Find out who the top winners are in the 2011 Sherwin-Williams® STIR® Student Design Contest.

Sherwin-Williams is proud to announce the winners of our first annual student design contest. We want to extend our sincere appreciation and praise to all 355 students who participated. With so many excellent submissions, it was difficult to pick just six winners..

The contest rules required that students use a defined palette of up to seven Sherwin-Williams colors of their choice and tell us about their project, including how color was integral to the design solution. In addition, students were to submit up to three supporting design files..

The two first place winners receive a $2,500 cash prize, the two second place winners receive $1,000 and the two third place winners recieve $500. In addition, the two first place winners will have their work featured in the 2011 edition of STIR magazine, and all winners will be featured on the Sherwin-Williams for Designers & Architects Facebook page.

Contest judge Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing, Sherwin-Williams, assessed the design submissions for great use of color first and foremost, followed by a well-articulated design concept and visuals that represented and supported the design concept.

First Place Winners

In the residential category: Congratulations to Courtney Lautenschlager from Iowa State University.

Her design concept: Located within Mies Van Der Rohe's Lakeshore Drive apartments in Chicago, Ill., this luxury condominium was designed with a primary triadic color scheme of red, blue and yellow with an accent of grey. The space is simple and refined, yet made complex by adding layers and harmony within the selected color palette. A centrally located spiral staircase ties the open floor plan together and creates a musical rhythm. The base of the stairs is accented in a bold teal (Splashy SW 6942) in order to make it a focus. Using this lively color helps ground the staircase within the condo and marks it as a reference point. Also, red (Heartthrob SW 6866) accents are dispersed through the space to add excitement and interest. A soft blue (Bubble SW 6770) was applied to the ceiling plane, inspired by the essence of the sky.

Since the condominium contains many large windows displaying Lake Michigan, the idea of bringing the outdoors into the space was essential. The sky blue ceiling encourages this concept. Yellow (Optimistic Yellow SW 6900 and Nugget SW 6697) and gray (Web Gray SW 7075 and Upward SW 6239) complete the color palette by creating a base of less intense hues. Since the public area, including living, dining and kitchen, is open, it allows a balance of both saturated and diluted colors. The primary triadic color scheme developed for this project was absolutely imperative to the design solution. The architecture and layout of the space is rather simple, but the selected color palette brings it to life and reflects the personality of its residents. (Accessories shown are from Crate & Barrel and West Elm.)

In the commercial category: Congratulations to Jessica N. Anderson from Valdosta State University.

Her design concept: Flora & Fauna is a luxury skin and beauty clinic located in Slade, Ky. The clinic strives to create a calming and relaxing environment where clients can escape their daily routines and feel their stress melt away. Flora & Fauna also focuses on incorporating sustainable materials into their interiors. A blend of sophisticated natural elements and clean, modern lines creates a soothing and peaceful environment. Large skylights, a couples massage room and a custom hydrotherapy room are just a few of the unique features that make this clinic stand out. An open and organic floor plan boasting large windows emphasizes the beautiful surrounding of rural Slade. The palette of Sherwin-Williams colors that grace the walls of Flora & Fauna include Great Green (SW 6430), Gratifying Green (SW 6435), Vast Sky (SW 6506) and Wool Skein (SW 6148). Sherwin-Williams high-quality pigments emphasize the clinic's luxury and high-end features.

Second Place Winners

In the residential category: Congratulations to Joanne N. Fields from Kansas State University.

Her design concept: Fields designed a high-end neoclassical residence for the fictitious Gray family. The challenge was to create a large, old English country home that was welcoming and comfortable, yet appropriately elegant to entertain important guests of the medical field, given Mr. Gray was a hospital administrator. Fields used an elegant and sophisticated color palette consisting of Greek Villa (SW 7551) Alpaca (SW 7022), Silvermist (SW 7621) and Ancestral Gold (SW 6407).

In the commercial category: Congratulations to John Botello from Texas Tech University.

His design concept: Botello submitted a design for a fictitious Asian Fusion restaurant in San Francisco, Calif., in which the concept was to be based on the opera "Madame Butterfly" by Giacomo Puccini. With the Japanese Magnolia tree as inspiration, Botello created a color palette using Chamois (SW 6131), Bravado Red (SW 6320), Fairfax Brown (SW 2886), Marshmallow (SW 7001), Birdseye Maple (SW 2834) and Beige (SW 6320).

Third Place Winners

In the residential category: Congratulations to Donivan Noble from Ohio University.

His design concept: Donivan designed a 2,300-square-foot Buenos Aires condo in downtown Alto Palermo for a fictitious family, using a color palette consisting of White Duck (SW 7010), Rockwood (SW 2812) Confident Yellow (SW 6694), Naval (SW 6244) and Glad Yellow (SW 6694).

In the commercial category: Congratulations to Christine Hee Roh from the University of Nevada.

Her design concept: For a chocolate shop, Hee Roh was inspired by an episode of "I Love Lucy," in which Lucy is a worker in a chocolate factory. Hee Roh created a surreal design of movement involving gears and chocolate by combining a rich palette of dark, milk and white chocolate with the addition of raspberry via the following Sherwin-Williams colors: French Roast (SW 6069), Yam (SW 6643), Classic Ivory (SW 0051) and Radish (SW 6861). Thanks again to all the students who participated and congratulations to the winners.

Thanks again to all the students who participated and congratulations to the winners.