(February 20, 2026, Orlando, FL) – Landry Design Group (LDG) took home multiple awards, including two Golds, and five Silvers, from the 40th annual Best in American Living Awards™ (BALA) gala, held on February 18, 2026, at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida. One of the firm’s Gold winners, the El Milagro Residence, was also named Home of the Year, the competition’s most prestigious recognition. The judges favored this home for its design continuity, inviting spaces, and successful integration of modern elements with a historic structure—noting that it addressed significant design challenges while maintaining architectural character.
Presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)—and sponsored this year by SMEG—BALA spotlights the most creative and innovative residential construction projects that redefine excellence for homes and communities around the world. The LDG-designed homes honored this year are all located in California. However, the firm has designed custom homes throughout the U.S.—including Florida cities, Miami, Naples, and Tampa Bay—and in 19 different countries.
The five award-winning homes by LDG could not be more different, highlighting the firm’s versatility in working with disparate environments, employing diverse design objectives, and overcoming unique site challenges. What each of them share is an elegant sense of drama that makes every Landry-designed home memorable, both in terms of aesthetics and spatial experience. Over the years, Landry Design Group has received scores of industry design awards for both traditional and modern designs. Although the firm is renowned for its meticulously proportioned, classically-inspired designs, more than half of its current portfolio is comprised of dramatic expressions of modernism.
HOME OF THE YEAR and Gold Award: Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home Over 10,000 SF
Rancho Santa Fe, CA by Landry Design Group
Located in a prestigious community near San Diego, where the hilltop site’s 270-degree views dictated many design decisions, LDG reworked the floor plan of the original Italian-style residence to complement a casual family-oriented, indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Incorporating limestone columns, terracotta balconies and wood rafters, LDG created an Andalusian-style villa with a central interior courtyard. Every room opens either onto the courtyard or to surrounding gardens offering mountain or garden views. A covered loggia overlooking an expansive lawn and pool enhances entertainment without intruding into private spaces and provides a transition between the formal entertaining spaces and the private family areas. Part of the nine-acre parcel, formally a citrus orchard, accommodates a barn, recreation room, guest house, caretaker’s quarters and a detached garage, all arranged along a plaza evocative of a European village.
Gold Award: Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home 8,000 to 10,000 SF
Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by the owners’ desire for a contemporary residence possessing the warmth of a traditional farmhouse, this design seamlessly harmonizes those disparate themes and is an excellent example of LDG’s innovative “transitional approach” that blends traditional and modern design elements. The language of tradition—with features reminiscent of an old country home—is reflected in simplified gable roofing, weathered wood siding, and the whitewashed brick façade. However, more modern aesthetics are revealed in a glass-ensconced outdoor foyer whose contemporary open-sky trellis is evocative of a grand coffered ceiling. Throughout the home’s interior, the integration of time-honored materials with clean, contemporary lines achieves both the warmth of traditional design and the drama of modernism. It is a superb example of a design that transcends eras.
Special Award and Silver Award: Best Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
San Diego, CA
In an equestrian enclave outside of San Diego, LDG designed a nine-building compound which truly speaks to the casual indoor-outdoor lifestyle that defines the California Dream. Mediterranean-themed architecture and a sequence of gardens tie the project’s diverse functional centers together on 15 acres of rolling hills and vineyards.
Honored with a Special Award in its category, the horse stable on the property supports an equestrian program for eight horses while integrating seamlessly into the estate’s architecture. Its layout, developed with an equestrian consultant, prioritizes safety, circulation, and the well-being of the horses. High-quality natural materials—wood siding, flat terracotta roofing, and steel hardware—reinforce the building’s connection to the main residence and outbuildings, while reflecting the understated character of California Ranch design. Rubberized pavers provide comfort for the horses, and custom Dutch doors ensure functionality without compromising architectural integrity.
Silver Award: Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home Over 10,000 SF
Los Angeles, CA
This newly completed residence blends the timeless elegance of a French château with the clean lines and openness of contemporary California design. Traditional split-faced stone massing with slate roof lines is juxtaposed with modern cut-stone elements and expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass, including the double-height entry atrium. The result is a striking hybrid that respects historical character while embracing 21st-century living. Thoughtfully designed for both casual living and grand entertaining, the estate includes a gym and health spa, grotto, golf simulator, bowling alley, and home theater with an adjacent speakeasy lounge. Additionally, two guesthouses integrated into the landscape evoke the charm of a European village. Outdoor living is elevated by an infinity-edge pool and fire features with sweeping views of the coastline, mountains, and city lights.
Silver Award: Best On-the-Boards Single-Family Home
Los Angeles, CA
This contemporary interpretation of a classic Spanish Revival residence is an infill project within an established equestrian neighborhood known for its rural character and mature landscape. The home is thoughtfully integrated into its setting, framed by large canopy trees and wild hedges that enhance its sense of seclusion. Architecturally, the residence combines traditional detailing with a refined, modern sensibility. Deep-set steel windows and doors articulate the white façade, while carved wood eaves and a traditional clay tile roof express craftsmanship. Natural stone defines the loggia and guest cottage, complemented by hand-forged wrought-iron balconies with decorative tile accents and custom iron light fixtures that bring warmth and texture to the exterior composition. The design supports both family life and entertaining, balancing open, sunlit gathering spaces with private retreats such as the serene primary bath. One challenge on this gently sloping site was creating a large sports and play lawn for an active family while maintaining the natural feel of the neighborhood, achieved through strategic grading, a perimeter trellis, and layered landscape framing.
Silver Award: Best Specialty Room/Project in a Custom Home
San Diego, CA
The wine pavilion of this Southern California estate was conceived as both a functional space for wine tasting and entertaining, and as a social destination within the estate. Developed in close collaboration with the clients, the pavilion includes a tasting room with a full bar, a dining room with a seating area anchored by a stone fireplace, and a small prep kitchen to support catered events. The dining room features bifold doors that fully open to the vineyard, immersing guests in the environment and creating seamless indoor-outdoor experiences. The pavilion unites structure, material, and light in a resolved architectural composition that celebrates craftsmanship, strengthens the estate’s visual continuity, and deepens the experiential connection between building, landscape, and vineyard.
Silver Award: Best Specialty Room/Project in a Custom Home
Los Angeles, CA
A contemporary living space with a seamless indoor-outdoor connection is strategically positioned on the second floor of the Brentwood Residence to accommodate the clients’ modern lifestyle, fostering relaxation and socialization while maintaining a thoughtful separation from the bedroom suites to ensure privacy and comfort. The home’s simplified massing of traditional gable-end roofs features a deconstructed section, utilized to create symmetry to the front façade and provide space for an articulated outdoor patio, defined by a contemporary floating wall and beams. The gabled structure of the patio roof mirrors the vaulted ceiling inside, creating architectural harmony. Large, bronze-framed glass doors connect the space with the indoors, allowing for natural light and providing an illusion of transparency. On the patio, comfortable outdoor seating surrounds a central fire pit, offering a space for relaxation. The neutral tones of the wood-paneled walls complement the modern aesthetic while adding warmth to the space. Lantern-style custom sconces mounted with a wrapping metal panel on the patio walls provide soft lighting, enhancing the ambiance for evening gatherings.
