Architectural Digest has named Honolulu designer Mary Philpotts McGrath one of the Top 100 Designers in the world, in its January issue.
Philpotts McGrath is the founder of the Honolulu-based firm, Philpotts & Associates, Inc., which is about to celebrate 50 years in the Islands. The designer also owns Place, a design atelier at 40 South School Street, where she passes on professional “finds” to the public.
“Many (designers) are talented and some are truly gifted. But only a very few rise above the usual superlatives,” writes the magazine.
Philpotts McGrath is quoted as saying that her design approach — based on helping clients create a comfortable and expressive environment — hasn’t changed in her five decades of practice.
Also selected in the magazine is Big Island architect Mark de Reus, who has frequently partnered with Philpotts McGrath, most notably on the Kuki’o development on the Kohala Coast.