By Donna Heiderstadt
With KBIS 2023 in Las Vegas just weeks away, the National Kitchen & Bath Association is more excited than ever about The Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards(KBDIA). The award show will be the start of NKBA’s year-long 60th Anniversary Celebration and will feature a BIG surprise celebrity guest that will kick off our Opening Party, which directly follows the Design Awards. Tickets are going quickly. Click here for tickets to this not-to-miss event.
New for KBIS 2023 is the Specialty Kitchen category, and the top three finalists have just been chosen. The placement of each finalist – first, second, and third place – won’t be revealed until the awards ceremony on January 30, in the Encore hotel’s ballroom at Wynn Las Vegas. It is with great excitement, however, that we reveal the top three finalists:
Lance Stratton (co-designers Kate LeCount and Tom King), Studio Stratton Inc., San Diego, CA: “Coastal Outdoor Kitchen”
With more than 30 years of experience as a residential designer and draftsman, Lance Stratton, principal of San Diego-based Studio Stratton Inc., knows what his clients’ want and his team is prepared to take on any design project that comes their way. “We target the most pragmatic and efficient — yet creative — methods to turn your personal design ideas into something tangible,” he explains. So, when a local client from an upscale coastal community came to Lance seeking a large and luxurious outdoor kitchen, Stratton and his team snapped into action. Creating a space that was open and inviting enough to allow family and guests to take in the panoramic views, while also offering privacy.
Lance oriented the “Coastal Outdoor Kitchen” towards the view and took care to provide protection from the elements by installing a folding glass partition by the pool. This helped to keep the wind from coming through one of several seating areas designed as gathering and dining places, near the bar and terrace. A focal point of the design is a 54-inch Lynx outdoor grill and side burner, framed by an elegant plaster chimney hood. Beautiful, weatherproof outdoor cabinets in a wood-look finish by NatureKast and Sterling Row Buckle backsplash tile by Walker Zanger mixes wood-look porcelain and marble, giving the space a tailored sophistication, while durable porcelain flooring and White Dune Quartzite countertops offer easy maintenance. The v-groove-paneled pavilion is also outfitted with an Asko dishwasher, two under-counter Sub-Zero refrigerators, two beverage centers, an icemaker, and heaters for year-round comfort.
Rebecca Foster, Welton Design Group, Surrey, BC: “North Vancouver Laneway”
Rebecca Foster, Director of Design at Welton Design Group, says she is “committed to creating not only a high-functioning space, but also a beautiful one with personal character that represents the clients that live in the home.” When the Surrey, BC-based boutique design firm was hired to design the kitchen in a North Vancouver laneway house (a coach house separate from the main house), the owners wanted a space that felt inviting and cozy without highlighting the home’s limited square footage. “We designed a kitchen based on their love of pub-style dining,with layers of materials that added dimension,” said Rebecca. “Brick wall details, high ceilings of natural wood, a warm color palette, and a custom banquette-style eating nook make the home feel lived in and comfortable.”
Materials from “North Vancouver Laneway” were carefully selected to suit the home’s character and the family’s needs, including antibacterial and heat-resistant Caesarstone quartz countertops, easily cleanable bench seating, textural brick for warmth, and Anne Sacks Savoy Series tile backsplash for simplicity. Another priority was storage, which was incorporated into every possible space, including soft-green shaker cabinetry, a pantry with roll-out shelving, drawer storage beneath the banquette seating, and a closet with repurposed antique doors – all while floating shelving allows natural light to flow through the house. An oversized island allows extra space to host friends at the counter and a wood ceiling that mimics the engineered hardwood flooring draws the eye to the home’s unique architectural elements.
Douglas Walter, Douglas Walter Architects, Denver, CO: “Grandparents Getaway”
When tasked with repurposing a Denver garage/carriage house into an accessory dwelling unit for the owner’s parents, Douglas Walter (recipient of the 2022 Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Award for contemporary small kitchen), principal of Denver-based Douglas Walter Architects, faced a long list of requirements. Among them was to beef up the structure and bring sewer, water, and gas to the outbuilding — all of which necessitated a tedious approval process by the city. It was all systems go for Douglas, who has been a residential architect in Denver for 44 years and has an expertise in accessibility, historic preservation, and kitchens and baths.
For “Grandparents Getaway,” the kitchen was conceived in a Transitional Farmhouse style with the priority that it be well-lit. The design features generously-sized Pella windows, a pair of Velux skylights, faux box beams with downlights, Restoration Hardware pendants, LED uplighting, and glass-front cabinets with LEDs. Given the confines of the tight footprint, a dining table was swapped for low bar stools at the end of the island. The mullioned windows, wide plank wood-look luxury vinyl floors by Coretec, and custom cabinets by Miller Fine Cabinetry with pull-out pantry shelving and easy-care quartz countertops completed the traditional look. The home also needed a zero-step front entry, a zero-step shower, lever door handles, and wide doorways and aisles to proof it for the grandparents, who were still ambulatory but planning ahead. Access to a loft space, used as a den, was also deliberately designed with a straight stairway should a stair lift need to be installed.
Winning Announcements Coming Soon
The Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Award winners for each category will be announced on January 30th at KBIS 2023. Shaping up to be an event not to be missed, the first, second, and third place winners will be formally announced in each of the six categories, as well as awards for Best Overall Kitchen, Best Overall Bath, and the new People’s Pick award. Over $100,000 will be awarded in total. If you cannot attend, check our newsfeed to read all about it. The award show will be the start of NKBA’s year-long 60th Anniversary Celebration and will feature a BIG surprise celebrity guest that will kick off our Opening Party, which directly follows the Design Awards.
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