California Closets Scholarship Award Competition
This annual competition is just one example of the many practical, hands-on experiences interior design students have during their time at Villa Maria. Students are challenged to create a realistic design space that meets a client’s specifications before presenting their work, accepting feedback, and responding accordingly.
The winners for this year are Sam Givens, ’25, AAS. Givens was awarded $500 towards his spring tuition.
Givens designed a custom garage space made for recreation and relaxation. The garage maximizes storage capacity of the 159-square-foot space and turns it into an extension of the client’s home. The floor plan includes four areas: a drip-dry station, a sports station, a creation station, and a garden station.
Some of the features included in the garage are a tilt-out hamper, retractable drying rack, slide-out show rack, a power station, a markerboard with black glass, a tilt-out trash bin, floating shelves with mini puck lights, and a fusion track wall system.
Braelynne Potter, ’27, BFA. Potter was awarded $2000 towards her tuition beginning in her junior year.
Inspired by Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s painting, “Spiral of Life,” Potter’s design creates a space that flows functionally and allows clothing to be stored by season. The layout is functional and spacious, allowing two people to easily access their belongings and get ready in a shared, well-organized space.
The closet is separated into three elevations: one for women’s clothing, the second for men’s clothing, and the third for accessories and additional storage. Potter incorporated open shelving, allowing for easy access to everything in the closet.
Interior Design Association of Western New York Membership Scholarship
The recipients of this year’s award, which is a free one-year membership to the IDA. Valued at $250, the award goes to a graduating student in either the BFA or AAS program.
This year’s recipients are both seniors in the College’s BFA program: Daniella Herman, ’25, and Fabrizio Ubillus, ’25.