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Meet the 2023 designKC Award Judging Panel

Jeff Ashner

Builder

Ashner Construction Co.

@ashnerconstruction

A life-long local resident, Jeff Ashner represents the Ashner family legacy of custom home building and residential development in the Kansas City area. Jeff started his own construction business, Ashner Construction Co. in 1978, specializing in building unique and stylized homes which have earned numerous local, regional and national awards, including four Professional Builders Best In American Living awards.  

Jeff believes in supporting local charities and community events and has built homes that have benefited the Fox 4 Love Fund and the Overland Park Arboretum. Jeff is also a long standing board member of the Kansas City Home Builders Association.He continues to be influential in the Johnson County real estate community.

Scott Bickford

Architect

Bickford & Company

@bickymon

Scott Bickford of Bickford and Company is proud to head up a leading architectural firm in Overland Park, Kansas. After graduating from school in 1978 and spending a year at a residential architecture firm—making contacts and collaborating with home builders—Scott started his own company, and the rest is history. For more than 40 years, Scott and his firm have offered high-quality work that has earned them well-deserved recognition. He proudly serves the people of Kansas City, as well as clients across the country and around the world. All of the firm’s clients are a result of referrals—a testament to his quality of work.

Vicki Dreste

Designer

Design & Detail St. Louis

@designanddetailstl

The work of interior designer Vicki Dreste is marked by an expert understanding of color, pattern and the decorative arts. With a style ranging from traditional to transitional, Vicki’s designs, both residential and commercial, are infused with color and exquisite details and always a true reflection of the client.

After co-founding Design & Detail with Melinda Klinghammer in 2005 and leaving in 2009 to focus on her design business, Vicki has rejoined the team to share her expertise with fellow St. Louis designers.

Vicki has more than 30 years in the design industry. She received a BFA in Interior Design from Ringling College of Art and Design.

Michael Gekas

2023 AIA KC President 

Virtual Design & Construction Director

McCownGordon Construction

@aiakc  @mccowngordon

Michael Gekas, AIA,  is an architect, President Elect of the American Institute of Architects Kansas City chapter (AIAkc), and the Virtual Design & Construction Director for McCownGordon Construction. He has worked as a trade contractor, designer, architect and general contractor, and utilizes all things Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Reality Capture to reduce risk and enhance quality using the latest in construction technology. As AIAkc President for 2023, he will help lead a chapter of 77 member firms and 1,100 architects at the Center for Architecture and Design, advocating for design in our community. He lives on an 18-acre family farm, with endless design projects including an Airbnb and a treehouse.

Amy Herman

Designer

Design & Detail St. Louis

@designanddetailstl

As a successful owner of her own company in Chicago, Amy relocated to St. Louis over 16 years ago. Prior to starting her company, Gateway Interior Design, she was a Project Manager / Senior Designer with a residential and commercial interior design firm in St. Louis, Missouri. She now uses her cumulative experience to oversee the floor and window department at Design & Detail.

During her career, Amy has worked with several of the country’s largest home builders from the Midwest to the East Coast. She has extensive experience in the design of model homes, clubhouses and sales centers. She has worked on many high-end residential projects, both condominium and single-family, new construction and major renovations. She has over a decade of commercial and hospitality experience as well, and knowledge of “Green” building methods and codes. 

Gateway Interior Design was a 2015 ASID Design Excellence award finalist in four categories: Commercial Design, Dining Room, Storage/Task Room and Sustainable Healthy Design. GID was also voted Best of HOUZZ in Design for 2015 and in Service for 2014. A 2014 St. Louis AT Home magazine’s Architect & Design award finalist for Children’s Room. 

Educational background includes undergraduate studies in Interior Design at the University of Kansas and Harrington Institute of Interior Design in Chicago. She completed her studies at the Illinois Institute of Art, graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. She has been involved with ASID since a student in Chicago and recently served as the Missouri East Chapter President from 2020-2021.

Krista Howard

Owner of KH Interiors

ASID Missouri East Chapter President-Elect

@khinteriorsllc

Krista Howard is the owner of KH Interiors, LLC, a boutique design remodeling company. Krista has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Savannah College of Art & Design and a Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Illinois State. 

After working for many years in the interior design field in New Mexico, Krista chose to be closer to family and settled in the St. Louis area. Starting her own design company in 2006 was a success and soon expanded with a remodeling division in 2010. Primarily focused on projects in the St. Louis area, often working on residential projects in Idaho, California and back to New Mexico, Krista is currently the ASID Missouri East Chapter President-Elect and absolutely loves meeting new designers from around the country. She feels that professional collaboration is an important element for a successful interior designer. 

She and her husband, Kevin, most recently purchased a 100-year-old farmhouse in Illinois and restored the property for their main residence.

Lauren Iverson

Editor-in-Chief

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

@atlantahomesmag

Lauren Iverson is the Editor-in-Chief of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Atlanta’s only monthly home and garden magazine dedicated to showcasing the best in design for the city. From fielding gracious Southern homes to emceeing AH&L events to managing the flow of compelling home, lifestyle and design content across all mediums, storytelling has been her thing since childhood. An Iowa native, she now spends most of her free time seeking out the best Atlanta eats and perusing surrounding neighborhoods to admire Atlanta’s never-ending selection of happy, harmonious homes.

Joann Kandrac

Designer and Podcaster

Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole

@kandrackole

Voted one of Atlanta’s Top 20 Residential Interior Designs by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kandrac & Kole has been featured on HGTV as well as in The New York Times, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Home Magazine and many others as well as participants of the One Room Challenge Spring 2020. Kandrac & Kole has established a well known reputation for their approachable, dynamic personalities, their signature use of color and pattern and their one of a kind, custom designs.

As industry experts for residential and commercial design, Joann Kandrac & Kelly Kole share upbeat and entertaining narratives regarding their design projects, travels and personal stories on their popular blog, their podcast Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole and via national speaking engagements. Joann and Kelly’s love and commitment to the power of interior design also extends towards their charity work throughout the U.S. and Guatemala.

Courtney Klamm, CKBD

Senior Designer, CKF in Omaha

Communications Chair on the
Nebraska-Kansas Chapter NKBA Board

@ckfco  @nkba_ne_ks

My name is Courtney Klamm and I am currently a Senior Designer at CKF in our Omaha location, where I’ve been for 8 years.  I was born and raised in central Nebraska and attended college at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design.  As a student at UNK I joined the NKBA and have been a member since.  In 2012 I received my AKBD accreditation, and in 2021 I received my CKBD accreditation.  I am currently the Communications Chair on the Nebraska-Kansas Chapter NKBA Board, and enjoy learning more about the NKBA.  

Kelly Kole

Designer and Podcaster

Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole

@kandrackole

Voted one of Atlanta’s Top 20 Residential Interior Designs by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Kandrac & Kole has been featured on HGTV as well as in The New York Times, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Home Magazine and many others as well as participants of the One Room Challenge Spring 2020. Kandrac & Kole has established a well known reputation for their approachable, dynamic personalities, their signature use of color and pattern and their one of a kind, custom designs.

As industry experts for residential and commercial design, Joann Kandrac & Kelly Kole share upbeat and entertaining narratives regarding their design projects, travels and personal stories on their popular blog, their podcast Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole and via national speaking engagements. Joann and Kelly’s love and commitment to the power of interior design also extends towards their charity work throughout the U.S. and Guatemala.

Laurie Laizure

Founder

Interior Design Community

@interiordesigncommunity

Laurie Laizure is the founder of Interior Design Community, an online community of professionals working in the home design space. She has amassed 200k+ members across social media platforms with her approach of inclusivity and humor. A member once told Laurie that being a member of IDC made her feel less alone and that is why she does what she does.

John LeFevre

Builder

Medallion Custom Homes

@medallioncustomhomes

I was raised in Las Vegas and lucky enough to find my way to Nebraska in 1997. My love for design and attention to detail started at a young age. I find joy in hunting down unique features that will set your home apart from others on the block. It is rewarding to work hand in hand with our clients through the design process and watching their dreams blossom into reality.

Patrick Madden

Independent Manufacturers Representative

@pjmadden

Patrick grew up in the interior design industry…quite literally. His father and mentor, Bernie Madden, founded Madden-McFarland Interiors, a staple in the Kansas City community when Patrick was only nine years old. Learning all aspects of design and interiors, Patrick quickly found his passion for interior design and developed a discerning eye. From quality manufacturing and craftsmanship to beautiful textiles and fine art, his love of the industry is evident. Patrick worked closely with his three siblings as they continued to build on Madden-McFarland’s reputation as Kansas City’s premiere interior design firm. Currently, Patrick is an independent manufacturers representative for Leftbank Art, Arteriors Home, Alfonso Marina and Modern History, traveling the Midwest. He truly enjoys building new relationships with the design community throughout the Midwest and is now able to use his years of experience to inspire and educate those in his territory.

Beth McCabe

Showroom Manager

Designer’s Library

@designerslibrary

Beth McCabe is the Showroom Manager at Designer’s Library, Kansas City’s premier trade destination for luxury home furnishings. Her design style is classic with a love of color and collected pieces. Beth’s mission has always been to create warm, inviting spaces that draw you in, and she utilizes this philosophy while collaborating and creating with her amazing team and talented customers. Beth has a B.S. in Merchandising and Interior Design, along with certification for redesign and staging. With over 20 years of experience in design and sales, she brings a passion for consultation and service to the industry. When Beth isn’t busy assisting the design community, she enjoys spending time at the lake with her family and rooting for University of Nebraska Volleyball!

Tom Price

Director of Sales

Custom Wood Products

@tom.price_88

Tom Price has been an advocate of the residential design business for more than three decades and has held key roles in executive leadership, sales, marketing and product development. Following a successful career helping build the residential design division at RBS into a preeminent resource in the Hamptons on Long Island, NY, Tom is now tasked with turning Custom Wood Products into a nationally recognized resource for furniture and custom cabinetry, helping to deliver their curated offering to luxury projects around the country. Tom also advises kitchen and bath designers on their design and selling skills, and promotes an interactive sales approach to improve sales performance while increasing revenue at higher gross profit. 

Tom and his wife, Jeannine, reside on the East End of Long Island. Tom is an avid runner and enjoys a round of golf in his spare time.

Ted Scott

Builder + Founder

Medallion Custom Homes

@medallioncustomhomes

Ted Scott, Medallion’s founder, travels the country visiting some of the finest homes, incorporating renew inspiration, fascinating ideas, and the latest innovations to the detail he puts into every design.

With more than 30 years of experience designing, building and remodeling homes in a variety of styles. Ted brings an emphasis on craftsmanship and creativity to help you build your dream.

Jenna Talbott

Editor-in-Chief

New England Home

@nehomemagazine

Jenna Talbott, Editor in Chief of top regional shelter magazine, New England Home, draws on more than two decades of editorial expertise to engage discerning audiences in the luxury residential design market. She and her Boston-based team produce 12 visually lush, print magazines annually: bi-monthly New England Home, quarterly New England Home Connecticut, and annuals Next Connecticut and New England Home Cape & Islands. Jenna’s commitment to a multi-platform experience supports continued brand growth through networking events, social media, a popular weekly newsletter, and New England Home’s award-winning website. A lifelong New Englander, Jenna and her family currently hail from Massachusetts’ South Shore, where she likes to recharge with daily beach walks.

Cheminne Taylor-Smith

Creative Thinker + Idea Generator

@cheminnets

Cheminne Taylor-Smith is a creative thinker and idea generator who specializes in branding, strategy, licensing, relationship marketing, promotion, social media, and content creation. Known for insight and straight talk, she’s helped large companies and solopreneurs take their brands to the next level and improve their businesses. She has unmatched experience in the home, media, retail, and design arenas. Previously, she was PR director for Elle Decor and Metropolitan Home, the Vice President of Marketing for the High Point Market, and has consulted with well-known brands such as Showtime, Christie’s, Conde Nast, Galerie Magazine, Bernhardt, IMC, Dallas Market Center, and more.

Alvin Wayne

Designer

Alvin Wayne Interiors

@alvinwayne

Alvin Wayne is a New York City based interior designer who believes everyone deserves to live in luxury. He is known for his ability to infuse modern and timeless design with natural and organic elements with pops of personality. Alvin’s design education and years of luxury retail has contributed to his overall design aesthetic, along with his love of music, art and fashion. Alvin Wayne Interiors (AWI) has been featured in Architectural Digest, NBC open house, HGTV, Apartment Therapy, Essence, and Ebony magazine. 

Keith Sauro

Publisher

What is your publishing background? 

My father was in printing with GSA as I was growing up and I was able to spend time at his plant. I never met anyone that took so much pride in his job as my father. This was my first introduction to printing.

At the age of 24 I answered an employment ad for an account executive position with Relocating in Kansas City magazine. This company also published Kansas City Homes Gardens. I found that I loved working with small businesses and learning I had a good ear in listening for problems and helping to solve them. I then was asked to help the company expand. My wife and I moved to Las Vegas to launch relocating in Las Vegas magazine during the boom. My first Publisher role. I continued to sharpen my skillset and understanding for Publishing. In Las Vegas my son Evan was born and we wanted to find a way to get back to KC  and I was approached by the Ashley group a division of Cahners Publishing, to launch The Kansas City Home Book, a hard cover annual luxury design book. After two years, and a very successful launch, I was asked to come back to KCH&G as Publisher. My life had now come full circle. These experiences and design products I managed and created help formulate what design KC is today. 

What is your favorite issue?

Every issue is always exciting. When I pick up the first issue at the printer, it still feels like Christmas every time. However, for me our premier issue will always be my favorite. To take something from concept to actual inception is an amazing feeling, and it was always have a warm spot in my heart!

What is your home’s design style?

I am a minimalist…. I hate clutter (although you can’t tell that from my office always), I even have a hard time putting things on the walls… I like clean and simple, and lots of color.

Where and how do you like to spend time at home?

I absolutely love my primary bedroom, bath, and shower. Not that I spend all my time there, but every morning it makes me happy getting ready for the day.

If you could live anywhere, where and what would your dream home be?

Laguna Beach, CA right on the water. When I lived in Las Vegas we would drive the high dessert several times a year and enjoy Laguna

If you could make your current home better, what would you do? 

Raise my basements ceiling so I could have a golf simulator.

What are your best memories of home when growing up? 

I was born into an Italian family in Boston. I was raised in East Boston, and my memories of Sunday dinners with my whole family are some of the fondest memories of my life. As a result, I love to entrtain and cook. Growing up, we didn’t have much, but we didn’t do without. My parents were great providers.

Do you have a personal motto or life philosophy? 

The World is very round. You get back what you put out. I live and die by that motto.

Jared Webb

Director of Sales and Digital Marketing

What is your publishing background? 

From a fairly young age, around age 10 or 11, I had always wanted to work in publishing, especially in news publishing. I wanted to be a journalist but quickly discovered in college that my skill set was better suited for the marketing and advertising side. I started my publishing background with a community newspaper called the Northeast News, in Historic Northeast Kansas City, Mo., then moved up to The Kansas City Star for more than 18 years. 

What is your favorite DKC issue? 

It’s always the next issue coming up! As a team, we are always trying to push the envelope and improve. The features continue to get better and better! However, if I had to choose one that has already been published, it would be Summer 2022. I love the cover and the trend-setting articles!

What is your home’s design style?

A mess—ha, just kidding…kind of. It is a mix of a farmhouse and a lodge. The focal point is the living room fireplace that extends up in a vaulted ceiling. My wife handles the interior of the home; the exterior is where I rock—literally, I love landscape rocks. The front exterior has a Cape Cod-style landscape—think Table Rock Lake/Ozark mountains campfire feel. My jam is outdoors!  

Where and how do you like to spend time at home?

In front of the fireplace or in the backyard around the fire pit near our water fountain. I love water, earth and fire.

If you could live anywhere, where and what would your dream home be?

A 1.5- story timber home in the woods near a lake—Lake Tahoe, perhaps?  

If you could make your current home better, what would you do? 

Add an addition to expand our dining room for hosting dinner parties. And a bigger walk-in closet for my wife. 

What are your best memories of home when growing up? 

I grew up in the best home and best floor plan ever, in my ever-so-humble opinion. It was a 1.5-story home with a finished basement in DeSoto, Kansas! It had a wraparound porch, an attic fan, and killer entertainment in the basement for 1990s standards! It was great.  

Do you have a personal motto or life philosophy? 

Motto: Do your best at whatever you do, don’t sweat the small things, and all things are small things. Life philosophy: The Lord God is sovereign and in control—let go, surrender your life to Him and allow Him to work in your life.  

Lonny Cohen

Senior Account Executive

What is your publishing background? 

Being a housing geek comes naturally to me because of my background in publications involved in the housing and design industry. I’ve been with Kansas City Homes & Gardens and RELO Magazine—and for many years, as a staff vice president of the Home Builders Association, one of my responsibilities included the design, editorial, implementation and sales of the two Parade of Homes guidebooks that the association produced each year.

What is your favorite DKC issue? 

I fell in love with designKC two years before we started publishing it, and each time a new issue comes, I’d say that the new issue is my favorite!

What is your home’s design style?

Having grown up with antiques, I still like the clean lines of American antiques, but I love the eclectic touches that I continue to find for my home.

Where and how do you like to spend time at home? 

As the weather gets nicer, my favorite place is reading on the patio while my dog sleeps.

Are there any home goods you can’t live without? 

I love to cook, but like so many of us, I need to rely on shortcuts, so in my kitchen I need my slow cooker and my food processor. While they’re just basic, I save so much time when I cook and couldn’t live without them.

If you could live anywhere, where and what would your dream home be? 

A beachfront home somewhere in Florida. While my style in Kansas City is an eclectic mix of American antiques and new, the home on the beach would be very beachy, light and open.

What are your best memories of home when growing up? 

My favorite memory of home was the end of each day when our family of four would have dinner and share our stories from our day’s experiences. When I was in high school, my mom went to work as a designer, and the world of design became part of our family and the conversation around the dinner table.

Do you have a personal motto or life philosophy? 

“Never assume anything except possibly a two percent loan!”

Denise Carver

Production Coordinator & Circulation

What is your publishing background?   

None! My background was as a lead dental assistant for more than 20 years. This has been an exciting and fun journey for me.

What is your favorite DKC issue? 

That’s too hard to answer as they’re all wonderful. 

Which of our features have resonated most with you?

I would have to say there are two:  “Home or Museum” in Winter 2021 and “Captivating Mix” in Fall 2021.

What is your home’s design style?

I’m a simple country girl, so I love the rustic, western country feel of a home!  

Where and how do you like to spend time at home? 

Outside, anytime I can, relaxing on my deck or playing in the dirt—I love to garden. Or in my craft room, creating pyrography art (the art of wood burning)—it’s my Zen me-time!

If you could live anywhere, where and what would your dream home be? 

On acreage in the country with a Victorian-style home, featuring a big wraparound porch, and, of course, lots of farm animals, especially horses, as I love to ride! And I wouldn’t forget all my pups, goats and chickens!

If you could make your current home better, what would you do? 

Remodel the primary bathroom and expand the deck to a second lower level, with a fire pit as the central attraction.

What are your best memories of home when growing up? 

Our family camping lake trips. Summers at my grandmas. Swimming in the creeks.   Digging for crawdads in the ditch in front of our house. Raising rabbits and chickens with my daddy.  

Do you have a personal motto or life philosophy? 

Motto: Faith over fear! Philosophy: You can have excuses or results, but you can not have both! 



Andrea Darr

Editor-in-chief

What is your publishing background? 

I have always loved reading books and magazines—I got my first subscription to Architectural Digest at age 17—and knew as a kid that I wanted to be in publishing. I earned a degree in Magazine Journalism from the University of Kansas in 2001. Shortly after graduating, I got my first job at Kansas City Homes & Gardens, and stayed for a decade, only leaving the position of Editor-in-Chief once my first daughter was born. I worked as a freelance writer for other local publications for the next decade while raising my girls and running a successful Airbnb on my property in KCK. When Publisher Keith Sauro called me in 2021 to launch DesignKC, I was ready for a new challenge and excited to use full creative license to create a publication—a full brand—that best represents KC from my experienced perspective.   

What is your favorite DKC issue? 

I think of all of them as my babies and can’t choose one over the other! Whatever the next one is always excites me the most. 

Which of our features have resonated most with you?

Everything in these pages resonates with me on some level! No matter the topic or design style, I most appreciate stories where homeowners are true to themselves and create just-right homes that express their personalities and make for a beautiful and functional life. 

What is your home’s design style?

I live in a 1922 bungalow and also own a twin 1933 bungalow next door that we rent out as an Airbnb on 18 acres near The Legends. Both houses have similarities in floor plan, but mine is more modern and cluttered with family life; our inn has mid-century modern influences and feels more like a retreat, as we designed it exclusively for guests. 

Where and how do you like to spend time at home? 

I am a homebody who loves to putter around the house in my slippers. We often leave the doors wide open and transition between indoors and outdoors often and easily during good weather. I love to lounge in the hammock on the back deck with a book and a glass of wine, watching the sunset from our clear view of the horizon line and sometimes getting out our hefty telescope to ponder the moon and stars. 

Are there any home goods you can’t live without? 

A hand vac for the debris that blows in from said doors being open all the time and the shed fur from our four cats. 

If you could live anywhere, where and what would your dream home be? 

As a lifelong Kansan, it’s hard to imagine living anywhere else. I love to travel and I love the easy access to anywhere that living in the middle provides. I am definitely happy at the bay of a beach or cozied up among the pines in the mountains, and I feel a strong pull toward the Southwest. No matter where I live, I don’t need a large house, just a functional one, somewhat minimal, with only the things and people I love most in it. 

If you could make your current home better, what would you do? 

Add a primary suite and give my girls each their own bedroom and bathroom—it’s getting tight in here! 

What are your best memories of home when growing up? 

My parents made a hobby of moving or building houses every few years, so I grew up with constant change—always picking new floor plans and tile, visiting job sites and refreshing my own room. It was fun to always have a project! And that experience was where my love for home design blossomed and embedded itself into my soul to this day.

Ryan Litts

Art Director

What is your publishing background?

I have been doing graphic design for nearly 25 years. I had my own business for 11 years working on websites, graphic design and publications. I have published countless magazines and periodicals over the years.

What is your favorite DKC issue? 

The first issue. It was the culmination of a vision, dedication and a lot of hard work. It is great to work with a group of passionate people all pulling together in the same direction. We strive to make each issue better than the last and have fun while we are doing it.

Which of our features have resonated most with you?

Not a feature, but I loved “The City Farm Girl” featuring chicken foot stools in our Creative Type department in Summer 2022. I just loved those things. 

What is your home’s design style?

“Country Comfy.” Is that a style? I like for people to walk in and feel cozy and right at home when they are at our home.

Where and how do you like to spend time at home? 

Outside. I love to be outside as much as possible since I spend the majority of time in my office. 

Are there any home goods you can’t live without?

A coffee maker. I love to start my day with a good cup of coffee.

If you could live anywhere, where and what would your dream home be?

I would love to have land overlooking a lake, pond or stream where I could fish anytime I want. Also, there needs to be trees and nature—kind of where we are now. 

If you could make your current home better, what would you do? 

Recreate our downstairs living area. I would love to take out the wall in our kitchen and open it up to our living room so we could have a friendlier space to entertain. Probably the bedroom and bath area, too. 

What are your best memories of home when growing up? 

I grew up having my grandparents as our next-door neighbors. Their front door was always open, and aunts, uncles and cousins were always stopping by. Also, the land we had was great—it was about five acres of mountain terrain and a boy’s paradise.

Do you have a personal motto or life philosophy?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.