Designers will compete for $62,000 in prizes and will be honored at KBIS 2019 in Las Vegas.
The National Kitchen & Bath Association has announced the 2019 judges of the industry’s most prestigious kitchen and bath design competition. NKBA’s annual contest recognizes excellence in design and execution of residential kitchen and bath projects. The projects must have been completed between Jan. 1, 2017, and July 2, 2018, to be considered for the 2019 winners’ circle. The competition closes on July 2.
The esteemed panel of judges includes:
Bob Borson, NKBA Insider and Architect
Malone Maxwell Borson Architects
Dallas architect Bob Borson, AIA, LEED AP, is widely recognized as the blogger behind Life of an Architect—one of the world’s most popular architectural blogs. In 2009, Borson was named Dallas Chapter AIA Young Architect of the Year. The firm went on to be named 2013 Dallas American Institute of Architects Firm of the Year, and received the 2015 Award for the Promotion of Architecture through the Media, and in 2017, Elevation into the AIA College of Fellows.
Deborah von Donop, NCIDQ, LEED
Deborah von Donop is a Connecticut interior designer, brand ambassador for select high-end home manufacturers, and the author of popular design and lifestyle blog, dvdInteriorDesign.com. An interior design, construction, and project management professional with 20+ years of experience and career evolution with premiere design firms, von Donop has recently been tapped as a High Point Market Design Blogger, Modenus design event promoter through Designhounds, and a speaker on Interior Design visibility through online media.
Christine Dreith, CMKBD
Home Improvements Group Inc.
Dreith started Home Improvements Group Inc. in 1994 and has never lost her enthusiasm and dedication to her clients, her staff, and the industry. She graduated summa cum laude from National University with a degree in Business, and continued her education by becoming a Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer (CMKBD) from the National Kitchen & Bath Association and a Certified Remodeling Project Manager (CRPM) from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. She is also a California Licensed General Contractor specializing in remodeling.
Geeta Kewalramani, CKD, CBD, AiiD
Principal, Kimaya Designs
As principal of Kimaya Designs based in Ontario, Canada, Kewalramani believes in transforming dreams into reality through expert consultation, creative designs and hassle-free project executions. Certified in both kitchen and bath design, Kewalramani has been an active member of the NKBA since 2001, when she was appointed chairperson of the NKBA Design Competition Committee. She became the VP of Professional Development for the NKBA Ontario Chapter in 2008. She rejoins the judges’ panel for the NKBA 2019 Design Competition.
Veronika Miller, CEO, Modenus
Modenus Media encompasses the digital directory, design tours & events with BlogTour and Modenus Talks as well as social aggregation & amplification platform Designhounds. Miller herself is a trusted partner to many agencies and manufacturers who are looking for real results in terms of brand recognition, engagement and loyalty with leading influencers and specifiers and for ideas and campaigns that help their brands rise above the fray.
Kathryn Given, Senior Design and Market Editor, Luxe Interiors + Design
Given covers kitchen and bath for the magazine and loves keeping up with this ever-evolving, forward-thinking industry and finding unique projects to shine a light on. She has held positions at Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Veranda and is a graduate of the University of Richmond. Born on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, she recently returned to the neighborhood and lives in a rental with pink linoleum countertops in the kitchen.
Winners will be honored at KBIS 2019 in Las Vegas, Feb. 19-21. The 2019 competition has introduced several new categories and has developed an easy, online-submission process. Among the 11 main competition categories are two new areas: concept kitchen and concept bath. Some of the existing categories have changed as well: The Large Kitchen and Large Bath categories have been expanded to the Large Luxury Kitchen and Large Luxury Bath, and the Large Budget-Friendly Kitchen and Large Budget-Friendly Bath.
Entrants must be members of NKBA.
Category awards carry the following prizes: First Place: $3,000; Second Place: $2,000; Third Place: $1,000. There are also prizes for Best Universal Design for a kitchen or bath ($2,000), and grand prizes for Best Overall Kitchen and Best Overall Bath are $10,000 each. Finally, the honorary Clay Lyon Builder/Remodeler award is presented to the winning project submitted by a builder or remodeler.
For more information and to obtain a Design Competition Packet, visit www.nkba.org or e-mail questions to designcomp@nkba.org.
