This year at the 2025 IIDA Intermountain Chapter’s BEST Awards, two Ensign College Interior Design students, Lizzy Marquez and Stacey Johnson, received awards for their outstanding projects. The BEST Awards celebrate interior design projects that reach beyond “pretty” and exemplify excellence in creativity and functionality.
Stacey won the BEST Student Project award for her “Accessible Artisan Retreat,” which is a remodeled home for short-term rental for people seeking a getaway. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Craftsman style, this project pays tribute to artisans of the past and present while being accessible to people with disabilities.
Lizzy won the Merit Award for her residential project, “A Greenline Escape.” Inspired by The High Line, a repurposed railway turned urban park in New York City, her design, as she describes it, “is like the earth and architecture meeting together.”
These achievements are a significant milestone for their time at Ensign and in their budding professional careers. Stacey and Lizzy had both previously graduated from the same university and had started families, and they were initially nervous about returning to school. “I thought I was the only one coming back after getting a bachelor’s degree.” Lizzy shared. However, they found friendship and camaraderie among the students of the Interior Design program. “It was so clear, so early, that it’s not a competition,” Stacey added. “It’s just like we’re all happy to be here.”
When it comes to preparation, Stacey highlighted the importance of studio classes. Studio is part of the program’s curriculum and gives students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to residential and commercial design projects.
As someone with no formal industry experience, Stacey feels the award has helped her gain confidence in her work and to be more at ease in transitioning from school to the design industry. For Lizzy, this award is very validating, not only as a student but as an interior design professional.
They are both excited to apply the tools, skills, and knowledge they are learning in their professional careers. Speaking to those who are considering the Interior Design program at Ensign College, Stacey believes that choosing to go back to school has helped her gain more confidence, has opened doors of opportunity, and has fostered her ability to adapt in life.
Whether you're a first-time college student or a looking for a new direction, Interior Design is one of many Ensign College programs that provide opportunities to grow, connect, and shine. Learn more about our Interior Design program here.