By Robert Mackenzie

Staff reporter

A Bob Lake kitchen renovation has won Haliburton interior decorating company ACM Designs a silver medal in this year’s Canadian Decorators’ Association Decorating and Design Competition.

Andria Cowen Molyneaux ACM’s owner and principal designer said she was excited that a Haliburton project received recognition. “Mostly these competitions are dominated by professionals from larger urban centres” she said. “To represent our community like that on that stage was awesome.”

The association has held the design competition annually for the past 23 years to showcase the Canada’s most outstanding design projects. The awards are split into nine categories; ACM’s renovation was awarded second place in the Kitchens above $50000 group while also competing in Bathrooms under $25000.

Industry leaders from across Canada judge the competitors based on layout and functionality along with aesthetics (how pleasing it is do countertops match cupboards etc).

Molyneaux believes her kitchen stood out because of its functionality and use of colour. They were able to double storage and countertop space on the project using the same floor plan. And because her clients were water lovers Molyneaux said water was the inspiration for the kitchen design which included “Hudson Bay Blue” paint colour. “In every one of my designs in the county my No. 1 principle is bringing the outside inside” she said.

ACM has been operating in Haliburton since 2012 and manages between eight and 13 projects at any time. Molyneaux said one of the goals in her projects is to engage with local tradesmen whenever possible. “We’re a local business so we have to support other local businesses” she said.

The work on the award-winning Bob Lake renovation was all done by local trade professionals even down to the photographer who took the photos submitted for the awards.

This was the first time ACM has entered the design awards which were announced at association’s annual general meeting in Toronto April 28.