CHICAGO (October 27, 2011) — The Design Center at the Merchandise Mart and Luxe Interiors + Design magazine present the 2011 Interior Design Hall of Fame. The first annual Chicago Interior Design Hall of Fame will recognize and honor interior designers who have made an impact on Chicago’s design community. Ten nominees have been selected by a jury of Design Center and Luxe Interiors + Design representatives. Voting is now available through December 15, 2011, using an online public ballot. The winner will be announced at the Awards Gala on February 2, 2012 at The Merchandise Mart.

The nominees include ten of Chicago’s most recognized design firms: Darcy Bonner of Darcy Bonner and Associates LLC, Susan Fredman of Susan Fredman Design Group, Tracy Hickman of Tracy Hickman Design Associates, Alex Jordan and Dan Smieszny of Gregga Jordan Smieszny Inc, Gary Lee of Gary Lee Partners, Suzanne Lovell of Suzanne Lovell Inc, Margaret McCurry of Tigerman McCurry Architects, Frank Ponterio of Frank Ponterio Interior Design, Shea Soucie and Martin Horner of Soucie Horner Ltd, and Tom Stringer of Tom Stringer Design Associates.

In addition, Judy Niedermaier received Posthumous Recognition for her many contributions to the design community.

Please visit www.chicagointeriordesignhalloffame.com to learn more and vote for your favorite designer.

About The Design Center™ at the Merchandise Mart
The Design Center at The Merchandise Mart, located in Chicago’s historic Merchandise Mart, is home to four floors constituting the world’s largest and finest design center. As a leader in the $65 billion residential home furnishings market, The Design Center offers the largest presentation of high-end, couture, home furnishings worldwide, all under one roof. Encompassing 900,000 square feet, boasting 150 showrooms and featuring more than 2,500 product lines, it is the design professional’s ultimate resource for luxury furniture, fabrics, floor coverings, wall coverings, lighting, antiques and much more.

The Design Center’s Designer Portfolios are a unique online resource for homeowners to learn about working with a design professional and help them find the perfect designer to match their tastes, expectations and budget. More than 100 area design professionals are featured in the online Designer Portfolios, with his or her own web page featuring their design philosophy, area(s) of specialty, project photos, fee structure and more. Designer Portfolios can be easily accessed by visiting www.merchandisemartdesigncenter.com and clicking on the Designer Portfolio logo.

MMPI is the world's leading owner and operator of showroom buildings and trade show facilities, bringing buyers and sellers together in more than 300 market events, trade and consumer shows and conferences each year.

MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart and 350 West Mart Center in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the Boston Design Center in Boston; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center and Federal Center Southwest in Washington D.C.

Vornado Realty Trust, owners of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.