07/13/2026
Eberlein Design Consultants’ President and Creative Director, Barbara Eberlein, joined a distinguished national jury for the 2026 Palladio Awards, Traditional Building Magazine and Period Homes premier honor for excellence in classical and traditional design hosted by publisher Peter H. Miller, Hon AIA.
Charged with selecting the year’s finest work from nearly one hundred entries across residential, commercial, institutional, and ecclesiastical categories, the jury faced what Barbara called “an embarrassment of riches.” The caliber was such that deliberations ran several weeks, yet in every category, the decisions were unanimous.
“It’s a master class in design, architecture, landscape architecture, and craft,” she reflected. “You come out knowing far more than you knew going in, even though you’re considered the expert.”
To be asked to judge the best work in one’s field is its own quiet distinction: a recognition, by one’s peers, of a lifetime spent in service of beauty, scholarship, and the enduring principles of traditional design.
At roughly 30,000 square feet, Astor Courts is a residence of enormous grandeur, and yet, Barbara noted, one that achieved a rare “visual and emotional accessibility.” Her verdict said it best: “Please, please, please invite me to a party here.”
Winner: Interior Design
Astor Courts · McBournie Richards McBournie Richards · Photography: Annie Schlechter annieschlechter
Florestal is a sublime restoration Barbara admired above all for its sensitivity and scholarship. Every fiber of this Southern California dream was researched and honored, from plaster and wood to tile and ornament, and returned faithfully to its original glory.
Winner: Restoration/Renovation (Over 10,000 sq. ft.)
Florestal – Main House · Appleton Partners LLP Appleton Partners LLP - 𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 · Photography: Alexander Vertikoff Alexander Vertikoff
The Gates of Eden sets the mark for artistry in sand-cast bronze. Among the craftsmen honored this year, an affirmation that traditional design lives in the hand of the maker as much as in the eye of the designer.
Winner: Craftsmanship
The Gates of Eden · Belt Metal Art + Design Studio BELT Metal Art+Design Studio
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