Winners of the 2024-2025 NKBA Student Design Competition demonstrated thoughtful planning, technical acumen and creative design as they showcased their aesthetic expertise in the most recent contest.
The NKBA Student Design Competition was generously sponsored by Fisher & Paykel, and winners will be recognized at KBIS 2026 in Orlando during the Design + Industry Awards on Feb. 16 – the night before KBIS opens its three-day run at the Orange County Convention Center.
Aspiring designers could submit entries for kitchens and/or bathrooms. There is no fee to enter the competition (or to become a student member), and participants must be NKBA student members enrolled in an educational institution at the time of entry.
In the bath category, first place went to Emma Bunz, 20, of Lakeland College, while Allison Hedrick, 33, of Portland Community College, took home the top prize for her kitchen design.
Judges included Rebecca Sutton, CMKBD, CKBR, senior designer at Kitchen Design Concepts in Dallas; Jenni Russell, CMKBD, of Design in Perspective in Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Paula Kennedy, CMKBD, owner of Timeless Kitchen Design in Seattle and an educator at the Heritage School of Interior Design.
Valuable Judges’ Feedback
“When judging student design competitions, I can’t help but wear both hats – teacher and designer,” said Kennedy. “The teacher in me remembers these are students still learning the language of design, not seasoned professionals. The designer in me sees the potential, the raw spark and the fresh eyes that remind me what ‘beginner’s mind’ really means. Students often think more freely because they’re not yet bound by years of ‘this is how it’s done.’ That freedom can lead to brilliant innovation or ideas that need grounding in reality. My role is to balance both perspectives: celebrating their creativity while considering execution, safety and communication. A stunning rendering that ignores client needs or construction feasibility isn’t good design – it’s an idea in progress.”
Sutton, who works with the advisory board of the RED Program at her alma mater, Virginia Tech, praised the winning designs for their aesthetics and their higher level of detail on certain elements – like how door or window casing affects cabinet function.
“There are a lot of small technical misses on a majority of projects, where there just may be a knowledge gap in real-life application as opposed to making something fit and look good on paper,” she said. “I highly recommend looking at those small details, like corners, appliance installation or supporting walls. Mostly, we’re seeing great adherence to NKBA standards, like drawings in inches, properly sized passageways, clearances for doors, etc.”
NKBA Student Design Competition Assignment
In this competition, aspiring designers were tasked with renovating a kitchen and/or bathroom using floor plans and a client profile that described specific needs and required the use of Fisher & Paykel appliances. Their fictitious client was Lydia Bachman, a retired anthropology professor who recently relocated to an 1895 Craftsman-style bungalow in a vibrant neighborhood in Colorado Springs. Lydia wanted to make the kitchen and bath areas more accommodating for guests, and the renovation needed to create a great space for pursuing hobbies and entertaining, as well as accommodate her two Labrador Retrievers. She wanted an open plan that’s still charming and inviting and an herb garden – essential to her passion for cooking. The bungalow featured a recently remodeled basement with a primary bedroom and bathroom.
Kitchen winner Hedrick (above) said her biggest challenge was using the L-shaped space. “Creating a layout that had a pleasing flow and created a more open space while still preserving the Craftsman aesthetic required a lot of experimentation,” she said. “My design was titled ‘A Walk Through Redwoods’ because I was deeply inspired by that concept – the beautiful wood, the deep shades of green and the golden light shining through. I was also inspired by the beautiful casework and millwork inherent to Craftsman houses and wanted to showcase them in my design.”
Bunz (above) said the main challenge in her winning bathroom design was ensuring it was fully accessible for all without sacrificing aesthetics. “Balancing safety, comfort and beauty was both complex and rewarding,” she said. “I learned how important it is to balance creativity with practicality. The process taught me to refine details carefully and adapt my design to meet accessibility standards, while keeping the space warm and inviting.”
Strong College Prep
Both winners said their school programs prepared them well for the competition, and Kennedy observed that the entries reflected that instructors at these colleges are stressing functionality in design.
“It’s super easy to get caught up just in the aesthetics and gloss over the function,” she added. “In kitchen and bath design, function has to come first. What stands out most is how quickly you can see each student’s natural strengths. Some think spatially, others conceptually, some are natural problem-solvers. Kitchen and bath design demands both hemispheres of the brain – the creative and the technical – and the best student entries reflect that balance.”
“Thinking about how things work in real life is crucial to creating a winning kitchen or bathroom design,” added Sutton. “The winning designs not only ensure that anyone can use the space if it were built as drawn, but they also pay special attention to how the client is going to use the space.”
Entries were judged on visual appeal, creativity, the elements and principles of design, the NKBA’s 4th Edition Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines, NKBA Graphics & Presentation Standards and how well the designers met their client’s needs. More than 200 students entered, competing for scholarships of $5,000 for first place, $2,500 for second place and $1,000 for third place. Winners also receive complimentary KBIS registration, an expo pass, a ticket to the awards and opening night party, airfare and lodging. The 2025-2026 NKBA Student Design Competition is open and accepting entries through June 5, 2026.
Learn more at nkba.org/student-design-competition
