The Pinnacle of Success

How else to describe his entry in the 2006 NKBA Design Competition that was big enough on design details to earn first-place honors in the “Small Kitchens” category?

He explains: “The clients wanted their kitchen to be as attractive as the adjoining rooms that [featured] fine antiques.”

But, none of the entryways, walls, plumbing or electrical could be moved, and the existing parquet floor had to remain in place.

“The original kitchen was very unbalanced. We really wanted to widen it, and make everything very symmetrical,” he says.

To accomplish this, Trzcinski opted for a more airy look by adding matching storage and appliance cubbies on the walls adjacent to the cooktop.

The look is kept light with cream-glazed, custom maple cabinetry from Premier, seeded glass with wire mesh doors lit from inside, down lighting and undercabinet lights.

He adds: “When you look at the sides of the cabinetry, the sides of the refrigerator and the taller pantry, it looks like a window [because] we used an antique mirror to create some reflective value.”

Likewise, the French stucco hood with wood mantel from Dacor is flanked by butternut display cabinets, with one cabinet concealing a GE microwave behind a flip-up door. Drawers with elegant pulls and finished bun feet – found underneath the cooktop – also create a furniture feel.

He explains: “We had to maintain the wood flooring that was already there, but with the room as small as it was (9.5'x13'), it was really chopped up by the Sub-Zero and oven cabinet. [So we had] to move the tall units next to the Kohler sink. [However], putting the sink between the two taller units, there was not enough counter space to meet the requirements of those designs,” he adds.

Therefore, Trzcinski designed a sliding butcher block for the sink that allowed for countertop space on either side, as needed.

Completing the look are granite countertops.

Second-place honors in this category went to Jennifer Gilmer, CKD, of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, Ltd. in Chevy Chase, MD, who overcame structural challenges to create a stunning kitchen layout.

“There was a support column on the right side of the space, so we made it a design feature,” she says. She adds that the Thermador cooktop was a focal point, while the double ovens were replaced with a single oven under it.

Third-place honors were earned by Jan E. Regis, CMKBD of Pickering, Ontario, Canada-based Binns Kitchen & Bath Design, for an L-shaped kitchen remodel.

Category 2 – Medium Kitchens – 1st Place
Rejuvenated Small Kitchen Converted from Outdated to Old World

Needing to update a small, dark and outdated kitchen, Merrie Fredericks went old school, or rather, “Old World.”

Fredericks, CMKBD, for Newtown Square, PA-based Selective Design and Construction Inc. T/A Design Concepts Plus, explains: “The owners wanted Old World charm in a larger kitchen with a range, wall oven, two sinks, eating for five and a mudroom.”

In fact, she was able to accomplish this task so well that it earned her first-place honors in the “Medium Kitchens” category of this year’s Design Competition.

The kitchen was expanded by adding a mudroom with a stone archway defining the space and ample natural light.

Fredericks also included high-end products to the layout, selecting an oven, microwave and range from Wolf and a Bosch dishwasher.

She concludes that decorative columns, corbels, glass door cabinets, bead board wainscoting and bracket feet were added to enhance the feel, as well.

Second-place honors were earned by Vernon Applegate and co-designer Gioi Tran of San Francisco, CA-based Applegate Tran Interiors, who fused neutral tones with accents of warm red hues and stainless steel to create a minimalistic kitchen.

Third-place honors were earned by Erica Westeroth, CKD, and co-designer Tim Scott from Toronto, Ontario, Canada-based XTC Design Inc. who infused a drab, downtown condominium with natural light and a floorplan geared for entertaining.

Category 3 – Large Kitchens – 1st Place
Contemporary Kitchen Showcases Dramatic Asian Ambience

Sandra Steiner-Houck certainly has a flair for the dramatic – an Asian flair.