Month: August 2010

KBDi design20ten Award Winners

The winners of the KBDi design20ten national awards have been announced. Congratulations to all who entered. The judges were impressed by many of the entries and were excited to see more designers using the professional methods of documentation that are recommended by the Institute.

For both kitchen and bathroom designs, the entries which stood out as finalists commonly displayed: a clever sense of design style; a strong understanding of the rules and regulations which govern a functional design; professional documentation which clearly demonstrated all facets of the design; attention to the inclusion of eco sustainable products, fittings and fixtures and, of course, effective achievement of the client brief within budget.

And the winners are…

National Certified Designer of the Year: Darren James









National Kitchen Designer of the Year: Lee Hardcastle







National Bathroom Designer of the Year: Eileen Middleton








National Unique Project of the Year: Justin Putric

Kitchen Designer of the Year VIC & Large Kitchen Vic: Markus Sawatzki
Kitchen Designer of the Year NSW & Medium Kitchen NSW: Gavin Hepper
Small Kitchen NSW: John Little
Small Kitchen Qld: Mal Corboy
Small Kitchen Tas/Vic: Patricia LaTorre
Medium Kitchen SA/WA: Tony Warren
Medium Kitchen Vic: Lindsay Williams
Medium Kitchen Qld: Darren James
Large Kitchen SA: Haris Bahityarov
Large Kitchen WA: Kordula Stuart
Large Kitchen NSW: Geoff Little
Large Kitchen Qld: Lee Hardcastle

Bathroom Designer of the Year SA/WA & Small Bathroom SA/WA: David Ellwood
Bathroom Designer of the Year NSW & Large Bathroom NSW: Karl Noonan
Bathroom Designer of the Year Vic & Small Bathroom Vic: Owen Barnes
Small Bathroom NSW: Karl Noonan
Small Bathroom Qld: Eileen Middleton
Large Bathroom SA: Eliza Rudkin
Large Bathroom WA: David Ellwood
Large Bathroom Vic/Tas: Lenka
Large Bathroom Qld: Eileen Middleton

Most outstanding KBDi student in Kitchen Design: Craig Johnson
Most outstanding KBDi student in Bathroom Design: Levi Skliwa

For more information on using a certified kitchen or bathroom designer for your next project visit www.kbdi.org.au

Do you have a gourmet kitchen?

The rise and rise in the popularity of shows such as Masterchef has seen an increase in the amount of attention paid to our kitchens at home as we strive to create such culinary delights as seen on the show.

In a press release today, Mr Adam Sleigh, the Chief Executive of Australia’s largest kitchen retailer and supplier, Kitchen Connection (http://www.kitchenconnection.com.au/), says Australian consumers are increasingly seeking alternatives to the traditional style of kitchen layout.

“The traditional kitchen with the sink, cooktop and refrigerator located against the walls and a dining table in the middle of the room is changing,” Mr Sleigh said. “More and more of our customers are looking at design features such as central island benchtops which contain cook tops and sinks, while new surfaces, colour and lighting are providing choices that were unimaginable a few years ago”.
“The enormous popularity of celebrity chef and cooking programs has sparked a new generation of home cooking enthusiasts who want their kitchens to be as functional and stylish as those in top-rating shows.”

So…what’s your kitchen like? Is it as ‘gourmet’ as you’d like? If you could change something about your current kitchen, what would it be?

Hansgrohe’s interactive iPhone app for individual washstand planning

If you love technology and love design then this is the iPhone App for you. Hansgrohe AG (http://www.hansgrohe.com/) is offering a new iPhone application for its award-winning bathroom product line, PuraVida.

“Hansgrohe@home” works really easily in three stages. First: photograph the washstand in your bathroom with your iPhone.

Second: use your finger on the touchscreen to highlight the existing fitting and remove it from the photograph.

Third: the application will then digitally remove the existing fitting and insert the new fitting in its place. Youcan change size and position individually until the fitting is well positioned on the washbasin according to your requirements.

Let us know if you try out this App – we’d love to know what you think.

BDAV Annual Awards

The winners of the Building Designers Association of Victoria Annual Awards were announced on Friday 30th July. Among the wealth of categories, two stood out:

Most Innovative Kitchen Design – Winner: Form & Function Building Design
The renovation, by Form & Function Building Design, was designed to create an aesthetic of a home that has been lived in for a while. Paula Hanley, Chair of the judging panel, said the design achieved the warehouse feel it strived for.

“The raw use of black metal pipes, reclaimed timbers and concrete give the kitchen a feeling of place and age. The client’s ‘abstract’ personality and ‘masculinity’ are evident in these finishes. The use of industrial switches and power points sit comfortably beside the metal dropped light fittings, and exposed timber structures,” Ms Hanley said. “This is a great example of what building designers can do, and is exactly what we’re looking for when we judge these awards,” she said.

Form & Function Building Design (03) 5561 1099

Most Innovative Bathroom Design – Winner: Royston Wilson Design
St Kilda West Project, by Royston Wilson Design, transformed an existing storage space into a
spacious and light filled bedroom that includes an ensuite and robe. Paula Hanley, Chair of the judging panel, said that it would have been very easy for a bathroom installed into a ceiling storage space to feel claustrophobic and dark, but careful planning and creative thought have given this bathroom both light and space, rarely found in ceiling spaces.

“The use of a single finish of ply cladding to line the cathedral ceiling has contributed to the effect of maximising the space. It also provides a warm background to the white and high gloss of the bathroom finishes,” Ms Hanley said.

Royston Wilson Design (03) 9822 3173 www.roystonwilson.com.au
Building Designers Association of Victoria Inc
Phone: (03) 9416 0227
Email: info@bdav.org.au
Web: www.bdav.org.au