Retail Observer

APRIL 2023 RETAILOBSERVER.COM 33 T omorrow's future stars were honored during the highly anticipated Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards at KBIS in Las Vegas. "Our Student Design Awards shed a light on our future industry leaders," said NKBA CEO Bill Darcy. "These student designers show amazing talent and dedication that should make their educators back home very proud." This year's student design assignment was to renovate a kitchen or guest bath for a fictional couple who love to entertain and live with their two golden retrievers in a dated beach house on the craggy coast of Cannon Beach, OR. In addition, they were asked to keep several other key elements in mind: remote work, overnight guests, and ultimately the fictional homeowners' future retirement home. The winners presented a mix of practical function and creativity in solving their clients' needs, and their efforts earned top honors from a team of NKBA-certified judges. Three student winners were recognized in both kitchen and bath categories, winning scholarships of $5,000 for first place, $2,500 for second, and $1,000 for third. In addition, each of the winners received a complimentary ticket to KBIS 2023 in Las Vegas, admission to the Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards, hotel, and airfare. The competition was sponsored by Fisher & Paykel. Hundreds of submissions were entered for both categories in this year's contest, making a difficult decision for the jurors, who included Danielle Burger, CMKBD, from Kitchen Vitality Design; Mac Dodge Junker, CKBD, from The Kitchen Specialist; Mark Haddad, CMKBD, from Interiology Design Company; and Paula Smith, AKBD, representing the Student Design Competition sponsor, Fisher & Paykel. KITCHEN DESIGN WINNERS First place was awarded to Beatriz Hernandez, a student at Bow Valley College in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. For her design, she wasn't afraid to take some risks. Hernandez moved walls to allow ocean vistas to be seen throughout the main floor and extended others to provide abundant storage. She then opened up the kitchen to the terrace by creating a bar area with an oversized folding door and connected the two through a sliding window. The coastal palette applied sky blue and natural tones and used rustic oak vinyl flooring to resist sandy feet and pet wear-and- tear – all of which earned her a $5,000 scholarship. In second place was Brea Holt, who attends Lakeland College in Alberta, Canada. She received a $2,500 scholarship for her kitchen design, which set a tranquil mood with an airy monochromatic palette of white oak cabinets, concrete flooring and other natural elements that reflected the color of sand, seashells, driftwood, and clouds. The centerpiece of the space was a large multipurpose island that could accommodate working or entertaining, topped by a polished Calacatta Leon quartz slab. Custom cabinetry, drawers, and storage solutions made the area ideal for the clients' cooking, baking, and entertaining needs. Third place and a $1,000 scholarship were awarded to Sarah Woosley, who studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Her kitchen design was centered on a multifaceted lifestyle (from working at home to aging in place) and featured pull-down shelves, easy-open cabinets and appliances, and a touchless faucet. She created a biophilic palette for the design that echoed muted hues composed of soft green cabinets, satin brass hardware, and light wood tones on the floors and complementary cabinets. The backsplash was a natural stacked pebble tile, and the island-attached dining table was a locally sourced light maple with a live edge. BATH DESIGN WINNERS The first-place award went to David Stensland, AKBD, a student at Century College in White Bear Lake, MI. His $5,000 scholarship-winning design reconfigured the space for the upstairs guest bath and took some square footage from an adjacent room to create two new functional areas: a compact guest bath accessible from the guest bedroom, and a laundry and dog spa with gate-high pocket doors and space for grooming or training. Slip-resistant plank floor tiles ran throughout the entire space and included barrier-free showers (equipped with grab bars and linear drains). Natural maple and driftwood-stained cherry cabinets, wood-slab countertops and bulkhead-style light fixtures added warmth to the overall nautical aesthetic. Second place was awarded to Wenyee Huang, who attends San Diego Mesa College in San Diego, CA. He received a $2,500 scholarship for his bath design, which had the goal of letting guests relax and unwind. He accomplished this by creating a tranquil spa experience through the use of natural elements such as mixed wood tones and textures, a living plant wall, and a pebble backsplash. Features included a wall-hung smart washlet toilet with a personal hygiene function, automatic air purifying and self-cleaning systems, and a 9-inch ledge to the bathtub for better accessibility. In third place was Cassandra Jarrems, who studies at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA. Her biophilic design and use of abundant natural light played a big role in earning her a $1,000 scholarship. Jarrem's winning design took advantage of the striking views of the coastline to create a warm, rustic space that included exposed wooden beams, plants, and colors of the sand and sea. She also created ample storage, including cabinetry as well as open shelving, and added a stackable washer-dryer to provide added convenience for guests. Natural wood veneers on all the storage units tied the space together with a monochromatic color scheme. OPEN CALL FOR KBIS 2024 The 2022-2023 NKBA Student Design Competition is accepting entries through June 5, 2023. Entry is free, and winners will be honored at KBIS 2024 in Las Vegas, NV. For more information, please visit https://nkba.org/students/student-design-competition. The Student Design Competition is sponsored by Fisher & Paykel, with Chief Architect providing floor-plan specifications. Sub-Zero Wolf Cove underwrites the Student Chapter and Students of the Industry membership programs. RO

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