The NKBA Student Design Competition is open for entries, inviting student members to showcase their technical skills and creative strengths. Submissions are being accepted through June 6, 2025.
This prestigious competition raises students’ visibility in the industry and helps prepare them for the rigors of actual client design presentations. Each year, NKBA provides a fictional client scenario detailing specific needs and challenges, as well as realistic floor plans the students must use to solve design problems and offer creative solutions. Students may enter in the kitchen category, bath category or both.
Criteria to Consider
Rebecca Torrisi, West Valley College, won first place in the bath category in the 2022-2023 competition. Rendering credit: Courtesy of NKBA
Entries are judged on visual appeal, overall creativity, how the designs solve problems, creative use of materials, elements and principles of design and adherence to NKBA’s 4th Edition Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines and NKBA Graphics & Presentation Standards. Designers must provide a detailed design statement, color perspective and/or detailed drawings of special construction design features, a fully dimensioned floor plan with specifications, construction and mechanical changes and a fully dimensioned elevation for every wall with cabinets, appliances, and fixtures.
The competition is generously sponsored by Fisher & Paykel, and entries must include appliances from the brand, which also provides an online catalog from which to choose. There is no charge to enter.
Setting the Stage for 2025
Tiarra Dyck, Lakeland College, won first place in the kitchen category in the 2022-2023 Student Design Competition. Rendering credit: Courtesy of NKBA
In this year’s competition scenario, a retired professor and her two Labrador Retrievers are relocating to a bungalow in Colorado Springs, Colo. Students will design an open-concept floor plan with plenty of space to entertain friends. The kitchen must be ideally suited to her cooking style, which should incorporate an herb garden and lots of fresh food storage. A new full bathroom will be added on the main floor to accommodate overnight guests and those with mobility issues. The professor loves the craftsman style and wants to keep a historical design vibe for her home while adding all the modern amenities.
Winners will receive complimentary tickets to KBIS 2026, Feb. 17-19 in Orlando, and tickets to the Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards, plus hotel and airfare. The top three entries in each category will also be awarded scholarships: $5,000 for first place, $2,500 for second place and $1,000 for third. Winning designs will be featured in national print and online media as well.
The deadline for submissions is June 6, 2025, at 5 pm EST. For more information, contact Kelly Ann Ryan, NKBA learning programs manager, at [email protected] or click here.
