Roos, along with co-designers Leah Dunne, Nicole Sirek and Nancy Baker, won first place in two categories plus the Best Overall Kitchen prize.
By NKBA Staff
Luxurious materials, dramatic lighting, and exquisite design characterized the winning projects in NKBA’s 2025-2026 Professional Design Competition. The winners were announced at KBIS last month, and Kate Roos, principal and lead designer at Kate Roos Design, along with co-designers Leah Dunne, and from Partners 4 Design, Nicole Sirek and Nancy Baker, took top honors for best overall kitchen, as well as first place in two categories — Large Kitchen and Specialty Kitchen — earning a total of $35,000 in cash prizes.
Minneapolis-based Roos, a member of NKBA’s Minnesota State Chapter, created a spectacular modern “Castle Kitchen.” Respecting the 1903 provenance of the historic mansion, the team incorporated dramatic elements including stone arches, an oversized island and a full-height marble backsplash. Luxe finishes, 14 state-of-the-art appliances, custom cabinetry, and a dramatic mélange of color and pattern restored and modernized the space.
“The foundation stone used on this historic home is rock-faced Platteville limestone, which truly tested our lead carpenter’s skills when installing the cabinetry,” Roos said in describing one of the renovation’s biggest challenges. “Every piece of millwork had to be scribed to fit the undulating texture of the stone.”
Hidden channels and cavities keep plumbing and electrical lines from disturbing the original stone walls, while unique details like a hand-gilded mirror, an antiqued-brass range hood and walnut cabinetry inserts add elegance befitting the grandeur of this turn-of-the-century home, which was also part of the ASID Showcase House (seen here).
The overall home renovation included a major reassignment of spaces, as the area now used as the kitchen and scullery was originally the porte-cochère at the back of the house. “A past renovation enclosed the space and relocated the kitchen from a small area on the home’s opposite side,” Roos pointed out. “This new kitchen location is grand and impressive, befitting a home of this size and historic importance.”
Roos founded her award-winning design firm in 2015, and her work has been featured locally and nationally in design media. She talked about the concept for the space and the unique features of the Castle Kitchen.
NKBA: You were inspired by the historic nature of the home — what elements were most characteristic of this theme in your design? How did you decide on a “castle” theme?
Kate Roos: The homeowners affectionately named their home the “Pillsbury Castle,” so this term was part of the design from the start. The historic Pillsbury Mansion was built in 1903 by Alfred F. Pillsbury, son of the co-founder of Pillsbury Flour Milling Company. It’s constructed entirely of Platteville limestone, which gives the home a castle-like appearance. Alfred Pillsbury and his wife were avid collectors of ancient Asian art, and amassed a huge collection of Chinese bronzes, jade, and porcelain. This definitely inspired our design. Incorporating the Asian inspired wallpaper on the ceiling was our nod to Pillsbury’s love of art.
NKBA: What features did you include that are especially designed for entertaining?
KR: The most obvious feature for entertaining is the scullery. This area can do all the heavy lifting during a party while the main kitchen remains an impressive showpiece. We intentionally designed the space to handle large numbers of people with exceptionally wide aisles and ample room to circulate. Additionally, the space’s original architecture provides wide stone window ledges for extra seating.
NKBA: Did you have in mind from the start to create two kitchen spaces — the scullery and the “clean” kitchen?
KR: The homeowners wanted the space divided into a scullery and a main kitchen. Because they planned to host many events requiring caterers, having the scullery was necessary. We designed the separation between the two spaces with cabinetry featuring integrated doors that look like panels when open and hide the catering from guests when closed.
NKBA: What was the thinking behind how you separated them — are all the cleaning appliances in the scullery?
KR: No, we have cleaning appliances in both spaces, so each area can be used independently. The homeowners use the scullery for baking, which features a 36-inch-wide oven and plenty of storage for baking equipment. Everyday cooking and entertaining happen in the main kitchen.
NKBA: What smart-home technology and special appliances did you integrate?
KR: The kitchen and scullery are full of state-of-the-art appliances from Gaggenau. Between the two spaces, we have a 30-inch refrigerator column, a 24-inch freezer column, a 24-inch wine refrigerator, a single oven, a combi-steam oven, a warming drawer, a vacuum drawer, an espresso machine, two dishwashers, a 36-inch induction cooktop, one 15-inch gas cooktop, a 15-inch teppanyaki, a combi-microwave, a 24-inch induction cooktop, an ice maker, a beverage refrigerator, a 36-inch single oven, a downdraft vent, and a 60-inch hood vent.
—This year, NKBA awarded $140,000 in cash prizes to winners of the professional Design Competition in seven categories: Small, Large and Specialty Kitchen; Primary, Secondary and Powder Room Bath, and Smart Home Technology in partnership with CEDIA. The NKBA will begin accepting entries for the professional Design Competition in May, with winners honored at KBIS 2027 in Las Vegas, Feb. 2 to 4. Learn more about entering here.
