Design Competition Winners: Best Overall Kitchen

In this weekly series, we get insight from the winners of NKBA’s 2022 Design & Industry Awards about their top spaces.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

“The Connected Kitchen”

Best Overall Kitchen

JONAS CARNEMARK, CKD, CR, CLIPP

Company: Konst — Kitchen Interior Design, Bethesda, MD

NKBA Chapter: Baltimore/Washington  

Jonas Carnemark, CKD, says his winning design is all about connectivity on several levels — how the space flows, connection to friends and family, openness to other areas of the house, and the flow of information. 

This connection has never been as important as it has since the onset of the pandemic. In this new-construction project, he designed a dramatic yet timeless all-black kitchen — cabinets, appliances, countertops and fittings — with a double island and designated work zones. One of the work zones features a stylish workstation sink with two faucets that facilitates prep, cooking and serving. 

Carnemark incorporated considerable storage into the kitchen, using perimeter cabinetry and the islands. A white slab with black veins behind the cooktop and adjacent counters provides depth, while on the opposite wall, a 75-inch built-in LED panel functions as a giant iPad to call up videos, recipes, a favorite show or video-chat with friends. 

Completing the feeling of connection, the kitchen is open to a warm and inviting lounge area where guests can relax and keep the chef company.

Resources: Cabinets: SieMatic; Countertops: Cosentino; Cooktop, Ovens, Dishwasher, Warming Drawer, Ventilation: Dacor; Faucets/Fittings, Sinks: The Galley; Smart TV: Samsung; Lighting: WAC; Flooring: Mafi.

Photos: RON BLUNT, RON BLUNT ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY