The Pinnacle of Success

That flair was clearly evident in the kitchen she designed, which earned first-place honors in the “Large Kitchens” category in this year’s NKBA Design Competition.

Specifically, Steiner-Houck, CKD, of Steiner & Houck, Inc. in Columbia, PA, was asked to create a livable, yet sophisticated kitchen that offered subtle, Zen-like elements for a family of five.

To achieve the look, she began with quartered cherry veneers from Premier Custom Built, Inc. blended with granite countertops as well as a stainless steel island top and glass.

“The kitchen was designed with multiple islands to open the work areas. Maximum counter space was provided and wall cabinets were minimized to retain an open feel and allow the view to be a focal point,” she says.

To create the streamlined effect, Steiner-Houck utilized built-in and fully integrated appliances, including a Sub-Zero; a Wolf cooktop and ventilation hood; two Bosch dishwashers and two GE ovens. The Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer were specified as 36" dedicated units to provide maximum storage.

“By floating the sandblasted glass bar top, the space retained a lighter, more elegant feel,” she adds. “[Meanwhile] the wet bar was positioned out of the work area and convenient to the dining room for entertaining.”

The look is completed by a Marvel wine cooler and an In-Sink-Erator disposal as well as Grohe fixtures and sphere-shaped, stainless steel wall sconces from LBL.

Marcy Adler Wells, CKD of Fair Lawn, NJ-based Sticks n’ Stones, in conjunction with Ridgewood, NJ-based Ulrich, Inc., earned second-place honors in the “Large Kitchens” category with a galley-style kitchen that features an inviting, off-white paint with brown glaze and serves as the ideal gathering place for the client’s family. The design is capped off by Banquette cabinets from Wood-Mode, a Wolf range and oven, and granite countertops.

Earning third-place honors was Susan Klimala of Glen Ellyn, IL-based The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn, who turned a 1950s-style Garrison colonial kitchen into a highly functional space with a range, dishwasher and refrigerator from Viking Range Corp. and Vermont Soapstone countertops with a cherry butcher block as part of the large, central island.

Category 4 – Open Plan Kitchens – 2nd Place
Unique, Open Plan Kitchen Promotes ‘Addition by Subtraction’

For Timothy Jerome Huber, design success came through an act of subtraction.

Earning second-place honors in the “Open Plan Kitchens” category, Huber, CKD of Scottsdale, AZ-based Affinity Kitchen Design Group, Inc. – along with co-designer Larry Langhurst of Phoenix, AZ-based Woodesign, Inc. – utilized space occupied by a walk-in pantry to create a reorganized layout, complete with a second island and a plethora of high-end products from KitchenAid, Sub-Zero and Wolf, among others.

Huber explains: “The walk-in pantry occupied nearly a quarter of the space, so it had to go – and the clients agreed.”

With extra space freed, Huber and Langhurst installed a freestanding double entry china cabinet with aluminum framed matte glass doors.

The pair also replaced the outdated commercial range with a modern, residential range from Wolf and topped it with a custom stainless steel ventilating hood. The space also offers a Wolf microwave, oven and warming drawer.

Perhaps the most unique part of the space, Huber adds, is the use of the Inca plasma television.

“The plasma was placed next to the fireplace and remains visible from the kitchen by the use of a motorized TV lift and swivel controlled by a remote,” he offers.

The look is completed with a KitchenAid dishwasher; a Sub-Zero refrigerator and wine cooler, and Scotsman icemaker.

Sandy E. Hayes, CKD, CBD of Portland, OR-based Hayes Design, LLC earned third-place honors by updating an outdated kitchen with a two-level, curved island; a side storage garage in the side of the pantry and a grand cooking area on a new, angled wall.

(For information about the first -place winner in this category, see Best Overall Design story at top.)

Category 5 – Powder Rooms – 1st Place
Award-Winning Powder Room Recaptures Authentic Victorian Styling