Twin Farms’ longtime designer celebrated for creating legacy homes and spaces built with hospitality and care
Vermont Business Magazine Interior designer Ann Shriver Sargent—whose work has helped shape the look and feel of New England living for more than three decades—has been named a 2025 inductee into the New England Design Hall of Fame. Sargent will be formally inducted at the annual gala on November 6, 2025, at Boston’s SoWa Power Station.
The New England Design Hall of Fame is the region’s most prestigious design industry honor. It celebrates a select group of architects, interior designers, landscape designers, builders, and specialists whose careers have shaped the field through exceptional work and community impact. It’s a fitting recognition for Sargent, whose own work has long reflected those same values.
Building Legacy Homes
Sargent’s portfolio spans country estates, farmhouses, and lakeside retreats, each rooted in her belief that a house should not only be beautiful and livable in the moment but remain meaningful for generations to come. That philosophy is perhaps most evident in her work at Twin Farms, the iconic five-star resort in Barnard, Vermont.
Of Sargent’s longtime involvement with Twin Farms, Managing Director John Graham said: “The range [of design styles here] is extensive, and Ann’s capacity to fluidly move from one space-extreme to another is remarkable. Her personal taste is lovely. Ann is always appropriate, aware, and in a word for me, timeless.”
"This award is an honor, but more than that, it feels like a recognition of the philosophy I’ve carried my entire career—that a home should endure," Sargent said. "To have that philosophy recognized in this way is deeply meaningful."
Where Intuition Meets Design
Clients say Sargent’s defining quality is her extraordinary emotional intelligence.
“She has this uncanny ability to see things you can’t see,” said longtime client Frank O’Connell, a retired consumer products executive. O’Connell and his wife Barbara, a real estate investor, credit Sargent with transforming several of their properties—some centuries old—into turnkey homes that not only sold quickly, but with significant added value. “These houses,” said Barbara, “we are very proud to have owned and lived in them.”
Sargent’s interiors are known for their fearless use of color—sage greens, weathered blues, and warm barn reds—and for her ability to interpret how clients truly want to live. “Tell her you love blue,” said trusted industry voice, Sean Low, “and she’ll say that what you’re looking for is the calm that blue represents.”
A Measure of Impact
Low, who founded The Business of Being Creative and advises many of the design industry’s leading talents, describes Sargent as a master of great design whose holistic approach balances aesthetics, product, and lifestyle: “No one needs what she does,” said Low. “They want it.”
Those who have watched her evolve say her designs are shaped as much by aesthetics as lived experience: “She’s an extremely successful human being,” said Rafi Kalichstein, of the visionary design firm Citizen Artist. “And to reach that level of self-awareness and presence takes real sacrifice. This award—I think—affirms that in some small way, she made the right choices all along.”
Reflecting on her legacy, Sargent is quick to note that it’s shared with the clients who trusted her vision: “If, decades from now, my work still brings people a sense of ease and belonging, then I will have done it well.”
About Ann Sargent
Ann Shriver Sargent, a Vermont-based interior designer, works with clients across the country to create spaces that are as thoughtful as they are beautiful. Whether in New England, Montana, Florida, or New York City, her interiors share a signature warmth—engaging, comfortable, and timeless. For more than three decades, she has brought together artisans and skilled craftsmen to create designs that transcend trends in favor of quality, artistry, and balance.
Her portfolio spans country homes, historic farmhouses, and lakeside retreats, all designed with hospitality at their core. Among her most celebrated projects is the iconic five-star resort Twin Farms, alongside an impressive roster of repeat clients and multigenerational family retreats. A quiet leader in her field, Sargent has long championed local makers and mentored the next generation of designers.
About the New England Design Hall of Fame
The New England Design Hall of Fame honors individuals and firms whose careers have significantly advanced the field of residential design throughout the region. Each year, a select group of architects, interior designers, landscape designers, builders, and specialists are inducted at a gala hosted by New England Home magazine. Past inductees include Paula Daher, Nicole Hogarty, Patrick Ahearn, and Katie Ridder.
For more information about the New England Design Hall of Fame and this year’s gala, visit: https://nehomemag.com/hall-of-fame/tickets/
Norwich-Sargent Design Company
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