After an extensive selection process involving 100+ submissions from talented designers across the US and weeks of online voting where HGTV fans cast hundreds of thousands of votes, we have a winner. Drumroll, please.  Everyone join us in congratulating Caitlin McCarthy, the winner of our Fresh Faces of Design competition!

Caitlin's genius small-space solutions and approachable high-meets-low design style wowed HGTV fans who voted her design tops in the small space category, then won over the judges who crowned her the winner overall. Here are a few photos of Caitlin’s award-winning downtown Los Angeles loft plus the judges' POV on why she swept the competition:

Becky LaFranchi, Communications and Interior Design Manager for Ikea USA, had this to say: "When designing a small space, every detail is important, each decision impacts another, and the ability to edit is key." Caitlin pulls together a beautifully balanced, collected-over-time look that tells a story but is well edited and doesn’t feel cluttered:

Jillian St. Charles, Vice President of HGTV.com adds, "You don't see many luxe-looking galley kitchens. This very functional space combines materials and judicious use of color in a way that’s really engaging."

Brian Patrick Flynn, Interior Designer and Founder of FlynnsideOut Productions was impressed with Caitlin’s mastery of scale and the way she incorporated the loft’s century-old architectural elements, like the exposed brick and original hexagonal tile floor:

All the judges could agree that Caitlin's design is approachable and deftly combines bargain finds with glamorous touches, like these Thomas O’Brien Hicks pendants that illuminate the hallway-turned-dining room:

Off the dining room is the loft's main bedroom. Doorless white walls give the loft a cohesive feel that helps the small spaces flow one into the next:

The jewelbox of a bedroom conceals a real gem: a boutique-worthy glass-doored closet:

But that isn't the loft's only surprise — what looks like a built-in in the living room is actually… 

a Murphy bed that cleverly tucks away when not in use. Genius!

Judge Becky LaFranchi summed up this petite pied a terre best, "Caitlin's design proves that small-space living can be both stylish and comfortable. It also feels very individualized, and not at all cookie-cutter, like you might expect a tiny space to be." Brava, Caitlin, congrats on your win!