The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and GE announced the winners of the 2011 NKBA/GE Charette competition, which awards students more than $20,000 in scholarships. This competition recognizes students who demonstrate kitchen design skills by planning a safe, functional kitchen within a three-hour period.
“GE is committed to the emerging design community and proud to recognize the talent and creativity of students at NKBA-accredited colleges,” said Brandon Hochhalter, Monogram marketing manager. “It is exciting to see the designs including GE Monogram appliances in their kitchens. We congratulate all the finalists for their outstanding designs.”
More than 400 students from 28 colleges participated in the challenge, which tests students’ abilities to apply their knowledge of kitchen design by producing a floor plan with specifications, a design statement and a perspective or elevation of a kitchen featuring GE appliances—all within three hours. Each of the 28 colleges chose up to three local winners to award $50 each.
This year’s scenario asked students to design a kitchen using GE Monogram series appliances into the design for their clients, Greg and Mariana Temple. Mrs. Temple has just published a cookbook and hosts cooking classes in her ranch home. The clients wanted a contemporary-style kitchen with seating for four and space for seven people to watch the cooking class.
All designs had to adhere to the NKBA Planning Guidelines, as well as to NKBA Graphic and Presentation Standards. First-place winner (work pictured above) Kelsey Warren, from Alexandria Technical College, in Alexandria, MN, was able to create a design that best utilized the space to meet the needs of the Temples and was aesthetically pleasing. She created a strong focal point for the room by placing decorative glass tiles above the GE Monogram 36-in. dual-fuel range and under the GE Monogram professional stainless steel hood. Art was added to two walls to accentuate the vertical feel of the room.
The other award recipients included second-place winner Katelyn Shipe from Virginia Tech; third place was given to Ryan Young, East Carolina University; Courtney Simper, of Brigham Young University-Idaho, received forth place; and Jennifer McKell, of Brigham Young University-Idaho, was given the fifth-place award.
