Considering an interior design competition? Wendy Glaister reveals her secrets

Wendy Glaister has been designing luxury residences throughout California for 17 years. Her work has won many awards, most recently from California’s Best of 209 competition (a Gold for Interior Design 2023 and Silver for Kitchen/Bath Remodeling 2023), as well as from ASID California/Central Nevada (ANDYZ Awards for 2023 Best Individual Residential Space Over 3,000 sq. ft. and 2023 Best Showroom Design). Here she talks with us about her design competition strategy.

When did you win your first design award?

“My first ASID award was in 2020 for Luxury Residential Bath for a really special home addition we did for the sweetest clients ever…who are sweet potato and almond farmers. The bathroom design was super glamorous and it was such a treat to be given this award.”

Do you think entering design competitions is worth it?

“Entering your work into design competitions is worth the effort. You have to develop an eye for imagery, learn how to write in a captivating way and keep track of key details … all of which translate to other exciting opportunities. One benefit to investing in professional photography and writing with the audience in mind is that I am able to share project images with magazines as well.”

How do you feel about design competitions submission fees?

“Do you know the old saying you can’t win the lottery unless you buy a ticket? I place photography and design competition submission fees in the budget under advertising and marketing. In this industry, and in the world of social media, you’re only as good as your last photographed space. It’s just part of being an interior designer.

I also find great pride in our work so for me I love the process of chronicling our projects. I work with a publicist who helps me to weigh which design competitions are the right fit for my design style and projects. For some design competitions, we only enter every other year and for others we budget to enter a certain number of projects each year while staying within our firm’s quarterly advertising budget.”

What’s the average fee for competitions?

“Usually between $150-250 per submission. And there are usually early bird discounts if you purchase a slot by a certain date.”

Do you work on the submissions yourself or do you have someone else doing them?

“I do the ASID submissions myself and my publicist, Serena Martin, helps me populate other submissions based on the information I upload into our shared Google docs for other submissions. She’s a lot more efficient than I am.”

What advice would you give someone who’s interested in competitions but hasn’t submitted anything yet?

“You never know until you try. It’s cliche but really true! Each organization has a look they go for and you don’t understand them until you enter.”

How do you know you will enter a project for a design competition?

“I usually know in advance if a project will be going into the queue for a design competition or not. I did have one surprise though this year. I was really excited to submit a beautiful kitchen we did with incredible metal sculptures but it just didn’t photograph well. The cabinets had a shine and the light was too reflective. I was so disappointed.”

How do you learn about what competitions are open?

“I knew about ASID because I am a member. The same with IDS. Remodeler Magazine has a great one. Many appliance companies run their own. Google is very helpful, honestly, in discovering awards opportunities. With LuxLife, I think we won because my website and social media were built out and incorporated reviews. What’s the old adage? Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. With our design clients, inspiration is so important, but for other aspects of our business: marketing, social, awards submissions, etc. it’s all about perspiration. Be ready and be amazed.”

How has entering design competitions changed how you design or take photos of your projects? 

“When I think about projects now, I do consider which ones may be appropriate for competition. Not every project is competition level…although every project is expressly tailored to each client. For those that may be competitive, I think about ‘the money shot.’ That’s the main photograph that will make the biggest impact. Often it’s the space where the most resources are spent – hence, ‘the money shot.’ The investment has to make sense for the client and their design objectives but it doesn’t hurt if it’s also next-level design.”

Do you have a secret way you light the space for the best photos?

“I work with the same photographer [Mark Verschelden] for all my projects and really believe in the synergy we have created. Mark shoots each space with all the lights off for natural lighting and with the lights on to demonstrate the power of an artistic lighting plan. Mark also uses more light filters and bracketed exposures for my projects.

I also have a formula I try to follow: Straight-on shots, angle shots and feature shots. For example, in a kitchen, I would shoot straight on the hood, at an angle across the island, and the organizational features in drawers or inside an appliance garage. I try to get 8-12 exceptional photos out of each project.”

Do you have a signature way that you stage a home for the best photos?

“I have this goofy saying, ‘Ferns make it friendly.’ I make certain that my produced images have fresh greenery or very convincing faux greenery. I always use greenery and I try to use flowers somewhere. Different, unusual objects or accessories that establish a sense of scale are also important. Interesting decor, patterned wallpaper and statement-making art are also really helpful in making your projects stand out in photos.”

See also:

15 winners named in 9th annual ANDYZ awards

Award winning interior designer lands art exhibit at Salon des Refuses