of Hunt, a boutique interior design studio.

John Faerber has more than 35 years of experience in horticulture, creative design and landscaping. He is the director of horticulture, landscape and floral at the prestigious Lake House on Canandaigua in the Finger Lakes. Innovative design is central to Faerber’s passion, and it shows in the many clients seeking his artistic input and designs for their gardens and properties. He is renowned for his work in Western New York.

Before The Lake House on Canandaigua, Faerber spearheaded landscaping and design at The Reserve on the Erie Canal, CitiGate, Clinton Crossings, U.S. AIR, Country Club of Rochester, Mohonk Mountain House, Vassar College and Omega Institute. He has also designed many residential gardens in the New York area.

Faerber’s exceptional work has earned him numerous accolades, a testament to his skill and dedication. His designs have been featured in prestigious publications such as Better Homes and Gardens, further solidifying his reputation. He is a sought-after keynote speaker at the Rochester Garden Club and Chatterbox Club, where he shares his insights on artistic design, inspiring others in the industry.

Faerber’s love for his craft is evident in his continuous learning and dedication to honing his skills. He is always on the lookout for new ways to optimize his techniques, ensuring that his designs are at the forefront of the industry. His commitment to cultivating organic, chemical-free landscaped gardens also reflects his deep respect for the environment and his clients’ health.

John Pomp, founder of John Pomp Studios,  grew up surrounded by the beautiful things made by his father. While attending Columbus College of Art and Design, he reluctantly registered for a glassblowing class upon the guidance of his high school art teacher, mentor and lifelong friend. 

Within moments he knew that’s what he would do for the rest of his life, blowing glass reminded him of the creative actions and flow states he experienced while skateboarding and action painting. 

As a design-driven artisan manufacturer focusing on imaginative abstracted organic works, the studio combines molten glass, warped metal and refracted light. Led by the designer, artist and glassblower and his partner, Anne Pomp, an in-house crew of more than 50 designers takes each piece from conception to completion. Everything is made from scratch in the firm’s 65,000-square-foot studio using modern techniques and old-world craftsmanship.

More recently, John discovered a love for the ocean through surfing, bringing him full circle to that first encounter with molten glass. He is now creating bodies of work inspired by the fluidity of fire and water and finding their place in the universe.

Renowned interiors and product designer Michael Berman has created a portfolio of projects that span the globe. From residential homes to luxury hotels, his signature American Modern style reflects the designer’s interest in Mid-Century Modern styling, history, art, architecture and nature. 

Born and raised in Detroit, MI, Berman lived in New York and now resides in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Berman is the founder and principal creative visionary behind Michael Berman Limited, a multi-faceted design firm focusing on interiors, architecture, furniture, and aspirational home design products.

Berman’s work combines widely celebrated interiors, furniture, lighting, and textiles. It strikes an uncommon balance between timeless style and contemporary relevance inspired by comfort, simplicity of form and classic Hollywood glamor. 

Berman’s work resonates with design industry colleagues for its attention to detail and usable scale. He has crafted a romance between the luxury of a casual lifestyle and eclectic, cinematic swank. 

Berman has lent his design expertise to lines beyond his own: two woven and teak outdoor furniture collections for Brown Jordan, a modern furniture and textile line for Kravet, a bath accessories line with Labrazel, and a complete lifestyle furniture collection for Theodore Alexander. 

ROHL has also famously partnered with Berman for its American Modern plumbing line, which combines craftsmanship with authentic materials and finishes. Walker Zanger has also been on the receiving end of Berman’s talents via its Studio Moderne collection of stone and tile as well as Robert Abbey Lighting and Mehraban fine area carpets.

Richard Hartlage is the founding principal and owner of Land Morphology established in 2013. His award-winning innovative designs are renowned as emotive, immersive spaces that incorporate sophisticated horticulture, artful detailing and historical knowledge that heighten the human experience of the natural world. 

His passion for horticulture, cultivated after more than 15 years of working at public gardens and estates and managing a landscape architecture studio, is applied to each design from the conceptual phase through the development of maintenance protocol and beyond. 

Land Morphology is a studio of 15 people working in eight states on private residential landscape, public and commercial projects. 

Hartlage’s span of work includes the Seattle Waterfront, Leach Botanical Gardens, Herb and Vegetable Gardens at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Chihuly Gardens and Glass, the Moore-Turner Heritage Gardens, the Century 21 Master Plan for the Seattle Center, and the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden, plus more than 1,200 private projects. 

His designs have been featured in the New York Times, Architectural Digest, Metropolitan Home, At Home, Connecticut Home and Garden, Fine Gardening, Horticulture and Traditional Home, among others.

Hartlage has given more than 500 lectures worldwide and serves on several advisory committees and design juries. He has two books published , Bold Visions for The Garden, and The Authentic Garden: Naturalistic and Contemporary Landscape Design.

Hartlage  grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in ornamental horticulture.

Ryan Fish is a LEED AP-certified, licensed architect and co-owner of the accredited and esteemed PKA Architecture, one of Minnesota’s largest residential architecture firms. Fish’s work has been widely published and recognized with many industry awards and honors. Dedicated to mentoring the next generation of architects and designers, he’s proud to have been selected for the 2017 AIA MN Leadership Forum.

Fish studied architecture at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota College of Design, where he serves as the 2024-2025 president of the multidisciplinary Design Student & Alumni Board and regularly participates in critiques of the students’ work. 

Fish is well-versed in all areas of design, working on projects that range in style from sleek ultra-modern projects to warm, organic-modern projects and elegant classical architecture. He was honored to be on the A+ List: The 220 Best Architecture and Design Firms Worldwide in 2024 by Architizer. The breadth and depth of his work reflect his passion for sustainability and showcase his expertise in planning and development. As a natural leader, Fish has helmed many high-profile projects, including award-winning modern homes, a rural legacy estate, a timeless Class A office building and several innovative restaurants. 

With roots in the cabin country of northern Wisconsin, Fish enjoys camping and fishing with his family in the Northwoods when he is not working.

Whether Fish is designing a luxurious new family home or tackling a rustic cabin renovation, he considers every project a privilege. He’s profoundly empathic and brings warmth, sensitivity and respect for the land to every project. Fish excels at creating a collaborative and rewarding process for clients, establishing relationships that last beyond a project’s completion.

Sandra Vila is the visionary founder and leader of Sandra Vila Design House. Vila is a distinguished Southern California-based designer renowned for her creation of modern classic environments that effortlessly withstand the test of time.

Rooted in a multi-faceted background of design, marketing, luxury real estate and fashion, Vila seamlessly integrates her love for travel, her passion for the arts and her respect for historical architecture to establish an enduring design philosophy rooted in living beautifully.

Vila’s journey into the design world is supported by a solid educational foundation including a Bachelor’s in Interior Design from the Interior Designers Institute and a Bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Arizona, along with memberships in ICAA, ASID, and IIDA.

Drawing from an eclectic mix of influences, Vila masterfully blends her comprehensive design knowledge with an instinctive sense of artistry. Her design ethos is based on the concept of less neutralization and more personalization.  Rather than design for the masses, Vila hones in on her clients desires to create a space that truly encapsulates who they are and tells their story. 

Beyond her professional endeavors, Vila embraces a life rich in experiences. From her time on construction sites to family moments, outdoor adventures, and world travel, she draws inspiration from the tapestry of life itself. 

Steven F. Elton currently serves as the Chief Brand Curator for Brown Jordan, the leading manufacturer of fine leisure furnishings. Elton oversees the curation process for all Brown Jordan showrooms, product catalogs, photo shoots and special projects. With a keen eye for innovative textiles and colors, Elton develops strategic partnerships with companies like Sunbrella, which produces exclusive Brown Jordan fabrics.

Inspired by the Brown Jordan brand as a young furniture salesman in the northeast, Elton followed his passion and discovered his talent in design and merchandising while living in New York City. In 1990, Elton determinedly joined the company as a regional sales representative. During the next 25-plus years, he played an integral role in furthering the Brown Jordan legacy established by its founders by enthusiastically pursuing and sharing their vision of producing furniture of unsurpassed quality and style.

Elton’s hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, a prestigious honor and testament to his exemplary work. 

Throughout his career, Elton has appeared on Bravo, The Style Network and HGTV, as well as in Elle Décor, Harrods Magazine, World of Interiors, Architectural Digest, Garden Design Magazine, Coastal Living Magazine, Casual Living, Washington Post Magazine and Luxe Interiors + Design.

As a prominent curator, Elton is most recognized for the design projects he’s completed at The Ritz-Carlton Paris, The White House, The Oscars’ Green Room, Yankee Stadium and The Beverly Hills Hotel. 

Elton is the 2018 ICFA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, joining Brown Jordan founder Robert Brown as the second person from Brown Jordan to receive this prestigious award.

Elton and his wife, Denny, reside in Cape Charles, a quaint beach community located on the eastern shore of Virginia.

Travis Gramberg, co-founder of Koheid Design, with his wife, Aubree Boul Gramberg, is a licensed landscape architect with an unwavering commitment to designing beautiful spaces that blend architecture, art and ecology. His boutique landscape architecture firm is dedicated to cultivating environmentally sustainable designs ranging from new builds and extensive renovations to residential, commercial and public projects.

Armed with a background in fine arts, Gramberg marries artistry with practicality. From captivating native landscapes to integrating land art into projects, Gramberg’s approach stands out as a unique blend of imagination, innovation, and commitment to ecological balance. With a passion for designing spaces that resonate with clients and the environment, his influence as a landscape architect is a testament to his commitment to excellence.