February 27, 2024

KBIS 2024 in Las Vegas kicked off by honoring a number of projects, student designs, and industry showrooms through various awards ceremonies.

The NKBA Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards

The annual celebratory kickoff to KBIS was more spectacular than ever as the 2024 Professional Design Competition winners were revealed to an enthusiastic audience of kitchen-and-bath business leaders and creatives. The awards showcased the projects of the top three finalists in six kitchen and bath design categories — Large Kitchen, Small Kitchen, Specialty Kitchen, Powder Room, Secondary Bath, and Primary Bath — and each of the six first-place winners were then eligible for either the Best Overall Kitchen or Best Overall Bath award. (For the full list of winners, click here.)

Best Overall Kitchen: 

The top honor of Best Overall Kitchen was awarded to Bahar Zaeem and Co-Designer Shima Radfar of Toronto-based RZ Interiors for “Ultra Modern Kitchen.” The design, which won first place in the Large Kitchen category, was for an investment property client who desired a clutter-free, open-concept main floor ideal for hosting gatherings. The judges appreciated the designers’ use of clean lines and contemporary style, calling it “a very welcoming space.” Photo credit: Ryan Fung/Ryan Fung Photography

Best Overall Bath:

The winner of Best Overall Bath was Jaque Bethke, Founder and Principal Designer of Scottsdale, AZ-based Jaque Bethke Design, LLC, for “Small But Mighty.” The striking design, which took top honors in the Secondary Bath category, was for a client who requested “a masterpiece” as part of a total home remodel. The judges lauded Bethke’s use of tinted glasses to separate the wet room and give dramatic proportion to an otherwise shoebox shape, as well as the dynamic opticals achieved with a floating vanity, large mirror and textured tile. Photo credit: Phil Johnson/Provisionals Media

NKBA | KBIS Student Design Competition

A festive mood prevailed in the Lafite Ballroom at the Wynn Las Vegas Monday night as the winners of NKBA | KBIS’s 2022-2023 Student Design Competition, sponsored by Fisher & Paykel, were honored in front of more than 1,000 guests. As part of the celebratory 2024 Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards, the rising stars of kitchen and bath once again proved that the future of the industry is promising and bright.

For this year’s competition, the assignment was to complete renovations for a fictional couple with teenage children looking to make their kitchen a command center and their principal ensuite bath a place to get away from it all.

Kitchen Category Winners:

• “Sunday Morning,” 1st Place: Tiarra Dyck, Lakeland College, Vermilion, Alberta. Judges admired the dramatically underlit, airy design for its rich color scheme, functionality and separate butler’s pantry.
• “Nature’s Harmony,” 2nd Place (Tied): Alexander Drozdovitch, Montgomery College, Rockville, Maryland. Judges felt the woodsy design utilized the space well, with openness and good balance earning high marks.
• “Transitional Revision,” 2nd Place (Tied): Hannah Tataryn, Lakeland College, Vermilion, Alberta. This spacious design was lauded by judges for its spirited use of curvature and the addition of a dedicated door.
• “New Look for New Englanders,” 3rd Place: Anne Homkes, Century College, White Bear Lake, Minnesota. A super fun color scheme, playful wallpaper and a creative area featuring a homework//family craft center were all factors in the judges’ winning decision.

Bath Category Winners:

• Johnson Family Bath – A Sumptuous Sanctuary,” 1st Place: Rebecca Torrisi, West Valley College, Saratoga, California. Judges commended this immaculate bath’s great engineering detail and creative solutions, including intuitive window placement.
• “Untitled,” 2nd Place: Nguyen Khanh Ngan Pham, Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario. In this luxurious design, judges applauded creative finishes, extensive detailing and high styling.
• “Modern Escape,” 3rd Place: Zacori Ollis, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. This bath was admired by judges for bold elements including custom and user-friendly solutions such as the sauna addition, separate vanities and an integrated makeup area.

For more on the student competition, click here.

NKBA | KBIS Innovative Showroom Awards

The NKBA | KBIS Innovative Showroom Awards honor the companies that excel across the entire showroom sales spectrum, which work with trade pros from designers to developers and builders to remodelers, and directly with consumers to provide an outstanding showroom experience. These winners create inspiring and informative environments that showcase innovation in design, technology and materials, provide outstanding customer service and represent the integrity of the industry. This year, 10 showrooms earned top honors in 5 categories:

Kitchen & Bath Design Center: 

• Winner: Small (under 2,500 square feet): KSI Kitchen & Bath, Rochester Hills, MI; Showroom Designer: Lauren Tolles
• Winner: Medium (2,500 to 5,000 square feet): Granite State Cabinetry, Bedford, NH; Showroom Designer: Frank Morris
• Winner: Large (5,000+ square feet): Rocpal Custom Cabinets Ltd, Oshawa, ON; Showroom Designer: Fernando Rocchetta

Brand-Specific Non-Selling Experience Center: 

• Winner: Riggs Distributing, San Francisco, CA; Showroom Designer: Cheryl Hamilton-Gray

Traditional Independent Multi-brand/Product Showroom:

• Winner: Small (under 2,500 square feet): Amiano & Son Design Build, Southampton Township, NJ; Showroom Designer: Sophia Amiano
• Winner: Medium (2,500 to 5,000 square feet): Greenberg Design Gallery, Palo Alto, CA; Showroom Designer: Jennifer Federico
• Winner: Large (5,000+ square feet): Bluebell Fine Cabinetry & Design, Wayne, PA; Showroom Designer: Peter Cardamone

Multi-Location, Multi-Product Showroom: 

• Winner: Medium (2,500 to 5,000 square feet): Reico Kitchen & Bath, Winchester, VA; Showroom Designer: Tristin Kalivoda
• Winner: Large (5,000+ square feet): WDC Kitchen & Bath, La Quinta, CA; Showroom Designer: Shoko Takahashi-Diaz

Unique Showroom Application: 

• Winner: Sharp Virtual Kitchen Showroom, Montvale, NJ

For more details on the showroom winners, visit here.

Main photo credit: NKBA | KBIS