DESIGN SAVVY: Millgrove native and Sheridan College student Rebecca Grim (right) recently accepted the 2008 Award for Design and Decorating from the Canadian Decorators' Association.

Rebecca Grim has grand designs - and a prestigious honour to prove it.

The Millgrove native recently accepted a 2008 Award for Design and Decorating from the Canadian Decorators' Association (CDECA).

The CDECA represents and fosters the growth of qualified and student decorators and designers. As a member and a student, Grim was eligible for the award. Grim has always been interested in decorating. She has always experimented with creative decorating themes in her own house; from flower stencils to zebra prints.

Now in her second and final year at Sheridan College, she plans to graduate this year and is looking forward to working for decorating firms that match her taste in decorating; continuing her education is also another option.

Grim entered the CDECA's Student Project category, and presented her project to an independent panel of judges. "My professor encouraged me to submit my work," Grim explained. Her project was comprised of eight boards, each 20" by 30", for a house that showed the floor plan, elevations and inspirations. Six boards focused on a room in the house, another board was dedicated to the floor plan and the last board was Grim's inspirations. Her theme was a mixture of modern and traditional style.

"There were some modern pieces, but I really focused on the detail of furniture," she explained of her decorating choice. The award winning project took Grim a total of 40 hours from start to finish. Grim said, "Time was obviously an issue because I had many other final projects to work on at the time." Another challenge Grim faced was making her project environmentally friendly.

"I also had some problems getting my hands on environmentally friendly samples, because not all suppliers are willing to give out samples to students."

Grim is thrilled with the achievement, not only because of her place in the competition, but also the recognition she got from one of her favourite professors.

"One of the judges was one of my professors and I looked up to her," she said.

According to Grim, the CDECA membership was included in the design course tuition at Sheridan. The organization is committed to providing its members with opportunities to heighten their professional development and educational standards through courses, programs, and additional resources.

A CDECA member also has an edge when it comes to landing a job, and is recognized as an experienced and qualified designer and decorator, of both interior and exterior spaces.

According to Tobi Brockway, CDECA director of marketing, the design and decorating awards have been given out since the organization's inception in the early 1990s, but the program hasn't run for the last two years.

"The competition was reinstated this year after a complete restructuring to ensure complete objectivity and fairness," she explained.

Along with the impressive addition to her resume and the exposure Grim received from the outstanding achievement, she was also rewarded with a trophy and cash prize from CDECA.

"Each year our members raise the bar within the decorating community, higher and higher," said Irene Turnbull, Chair of CDECA. "I congratulate each and every winner on their outstanding achievement."