September 30, 2020

While we are still making our way through this uncertain period of time, what remains constant is the desire for products that make things easier for us. This year’s Product Innovator Award winners fulfill this wish tenfold – whether the product incorporates smart technology, antimicrobial and hygienic properties, temperature zones to keep food fresher for longer or ease of use for aging in place. Other elements our winners encompass include entertaining ease – inside and outdoors – customization and personalization, accommodations for smaller spaces and offerings that cater to everyone in the household.

We are extremely proud to introduce KBB’s 2020 Product Innovator Award winners. This year’s competition was especially interesting since there were so many offerings that fit clients’ needs today – while we are all navigating this unprecedented time. Our esteemed panel of judges included a variety of kitchen and bath industry professionals, as well as an industrial product designer for a new perspective on this year’s competition. They awarded our coveted Kitchen and Bath Products of the Year, as well as second and third places, and we also brought back the popular Judges’ Picks.

Congrats to this year’s Product Innovator Award winners!

View a gallery of the Product Innovator Award winners HERE.

This year’s judges include:

Joseph Clymer is one of the top remodeling sales and design experts from South Jersey. He started in the field with Southampton-based Amiano & Son Construction and has developed into a seasoned specialist – ranging from kitchens to full-home renovations. Today, Clymer is the sales and design director for the company, coordinating sales of $4,000,000+ annually. He is a member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Thirty Under 30 and the recipient of multiple Builders League of South Jersey sales awards, including the Million Dollar Club and Sales Person of the Year. In 2019, Clymer was inducted into the SNJ Millennials 30 Under 30, and in 2020, he was inducted into the Pro Remodeler 40 Under 40.

Rose Dostal, AIA, ASID, owner of RMD Designs in Hudson, Ohio, is an architect, boutique showroom owner and principal designer. But if you ask her friends, they’d say she’s an amateur dancer and chef wannabe, too. Dostal has a passion for connecting with clients – she endeavors to always foster the mantra, “Be Part of the Experience,” as she digs deep into her clients’ design needs and engages in an exciting journey together. She’s a veteran judge for student design competitions and has been on many kitchen and bath product development committees. As a nod to her architectural background, classic aesthetics are at the foundation of all of her work. She admires simplifying and lives by the motto, “There’s always room for change,” in life, in trends and especially in designing.

A partner, collaborator and advocate of product and interaction design, Jonah Griffith has more than 15 years of experience designing industrial products, consumer products, housewares and medical products. As design director for Tactile – with offices in Seattle and Boston – he interfaces directly with internal design and engineering teams, providing expertise and ongoing support in industrial design, design for manufacture, materials, complex surfacing and brand strategy. Griffith has helped clients understand real development obstacles and opportunities, and he’s worked with Tektronix, Milwaukee Tool, Samsung, Starbucks, Naked Prosthetics,IVL & The Gates Foundation, Genie Lifts, DCI, Panasonic, Microsoft, Ecobee and GE.He holds more than 30 U.S.patents and has won several design awards.

With more than 20 years of experience, Kerrie Kelly is the creative director for Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, an award-winning California interior designer, an author and contributor, a product designer and a multi- media consultant – helping national brands reach the interior design market. Kelly is a fellow, chair-elect to the National Board and chair to the Foundation Board of Trustees for the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID); Houzz Pro Advisory Board member; and the 2020 Trends Expert of the NKBA.She is also an avid representative, speaker and on-air talent for Outdoor Living and Livable Design initiatives.She has authored two books: Home Decor: A Sunset Design Guide, with Sunset Books, and My Interior Design Kit, with Pearson Professional and Career Education.