This year’s gala event gains momentum and puts the spotlight on an ever-growing pool of design talent in Ontario
By Fay Splett
CONGRATULATIONS to all of the 2018 NKBA Ontario chapter design competition winners.
The theme of Mixed Metals shined bright at this year’s National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Ontario Chapter awards gala. The annual design event, already in its 15th year, took place at the International Centre in Mississauga on February 10th where the winners and their design excellence were revealed and celebrated.
This annual affair had a record number turnout this year. The gala over the years has grown from a mere 50 attendees to over 300, and sold out a month in advance. It is a much-anticipated event each year by kitchen and bath designers, and the industry suppliers and leaders.
Growing yearly as well is the number and quality of designs that the competition attracts, as the calibre was exceptionally high this year. Some of the past winners have gone on to win North American kitchen and bath design awards.
Entries to the annual competition were judged by a panel of NKBA certified designers (CMKBD, CKD, CBD) and industry experts. All qualifying projects were scored on various criteria, including NKBA guidelines, safety and ergonomics, elements and principles of design, design planning, creativity and presentation.
This year, 36 winners including Pinnacle, were honoured and recognized for their creativity and design excellence at the gala event. There were 10 categories, six specialty categories, the prestigious Pinnacle Award and the People’s Choice Award. New categories added this year included: the Best Before & After Kitchen and the Best Before & After Bath awards. With the growing number of homeowners choosing to stay in their own homes and renovate instead of moving, there were many entries with great examples of dramatic transformations that warranted recognition.
This year’s Pinnacle Award winner was Beverley Binns and her co-designer, Erica Sibley from Binns Kitchen + Bath Design. This prestigious award is selected from all first-place winning designs and represents the best of all entries.
The People’s Choice Award is given to the winner of a contest, run by Homes Publishing Group, of all of the kitchen award-winning designs in the competition. The kitchens are voted on by industry peers as well as the general public. This year’s winner was Art Warren; CMKBD from The Affordable Kitchen Company/Designers Consortium.
By featuring the winning designers at the awards gala and in this publication, it brings awareness of the importance of professional design to both the consumer and within the industry.
PINNACLE AWARD
Beverley Binns Co-designer – Erica Sibley Binns Kitchen + Bath Design
COMPACT KITCHEN
FIRST PLACE Martin de Sousa Binns Kitchen + Bath Design
SECOND PLACE Aleem Ladha Andros Kitchen & Bath Design
THIRD PLACE Frankie Castro Co-designer – Laura Goard Square Footage Inc.
SMALL KITCHEN
FIRST PLACE Laura Goard Co-designer – Frankie Castro Square Footage Inc.
SECOND PLACE Erika Floysvik Fia & Company
THIRD PLACE Erika Floysvik Fia & Company
HONOURABLE MENTION Frankie Castro Co-designer – Laura Goard Square Footage Inc.
MEDIUM KITCHEN
FIRST PLACE Linnea Lions Binns Kitchen + Bath Design
SECOND PLACE Charlie Coull Charlie Coull Design
THIRD PLACE Martin de Sousa Binns Kitchen + Bath Design
HONOURABLE MENTION Andrew Bansley Olympic Kitchens
LARGE KITCHEN
FIRST PLACE Beverley Binns Co-designer – Erica Sibley Binns Kitchen + Bath Design
SECOND PLACE Laura Goard Co-designer – Frankie Castro Square Footage Inc.
THIRD PLACE Nathalie Tremblay Atelier Cachet
POWDER ROOM
FIRST PLACE Linnea Lions Linnea Lions Designs
SECOND PLACE Dvira Ovadia Dvira Interiors
SMALL BATHROOM
FIRST PLACE Erica Sibley Binns Kitchen + Bath Design
SECOND PLACE Anna Zhilkin Sosna Inc.
MEDIUM BATHROOM
FIRST PLACE Laura Goard Co-designer – Frankie Castro Square Footage Inc.
SECOND PLACE Dvira Ovadia Dvira Interiors
LARGE BATHROOM
FIRST PLACE Benjamin John Ouellette BJOID
SECOND PLACE Martin de Sousa Binns Kitchen + Bath Design
THIRD PLACE Laura Goard Co-designer – Frankie Castro Square Footage Inc.
HONOURABLE MENTION Paula Lang Braam’s Custom Cabinets Co-designer – Britt Elgner Olly and Em
OTHER ROOMS
FIRST PLACE Kemi Sijuwade Braam’s Custom Cabinets Co-designer – Joanne Ceranic Studio H Design
SECOND PLACE Victoria Shaw Eggersmann Toronto
PROMOTIONAL DISPLAY John O’Rourke The Brownstone
SPECIALTY AWARDS
BEST TRADITIONAL KITCHEN Art Warren The Affordable Kitchen Company/Designers Consortium
BEST BUDGET KITCHEN Andrea Panacci Olympic Kitchens
BEST GREEN KITCHEN Cassandra Nordell William Standen Co.
BEST BEFORE & AFTER KITCHEN Mary Ellen Lynch Lynch + Comisso Inc.
BEST BEFORE & AFTER BATH Laura Goard Co-designer – Frankie Castro Square Footage Inc.
BEST NEW DESIGNER Aleem Ladha Andros Kitchen & Bath Design
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD Art Warren The Affordable Kitchen Company/Designers Consortium
The mission of the NKBA is to enhance member success and excellence, promote professionalism and ethical business practices, and provide leadership and direction for the kitchen and bath industry worldwide.
Fay Splett – Associate Publisher & Editor of ONTARIO DESIGN, myhomepage.ca .