2011 “Best Of” Kitchen Award Winners

Thinking of remodeling your kitchen? The first thing you need to do is establish a realistic budget. There are ways to stretch the remodeling budget and still achieve your desired look. One of the ways you can save money is by planning ahead so that you are not making hasty decisions later during construction. By selecting products ahead of time such as the flooring, appliances, countertops and lighting, you can compare costs of various brands and styles before you meet with a contractor.

When choosing a remodeler it is helpful to hire a contractor who is familiar with building codes in your area. Be sure to look for certifications such as CGR, GMB, CAPS, CGP. These initials help consumers identify those building professionals who have taken time to expand and enhance their knowledge  and professionalism in the building industry through education. Most professional remodelers will strive to keep the project within budget, execute the job on a timely basis, and give you the most for your remodeling budget. Visit nkba.com, or ghba.org for a list of qualified remodelers in your area.

To get fresh ideas, tear out pictures from  magazines or print ideas from decorating and appliance sites. Keep them in a file until you are ready to start making final decisions. The following (2011) NKBA kitchen winners should give you some helpful ideas and inspiration!

A 200-year-old home with a prize-winning kitchen? Sounds like an oxymoron, right? But, thanks to the skills of a talented designer, it’s a reality. Chris Novak Berry’s rustic-to-refined design won top awards as Best Kitchen of the year at the 2011 Design Comp­etition sponsored by the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Berry’s design, with an assist from co-designer Emily Castle, also claimed the top prize in the Small Kitchen and Open Plan Kitchen categories.

Sponsored by GE Monogram, HGTVPro.com, Kohler, ServiceMagic, This Old House and Waypoint Living Spaces, the 2011 competition honors the top three designs in each of nine categories, as well as special “Best-Of” award winners from across the United States and Canada. The awards were established to recognize the talent of kitchen and bath designers and are open to NKBA members only.

 

Best Kitchen

1st Place – Small Kitchen

1st Place – Open Plan Kitchen

Chris Novak Berry

Co-designer: Emily Castle

BrooksBerry Kitchens & Baths,
St. Louis, Mo

Log Cabin Living – In Style

A circa 1820s cabin with unspoiled river view to one side and lush woods on the other has received not only an update in period, but an upgrade in luxury and lifestyle. This once rough cabin now boasts a refined kitchen with elements such as fumed wide pine wood flooring paired with natural limestone flooring and walls, mahogany cabinetry with mesquite cabinet center panel accents, and Typhoon Green honed granite countertops. Hard-working storage solutions were incorporated in a walk-in pantry, and two refrigerator freezers, double-sided extra deep peninsula cabinets with dish drawers below and a beverage center wall of shelves and cabinets above, accommodate the country living and entertaining that is certain to occur in this rustically contemporary space. The updated kitchen offers a light-filled and spacious gathering point in this ridge-top cabin home.

 

Best Before and After Kitchen

Savena Doychinov, CKD

Design Studio Int’l Kitchen & Bath, LLC,

Falls Church, VA

The goals to achieve when the project began were greater amounts of light, additional work surfaces and ample storage. The storage needed was to include spaces designated for grains, tea, coffee, books and wine. The new design was also intended to create a better, more convenient connection to the dining room and den. An essential ingredient for success was eliminating the ongoing issue with traffic jams in the hallway. The clients also desired a place to display their collection of pottery. The designer created a distinctive architectural cohesion to surrounding spaces, and the result was a well-integrated kitchen space. Additional ingredients include an eating area in the kitchen and the incorporation of unique and very subtle Asian touches. There were also a number of structural challenges to resolve. Unique cherry ledges and full height countertop brackets were incorporated, and a double-sided ledge  intersects the vertical opening between the kitchen and dining room.

The driftwood stain on rift cut white oak floor and honed Pietra grey stone countertops serve as a cool balance to warmer brick and wall colors. Seven openings into the kitchen designate this space as the center and heart of the home.

 

Best Sustainable Kitchen

Jessica Williamson, AKBD

Kitchen Views, Newton, MA

Family Function in Fabulous Form

A young family of five made a transition from city townhouse to larger suburban home. When making decisions about building a new house, they wanted to ensure that the kitchen was a focal point to their open plan living space. The clients also desired not only a green kitchen, but an eco-friendly approach in construction from foundation to roof.

Some of the sustainable design solutions that the designer incorporated, with the clients’ approval are: LEED Certified Cabinetry with No VOC finish and no added formaldehyde cabinetry, a recycled glass backsplash, all GE Monogram Energy Star-rated appliances, a whole house lighting system, and recycled Redwood countertops. A PEX Plumbing system, which allows for the addition of a grey water recovery system, was also part of the plan for sustainability. To accommodate the lifestyle of this active, 2-cook family, a large island with seating that adds to the dining area was incorporated. In addition, separate cooking and cleaning zones were designed into the space to allow for both adults and children to comfortably function together during various meals and times of the day.

 

Budget-Friendly Kitchen

Allison McCowan

Linn’s Prestige Kitchens & Baths, Destin, FL

Good Things in Little Packages

The challenge faced by the designer was the budget of young first-time home buyers, and what was described as “a poor little kitchen that had been waiting to be saved.” The clients had a modest budget but high hopes for a stylish new kitchen.

Although the kitchen was small, the homeowners wanted to be able to hang out with each other in the kitchen. A banquette was designed that exceeded the length of the table so the lady of the house could lounge and visit while the man cooked. The banquette also housed storage for larger items.

The base cabinetry was pulled forward on the main run of cabinetry to gain an elevated extra second level of counter space at the backsplash surfaces and still allow the chef to have an area for quickly accessible kitchen items. An organizational tower to the left of the refrigerator provides additional storage solutions with pull out drawers to hold smaller items.

A slightly-damaged 30-inch range was an affordable option for the chef. The remaining appliances offer the function, style and price tag that was required. Exposed stainless appliances, Corian countertops, a glass tiled backsplash, slate floors and sleek lines in the cabinetry all contributed to the contemporary transitional appearance of this little giant. With the clients doing their own tile installation and making the banquette cushion themselves, the result of this little dynamo kitchen remained uncompromised by the bottom line.

 

People’s Pick Kitchen

Cheryl Hamilton-Gray, CKD

Hamilton-Gray Design, Inc.,

Carlsbad, CA

Hacienda Home

Standout structural and decorative elements such as arched entryways and openings, exposed ceiling beams, and wrought iron fixtures with authentic detailing, set the tone for this hacienda style kitchen. Warm yellow tones throughout make this a sunny and comfortable, yet expansive kitchen. This is no ordinary space with meticulous attention to detail in the wall nichos to house cabinets, a cozy sitting area with a fireplace, a custom carved cabinets, refrigerator panel, and doors, reclaimed terracotta pavers and custom painted backsplash tile, as well as skylights situated between reclaimed wood ceiling beams. Requirements of the clients were fulfilled in a large preparation area for her, convenient access to the breakfast prep space for him, as well as an overall user-friendly approach for the children. A custom marble topped furniture piece opposite the clean up sink acts as a convenient partner to the baking area.

 

1st Place – Medium Kitchen

Anastasia Rentzos, CKD, CBD

Andros Kitchen & Bath Designs,

Mississauga, Canada

Fun at it’s Finest

The clients’ passion for wine and hosting friends was at the core of their requests in an updated kitchen. The designer opted for an island with multiple levels allowing the hosts to prepare food, serve it and also have a spot conducive to guests standing around and visiting. In addition to their existing wine cellar, the homeowners requested wine storage close-at-hand, which came in the form of a full-length wine refrigerator incorporated into the new kitchen. The shaker style cabinetry in rich warm chocolate acts as a softer ally to the sleek horizontal tile backsplash in alternating, sharply contrasting colors. Stand-out ingredients in this cohesively refined space are quartz countertops, a honed marble island top with an L-shaped wrap around corner and the elevated boomerang glass surface with stunning pendant fixtures overhead. This central space is an ideal gathering space for any occasion, formal or casual.

 

1st Place – Large Kitchen

James E. Howard, CKD, CBD

Glen Alspaugh Co., LLP, St. Louis, MO

French Country Classic

Originating with the classic French palette of blue and butter cream, this grand yet comfortable space is the outcome of immaculate and impressive attention to the finest detail in design and product selection. A 10-foot cabinet height helps to visually lower the expansive ceilings with their dramatic truss-style beams. Some of the notably sumptuous components such as the lavish chandelier, an antiqued copper and carved stone hood and two massive islands are given balance and made palatably non-pretentious by the warmth of the black walnut island top, wood flooring, overall creamy hues and particular aging effects and glazed finishes on the cabinetry. A substantial space deserves the ability to endure substantial entertaining. This space is well-equipped to serve, with the primary kitchen containing two sinks, dishwashers and trash compartments in addition to a butler’s pantry that holds two additional refrigeration units, another sink, dishwasher and another trash pull-out.

 

2nd Place – Small Kitchen

Kitchens by Rose

Ramsey, NJ

Quaint and Contemporary Cottage

This turn of the century kitchen was brought to the contemporary standards of a kitchen of today with the quaint authenticity inherent to the period in which it was built. Original Carolina Pine wood floors were painstakingly restored, as compliment to a mix of distressed hickory and black antique sand-off on the inset cabinetry doors. Honed black ash granite countertops, antique wheat vertical bead board backsplash, original brass spring hinges and push plates, and an artfully- crafted hammered copper sink are some of the outstanding components that convey a care-worn comfortable yet contemporary environment. A brick wall exposed, an original swinging door restored leading into the dining room, and an antique buffet featured as a center island for food preparation are the finishing touches on a space recreated.