ORLANDO, Florida – Sisler Johnston Interior Design was honored with six Aurora Awards from the Florida Home Builders Association during the 2008 Southeast Building Conference.  The Jacksonville-based interior design firm was recognized with five Auroras for its interior design of The Emerald at Plantation Bay by ICI Homes.  Sisler Johnston was also honored for ICI’s Castillo model at Palencia, a natural gas custom home.

The Emerald, ICI Homes’ energy efficient showcase model home, highlights the latest achievements in green building and green design.  The Emerald was honored by the Aurora Awards judges in the categories of Best Interior Merchandising/Design Kitchen, Best Interior Detailing, Best Energy Efficient Home, Best Solar Energy Efficient House and Best Water-Wise House. 

“We are honored to receive this recognition from our colleagues in the home building industry,” said Judith Sisler Johnston, president of Sisler Johnston Interior Design and ASID Allied Member.  “The Emerald, by the innovative team at ICI Homes, exemplifies environmentally sensitive design and illustrates the best in green living.”

Located at Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club, The Emerald demonstrates ICI Homes’ standard green features along with many options and upgrades.  The home is constructed with foam insulated roof and walls, Low-E windows and doors, Energy Star-rated appliances and lighting, a 14 SEER variable speed air conditioner, and a grid-connected solar electric collector that creates and captures electricity from the sun.  Eight education stations in the home detail the technology and benefits of these systems.

For The Emerald’s interior spaces, Sisler Johnston selected an environmentally neutral palette featuring cork, raffia, and sesame, and then infused each room with a soothing spa aquamarine color to achieve a relaxed, inviting ambiance.  The entry foyer, great room, dining room, kitchen and outdoor living room feature a random patterned natural stone tile with matte finish and chiseled edges for rustic elegance.

Area rugs in contemporary abstract patterns define the entry, dining and living spaces.  Walls are honey-toned and spa blue draperies cascade from the windows and disappearing slides that reveal this home’s spacious outdoor living room.

The kitchen cabinets are warm sesame rubbed through to brown walnut and the double upper cabinets have accent lighting.  The breakfast island seats four and has a decorative pendant chandelier.  A private area with a desk adjacent to the kitchen leads to a pool bath designed with a furniture sink and screen-printed custom wall coverings.

Sisler Johnston chose an aquamarine suede sectional sofa corded in chocolate for the spacious great room.  The millwork entertainment wall is brown walnut and the 20-foot ceiling coffers are stained to match.  Clean line furniture styles were chosen for the dining room.  The serving console is brushed metallic silver.

Throughout the home, Sisler Johnston designed some architecturally interesting color blocks with picture molding to complement the home’s expansive ceiling heights.  The master suite has a beautiful ceiling design with stained brown walnut millwork and trim.  Sisler Johnston used a soft aqua as its wall color.  The room’s furnishings are contemporary and mix textures including wood, leather and suede.

The sumptuous master bathroom has a walk-through shower that leads to an amazing starlight outdoor shower and meditation garden.  A Jacuzzi tub is surrounded by glass mosaics and golden granite tops the brown walnut cabinets.  The master suite closet has been customized with stained cabinetry and has a convenient island, ideal for suitcase packing, and a built-in ironing board.  Glass-front cabinets keep hanging items dust free.

The corridor from the garage has a stop-and-drop millwork console for jackets and other outdoor gear as well as a built-in bed for the family pet.  An under-stair closet was converted into a luxurious wine room with iron gated entry, faux brick walls and refrigerator storage.  The spacious laundry room has a built-in ironing station, drip-dry hanging area and custom cabinets.

The Emerald is equipped with innovative home technology.  The home office is designed with an island drafting desk, a lighted bookcase wall and a quiet reading corner with a leather chair and ottoman. A wall-mounted plasma television airs the latest stock market results.  There is also golf cart storage and a golf club workshop adjacent to the office.

The staircase leading to the second level is stained walnut with turned iron pickets and stained handrail.  The upstairs offers a spacious loft overlooking the family room. 

Sisler Johnston designed a library wall with a quiet reading area anchored by two comfy chairs in aqua corduroy upholstery.  What would normally be attic or storage space was recaptured and transformed into a gift storage and wrapping room.  Two guest suites, complete with private bathrooms, make this two-story home ideal for couples desiring luxurious accommodations for their guests or for a growing family.

The home’s jewel is its outdoor living environment, which has a custom kitchen, dining area and fireplace to anchor its entertainment space.  The outdoor living area is punctuated by a spectacular tiered pool and fountain.

The Emerald is located in Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club, a 3,800-acre luxury ICI Homes’ community in Ormond Beach, Fla.  To visit The Emerald, travel Interstate 95 to Exit #278 and travel west on Old Dixie Highway.  Go approximately one-eighth of a mile to Plantation Bay on the left.

The Aurora Awards is a nationally recognized competition honoring the Southeast’s most outstanding builders, planners, developers, designers, architects and other home building industry professionals in a 12-state region that includes Florida.

Sisler Johnston Interior Design offers comprehensive interior design services for residential and commercial clients.  The company designs private residences, builder model homes, community centers, hotel guest accommodations and office suites.  Sisler Johnston Interior Design also provides marketable designs for senior lifestyle communities.

ASID Allied Member Judith Sisler Johnston and her team of licensed, talented designers help clients enhance their surroundings with designs that range from traditional elegance to classic contemporary style.  Sisler Johnston is Jacksonville’s leading authority on designing spectacular spaces that are beautiful, functional and reflect her clients’ personalities and lifestyles.

Sisler Johnston’s design work has been featured in numerous books, newspapers, magazines and television programs.  Sisler Johnston Interior Design celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2004 and has been recognized with more than 100 industry awards.

For more information about Sisler Johnston Interior Design, call (904) 288-0908 or visit www.sislerjohnston.com.

Photography:

1.  Judith Sisler Johnston, president of Sisler Johnston Interior Design and ASID Allied Member.

2.  Master Bath:  The Jacuzzi tub is surrounded by glass mosaics and golden granite tops with brown walnut cabinets.

3.  Master Bedroom:  Furniture pieces in this master suite are contemporary in style, mixing textures like wood, leather, and suede.

4.  Kitchen:  Sisler Johnston chose kitchen cabinets in warm sesame rubbed through to brown walnut.