Up to the Challenge? Weigh in on design contest

Move over, Sabrina Soto!

The celebrity interior designer from HGTV won't be the only designing diva in Hampton Roads during "Symphony of Spring," the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Home and Garden Show.

Thirty-one wanna-be designing women and men put their best ideas forward in the show's "Dreaming of Design" challenge, an amateur competition in which contestants created rooms with products from Value City Furniture and Benjamin Moore Paint.

The two retailers, along with the Tidewater Builders' Association, are sponsoring the contest.

The budget allotted for each room could not exceed $2,500.

Submissions include adult and youth bedrooms, living rooms, craft rooms, home offices, dining rooms, an entertainment room and a "mom cave."

"Overall, everybody did a really nice job with their individual themes," said interior designer Beth Gilbert of Virginia Beach-based Gilbert Interiors.

Gilbert held a free workshop in January at the Beach's Value City Furniturefor anyone interested in submitting a room design.

"We had about a dozen people there asking questions, running around the store and taking pictures," she said. "It must have paid off, because the entries are very good."

Designer Heidi Laderberg of Virginia Paint & Decorating Center, a Benjamin Moore retailer in Ghent, thought the submissions showed creativity.

"Some are definitely better than I anticipated, especially those who did the floor plan from floor to ceiling," Laderberg said. "They considered all the aspects of the room and included lights, artwork, area rugs and accessories.

Gilbert and Laderberg felt that 31 submissions was an excellent turnout for a first-time event.

"Selecting the four finalists is going to be a tough job," added designer Sharon Webster of Virginia Paint.

The submission deadline was Feb. 9.

Now the public can go online to view the concepts and vote for their favorites at www.midatlantichomeshow.com/design-contest. Individuals must register on the site prior to voting.

Online voting ends Sunday; a professional design team will select four finalists from the 10 entries with the most votes.

"So the contestants now have to work on getting popular support, kind of like 'Dancing with the Stars,' where audience input is weighed along with the professional judges," said Mary Prier, TBA spokeswoman.

The four finalists will physically reproduce their 10-by-14-foot rooms at the Home and Garden Show, March 9 to 11 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, and give eventgoers an opportunity to see the design concepts come to life.

A panel of professional designers will judge the rooms and select a winner.

The grand prize is a $2,500 shopping spree at Value City Furniture. Runners-up each will receive a $250 gift certificate to Value City.

"This wasn't an easy contest to enter," said TBA President Sam Cohen of Joey Corp.

"It's not like sending in a photo of an ugly bathroom. These contestants took the time to shop for items on a budget that would look good in their rooms,, and we're very impressed with the quality of the submissions."

Lia Russell, rhett2lia@cox.net