KBB Design Awards
KBB WINNING DESIGNS
KBB Design Awards
Yes, it’s that time again. The editors of K+BB are proud and excited to announce the winners of the 2007 K+BB Design Awards. This year’s competition received more than 70 entries, many of which exhibited a level of design expertise and execution that, in light of these difficult economic times, has heartening to see. This year, 18 stellar designs made the list and are showcased in the following pages. Congratulations to all of our winners!
Paradise Found
A sleek and modern Maui kitchen redefines the traditional spirit of island life
By Holly Berecz
Gentle island breezes…breathtaking natural beauty…the smell of the salty sea…there is no place on earth like Hawaii. Just steps away from the Pacific Ocean, where seductive views unfurl in all directions, this Maui estate provided the perfect canvas on which to create a kitchen that embraces the spirit of Aloha.
Project designer Lindsey Schultz, ALLIED MEMBER ASID, of Ownby Design, knew the goal was to design a multifunctional and aesthetically inspiring space that would reflect the home’s surroundings. But she also wanted to redefine the concept of luxury island living by creating a kitchen to meet all modern culinary needs as well as complement the home’s minimal architecture. “I took the traditional style of Hawaiian décor to another level,” Schultz explained. “I wanted the home to still feel very much like an island kitchen, but without the kitschy Tiki and hibiscus-patterned elements.”
The styling and detailing of the cabinetry provided the starting point for the overall linearity of the space. Schultz designed each door and drawer section to be broken up by a 1-in. reveal applied to the face and side panels of all of the cabinets. She pitched the stile and rail on the cabinet faces to ass another layer of dimension to the design. Integrated pulls aid in creating a clean, minimal space.
While African mahogany is typically the wood of choice for millwork in Hawaii, Schultz chose Sapele, which is similar in tone but has a stronger straight-grain pattern, further enforcing the linear design. “The Sapele woof has a ribbon effect in the light. When the sun hits the surface, the light just dances,” she said. Exquisite ceiling beams of the same wood unify the kitchen with the adjacent bar and dining room areas. “It’s a simple approach, but layering planar elements on the ceiling unifies the three spaces while providing a sense of separation from the rest of the home,” added Schultz.
An ideal gathering spot, the kitchen features a spacious preparation island with plenty of room for friends and family to help out. Features fit for a gourmet include a sink that’s modern and angular in design, but highly functional. Its beveled lip design mimics the pitched stiles and rails of the cabinet fronts and allows cutting boards and draining trays to slide across the surface with ease. A hard-working, pull-down spray faucet with “trigger” control aids in vegetable washing and clean up. The island also includes dual refrigerator drawers for an infinite number of food and beverage storage options as well as a pair of dishwashers for fast post-party cleaning.
Striking honed black granite countertops, which complement rather than complete with the cabinetry detailing, cover all of the horizontal surfaces, including the preparation island, countertops and tiered breakfast bar. Designed by Schultz to have no vertical supports, the unusual breakfast bar echoes the linearity of the rest of the space while providing an eye-catching focal point. Fabricated of steel-enforced granite, the cantilevered bar forms the boundary between spaces for social circulation and meal preparation.
“The home was designed to bring the outside in, and keeping that feeling consistent in the kitchen was essential,” explained Schultz. She framed the hood and backsplash area with windows, showcasing the landscaping beyond and allowing the look of traditional Hawaiian lava rock to come inside and contrast with the Sapele wood, black granite and stainless steel. The cooking area features a 48-in. dual-fuel range, stainless-steel backsplash and ultra-contemporary stainless hood. In addition to an abundance of cabinet storage, Schultz designed appliance garages on either side of the range to keep essential tools handy, but neatly tucked out of sight.
Schultz continued her fusion of traditional wood and modern materials by incorporating a side-by-side stainless-steel refrigerator, stainless dual convection ovens and a glass front wine storage unit. These are offset by rich Sabbia limestone flooring, which continues throughout the home and outside in the pool lanai area, further unifying the indoor and outdoor spaces. Along the back of the home, 10-ft. sliding glass doors fully retract into stone columns, completely opening up the home to the ocean breezes.
Of this winning design, Schultz said, “The design of this kitchen reflects the sensibility that small, simple details, when applied in a thoughtful manner and repeated, can have a dramatic impact. And a rectilinear, modern design can still reflect the purity and simplicity of Hawaiian life.”
SHEER PARADISE
This Hawaiian bath lets nature rule
By Sallie Moffat
Originally created as a retreat for holiday-goers, but now home to one lucky family, Kahana Paradise, an oceanfront estate on the island of Maui in Hawaii, sits out on the end of a short peninsula with views of Lanai and Molokai. Inside, up on the second floor, is one of its master baths, which takes advantage of this sweeping panorama for an escape like no other.
That the bathroom was meant to be used by numerous “clients” was “actually a driving factor behind the design of the whole house,” said Lindsey Schultz, project designer at Ownby Design. “We wanted a modern design that felt comfortable and could really be enjoyed and appreciated even by those who say they don’t like modern design.” In order to achieve this in the bathroom, Schultz followed the linear architecture of the home, choosing finishes and fixtures to keep the contemporary elements soft, thus establishing a modern island aesthetic.
Because large windows and a glass door (leading to a private lanai) afford both mountain and ocean views, Schultz and designer Claire Ownby chose earth-toned materials to create a non-competitive environment that allows the vibrant colors of the landscape to shine. As the base material for the space, sandy-colored Sabbia limestone in slab form makes up the countertop, vanity backsplash ledge, tub deck and the shower’s bench seat, while 12-in. x 24-in. tiles, laid in a brick pattern, cover the floor. The natural hues extend to the 1-in.-sq. glass mosaic tiles that encompass the shower and cover the vanity backsplash and tub deck walls, where a combination of browns, creams, and grays mimics the landscape’s highlights and shadows for a warm, comforting feel.
To further enhance the openness of the room, a floating vanity—complete with pullout trays and under-vanity-lighting – was designed, which features conical, steel-gray, stone vessel sinks paired with modern wall-mounted faucets. Above the half-wall that serves as the vanity backsplash hang two mirrors that accentuate the modern, linear architecture. “I love the entire composition,” noted Shultz. “By splitting the mirrors, it creates personal space in a shared area.”
The open design continues to the tub and shower, where unobstructed views of the lush landscape create a sense of calm. In the shower, whose tub-facing side is clear glass, the homeowners can enjoy a steam shower or be massaged by multiple jetted shower tiles. One interesting element is a narrow window cut into the shower wall. “Not only does it add another level of visual interest, but it serves to keep the bathroom feeling light and open,” explained Schultz.
The whirlpool tub, filled from a ceiling-mounted faucet, is also enhanced by a unique element—a soft glow from cove lighting above, a feature that “really completes the space and finishes the story,” said Schultz. And this is one story with a very happy ending.
PRODUCTS:
1.Kohler’s Poise undercoated kitchen sink combines convenient functionality with angular design elements. Featuring a roomy 9-in. depth, its solid 16-gauge stainless-steel construction offers exceptional durability. The sink comes with coordinating bamboo cutting board and basin rack and features SilentShield sound-absorption technology. Circle No. 256
2.The Ladylux Café spray pull-down faucet from Grohe offers a striking dual-spray “trigger” control that allows for convenient switching between regular water flow and a spray flow. A smartly designed lever allows fingertip control of water temperature and flow. The faucet also features a 360-degree swivel spout and SpeedClean anti-scale system. Circle No. 257
3.Designed by Lindsey Schultz, the Sapele cabinets helped set the stage for the rest of the kitchen design. Doors and drawer sections are each broken up by a reveal, and stiles and rails are pitched to add an extra layer of visual sophistication. Circle No. 258
4.Sub-Zero’s 700 series refrigerator drawers provide 5 cu. ft. of storage and comes in classic, platinum and carbon stainless-steel finishes; custom panels are also available for integrated designs. Controls are located in front for ease of use, removable dividers and a crisper cover are included. Circle No. 259
5.The stainless-steel Plane wall-mount hood from Italy’s Futuro Futuro measures 36 in. wide, 18 in. deep and has an adjustable height of 24 to 43 in. Convenient features include four speed electronic controls, delayed shut-ff, an electronic filter cleaning reminder and a sound-absorbing motor chamber and whisper quiet blower. Circle No. 260