November 25, 2019

The winners of this year’s 2020 Design Inspiration Awards have been announced. Interior designers from around North America submitted their best designs using 2020 Design. The software allows kitchen, bathroom and closet designers to create visualizations using actual materials and finishes from a selection of manufacturer catalogs.

Designers could submit their entry into one of five main categories – 2020 Inspiration, BLANCO America, Amerock, Kohler and Avanity. There were almost 500 submissions this year, and the winners of each category – as well as a Voter’s Choice and an Expert’s Choice – were selected by a panel of experienced design judges. KBB spoke with several of the winning designers to find out more about their projects.

The winners of the 2020 Design Inspiration Awards for 2019 are:

2020 Inspiration Winner: Catherine Ouimet, Cuisine 3d360
“The challenge of this project was enabling the space to be updated over time, without changing the layout of the design. We therefore opted for interchangeable covers for cushion sofas and the seat of the bench. I also suggested that my customer make two sets of doors for the kitchen so that they could change the style and the color of the room without having to change the cabinets.” – Ouimet, Quebec, Canada

Amerock Winner: Kayla Herrick, Maureen’s LLC
“The windows were the main challenge, and adding storage between the window levels wasn’t an immediate thought. Before that, it felt disconnected and the island became too overwhelming when trying to pack in the needed storage. The resulting upper cabinets tied everything together and eliminated the need to turn the corner, as well as alleviated the need for an overstated island.” – Herrick, Duluth, Minn.

Kohler Winner: Steven Buck from Cabinets & Granite Direct
“My intent was to create a calming balance while maintaining an open space. I attempted to balance the natural stone used on the accent wall, shower and floor with the warm stained cherry wood of the vanity cabinet and ceiling. The heavy functionality of the cabinet itself is balanced by placing it on feet with accent lighting below. The products I selected also speak to this balance of minimalistic aesthetic with high functionality. Everything comes together to create a space that would make it a pleasure to experience.”
– Buck, Chicago

Avanity Winner: Charity Faith Gilsdorf from Dream Kitchen & Bath

BLANCO America Winner: Carolina Rivera from Armando Garcia Custom Cabinets (AGCC)

There were also two winners chosen for the following categories:

Experts’ Choice: Alex Légaré Grondin from Dkor.A
“My favorite part of the project was working on a banquette design for a dining room. I love banquettes and how cozy they are – it really changes the ambiance of a room. And let’s be honest, we all fight to have the banquette side when we have the opportunity.” – Grondin, Quebec, Canada

Voters’ Choice: Chris Purdy from TheRTAStore.com
“The goal of this design was to create a timeless white kitchen with ample storage space and room for entertaining. The customer had some must-have items, including a wood hood, glass doors and cabinets to the ceiling. One of the challenges I had was bringing the cabinets all the way to the top of the 9-ft. ceilings. We don’t offer panels tall enough to cover the seams between the lower refrigerator panel and the stacked cabinets over the refrigerator. I ran inverted light rail molding between all of the lower and stacked cabinets to avoid having a seam there and to add a little more decorative detail to the cabinets, and I stacked the crown to bring everything up to the ceiling.” – Purdy, Hopewell Junction, N.Y.