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Huntwood Cabinets Announces Design Contest Winners

December 21, 2018

Huntwood Cabinets has announced the winners of its 2018 Design Contest. Open to all Huntwood kitchen designers and direct reps, entrants were judged on completeness of drawings, elevations and floor plans; the ability to overcome project challenges; and the documentation of the design process and construction.

1st place: Dan Toews, Edmonton, Alberta

2nd place: Mark LeTendre, Edmonton, Alberta

3rd place: Amber Charland, Designs by Amber, Boise, Idaho

4th place: Karen Horte, Karen Horte Interiors, Calgary, Alberta

Grand Prize Winner Dan Toews submitted a modern design that was a full kitchen remodel in a very large space. The open-concept design featured two-bench seat areas, a raised eating bar, three islands, double wall ovens and a pantry area. Toews used door style choices from Huntwood’s Framed line.

KBB talked with Toews and the other winners to find out more about their projects.


1st Place: Dan Toews, Edmonton, Alberta
Goals: “Because the kitchen was in a very large space, the goal was to use the available square footage in a way that met the client’s specific requests without looking cluttered, especially with a 15-ft.-long island. It had to gracefully fit the scale of the room while fulfilling its functional purposes.” – Toews, Edmonton, Alberta

Challenges: “The biggest issue was incorporating the customer’s needs and design preferences into a 465-sq.-ft. kitchen space – that included three islands, two-bench seat areas, a raised eating bar, double wall ovens and a pantry area – without it looking like the deck of an aircraft carrier!” – Toews, Edmonton, Alberta

Why It Won: “I believe the project won because of the unique nature of the design. It incorporated five different door styles and finishes in a way that was functional, cohesive and attractive.” – Toews, Edmonton, Alberta


2nd Place: Mark LeTendre, Edmonton, Alberta
Goals: “The main goal was to maximize the grand scale of the work area without a lot of open space above the cabinetry and to fill up the space without making it look all the same. To achieve this, the main stove wall was broken up into three separate spaces with pantry storage on the right, main cooking prep in the middle and a display hutch/bar on the left. One wall held the fridge/freezer and wall oven, while room was left over for a large island and small dining area.” – LeTendre, Edmonton, Alberta

Challenges: “It was tricky transforming the design from paper to reality. Bringing the different components together while keeping with the overall theme was the biggest task.” – LeTendre, Edmonton, Alberta

Why It Won: “I believe it was chosen because of its sheer scale and the large amount of custom cabinetry it required. A lot of attention was given to the detail of the pilasters and depth changes of the cabinetry. The great arrangement of the two-tone colors enhanced the brightness of a kitchen facing west with minimal light from the north-facing windows.” – LeTendre, Edmonton, Alberta

3rd Place: Amber Charland, Designs by Amber, Boise, Idaho
Goals: “The goal of this design was to create a warm kitchen that combined the rustic charm of the outdoors with the clean simplicity of modern design and the use of warm colors.” – Charland, Boise, Idaho

Challenges: “The homeowner came into the showroom with a pretty good idea of what she wanted for her kitchen remodel. However, several design changes along the way presented challenges: The client originally wanted a beverage cooler next to the range top, but I felt that it would look out of place, so I recommended moving the cooler nearby but outside the kitchen. The island was also originally designed to hold cookbooks on one side, but that was changed at the last minute to allow phone-charging.” – Charland, Boise, Idaho

Why It Won: “I think my design was chosen because of the design goal. The kitchen is warm and inviting; you can just see yourself sitting down at that island with family and friends, drinking coffee and enjoying a piece of huckleberry pie.” – Charland, Boise, Idaho


4th Place: Karen Horte, Karen Horte Interiors, Calgary, Alberta
Goals: “The goal of this design was to create an aesthetically pleasing design that was highly functional. I worked hard at incorporating many aspects into the island, including seating, large prep and serving areas, an undermount sink, a dishwasher, dual garbage and recycling pullouts, decorative paneling and a feature component for wine storage.” – Horte, Calgary, Alberta

Challenges: “The ceiling height of this kitchen soared at 13 feet and required a support beam in between the fridge and range wall. The plan was to install a bulkhead with lighting to conceal the beam. The biggest challenge was when the builder installed the bulkhead and then realized it was not the correct depth to fit flush with the fridge/freezer unit. My solution was to reduce the depth of the crown molding and have the builder modify and re-install the bulkhead.” – Horte, Calgary, Alberta

Why It Won: “My project might have been chosen because of its clean and classic look. There are many elements that are incorporated throughout the space to create function but still connect to the homeowner’s initial vision.” – Horte, Calgary, Alberta