Builders comparing notes with architects, designers deep in discussion with retailers, real estate über-agents dropping hints to landscape designers—such was the fervor at the first annual Hamptons Cottages & Gardens innovation in design awards cocktail reception at guild Hall in east Hampton. Judges charlotte moss and Vicente Wolf mingled with finalists during the cocktail hour before the great reveal. To cap off the event, Dianne Benson’s introduction of Jack Lenor Larsen, who was given the evening’s top honor—the innovator award—had an awestruck audience buzzing about the depth of his achievements. ■ “Think global, act local” seemed an appropriate theme. The phrase is often attributed to Scottish town planner and social activist Patrick Geddes, who said in 1915: “local character is attained only in the course of adequate grasp and treatment of the whole environment, in active sympathy with the essential and characteristic life of the place concerned.” ■ In our case, that “place concerned” is the Hamptons. So the iras honored work that was global in it’s sophistication while in sympathy with the essential and characteristic appeal of the Hamptons. ■ Video descriptions brought the nominated projects to life on the huge guild Hall screen, and winners were received with whoops of delight and much applause. Turn to pages 33–43 to see the designs of our ida winners and runners-up. ■ Special thanks go to the event sponsors: one Kings lane, aBc stone, Just terraces and dodds & eder, and to Baccarat, which provided the splendid trophies. ■ calls for next year’s entries in interior design, architecture, bath and kitchen design, and—new for 2012—landscape design are going out soon. Garden designers: photograph your masterpieces now in order to show them at their best for the competition! see you at next year’s idas.