Meet the New York Judges
Vicente Wolf
For over 45 years, New York based interior designer, Vicente Wolf, has fueled his soul as a designer, photographer, art collector, author and adventurous world traveler. His interiors incorporate an authentic, globally referenced aesthetic mixed with modern décor in a warm palette capturing a sense of earthy charisma and timelessness. As a trailblazer in the field, Wolf helped propel home design into a sleeker, modern vision rivaling the heavy European-style interiors that were in vogue when he began designing in the 1970’s. Early on, his name became synonymous with white rooms, earning him the moniker “The White Knight.” He is also credited with introducing high gloss walls, leaning mirrors, the photo picture ledge, use of black and white photographs and oversized, upholstered ottomans as coffee tables into residential design.
Vicente’s projects have graced the pages of all the top shelter publications and received many of the industry’s top distinctions. Wolf is proud to have been the recipient of Cottages & Gardens prestigious Innovator of the Year in 2013. His team at Vicente Wolf Associates build on his passion for design, maintaining an impressive portfolio that spans multinational conglomerates and private homes to hotels and restaurants across the globe. His showroom, VW Home by Vicente Wolf carries his furniture and accessory collections as well as tribal artifacts and other pieces personally sourced from his exotic travels.
Sheila Bridges
Named “America’s Best Interior Designer” by CNN and Time Magazine, Sheila Bridges founded her own interior design firm in 1994. As Creative Director, Sheila has thoughtfully designed residences and offices for many prominent entertainers, entrepreneurs and business professionals including the 8,300 square foot Harlem offices for former President Bill Clinton and his staff. Sheila Bridges Design, Inc has also completed projects at Columbia University and Princeton University, bringing Sheila’s signature design aesthetic to interior spaces at both of these prestigious academic institutions.
Bridges has been featured in numerous publications including Architectural Digest, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Interior Design, House & Garden, Domino,and Traditional Home magazines. She has also been included in Gotham and New York Magazine‘s Top Interior Designer’s lists, House Beautiful’s “Top 100 Interior Designers” as well as Elle Décor’s 2011- 2019 A List, which recognizes interior designers who exemplify continually relevant design. Sheila is also the author of two books: Furnishing Forward: A Practical Guide to Furnishing for a Lifetime, which was released in 2002 and The Bald Mermaid, A Memoir, published in 2013.
In 1996, Sheila’s passion for interiors inspired her to design furniture and home furnishings under the name Sheila Bridges Home, Inc. Sheila’s home furnishing collections have been sold to design conscious consumers online, through trade showrooms, mail order catalogues and at such notable national retailers as Anthropologie and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Sheila is honored to have her Harlem Toile De Jouy wallpaper represented in the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s permanent wallpaper collection. Her designs have been showcased in many exhibits and museums throughout the country and Europe including The Museum of The City of New York, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Museum of Art and Design in New York City, The Brooklyn Museum, Museé De La Toile De Jouy in Jouy-en-Josas, France and most recently The Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.
Originally from Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Sheila Bridges moved to New York City in 1986. She holds degrees from Brown University and Parsons School of Design, and studied decorative arts at Polimoda in Florence, Italy. She lives in Harlem, New York.
Joe Nahem
Each project of Joe Nahem‘s brings out another aspect of his talented eye. His design signature lies in the ability, from the first meeting on, to dig deep into his client’s minds, to realize their ideas, needs, and individual tastes. The results are luxuriously comfortable, elegant, and livable homes for active families: spaces that reflect the people who dwell in them.
Born and raised in New York City, Joe and his late business partner, Tom Fox, started Fox-Nahem Design in their early twenties. After three decades of experience, Joe, along with his dedicated team, have loyal vendors who help bring to life his original designs, specific to each and every project. Changing accordingly with the times, without falling victim to fads, he curates rare vintage pieces, as well as works with artists, craftspeople and artisans from all over the world. He has commissioned hand loomed fabrics from Switzerland, custom woven rugs from South Africa, and beautifully crafted metal cabinetry made in Brooklyn.
Fox-Nahem Associates is a personal, client oriented, hands-on firm. Always using discretion to protect privacy, many clients come back for additional projects. Overseeing every facet to turn key completion, from architecture to bed linens, the firm’s projects finish on time and within the budget.
In addition to features in most major design magazines, and many books on interiors, Fox Nahem has been included in a number of top design lists: AD 100, Elle Decor A-List-Top 25, New York Magazine’s Top 100, New York Spaces Top 50 Designers, and Luxe Magazine’s Gold List.
With worldwide recognition, and projects across the United States, his designs can be found in the former home of Jacqueline Kennedy at 740 Park Avenue, and the famed Dakota.
Andre Kikoski
Andre Kikoski, AIA, LEED AP, is the founding principal of Andre Kikoski Architect — an internationally renowned firm that consistently creates compelling design in a variety of social and cultural contexts. The firm’s diverse portfolio includes iconic cultural, residential, hospitality and retail projects for accomplished entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and taste-makers including The Guggenheim Museum, The Related Companies at Hudson Yards, The Howard Hughes Corporation, The Kohler Companies, Ligne Roset, Saks Fifth Avenue, Swarovski Crystal, and most recently DHA Capital at 75 Kenmare Street. Grounded by enduring architectural principles and driven by innovation, the firm is currently engaged in projects are located throughout North America, Asia and Europe.
Andre Kikoski Architect’s fastidious approach produces architecture that unifies people by engaging their memory, activating their senses and creating emotional connection points. The Wright at the Guggenheim is a unique place to converge in and around art, literally weaving artistry into the very fabric of design. One Hudson Yards features amenities and residences that provide comfort and conviviality, condensing the social landscape of an entire neighborhood inside a single new building. 75 Kenmare’s handcrafted cast concrete exterior elevates a common building material to create inspired architecture for the benefit of residents and the community alike. Whether designing a building, an interior, or anything in between, the firm’s mission is to provide places for people to come together and create community.
A recipient of the American Institute of Architect’s Institute Honor Award, Andre Kikoski Architect has garnered over 41 international design awards and is featured in over 1,000 publications across 30 countries. A frequent lecturer in Asia, Europe and North and South America, Andre received his Master’s degree in Architecture at Harvard University, where he earned Distinctions for Innovation in Design and Technology, and is a Trustee of the Van Alen Institute and Alumni Council Emeritus at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Prior to founding the firm, Andre trained in the offices of I. M. Pei, Richard Meier, and Peter Eisenman.