The crowd at the fifth annual HC&G Innovation in Design Awards, held on August 6 at Guild Hall in East Hampton, got quite verklempt when the evening’s special honoree, Richard Meier, in all his credentialed glory, made a simple speech about how he rises in the morning, looks out from his deck, and is overwhelmed by the beauty of his surroundings. He then asked whether we all agreed.

The Hamptonites in the room, filled with both the rising tension over hoped-for awards and, in a few cases, the already-realized disappointment of not having won, gave a collective sigh and visibly relaxed.

It was a magical moment in the middle of a celebration of creativity among peers in the design profession. Amy Franks of Ethan Allen presented the Innovator Award to Meier after architecture critic, journalist, and HC&G IDAs judge Paul Goldberger delivered a stirring tribute to his achievements and career.

The evening began with a cocktail reception in the courtyard at Guild Hall, where guests were enveloped in a delicious citrus fragrance that wafted from dozens of candles displayed on tables, ottomans, consoles, and even fire pits. Pirch, a company frequently described as a game-changer in the appliance industry (its mission is “to make moments count”), provided the outdoor furnishings and sculptures, setting the scene for Champagne, hors d’oeuvres, our roving camera crew from C&GTV, and all the awards magic yet to come. Turn to page 27 for our in-depth coverage of the nominated projects, including winners and runners-up, in the categories of architecture, interior design, garden design, bath design, kitchen design, and product design.

As always, we are grateful to our sponsors ABC Stone, Baccarat, Cancos Tile, Eggersman, Ethan Allen, and Pirch for their contribution and support as we continue to honor great design innovation at our signature awards event.