Skip to main content

Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Announce 2019-2021 Kitchen Design Contest Finalists

Madison, WI (5/4/2022)

29 Innovative Design Professionals Advance to the Winners’ Summit and Gala in October


MADISON, Wis. (May 4, 2022) – Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove – the industry leaders in premium refrigeration, cooking and dishwashing – announced today the 29 Finalists and one Student Winner of the 2019-2021 Kitchen Design Contest (KDC) via videocast.

“For nearly 30 years, the Kitchen Design Contest has been a time-honored tradition of recognizing and celebrating design professionals from around the world who are advancing the future of kitchen design,” said Jim Bakke, president and CEO of Sub-Zero Group, Inc. “We applaud these outstanding creators who continue to innovate, inspire, and push the creative boundaries for incorporating our appliances in the kitchen and beyond.”

At the close of the entry period on January 31, 2022, more than 1,700 completed entries had been received from 15 countries and 45 states. Of all entries, 56% percent were submitted by first-time entrants. All three design styles – traditional, contemporary, and transitional – were well-represented. The 29 Finalists and one Student Winner represent a diverse mix of design aesthetics.

The Finalists were selected by a panel of seven esteemed architects, kitchen designers and interior designers during an extensive review and deliberation of the entries at the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove headquarters in Madison. The talented judges, each a previous Kitchen Design Contest winner, all demonstrate a passion for good design and a dedication to the design community.

The 2019-2021 contest panel includes Davy Swanenberg of Culimaat High-End Kitchens (Netherlands), Jean Stoffer of Jean Stoffer Design (Grand Rapids, MI), Mark Stumer of Mojo Stumer Associates (Greenvale, NY), Martin de Sousa of Designström (Toronto, ON), Sandra Agurto of Cabinetry Creations, Inc. (Orlando, FL), Stacy Eisenmann of Eisenmann Architecture (Albany, CA), and first-time judge Martin Holliday of Chiselwood (United Kingdom).

“It has been a real honor to be a judge for the Kitchen Design Contest. I have been amazed at the quality in the discipline of Kitchen Design and have enjoyed the dialogue and discussions between the judges on the merits of each project,” said Mark Stumer, Mojo Stumer Associates. “As an Architect and Designer, I am proud to be associated with Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove, a company that places such value on both quality design and the art of the kitchen.”

All Finalists and the Student Winner will receive a trip for two to attend the Winners’ Summit and Gala, held from October 9 - 12, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Summit is a rare and invaluable opportunity for design professionals to network and share ideas. The contest’s 14 Global Winners will be announced at the gala honoring their achievements in design in October, in the following categories: first-, second- and third-place in each of the Contemporary, Transitional and Traditional design categories, First-Time Entrant, Small Space Kitchen, and the newly introduced Best Use Outside of Kitchen, and Emerging Professional. The previously announced Student Winner will also be recognized.

Eligibility for the contest required that all design and construction be fully completed within the contest period of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2021. Indoor kitchen designs had to include at least one full-size Sub-Zero refrigeration unit, or two or more undercounter units, and at least one Wolf primary cooking appliance, including ranges, rangetops, ovens and cooktops. Outside of Kitchen designs were required to include at least one full-size Sub-Zero refrigeration/wine unit, or two or more undercounter units, or at least one Wolf oven, cooktop, range, rangetop or outdoor grill, or two or more Wolf units, including module cooktops, coffee systems, microwaves, vacuum seal/warming drawers, ventilation, or side burners, one Sub-Zero refrigeration/wine unit and one Wolf unit, in each case, of any size. Both indoor and out of kitchen designs required submission of a floor plan, and a minimum of three color photographs of the completed design.

Since its inception in 1993, the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Kitchen Design Contest has become a coveted win in the residential home design industry. It recognizes kitchen designers, architects, residential designers, interior designers, builders, remodelers, landscape designers, landscape architects and students for advancing outstanding kitchen design.

For additional information, and to view the videocast announcement, please visit www.subzero-wolf.com/contest.


About Sub-Zero Group, Inc.

Sub-Zero Group, Inc., headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, manufactures best-in-class appliance brands Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove. Founded in 1945, Sub-Zero, Inc. is the leading American-based manufacturer of refrigeration, freezer and wine storage products. Sub-Zero, the preservation specialist, pioneered the concept of dual refrigeration, ensuring that food stays fresher longer. With the acquisition of Wolf Range Company in 2000, Sub-Zero Group, Inc. added the industry specialist in residential cooking appliances, with products including ranges, cooktops, wall ovens, warming drawers and ventilation equipment. In 2018, Sub-Zero Group, Inc. launched the Cove brand of dishwashers, the specialist in all things clean. Cove joins Sub-Zero and Wolf, establishing the brands as corporate companions and a complete kitchen family. In its third generation of family ownership, the privately held company also operates manufacturing facilities in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, and Goodyear, Arizona. Sub-Zero Group, Inc. is continually recognized for the highest achievements in appliance innovation and customer satisfaction. For more information about Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove, visit subzero-wolf.com or follow us on Facebook @subzerowolf and Instagram @subzeroandwolf. For Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Customer Care, call 800-222-7820.