It was a good year for Minnesota designers at the 2010 National Kitchen and Bath Design Competition. Local firms were top finishers in three different design categories:
Tricia Bayer and Jean-Claude Desjardins of Belle Kitchen (top right) and John Sylvestre of Sylvestre Construction (bottom right) placed second in the medium kitchen and small bathroom categories, respectively. Rosemary Merrill of Casa Verde Design returned home with a second and third place finish in the showroom division.
Bayer and Desjardin’s installation, “Dramatic Spaces,” combines reflective stainless steel and textured gray paneling with floating walnut shelves and warm, bold flooring to create a sleek and cohesive kitchen. Sylvestre chose warm-colored marble for his luxury spa bath, which sets the tone for a cozy and pampered atmosphere. Merrill’s two showroom kitchens are wholly different from one another: The loft kitchen gets a restored warehouse effect from horizontal grain walnut-veneer cabinets and custom-painted glass; the second, with its soapstone countertops and wood panels, demonstrates how to integrate new appliances into an older home.
The annual competition recognizes kitchen and bath designers across North America. See more winning installations at NKBA, and watch for award-winning kitchens and baths from the Minnesota chapter of NKBA in the September/October issue of Midwest Home magazine.