The New Jersey chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID NJ) celebrated its annual Design Excellence Awards at a gala on Wednesday, June 11, at the elegant Maplewood Country Club. Emmy Award winner George Oliphant of NBC’s George to the Rescue and Noel Gatts, HGTV host and owner of Beam&Bloom Interiors, served as emcees, bringing a sprinkling of stardust—and a personal understanding of the challenges design pros face—to an attentive audience of 160 interior designers, brand sponsors, industry and affiliate partners, friends and family.

Across 18 categories, 18 interior designers and three design students won a total of 39 prizes. Spanning both residential and commercial sectors, areas of specialization included Residential Single Space, Outdoor Living Spaces and Retail/Showroom, Exhibit Space, Public Spaces and Athletic Facility. Comprised of ASID members from around the country, exempting the New Jersey chapter, the panel of independent judges followed strict criteria when making the final selections.

“It was, by every measure, a magical evening that truly reinforces the quality of the work of our ASID NJ design commuity,” said Marilyn LaVergne, ASID associate and president of the NJ chapter.

The event’s sponsors included Royal Green Appliances at the Elite level; Design NJ magazine and Salzone Fine Art at the Star level; and smart home partner AV Luxury Design, Exceptional Flooring Concepts, Funxion and Wayne Tile at the Premier level. Additional sponsors included Aimee Photos, Amy Straub Design, Benjamin Moore, Country Casual Teak, Janus et Cie, Moe Distributors, Reno’s Appliance, Room & Board, Schwartz Design Showroom, Sherwin-Williams and Wostbrock Home.