Finding your style: winner in our design program sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers show off creativity and individuality that will inspire your own makeover

Sunset, Nov, 2002 by Ann Bertelsen, Mary Jo Bowling

BEFORE & AFTER AWARD

Color and space

"In this instance, paring down--coupled with bold bursts of accent color--results in a more functional, youthful, contemporary space without ripping out walls."--jury comment

This once dark and dreary entryway in Menlo Park, California, got an I invigorating makeover, beginning at the front door--now a brilliant tangerine--and continuing down the hallway to the guest bathroom. Interior designer Pamela Pennington relocated a coat closet to create an airy vestibule with a polished slate floor that continues into the adjacent bathroom. She used rich accent colors to pep up interior walls.

DESIGN: Pamela Pennington Studios, Palo Alto (650/813-1797)

Great idea

* Accent colors add drama. The bright tangerine door makes this house pop, as do the orange and taupe walls in the hallway.

WHOLE INTERIORS AWARD

Cabin retreat

"This would be a great place to spend Thanksgiving--it evokes a very real sense of being somewhere away from home; the concept of a Western lodge is very well expressed."--jury comment

This lodge for year-round living revels in its Tahoe setting. "The owner I wanted a ski lodge type of retreat based on an Arts and Crafts philosophy, making the house one with nature," says interior designer Catherine Macfee. Her great room (pictured below) appealed to the judges because of its "sense of place"--a home away from home that evokes the rugged mountains. Macfee based her design around a massive granite fireplace. Furnishings and accessories are bold to suit the room's scale.

DESIGN: Catherine Macfee & Associates Interior Design, Orinda, CA (925/254-2600).

Great ideas

* Interplay of light and dark colors. Many lodgelike interiors look dark and dreary; this room is bright and airy, achieved through the distribution of the vivid red armchairs and pillows. The light sisal rug anchors the rustic tables, and the suedelike wall glaze in a caramel shade adds warmth to the knotty pine ceiling.

* Western restraint. There might be cowboy boots lurking somewhere, but the look is stylish without the kitsch. The furniture incorporates natural branches and logs, along with brass nailheads; fabrics feature moose and fish prints mixed with solid leathers. The result is colorful and comfortable.