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By Donna Heiderstadt

Three designers have been announced as finalists in the Small Kitchen category of the Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards 2024. While we’re keeping it a secret which project will receive $5,000 for a first-place finish, $3,000 for second and $2,000 for third at the February 26 gala awards ceremony in Las Vegas at KBIS 2024, we’re previewing all three innovative and problem-solving designs here. 

Read on for a look at the top three Powder Room projects for NKBA’s 2024 Professional Design Awards, and be sure to reserve your tickets for the spectacular ceremony and KBIS 2024 opening party.

Angel Yalda, Two Tone Interiors, Bradford, ON: “Oak Oasis”

The design for “Oak Oasis” centers on the contrast of neutral woods and white and black matte finishes — a combination that gives this small kitchen both serenity and visual impact. “The intent was to emulate a sense of modern tranquility by blending earthy elements with Cali-Modern characteristics, while improving the kitchen to a more functional layout,” says Angel Yalda, Founder and Principal Designer of Bradford, ON-based Two Tone Interiors. While the project’s aesthetics centered on clean, square shapes — the 42-inch range hood, clad in a reeded solid oak wood panel for some softness, complements the repeated straight edges of the 5/8-inch shaker and flat cabinet and drawer profiles — its functionality took into consideration the client’s storage and aging-in-place needs. This required a new kitchen layout that moved the range to the far wall and the sink to a new island positioned to be centered against the space’s sliding glass doors, which created symmetry and balance. This also allowed for the addition of a custom pantry. Countertops in Taj Mahal quartzite work in harmony with the space’s modern organic elements, and a glass display cabinet with a riff-cut oak interior adds length and personality to the wall.

For more details and to attend NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards, go here.

Karen Swanson, New England Design Works, Manchester, MA: “Respect for History”

It’s not often that a designer gets to remodel a 300-year-old house — unless that designer lives in a place like Massachusetts. Hired to transform the kitchen of a circa-1720 home as part of a more extensive renovation by the preservation-minded homeowners, Karen Swanson, Owner and Designer at Manchester, MA-based New England Design Works, knew she needed to make the small space “function for modern times, yet reflect the history of a first-period timber-frame home.” It certainly didn’t help that a series of renovations over the years had left the home “feeling like a bit of a hodgepodge mess,” she says. The solution? A workable floor plan and a design that honored the pitched ceiling by developing a strong center line down to the range below. Cabinets that flank the range rest on the countertop and serve as appliance storage, while allowing the historic wooden beams to take centerstage. Additional storage, as well as seating on two bar stools, are provided by a custom-designed center island. The soft tan hue of the cabinetry paired with soapstone countertops and black hardware is warm and homey and keeps with the spirit of the early settlers, hence the project’s name: “Respect for History.” Says Swanson, “I can truly say that every decision I made during the design of this kitchen was with the architecture of the home in mind.”

Jerel Lake, Lakehaus Designs, Atlanta, GA: “Ellard Village”

Taking a 20-year-old, 200-square-foot kitchen that lacked function and thoughtful design and transforming it into a contemporary, multifunctional space is never an easy task. But add in that the homeowners wanted the remodeled kitchen to accommodate heavy culinary preparation, light entertaining, tea preparation and a family heirloom display — all in a modern design that melded effortlessly with the home’s more traditional aesthetic — and the challenge was real. Jerel Lake of Atlanta-based Lakehaus Designs found a solution for this “Allard Village” project by closing one of two doorways in a structural wall to create the new kitchen’s focal point: a 48-inch Wok range top set into an alcove with a full-height stone backsplash and a wall-to-wall walnut range hood. This created an impressive view from the adjoining living area, while an island with a three-sided waterfall design was another pivotal element that added much needed drawer and cabinet storage. On the opposite wall from the rangehood, stacked wall ovens are flanked by a pair of curio-style display cabinets finished to replicate steel doors, and a dedicated tea station and refrigerator are tucked behind symmetrical recessed panel doors. “The kitchen seamlessly blended historical charm with contemporary functionality,” says Lake, noting that the space now caters to the homeowners’ culinary pursuits by combining elegance and efficiency.