December 19, 2022

Renovations for a tired beach house overlooking the coastline of Cannon Beach, Ore., put aspiring designers to the test in NKBA Student Design Competition 2021-2022.

First-place kitchen winner Beatriz Hernandez, Bow Valley College, Calgary, Alberta, and bath winner David Stensland, AKBD, Century College, White Bear Lake, Minn., used the environment as inspiration. Both colleges are founding schools in NKBA’s Affiliated Schools Program.

The design assignment for theNKBA Student Design Competition was to remodel spaces for a fictional Oregon couple, Shawn and Jalen Hill, who were in their 50s and moving from Portland to a tranquil spot on the coast. Ultimately their retirement home, the house had to accommodate their two golden retrievers and lots of friends and family for year-round celebrations. The clients had some firm requirements: a fairly open main floor and a separate soaking tub to bathe the dogs. It was also imperative that the house capitalize on the breathtaking ocean views and feature natural elements.

“Both the kitchen and bath winners worked within existing footprints but managed to achieve the goals set out by the client,” said competition judge Mark Haddad, CMKBD, president of Interiology Design Co. in Watertown, Mass. “The winners also displayed exemplary quality in the drawings, technical details and functional use of space.”

The NKBA Student Design Competition was sponsored by Fisher & Paykel, with Chief Architect providing floor plan specifications. The judges included Haddad; Danielle Burger, CMKBD, owner of Kitchen Vitality Design in Charlotte, N.C.; and Mac Junker, CKBD, a designer for CQC Home in Durham, N.C. Representing Fisher & Paykel as a judge for the second year was Paula Smith, AKBD, marketing director-builder/designer for the appliance maker.

The Student Chapter and Students of the Industry membership programs are underwritten by Sub-Zero Wolf Cove. NKBA gratefully acknowledges the generous support from all its industry partners in nurturing the next generation of kitchen and bath professionals.

FIRST PLACE, KITCHEN: BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ
Why She Won: Haddad said Hernandez won because of the structural changes she explored. “Opening the kitchen to the foyer was creative in addition to the creative use of wood as a decorative element on the ceiling, as well as the installation of the partition wall.”

What She Did: Hernandez, 27, who graduated in June with a post-diploma certificate in kitchen and bath design, said her main goal was to transform the kitchen space from one of isolation to one for gathering and to “allow the stunning views of the beach to penetrate into the house.” The renovation adapted the kitchen to the proportion of the house, and she used an array of local materials, natural elements and peaceful colors.

Hernandez said one of her challenges was creating a generous island with seating, without encroaching too aggressively on the existing space. She relocated the washer and dryer to a newly configured mudroom with hanging/folding space and removed some walls to open the space to allow for ocean vistas throughout the main floor. She extended other walls to provide abundant storage with shelving and cabinets with rollouts.

“I opened the kitchen to the terrace by creating a bar area with an over-sized folding door and continued the kitchen countertop to the terrace through a sliding window, connecting the two areas,” explained Hernandez. The kitchen island also features a dog station with drawers for food storage and a pot filler to easily refill integrated water bowls.

Of the overall design, Hernandez said she wasn’t scared to take some risks. “I love the balance created by the combination of every single element of the project.”

What She Used: Hernandez, who works as a design assistant at Krista Hermanson Design in Calgary, said durability and easy maintenance were top-of-mind for the fictitious clients. Rustic oak luxury vinyl flooring resists scratches from the dogs and sandy feet in from the beach; countertops and dog station are light gray quartz; and slim Shaker cabinets in a light anigre wood tone are accented by icy sky blue cabinets to bring in the colors of the sea coast.

Fisher & Paykel appliances include an induction cooktop, integrated panel-front column refrigerator, convection speed oven and wall oven, downdraft range hood, double DishDrawer dishwasher and CoolDrawer adjustable refrigeration drawer.

Second place in the kitchen category went to Brea Holt of Lakeland College and third place was won by Sarah Woolsley of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

FIRST PLACE, BATH: DAVID STENSLAND, AKBD
Why He Won: Haddad called Stensland’s entry a clear winner. “This student’s ability to create two spaces out of one was brilliant,” he said. “Not only were all of the client’s requests fulfilled, it has thoughtful aesthetic and functional details as well.”

What He Did: In reconfiguring the space for the upstairs guest bath, the 54-year-old Stensland took some square footage from an adjacent room to create two new areas: a compact guest bath accessible from the guest bedroom, plus a laundry and, yes, a dog spa.

Stensland’s biggest challenge – a lack of windows and inability to add them – also inspired his favorite design element: transom windows. “The single tiny existing window couldn’t really be increased adequately due to the building’s exterior construction,” he explained. “But I realized bringing daylight in from the other side of the house would actually work, and as a bonus, opening walls up in that direction would provide an ocean view from the dog spa, despite being in the center of the home.”

Stensland comes to K&B following an initial career in apparel design and holds degrees in fashion, textiles and art. In 2004, he moved to Kittery Point, Me., where he founded RedMaple Sportswear, which has evolved from clothes and accessories into a “small but focused lifestyle brand,” including gifts and home furnishings. He launched RedMaple Home Design this year after finishing the KBD program and obtaining AKBD certification.

“A love of natural materials and surrounding our clients in environments that are contemporary yet comforting and familiar has been what RedMaple is all about,’’ he said. “And now I’m expressing that vision in both industries.”

What He Used: The dog spa features gate-high pocket doors at the entrance and flexible space to set up a grooming station or training equipment. Slip-resistant plank floor tiles run continuously throughout the entire space, including into the barrier-free shower (equipped with grab bars and linear drains). The space also features a stacked Fisher & Paykel washer and dryer for dog bedding and guest use.The dryer is non-venting – ideal for its center location in the house.

Stensland said his home on the coast of Maine inspired the design with biophilic elements and natural colors. Nautical styling – inspired by vintage wooden boats and docks – includes oak shiplap, antiqued porthole mirrors, hooks and benches like those found on boats, natural maple and driftwood-stained cherry cabinets, wood-slab countertops, bulkhead-style light fixtures and a privacy wall of pilings hiding the toilet area.

Second place in the bathroom category went to Wenyee Huang of San Diego Mesa College and third place was won by Cassandra Jerrems of Saddleback College.

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. Visit nkba.org/students/student-design-competition/ for details.