“Best of the Best” Honored at 11th Kitchen Design Contest Summit & Gala

Sub-Zero and Wolf, the industry leaders in premium refrigeration, wine preservation and cooking equipment, announced the global winners of their 2013-2014 Kitchen Design Contest (KDC) at the “Best of the Best” Winners’ Summit & Gala awards dinner September 14 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The contest’s esteemed panel of judges evaluated more than 1,700 entries from 48 states in the U.S. and 16 countries worldwide to determine 53 regional finalists, from which eight grand-prize winners were selected based on superior use of space, beauty in design, and integration of Sub-Zero and Wolf products in kitchen projects.

Cash prizes totaling $106,000 were given away to global winners in the design categories of First Place Contemporary Kitchen, First Place Transitional Kitchen, First Place Traditional Kitchen, Second Place Contemporary Kitchen, Second Place Transitional Kitchen, Second Place Traditional Kitchen, Designers’ Choice Award, and new this year, First-Time Entrant Award. Over $31,000 in additional cash prizes was awarded earlier in the year to 53 regional winners and one student winner.

“The global winners of the Kitchen Design Contest have their finger on the pulse of innovative design and it is thanks to them that Sub-Zero and Wolf continues to be synonymous with beautiful kitchen design,” said Michele Bedard, vice president of marketing for Sub-Zero and Wolf. “Our panel of judges continues to be impressed with each installment of the contest and this year is no exception. The winning entries featured designs that offered functionality without sacrificing an appealing aesthetic.”

In the category of First Place Contemporary Kitchen, Dovide Secter of Secter Design Limited (Winnipeg, Manitoba) was named the global winner and awarded $20,000. Of the winning kitchen, KDC judge Friedemann Weinhardt stated, “This delightful kitchen had all of the judges fall in love with it...We were impressed by the clever cabinet designs, which allowed the kitchen to be clean and serene when not in use, and busy and functional when this kitchen is reclaimed by the young family.”

In the category of First Place Transitional Kitchen, Mikal Otten of Exquisite Kitchen Design (Denver, C.O.) was named the global winner and was awarded $20,000. Kitchen Design Contest judge Doug Durbin said, “The flow of the spaces and the concealment of an additional pantry and wine room was a great surprise and as we took these elements apart, layer by layer, this was clearly our winner.”

In the category of First Place Traditional Kitchen, William Suk of Suk Design Group LLP (New York, N.Y.), with Bryan Eure of EureHome, took top honors.  Suk was awarded $20,000.  KDC judge Matthew Quinn said of the kitchen, “The execution is flawless. Every connection, every alignment, the integration of the Sub-Zero and Wolf product – it’s all done so well; it’s exemplary.  Light and bright cabinetry, countertops, room expanding beams, polished nickel accents – all of these are the finishing touches and complete the design.”

In the category of Second Place Contemporary Kitchen, Sandra Agurto of Cabinetry Creations, Inc. (Orlando, F.L.), with Phil Kean and Rob Turner of Phil Kean Design Group, and Jose Cabrera of CL Studio, Inc., was named the winner.  Agurto was awarded $10,000. Kitchen Design Contest judge Cristina Menezes noted, “The simple plane allows sophisticated overlap between dining and kitchen, kitchen and breakfast area, and the outdoors.”  Judge E.J. Meade added, “The kitchen was exceptionally edited…It was masterfully executed as an example of ‘just enough.’”

In the category of Second Place Transitional Kitchen, Joel Kelly of Joel Kelly Design (Atlanta, G.A.) was named the winner and awarded $10,000. Kitchen Design Contest judge E.J. Meade said, “It’s a striking composition of color and material…Fittingly it also offers a whimsical addition of a serials of mechanical screens and ladders that literally allows the kitchen itself to be a transition.”

In the category of Second Place Traditional Kitchen, Courtney Ziething of CC and Company Designs (Newport Beach, C.A.) was named the winner and awarded $10,000. Kitchen Design Contest judge Vasi Ypsilantis noted, “Its seamless use of many monochromatic textures created drama and at the same time, maintained warmth and remained a very inviting space.”

The Designers’ Choice award recognized an outstanding project as determined by the design community. Nearly 1,000 members of the trade participated in the online voting process, which spanned the month of July, eventually naming Courtney Ziething of CC and Company Designs (Newport Beach, C.A.) the Designer’s Choice winner for her traditional-style design. She was awarded $8,000.  Judge Jamie Drake commented that the winning design hits on some of the most timely trends today; “Unusual and distinctive finish, stone, the color gray, auxiliary space behind the pantry, outdoor kitchen, multiple dining options, artisanal lighting, and personality-driven furnishings.”

New this year, the First-Time Entrant award was presented to Steven Comisso, with Mary Ellen Lynch, of Lynch + Comisso: Architecture + Light (Toronto, Ontario), for his contemporary-style kitchen. Comisso received $8,000.  KDC judge Jamie Drake noted that the design was, “surprising, fascinating, out of the box, and with a deep conviction to its vision.” Drake also remarked that the space possesses a monolithic but truly transparent cooking center.

A North American student winner was also honored at the Kitchen Design Contest gala awards dinner. The panel of judges’ collective sentiment is that that it is very special to see what young minds are doing with design and how they are applying technology to our craft. Jackie Vargas of Houston, Texas was named the winner and awarded $5,000.

The expertise of the 2013-2014 Kitchen Design Contest panel of judges spans design and architectural disciplines within the kitchen design industry, and includes previous contest winners, new and veteran judges. These seven internationally renowned design experts include Jamie Drake of Drake Design Associates, New York, N.Y.; Doug Durbin of nuHaus, Chicago, Ill.; E.J. Meade of Arch 11, Inc., Boulder, Colo.; Cristina Menezes of Arquitetura e Decoração LTDA, Brazil; Matthew Quinn of Design Galleria, Atlanta, Ga.; Friedemann Weinhardt of Design First Interiors, Ottawa, Ontario; and Vasi Ypsilantis of The Breakfast Room, Ltd., Manhasset, N.Y.

The 2013-2014 Kitchen Design Contest’s 53 regional winners received a trip for two to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, an AAA Five-Diamond resort in Scottsdate, Arizona. The winners’ summit included an awards dinner and gala, a tour of Sub-Zero Group, Inc.’s Arizona facility, a variety of activities from which to choose, and many opportunities to relax and interact with their peers – some of the best design professionals in the world.

Eligibility for the Kitchen Design Contest required that all design and construction be fully completed within the contest period of January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2014. Qualifying designs had to include at least one full-size Sub-Zero built-in or integrated refrigeration unit and at least one Wolf cooking appliance as primary food preparation equipment, including ranges, rangetops, ovens and cooktops. For more information on the Kitchen Design Contest, including contest timeline, awards and prizes, an introduction to the judges, and official rules, visit subzero-wolf.com/contest.