Fabrication Innovation Garners Honors for Two Kitchens, Baths

FORT ATKINSON, WI - When SolidSurface magazine, owned by KBDN parent company Cygnus Business Media, announced its 2005 Design Contest, entries poured in from fabricators across the U.S., and around the world.

A wealth of creative projects were reviewed by a panel of judges chosen by SolidSurface, based here. But the judges were looking for more than just innovation for innovation's sake. "The point of the contest isn't about putting fabricators head-to-head, but more to show the real-world potential that exists for the materials. Our winners fit that bill," according to SolidSurface.

Judging criteria included overall creativity and beauty of design, quality of execution, and innovative use of materials.

Winners were named in five categories: best residential kitchen, best residential bath, best commercial/institutional, best non-traditional application and best overall design.

There were plenty of eye-catching kitchens to choose from, with top honors in this category going to Spectrum Surfaces in Green Bay, WI for a project in Pound, WI. The Pinske Edge in Plato, MN took second place in this category for a project in Glencoe, MN.

Baths were well spotlighted in the competition, as well, with top honors in the bath category going to Onalaska, WI-based Solid Surface Specialist for a master bath in LaCrosse, WI. Art-Tech Surfacing Inc. in Knoxville, TN earned second place for its fiber-optic vanity for a master bath in LaFollett, TN.

Other winning designs included an unusual billiard table created by the Top Shop in Salinas, CA, which won first place in the best non-traditional application category, and unusual egg-shaped tables, designed by Sterling Surfaces, which took second place in this category.

This month, Kitchen & Bath Design News spotlights the winning kitchen and bath designs.

DUE NORTH

The owners of the first-place- winning kitchen had chosen traditional, raised-panel cabinetry at Midwest Cabinets for their kitchen remodel, and had a standard suite of appliances in place. But they couldn't decide on a specific direction for the countertops.

It was Spectrum Surfaces that set them on the right path: due north. "We started out with a plain top, but after they saw one in the showroom with some detail, it gave them some ideas. Ultimately, we came up with a compass design that pointed due north," explains Spectrum designer Cindy Boyd.

With the help of Boyd and Scott Tate, Spectrum's owner, the clients chose the look for the compass design. Karadon's Northstar Black Sea solid surface served as a backdrop for the compass design that helped this project win top honors in its category. It was comprised of LG HI-MACS' Coconut Ice and Silver Night solid surface.

"One of the biggest challenges on this project was getting the compass to read true north in the kitchen," relates Tate. "The assembly of the star was also very challenging since all of the pieces had to be glued at one time with two different colors of adhesives so all of the pieces could fit back in their place."

Tate worked with his team of Spectrum fabricators on a solution that involved using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine true north - although it would not work in the house.

"The compass measurements were taken outside and then imposed upon the compass. [Then] everything was dry fit first so it all matched up properly before assembly began," notes Tate.

The Spectrum team complemented the look by pouring a 1/4"-wide black strip 2" from the front edge on the rest of the countertops. They used the same Northstar Black Sea solid surface.

DETAILS, DETAILS

The owners of the second-place kitchen wanted to transform their dated, closed-in space into an inviting open one with a center island for family gatherings. Enter Tom Pinske at The Pinske Edge, and kitchen and bath designer Jamie Thoele at Plato Custom Concepts - an offshoot of The Pinske Edge that handles kitchen design and installation.