The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), owners of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) opened the 2023 live event with the highly anticipated National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Design + Industry Awards on Monday, January 30, 2023, at the Encore Ballroom, in the Encore Hotel, Las Vegas Hotel. The sold-out awards ceremony, held annually, recognizes the design professionals and projects that are setting the bar for the way we live, work and entertain in our homes. Each reflects the purpose of the Association – envisioning a world where everyone enjoys safe, beautiful, and functional kitchen and bath spaces. The program was generously sponsored by Beko appliances (platinum sponsor), 2020 Design Software, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen, and Lighting Gallery, and Vent-A-Hood (diamond sponsor), Hettich and Home Depot (gold sponsors), photo booth sponsor Duravit and special mobile bar sponsor, Perlick.
NKBA’s CEO Bill Darcy and EVP & CSO Suzie Williford hosted the ceremonies, presenting more than 30 awards during the evening, including the NKBA Student Design Competition winners as well as the NKBA Innovative Showroom Awards Competition winners.
NKBA 2023 Kitchen & Bath Design Competition Winners:
BEST OVERALL KITCHEN
Sarah Robertson, AKBD, Founder and Principal, Studio Dearborn
BEST OVERALL BATH
Mary Maney, CKBD, Crystal Kitchen + Bath
PEOPLE’S PICK KITCHEN
Henrietta Heisler, Owner and Director, Henrietta Heisler Interiors Inc
PEOPLE’S PICK BATH
Emily Miller, CKD, Kitchen and Bath Concepts
SPECIALTY KITCHEN
- First Place
Rebecca Foster, Interior Designer, Welton Design Group
- Second Place
Douglas Walter, CMKBD, Doug Walter Architect
- Third Place
Lance Stratton, Principal, Studio Stratton Inc.
Co-Designers: Kate LeCount and Tom King
SMALL KITCHEN (Under 300 sq ft)
- First Place
Sarah Robertson, AKBD, Founder and Principal, Studio Dearborn
- Second Place
Svetlana Tryaskina, Principal, Estee Design Inc.
- Third Place
Nar Bustamante, President, Nar Design Group
LARGE KITCHEN (Over 300 sq ft)
- First Place
Lori Kurnitsky, Designer, Bluebell Kitchens
Co-designer: Michele Plachters
- Second Place
Marla Nazzicone, Owner, Marla Nazzicone Design Inc.
- Third Place
Lori Kurnitsky, Designer, Bluebell Kitchens
Co-designers: Olga Carlson and Michele Plachter
POWDER ROOM
- First Place
Lori Carroll, Lori Carroll & Associates
Co-designer: Kat Saucedo
- Second Place
Jaque Bethke, Principal designer, architect, and engineer, Jaque Bethke
- Third Place
Jaque Bethke, Principal designer, architect, and engineer, Jaque Bethke
SECONDARY BATH
- First Place
Gina D’Amore Bauerle, Partner and Interior Designer at D’Amore Interiors
- Second Place
Nichol Hollinger, CKBD, and Senior Interior Designer, Henrietta Heisler Interiors, Inc.
- Third Place
Nancy Finneson, CKBD, DeMane Design
PRIMARY BATH
- First Place
Mary Maney, CKBD, Crystal Kitchen + Bath
- Second Place
Kendall Ansell, Owner, Kendall Ansell Interiors
Co-designer: Katelyn Woods
- Third Place
Sandra Diaz-Velasco, Principal Architect, EOLO A&I Design
This year, the judges for the Kitchen Awards were Elizabeth Lord, CMKBD, Elizabeth P. Lord Residential Design; Polly Nunes, CMKBD, Polly Nunes Designs; Christine Spillar, CMKBD, Christine Spillar Interior Design; and Courtney Zanelli, CMKBD, Courtney Zanelli Designs. The judges for the Bath Awards were Marie Lail Blackburn, CMKBD, MLB Design Group; Anne-Marie Brunet, CMKBD, Sheridan Interiors; Linda Goad Larisch, CMKBD, Design First Builders; Jenni Russel, CMKBD, Design in Perspectives; and Dan Lenner, CMKBD, Morris Black Designs.
Student Design Competition Winners
Also recognized at the awards ceremony were the winners of the 2023 Student Design Competition. Approximately 200 kitchen submissions and 200 bath submissions were completed into the contest which was sponsored by Fisher & Paykel. Students were able to enter one or both categories.
BATH
- First Place – David Stensland, Century College
- Second Place – Wenyee Huang - San Diego Mesa College
- Third Place – Cassandra Jerrems - Saddleback College
KITCHEN
- First Place – Beatriz Hernandez - Bow Valley College
- Second Place – Brea Holt - Lakeland College
- Third Place – Sarah Woosley - University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The judges for the 2023 NKBA Student Competition were:
Danielle Burger, CMKBD, from Kitchen Vitality Design; Mac Dodge Junker, CKBD, from The Kitchen Specialist; Mark Haddad, CMKBD, from Interiology Design Company; and Paula Smith, AKBD, representing our Student Design Competition sponsor, Fisher and Paykel.
Innovative Showroom Awards
Awards were also presented to the winners of the NKBA Innovative Showroom Awards, recognizing the
most creative, innovative, and experiential kitchen and bath showrooms in North America. In this age of digital/online shopping it’s especially important to recognize showroom spaces that engage customers in unique and memorable ways. These awards acknowledge the creative design professionals—architects, technology integrators, designers, furniture makers and display experts—who are Masters of Design, marketing and sales.
The judges for the 2023 NKBA Innovative Showroom Award were:
Jason Artus, AKBD, Dovetail Sales; Nar Bustamante, Nar Design Group; Tracey Israelsson, Kohler Company; and Sarah Nielsen, CKBD, Showplace Cabinetry Design Center
Traditional Independent Showroom, Small (under 2,500 square feet)
Adorned Homes
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Multi-location, Multi-product Showroom, Large (over 5,000 square feet)
Faucets N’ Fixtures
Long Beach, California
Kitchen and Bath Design Center, Medium (2,500 to 5,000 square feet)
Marvista Design + Build
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Kitchen and Bath Design Center, Large (over 5,000 square feet)
The Dacor Kitchen Theater
Irvine, California
Hall of Fame Winner
NKBA recognizes individuals who have contributed to the growth and professionalism of the Association and the kitchen and bath industry as a whole. Inductees are selected by a standing program committee through member nominations. The 2023 NKBA Hall of Fame Winner was presented to Steve Feldman, Founder & CEO, Renovation Angel.
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 to recognize industry leaders for their unparalleled positive impact on the NKBA and the industry. The winner of the 2023 NKBA Chairman’s Award was presented by Basil Larkin, NKBA’s 2022 Board Chair, to Volker Irle, Managing Director of AMK, The German Association of The Modern Kitchen.