Amid the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Strip, nearly 1,000 industry leaders, design professionals, VIPs and media members attended the highly anticipated National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Design + Industry Awards on Jan. 20 at the Encore Resort. Held annually, these awards shine a spotlight on the design professionals whose work is raising the bar in kitchen and bath design, building and remodeling, outdoor living and Living In Place. Each is a measure of excellence for this corner of the interior design world. Celebrity designer and lifestyle expert Kelli Ellis hosted the ceremonies, handing out more than 40 awards during the evening, including the design and independent showroom honorees. The following are this year's winners: 

Best Overall Kitchen

Sarah Robertson, AKBD, owner and lead designer, Studio Dearborn
Mamaroneck, New York

Westchester Chapter

Larchmont Manor Victorian

 

 

Best Overall Bath

Michelle Miazga-Hall, founder and principal, Port + Quarter Interiors

Vancouver, British Columbia

British Columbia Chapter

 

 

Contemporary Kitchen, Large (250 Square Feet and Over)

First Place: Lana Zepponi Meyers, AKBD, Kitchens Unlimited

Memphis, Tennessee

Tennessee Chapter

College Town Contemporary

 

Second Place: Sandra Diaz-Velasco, AIA, ASID, LEED AP BD+C, principal architect, EOLO A&I Design

Miami, Florida

South Florida Chapter

CasaMar

 

Third Place: Elma Gardner, CMKBD, owner and principal designer, By Design

Davis, California

California Capital Chapter

 

Contemporary Kitchen, Small (Under 250 Square Feet)

First Place: Svetiana Tryaskina, Estee Design

Toronto, Ontario

Ontario/Canada Chapter

Open-Plan Kitchen

 

Second Place: Sandra Diaz-Velasco, AIA, ASID, LEED AP BD+C, principal architect, EOLO A&I Design

Miami, Florida

South Florida Chapter

Brickell Bachelor Condo

 

Third Place: Nyla Free, Nyla Free Designs Inc.

Calgary, Alberta

Prairie Provinces Chapter

 

Traditional Kitchen, Large (250 Square Feet and Over)

First Place: Sarah Robertson, AKBD, owner and lead designer, Studio Dearborn

Mamaroneck, New York

Westchester Chapter

Larchmont Manor Victorian

 

Second Place: Cindy Aplanalp-Yates, principal designer, Chairma Design Group

Houston

Texas Gulf Coast Chapter

Spacious Southern Home

 

Third Place: David Heide, Allied ASID, Associate AIA, principal, David Heide Design Studio

Minneapolis

Minnesota State Chapter

Practical Magic

 

Traditional Kitchen, Small (Under 250 Square Feet)

First Place: Karen Swanson, owner/designer, New England Design Works

Manchester, Massachusetts

Hardwick

 

Second Place: Sarah Robertson, AKBD, owner and lead designer, Studio Dearborn

Mamaroneck, New York

Westchester Chapter

Larchmont Funhouse

 

Third Place: Karen Swanson, owner/designer, New England Design Works

Manchester, Massachusetts

Chandler

 

Contemporary Bath, Large (250 Square Feet and Over)

First Place: Michelle Miazga, founder and principal, Port + Quarter Interiors

Vancouver, British Columbia

British Columbia Chapter

Spyglass

 

Second Place: Carly Nemtean, Carriage Lance Design-Build

Mississauga, Ontario

Ontario/Canada Chapter

Indian

 

Third Place: Elma Gardner, CMKBD, owner and principal designer, By Design

Davis, California

California Capital Chapter

 

Contemporary Bath, Small (Under 250 Square Feet)

First Place: Michelle Miazga-Hall, founder and principal, Port + Quarter Interiors

Vancouver, British Columbia

British Columbia Chapter

Spyglass

 

Second Place: Madeleine Sloback, principal, Madeleine Design Group

Vancouver, British Columbia

British Columbia Chapter

Ocean Bluff Estate

 

Third Place: Sandra Diaz-Velasco, AIA, ASID, LEED AP BD+C, principal architect, EOLO A&I Design

Miami, Florida

South Florida Chapter

Brickell Penthouse

 

Traditional Bath, Large (250 Square Feet and Over)

First Place: Jenny Madden, Allied ASID, founder, Jenny Madden Design

Hoboken, New Jersey

Manhattan Chapter

Townhouse Retreat

 

Second Place: Bill Livingston, CKD, CLIPP, Owner, Livecentric Kitchen & Bath

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Chapter

Poised Oasis

 

Third Place: Dalit Dray, owner and design director, Dray Design Group

Aventura, Florida

South Florida Chapter

Master Bathroom

 

Traditional Bath, Small (Under 250 Square Feet)

First Place: Dvira Ovadia, owner, Dvira Interiors

Toronto, Ontario

Ontario/Canada Chapter

Industrial Boys Bathroom

 

Second Place: Dvira Ovadia, owner, Dvira Interiors

Toronto, Ontario

Ontario/Canada Chapter

Jewel Powder Room

 

Third Place: Cassia Wyner, AKBD, founder, CW Design

Brookline, Massachusetts

Northern New England Chapter

Shower Art

 

Living In Place

First Place: Kendall Ansell, principal, Kendall Ansell Interiors

Vancouver, British Columbia

British Columbia Chapter

Reed — Cote

 

Builder-Remodeler

First Place: Matthew Ferrarini, principal designer and co-founder, Ferrarini & Co.

Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

Mid-Atlantic Chapter

California Dreaming

 

Outdoor Kitchen

First Place: Elma Gardner, CMKBD, owner and principal designer, By Design

Davis, California

California Capital Chapter

Judges for the two-round competition included designers Cheryl Kees Clendenon; Peter Salerno, CMKBD; Rebekah Zaveloff, CKD; Richard Anuszkiewicz; Dawn DeLuca, AKBD, CLIPP, CAPS; Vicky Sanderson, editor, Around the House with Vicky Sanderson; and DJ Carey, editorial director, CTC&G (Connecticut Cottages & Gardens).

Student Design Competition

Also recognized at the awards ceremony were the winners of the 2019 Student Design Competition, which tasked students to design either a kitchen or bath project for an imaginary 30-something couple living in San Francisco. More than 300 students submitted projects into the contest which was sponsored by Cambria.

Bath Winners

• First Place – Victoria Sharkey, Front Range Community College
• Second Place – Thao Mai, Georgian College
• Third Place – Shaelynn Brisbourne, Lakeland College

Kitchen Winners

• First Place – Emily Hartley, Lakeland College
• Second Place – Allison Jones, Henry Ford College
• Third Place – Kata Hayes, Front Range Community College

All of the winning students were awarded a scholarship prize.

Innovative Showroom Awards

Awards were also presented to the winners of the NKBA Innovative Showroom Awards which recognizes the kitchen and bath industry's most creative, innovative and experiential showrooms in North America. While there are no monetary prizes awarded to competition winners, the industry holds the Innovative Showroom Award winners in high honor as the award recognizes the creative design professionals—architects, technology integrators, designers, furniture makers and display experts—who are masters of design, marketing and sales. Congratulations to this year's showrooms.

Best Overall Showroom

Nar Design Group
Sacramento, California

Best Independent Showroom – Large
Signature Kitchen Suite Experience & Design Center
Napa, California

Best Independent Showroom – Medium
Nar Design Group
Sacramento, California

Best Independent Showroom - Small
Royal Green Appliance Center
New York

Best Multi-Location Showroom – Medium
JennAir Experience Center

Best Multi-Location Showroom- Large

Kohler Signature Store by Supply New England
Natick, Massachusetts

Winners were determined by an advisory panel of NKBA members, former showroom award winners and media:

• Joe Feinberg, executive vice president, Allied Kitchen & Bath, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
• Danielle Burger, CMKBD, owner, Kitchen Vitality Design LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Peter Salerno, CMKBD, owner, Peter Salerno Inc., Wycoff, New Jersey
• Jon Barfell, senior marketing manager, Liebherr USA, Miami
• Chelsie Butler, executive editor, Kitchen & Bath Business (KBB), Atlanta

Chairman's Award

Also honored during the ceremony was this year's recipient of the NKBA Chairman's Award. Regarded as one the association's highest honors, the NKBA Chairman's Award was created in 2009 (originally as the President's Award) to recognize industry leaders for their unparalleled positive impact on the NKBA and the industry. The winner of the 2020 NKBA Chairman's Award was presented by 2019 NKBA Chairman Steve Joseph to Signature Kitchen Suite and LG Electronics, and accepted by LG North America CEO Thomas Yoon. SKS has been a staunch supporter and partner of the NKBA Thirty Under 30 program helping to mentor future industry leaders.

The 2020 Kitchen + Bath Design Competition & Industry Awards were generously sponsored by 2020 (platinum sponsor), The Home Depot (gold sponsor) and Control4 (silver sponsor).

The NKBA Design + Industry Awards are the kick-off event for the annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). KBIS 2021 will be held Feb. 9-11, 2021, in Orlando.