Winners were honored at the Design & Industry Awards, Feb. 16, at KBIS in Orlando.
By NKBA Staff
Winners of the NKBA’s 2024-2025 Student Design Competition demonstrated thoughtful planning, technical acumen, and creative design as they showcased their aesthetic expertise in the most recent contest.
The competition is generously sponsored by Fisher & Paykel, and winners were recognized at KBIS 2026 during the Design + Industry Awards.
Aspiring designers could submit entries for kitchens and/or bathrooms. There is no fee to enter the competition (or to become a student member), and participants must be NKBA student members enrolled in an educational institution at the time of entry.
In the bath category, first place went to Emma Bunz, 20, of Lakeland College, while Allison Hedrick, 33, of Portland Community College, took home the top prize for her kitchen design.
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 winners are:
Kitchen
First Place: Allison Hedrick, Portland Community College, Portland, OR
Second Place: Rachel Mendoza, Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario
Third Place: Kateryna Ponomarova, Montgomery College, Rockville, MD
Bath
First Place: Emma Bunz, Lakeland College, Vermilion, Alberta
Second Place: Catherine Wright, Century College, White Bear Lake, MN
Third Place: Kateryna Ponomarova, Montgomery College, Rockville, MD
Entries were judged on visual appeal, creativity, the elements and principles of design, the NKBA’s 4th Edition Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines, NKBA Graphics & Presentation Standards, and how well the designers met their client’s needs. More than 200 students entered, competing for scholarships of $5,000 for first place, $2,500 for second place, and $1,000 for third place. Winners also received complimentary KBIS registration, an expo pass, a ticket to the awards and opening night party, airfare, and lodging. The 2025-2026 Student Design Competition is open and accepting entries through June 5, 2026.
Learn more about the NKBA Student Design Competition here.
Sponsored by:
