Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2017 60 B igger isn't always better. Tiny is trending, and the NKBA's first ever Tiny Home Challenge: Student Edition at this year's KBIS proves that small-scale living is on the rise. Students were challenged to create an 80 sq. ft. kitchen for a young California family wanting to downsize from their current 4,000 sq. ft. home in the nationwide competition. San Diego homeowners Harry and Olivia and their 4-year-old son Gray asked applicants to create a sustainable, bohemian-style kitchen with modern touches. HGTV personalities Karl Champley, AKBD, and Jennifer Bertrand, AKBD, as well as industry experts Richard Anuszkiewicz and Peter Salerno, CMKBD, judged the entries, basing the winners on the innovation and creativity of the tiny home floor plan, functionality and overall appeal. They also evaluated specific client requirements such as minimum window sizes, amount of seating for three, laundry facilities, inclusion of a living wall or herb garden, and the use of a repurposed item within the tiny home. Three student winners were recognized at an awards ceremony held on the KBISNeXT Stage in Orlando: • Elizabeth Trench of Century College in White Bear Lake, MN won first place, taking home a MacBook Pro laptop. • Tiffany Murphy of Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, CO scored second place for her proposal, winning an iPad Air 2 tablet. • Betsy Walstrom, also of Century College, was awarded $250 and third place for her entry. The tiny home trend has received increasing media coverage as evidenced on the HGTV television shows Tiny House, Big Living and Tiny House Hunters. "Tiny homes are a creative solution to living in high-cost areas," says Bertrand, AKBD, and an NKBA K+B Insider. The popularity of tiny homes is attributed to people who want to live a simpler lifestyle with fewer possessions and financial obligations. There's an ecological advantage to having a smaller footprint as well. According to an article in Country Living magazine, the average house (2,598 sq. ft.) creates 28,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. By comparison, a tiny house (186 sq. ft.) generates 93% less (2,000 pounds) of carbon dioxide annually. Additionally, smaller houses require less lumber and lightbulbs. "The fact is we are running out of valuable real estate," said judge and K+B Insider Karl Champley. "If you wish to live in a popular destination, you have to be clever to how you design and live in smaller spaces," Champley commented. RO BIG LESSONS LEARNED IN THE TINY HOM E CHALLENGE Student Edition A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S T i n y H o m e C h alle n g e W i nn e r s 1ST PLACE—Elizabeth Trench 2ND PLACE—Tiffany Murphy 3RD PLACE—Betsy Walstrom

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