The Saddleback College student scored her second win in the NKBA | KBIS Student Design Competition.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
Cassandra Jerrems will be honored at KBIS 2025 next February with a 2nd-place kitchen prize in the NKBA | KBIS 2023-2024 Student Design Competition. She’s one of an elite few to have won multiple prizes as a student; She also took 3rd place for her bathroom design in the 2021-2022 contest.
Jerrems earned a Level III Interior Design Professional Certificate of Achievement over the summer from Saddleback College, an NKBA Affiliated School in Mission Viejo, CA, and is still taking a few classes in the architecture department. She said the staff at Saddleback was inspirational and helped her to achieve academic success.
“I have developed immense skills and had so much inspiration from the faculty at Saddleback,” Jerrems said. “Professor Farida Gabdrakhmanova, the Interior Design Department Chair and a full-time teacher, motivates students and advocates for all of us so that we may have the confidence and competency to be successful designers.”
She interned at an interior design firm in Pasadena, CA, where she learned about the business, worked with clients, and practiced her drafting skills. But she added that preparing for the NKBA competition was also a solid learning experience.
“I appreciate everything I’ve learned from participating in the NKBA Design Competitions. One of my favorite aspects of the competition is designing for the [fictional] clients,” she said. “I enjoy the technical aspect of design as much as the creative. Through the contest, I was able to practice creating construction and mechanical plans, which really helps bring the creative vision to life. The projects in our program and participating in the NKBA contests developed my computer skills immensely and helped me have a successful first internship.”
Jerrems chatted with NKBA about her competition experience and educational journey.
How did preparing for the contest help you refine your skills?
My drawings for the contest submission challenged me, but I am definitely walking away with better rendering and technical drawing skills. I drew my floor plans in AutoCAD and did 3D renders of the kitchen in SketchUp. I also used Enscape on my renders. The project helped me become even more familiar with Enscape. I changed my cabinetry layout a couple of times, and each time, the cabinetry nomenclature became easier.
You’re one of an elite group to have won multiple Student Design Competition awards. What’s your secret?
Taking the time to iron out all the tiny details and sticking to the design process I learned in my program. I first try to identify the “problem” or purpose of the redesign. It’s very inspiring to imagine what the client’s desired aesthetic is while also maintaining a safe and functional space. After writing down key features the client is looking for, I start creating bubble diagrams and quick hand renders of the space. This helps me be more creative before diving into the more technical steps. I think having a comfortable design process really helps. Trying to problem-solve the space by increasing the functionality before adding the more fun details — tile, countertops, flooring, etc. — really helps!
What advice do you have for students who are considering entering the contest?
Have fun with it! Taking it step by step with the design process makes the end goal so much more achievable. The NKBA Planning Guideline book is an amazing tool to ensure all codes and standards are met, so I always have one close by. It helps when starting the project to think of the clients as real people. The design, first and foremost, should meet the clients’ needs but also represent yourself as a designer. The completed project will make an impressive portfolio piece.
What’s your go-to design aesthetic?
I love so many design styles but mid-century modern will always be my favorite. Visiting Palm Springs and getting to tour William Krisel, John Lautner, and Albert Frey homes made me fall in love with design even more. I tried to have variety with my projects in school since my passion is historic preservation. I would love to be able to design interiors for homes of all eras and styles.
What professional goals do you think you might pursue in the near future?
I plan to continue developing my design skills and eventually become a NCIDQ certified Interior Designer and LEED accredited. I would love to gain experience at an architecture firm, a commercial design firm, and continue learning about kitchen and bath design. I would love to explore set design, too. I hope to expand my knowledge and continue to challenge myself throughout my design career.
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The NKBA | KBIS Student Design Competition for the current 2024-2025 school year is accepting entries through June 6, 2025. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Fisher & Paykel, entry is free, and top winners in each category will receive a scholarship and a travel package (including expo pass, airfare, and hotel) to KBIS 2026. Click for more details and to enter.
