By Seth Ellison
On Jan. 30, 2023, the highly anticipated Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards celebrated outstanding professional design projects in kitchen and bath design. The glitzy gala also included the Student Design Competition, recognizing emerging talent and tomorrow’s future kitchen and bath industry stars.
The event took place at the Encore Hotel’s Ballroom and was hosted by NKBA CEO Bill Darcy and EVP and CSO Suzie Williford, and it ended with the performance of special surprise celebrity guest Kool & The Gang.
Hundreds of submissions were entered for this year’s contest, which asked students to renovate a guest bath for a fictional couple who love to entertain and also live with their two golden retrievers in a dated beach house on the craggy coast of Cannon Beach, Ore.
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.
Winners received a complimentary ticket to KBIS 2023 in Las Vegas, admission to the Design + Industry Awards, hotel and airfare, as well as a scholarship. The competition was sponsored by Fisher & Paykel.
And the Bath Design Winners Are…
The first-place award went to David Stensland, AKBD, a student at Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. 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, California. 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, California. 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.
Student Competition Judges
The judges for the 2023 NKBA Student Design Competition were:
- Danielle Burger, CMKBD, from Kitchen Vitality Design
- Mac Dodge Junker, CKBD, from The Kitchen Specialist
- Mark Haddad, CMKBD, from Interiology Design Company
- Paula Smith, AKBD, representing the Student Design Competition sponsor, Fisher & Paykel
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. Please click here for more information.
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.
Sponsored by:
