The American Association of Interior Designers (Illinois chapter) and i4Design magazine presented the annual Design Excellence Awards Thursday night. Two of my favorite winners: A sophisticated kitchen by Barbara Ince and Sarah Davis of Susan Fredman Design Group [susanfredman.com] (which won Best of Show) and John Robert Wiltgen’s lovely bathroom, inspired by his clients’ trip to Florence. Frank Ponterio also won awards for his room in the 2009 Lake Forest showhouse—it appears in the September/October issue of Chicago Home + Garden.

—JAN PARR 

Photos: Ince (kitchen):  Novelli Photodesign; Wiltgen (bath): Wolfe Photography