Santa Rosa Beach firm wins magazine’s outdoor garden contest

It’s Aug. 3, 10:30 p.m. and the deadline is midnight.
Mifflin Hollyday’s son-in-law opens his business, “House of Blueprints” on Hwy. 30-A, and the mad dash is on to send the .pdf file before the deadline. 
Yeah, they knew it was the last minute — yeah, they read the instructions for the competition in May — yeah, creativity doesn’t have a timeline.
For Richard De Angelis and Mifflin Hollyday, the creative team of Dragonfly Design and Detail in Santa Rosa Beach, designing a quirky outdoor space was a fun experience and the end result was not imagined — winning the national Oasis Award for Garden Design magazine.
The magazine’s contest is in its second year. Judging criteria included: Innovative incorporation of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet kitchen components and effective kitchen design, integration of the outdoor kitchen space with the overall environment, creative and effective use of materials, and design value to the potential client.
The creative team talked about the contest all summer as they worked on landscape design projects from Panama City Beach to Bluewater Bay, from Sandestin to up and down 30-A. Then according to Richard, “it all just jelled together in the end.”
“We wanted our design to be different, sustainable and fun,” said Mifflin, who holds a bachelor’s degree in art from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in art form Florida State University. “We really came up with a garden concept that we’d love to see right here in Destin!”
The magazine calls the couple’s design “Stylishly Sustainable” — “An eco-friendly take on a Florida Gulf Coast retreat.” 
Call it what you want, the design is fun.
The idea is a two-level platform covered by an old-fashioned galvanized steel roof, which houses an Airstream trailer on the upper level, screened-in to give more outdoor living space. The ground level of the platform is home to American Bantam chickens who supply organic eggs and compost daily. 
“Since the kitchen in the Airstream is so small, it lends itself to the idea of an outdoor kitchen and dining area,” said De Angelis. “The kitchen uses all the Kalamazoo cooking equipment and is ready to grill your catch-of-the-day or cook up something fresh from the on-site garden.”
Other amenities of the landscape design include, decking, water features, a hammock — necessary for an afternoon nap while something wonderful is in the outdoor oven — a compost area, rain water collection area, native plantings, ornamental plantings, the vegetable garden areas and, of course, the chicken coops. 
Materials for the design are all native — natural stones, coral rock, crushed oyster shells, and even a recycled barrel roof tile fire pit.
The judges’ comments called the work “fun, practical, future-forward with a Bohemian atmosphere” and “fascinating” as it “integrates elements of living a good life lightly on the earth.”
Mifflin calls the design-winning creation, “fun, functional but just a little bit off!”
The eclectic taste of the Blue Mountain Beach couple is evident in their office/design studio located on 4808 W. Highway 98. A river rock stacked fish pond, driftwood base planters, scarecrows in a white beach sand “field,” a rug covered front porch, a goldfish aquarium peering out the front window and a huge ornate frame literally framing the other window are only a few of the touches that make you want to get to know these two artists.
Having worked together for the past three years, the creativity flows from one to the other. Richard’s 30-year career began with a double major degree in Landscape Designer and Ornamental Horticulture from the University of New York and his work has garnished four grand national awards from the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ACLA) as well as regional awards for the National Landscape Association (NLA).
Looking over past designs, Richard playfully calls Mifflin his “muse” and she quickly responds with a flashing smile and says “no, I’m just the one that nags!”
The designing duo love unusual projects. They design, do site work, construct decks and arbors and trellises, water features, wall art, lighting and do restoration work. 
To read about the 2008 award, the November/December Garden Design magazine will be available in mid-October. 
For more information about the award, or to contact Dragonfly, call (850) 621-6070.