2026 Maggy Awards: Lifestyle

American Aquarium

Best Local Music Group or Artist

Since founding Raleigh-based rock band American Aquarium as an NC State student in 2006, BJ Barham has developed a fiercely loyal fan base through a do-it-yourself ethos.

During shows, BJ bounces around the stage like a denim-clad pinball, grinning at bandmates and swinging his acoustic guitar like a pickaxe.

These can’t-miss live performances are part of why readers voted American Aquarium as Best Local Music Group or Artist, the latest in a line of milestones.

Last February marked 10 years of the band’s curated Roadtrip to Raleigh music festival at Lincoln Theatre. Earlier this year, they celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut album, “Antique Hearts,” with a surprise revisited version of the record.

A Reidsville, NC, native, BJ has called the Raleigh area home since 2002, choosing the City of Oaks over music meccas like New York, Austin, or Nashville.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have been afforded the means to live anywhere I want to live in this country. And I choose here,” BJ told Wake Living in a 2025 interview.

“Me still being here and raising my family here is a choice. But it’s a choice that was very easy for me to make just because of my affinity for Raleigh.”

americanaquarium.com

ASF Interiors

Best Interior Design Firm

ASF Interiors is intentionally “not on trend.” Instead, the firm labels itself “unforgettable.” Helmed by Amanda Steinert Francfort, who founded ASF approximately 18 years ago and moved it to the Triangle area about a decade ago, rule breaking is in the interior design firm’s DNA.

ASF Interiors is dedicated to transforming lives by transforming spaces through involvement with the Green Chair Project and Curated for a Cause.

Equal parts creative visionary and astute problem-solver, owner and principal designer Amanda transforms homes into sanctuaries that reflect artistry and authenticity. Her designs balance sustainable luxury with a sense of whimsy. “True luxury isn’t just about expensive finishes,” she says. “It’s about having a home that feels bespoke and thoughtfully curated … something authentic to each client and that no one else can copy.”

Amanda is active throughout Wake County with modern, mid-century modern, contemporary, and traditional projects. The area is growing quickly, so outdated houses are being knocked down to build modern homes, and ones several years old are in need of full remodels. Being proficient with the different styles of homes and skilled with bringing life to a new development makes ASF Interiors the perfect choice for any homeowner. Every ASF Interiors design provides clients with the personal touches they crave while incorporating sustainable luxury into elegant yet authentic spaces.

“Winning a Maggy Award for Best Interior Design Firm is such an incredible, full-circle moment,” says Amanda. “I’ve spent 20 years building relationships, breaking rules, and pouring all of my energy and passion into ASF Interiors, so to have our community embrace that boldness is the ultimate win.”

asfinteriors.com

Klaystation

Best Place for Family Fun, Best Track-Out or Summer Camp

Pottery painting studio Klaystation invites you to “just come on in … and bring your imagination!” With hundreds of different pieces of pre-fired bisqueware to choose from, anyone can create their own masterpiece at the walk-in art studio.

Klaystation charges no studio fee. The price found on the piece of bisque includes all supplies, glazing, and firing in onsite kilns.

And it’s not just glazing pre-made pottery that brings creativity to life at Klaystation: A plethora of classes suit anyone ages “8 to 108,” according to co-owner Frederick Mergenthaler. Fred, along with his potter wife Emily, bought the studio in 2016 and turned it into a Raleigh staple for art exploration and fun. “I think there’s a lot of people that are coming because they’re looking for something different,” Fred says.

With teacher workdays, summer camps, monster pottery classes, and a unique space for parties, Klaystation offers something for every age. While Emily says “artists thrive” in wheel classes, novices can be just as moved by the hands-on experience. One participant now uses the open studio almost every day to continue his newfound passion for pottery. “I don’t know what he does in his real life,” Fred says, “but I feel like he’s found this outlet, and now he wants to come all the time.”

Summertime and Saturdays are busy times, and classes are so popular that many people are hoping Klaystation will implement memberships, which are currently planned.

About Klaystation’s double Maggy win, Fred says, “It’s kind of unreal — but cool!”

klaystation.com

See the rest of the Maggy winners:

Best Restaurants
Best Services
Best Shopping

More From Our Mar-Apr 2026 Issue

• Find Your Next Favorite Trail with Wander
• Out & About in Wake County: March/April 2026
• Pay it Forward: United Arts Wake County
• Small Business Spotlight: TrenLend
• 2026 Maggy Awards
• 2026 Maggy Awards: Restaurants
• 2026 Maggy Awards: Lifestyle
• 2026 Maggy Awards: Services
• 2026 Maggy Awards: Shopping
• Game On!
• Garden Adventurer: Voodoo Gardening