The Georgian College student earned a $2,500 scholarship for her “Colorado Heart” kitchen design.
By NKBA Staff
Aspiring kitchen and bath designer Rachel Mendoza has won second-place honors in the annual NKBA | KBIS Student Design Competition. Mendoza, a student at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, impressed judges with her project to transform an 1895 cottage kitchen into a modern space that preserves the home’s historic Craftsman style.
NKBA | KBIS honors six outstanding Student Design Competition winners in the annual competition, which is generously sponsored by Fisher & Paykel. Awards include a $5,000 scholarship for first place, $2,500 for second place, and $1,000 for third place, and winners will be celebrated on Monday, Feb. 16, during the Design & Industry Awards at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando during KBIS 2026.
Judges included Rebecca Sutton, CMKBD, CKBR, senior designer at Kitchen Design Concepts in Dallas; Jenni Russell, CMKBD, of Design in Perspective in Colorado Springs, CO; and Paula Kennedy, CMKBD, owner of Timeless Kitchen Design in Seattle and an educator at the Heritage School of Interior Design.
The project required a space that accommodates Lydia Bachman, a retired college professor and devoted home cook who loves to entertain, her two Labrador retrievers, and frequent guests. The original space was choppy and small, so Mendoza redesigned the main floor, removing walls to create a smooth-flowing, open-concept design, usurping an office and incorporating kitchen and dining areas.
She added a peninsula to accommodate guests and serve as an informal eating, prep, and gathering space, and took advantage of large windows in the original office space to flood the redesigned kitchen with natural light from the Colorado countryside.
Mendoza used Fisher & Paykel’s 36-inch induction range, a microwave drawer, and a French-door refrigerator integrated with the cabinetry. She also added an indoor herb garden to provide year-round fresh ingredients.
She also incorporated a dog nook and feeding spot nestled in a void over a staircase, so her pets had their own easily accessible space near the action in the kitchen.
The cabinetry, featuring numerous pullouts and storage solutions, included warm Wilsonart walnut woodgrain and white matte finishes, with Cosentino’s Dekton Taga countertops for a stone-like elegance.
“This design honors Lydia’s past while supporting her future, combining the comfort of tradition with the innovation of modern design,” Mendoza wrote in her design statement. “The kitchen is now a refined yet relaxed gathering space for Lydia, her beloved dogs, and the many guests she’ll continue to welcome.”
About the NKBA | KBIS Student Design Competition
The NKBA Student Design Competition allows emerging designers to showcase their talent on an industry-wide stage and gain invaluable visibility. Winning entries are recognized at KBIS, featured in NKBA editorial content, and awarded scholarships.
How to Enter
The competition is open exclusively to NKBA Student Members enrolled in an educational institution at the time of submission. Students may enter the kitchen competition, the bath competition, or both.
Entries must follow NKBA Graphics & Presentation Standards and include dimensioned drawings, renderings, a concept board, and a design statement between 500 and 1,000 words. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
Projects must be submitted through Award Force, where students can upload, edit, and finalize materials, and the submission deadline is June 5, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET.
Winners also receive complimentary registration, airfare, hotel accommodations, and access to KBIS 2027 in Las Vegas.
Competition Scenario: 2025–2026 — “The Great Indoors: Texas Edition”
This year’s participants are tasked with reimagining the kitchen and primary bath of the Williams-Garcia family home in Dallas’s Preston Hollow neighborhood. The challenge invites students to design for a bustling household of five that values hospitality, family connection, and high-functioning spaces for cooking, gathering, and retreat.
Students must balance bold style, functionality, accessibility, and clever space-planning to create environments that support the family today — and adapt gracefully for years to come.
For more information, visit the Student Design Competition page at nkba.org.
