1st Place (Tie)
Black Beauty
Nicole Sirek | Debbie Ward-Baker
Partners 4, Design | 2 Design
Transforming a condo’s original builder-grade kitchen into a storage-rich, statement-making space meant working with existing utilities, including the island’s plumbing wall. A new two-tier island with an intriguing profile kept the layout open, while partially screening views to the kitchen; a mitered Dekton top, featuring white and brown veining on a black background, complements the tall Fenix Nero Ingo cabinets behind. Walnut cabinet doors and drawer-fronts deepen the aesthetic with a mix of contemporary and traditional styles. Deep tip-up cabinets bridge the wall cabinets and frame the cooktop wall. Drawers in the base cabinets feature a black channel for a hardware-free design that integrates the kitchen’s dark elements.
Small Kitchen
1st Place (Tie)
New Day
Olivia Flicker
Studio M Kitchen & Bath
A refresh following the passing of the client’s husband entailed creating a light, open kitchen that would inspire her to cook and entertain. Subtle gray cabinets with simple hardware complement the driftwood-stained beechwood island with twig hardware and built-in appliances and storage. A new wood-beamed ceiling adds to the kitchen’s rustic charm. Quartz countertops with gray veining and a white horizontal picket-tile backsplash for the farmhouse sink add levity to the fresh welcoming space.
2nd Place
Blue Play
Amber Weekley
Crystal Kitchen + Bath
To update a 35-year-old builder-grade kitchen for a family with small children and a dog, the designer removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room, created a custom banquette for eight, and doubled storage space with a large island. Blue base cabinets with blue-veined quartz countertops add an element of fun. A shallow counter with a floating shelf functions as a buffet and coffee bar. Major appliances on one wall create an efficient work area. Luxury vinyl floors and porcelain-tile backsplashes brighten the space, while the range and vent hood were ducted through the sunroom roof.
3rd Place
Alicia Lowe
The Cabinet Store
Medium Kitchen
1st Place
Modern and Open
Paul Knutson
Knutson Residential Design
To open a dark kitchen to the client’s midcentury modern interior, the designer eliminated upper cabinets, soffits, a peninsula wall, and doorways to insert a large window over the sink for natural light. Custom walnut screens, inspired by the client’s midcentury walnut
furniture, provide transparency between spaces. A new dry bar and prep area connects with the formal dining area, now open to the kitchen. A new cabinet wall leaves space for a kitchen island. White quartz countertops and glass tile brighten the space, while
multi-zoned smart LED lighting allows for custom adjustments.
2nd Place
French Renaissance
Kailee Klevan
Beyond Kitchens
A cramped, outdated kitchen is très bon with three new windows on the sink wall, marble slab backsplashes, a marble-top baking center, and a practical ledge along the back wall for maximum base storage. The island’s honed marble waterfall edge and La Cornue range and hood add to the French re-do, with Benjamin Moore’s “Paris Rain” drenching cabinets in ambiance. A touch-activated faucet, pot filler, spice pullouts, and integrated dishwasher drawers and refrigerator add industrial sleekness. Dekton countertops wrap the perimeter, while an arched Dutch door adds to the European appeal.
3rd Place
Kailee Klevan
Beyond Kitchens
Large Kitchen
1st Place
Craft Kitchen
Kate Roos
Kate Roos Design
To support the clients’ culinary pursuits—she crafts artisan chocolates; he smokes meats and cheeses—the designer combines kitchen and breakfast areas in one dynamic space. For symmetry and to generate a focal point, the range is centered and flanked by two tall cabinets. White cabinetry surrounds extensive counter space, topped with white quartzite. The walnut island anchors the space; sized for entertaining and large family gatherings, it has rounded corners to maintain aisle widths and ease flow. The new kitchen also includes an oversized refrigerator, an additional oven, and a mixer lift, with pendant lights and lit glass-front cabinets providing a warm glow.
2nd Place
Lakeside Dining
Kate Roos
Kate Roos Design
To bring family and friends together to cook, dine, and enjoy lake views, the newly reconfigured kitchen maximizes work zones and traffic, with dedicated areas for multiple cooks. A structural post framing the dining room was clad in nickel-gap horizontal paneling. White perimeter cabinetry contrasts with the blue-green island with waterfall top, quartzite niche, and walnut dining area. Walnut cabinetry at the range mirrors the sink and refrigerator walls. Stainless-steel accents and a light-colored backsplash unify the color palette.
3rd Place
Tricia Tidemann
Sawhill Kitchens
Powder Bath
1st Place
Forest Niche
Danee Bohn, Carly Loobeek
Studio M Kitchen & Bath
Small makes a big statement in this powder room niche, anchored by a custom vanity painted forest green with contemporary drawer pulls and a matte-black faucet. Wallcovering with leaves in various shades of green enliven and complement the space, bringing whimsical charm to the petite lively room.
2nd Place
Powder Room Pow
Kailee Klevan
Beyond Kitchens
Retaining the original layout, but reviving with a cornucopia of treatments, the designers of this small bath put the “pow” in powder room. The black ceiling resonates with the colorful lemon and clementine wallcovering, a penny-round tile shining on the floor. A chandelier, antique mirror from a medicine cabinet, wall-mount sink, and gold fixtures balance the room with classical pizzazz. The door’s frosted-glass panel reads “Library.” Come on in and take a seat.
Small Bath
1st Place
Gold Standard
Christina Jorgensen
Stier Construction
From drab to glam, this condo guest bathroom redo includes Calacatta hex floor tile, white cabinetry, and modern gold plumbing fixtures. A hallway vanity stack provided a bump into a small closet for an additional 16 inches in the bath. Moving the door to the guest bedroom, and replacing it with a modern barn door with brushed gold hardware, allowed the space to serve as a powder room and guest bath. Small yet serene, the new bath has maximal storage space and a shower with a bench and nook.
Medium Bath
1st Place – Editor’s Choice
Two in One
Kate Roos
Kate Roos Design LLC
Two inefficient back-to-back bathrooms are combined to create this light-filled, tranquil master bath with a freestanding soaking tub, a large shower with variegated blue-toned tile, and plenty of storage. Relocating a door allowed for extra space. A frosted-glass interior window brings in light from a stairwell window. A hotelier provides additional towel storage near the shower. Classic materials, including white tile, nickel plumbing fixtures, and walnut cabinetry, create a clean, inviting aesthetic.
2nd Place
Modern Sophistication
Jennie Hjerpe
Crystal Kitchen + Bath
A third-floor bath with dated finishes and unused space now holds a freestanding tub, corner bench for towels, and ledge for candles and a glass of wine. The new shower features low-maintenance rain glass and has porcelain wall panels banded with accent tile. The vanity, and top cabinet between the sinks, provide plentiful storage; a heat pump in the sink base ensures a quick supply of hot water. Dramatic dark-stained woods, gray walls, and white accents lend the room modern sophistication.
3rd Place
Jessica Curry
Interiors by J. Curry, LLC
Large Bath
1st Place
Luxe Aesthetic
Mary Maney
Crystal Kitchen + Bath
Called on to create a luxurious master bath, the designer incorporated marble throughout, including the mosaic-inlay floor and bay window beside the freestanding sculptural tub. Drain issues were fixed; walls remediated for a tray ceiling with crown molding. A symmetrically balanced vanity with elegant mirrors and wall sconces enhance the proportions. Another pattern of mosaic tiles enlivens the shower with built-in niches. A leaf chandelier mimics shapes in the mosaic floor. Organic curves and in-floor heat, a silver, gray, and white color palette, and ledges for candles complete the luxe aesthetic.
2nd Place
Rustic Retreat
Kate Roos
Kate Roos Design LLC
From dark to bright, this renovated master bath enjoys a dramatic black soaking tub beneath expansive windows, curbless shower with niches for aging in place, storage in three areas, and a separate toilet room made possible by reconfiguring a three-quarter hall bath into a powder room. Casual with rustic accents, the bath’s finishes include oil-rubbed bronze, stained birch V-grooves, ash-honed pebble shower tile, and a wood-look porcelain plank tile floor, balanced by fresh, white cabinetry and light countertops.
3rd Place
Lisa Pope
Partners 4, Design
Other Rooms
1st Place
Loft Living
Tricia Tidemann
Sawhill Kitchens
For a couple that frequently entertains, this space-saving yet storage-rich dry bar in this downtown loft includes distressed-wood cabinetry that complements the barn doors the client handcrafted using lumber from a family property. The bar cabinetry has a beverage station, wine and glass storage, refrigerator and freezer, and open shelving for decor, liquor, and glasses; a wine cooler stands tall adjacent to the dry bar. The new bar advances the loft’s architectural details, including metal posts, brick exterior walls, black window trim, and concrete floors.
2nd Place
Bookend Balance
Mary Maney
Crystal Kitchen + Bath
Reconfigured walnut bookcases flank a light-stone fireplace with matching ledge stone. The new bookcases coordinate with the adjacent kitchen island, bringing these two rooms into aesthetic balance. The bookcases also match the existing wood floor, per the client’s wishes. Now restored to symmetry, the family room includes a new TV with cords tucked away in the bookcases’ base cabinets.
3rd Place
Kelly McDermott
Ruby + Suede
Artisan Materials
Honorable Mention
Stairway to Heaven
Tami Holsten
Bear Trap Design
A chunky oak staircase is transformed into a work of metal art, creating a new contemporary focal point for the home. Meticulously crafted within the original footprint, the new staircase brings in light and a modern sensibility.