2015 Holiday House Student Competition

For the first time ever, NYSID students competed for the opportunity to design a room at Holiday House, an annual showhouse dedicated to benefiting breast cancer organizations and raising awareness in the design industry. Eight students were tasked to create renderings using furniture and fabrics from Robert Allen and Beacon Hill, with the winner’s room being installed in the 2016 showhouse. Students were partnered with mentors and graduates of NYSID, who encouraged them to think outside the box to design projects that would reinvent the holidays.

The student winner was Cheryl Sadlowski, BFA ’16, selected by a panel of judges including designers Drew McGukin, Alexa Hampton and Thom Filicia. Cheryl was announced the winner at a celebration at Holiday House on November 16. See photos here!

With help from her mentor, NYSID alumnus Ross Alexander, Cheryl created a design titled “Cocktails and Conversation,” inspired by a Nordic winter theme. She used materials such as fur, weathered wood, iron, and wool to create a cozy and comfortable space full of earthly textures. She said “it was important to me to design as enthusiastically as possible and create a room that reflected my personal style, yet easily translated into a tangible space.”

NYSID students also attended the annual Holiday House Young Designers Night, networked with top designers, Holiday House founder Iris Dankner and legendary designer Mario Buatta; making the first ever student competition an outstanding experience for all. The other student/mentor teams included Rose Darbouze with NYSID alumna Marie Aiello, Jane Epelbaum with NYSID alumna Meredith Hurst, Erin Folan with NYSID alumna Fredrica Monaco, Krista Gurevich with NYSID alumnus Joshua Lefkowitz, Allison Schoon with NYSID alumna Andrea Brodfuehrer, Topaz Wong with NYSID alumna Julie Schuster, and Hsien-Huei Wu with NYSID alumnus and faculty member Don Kossar.