Gaggenau has revealed the winners of its inaugural Kitchen of the Year Design Contest, which seeks to honour the unique and outstanding in kitchen design.

The competition asks for design professionals nationwide to submit their kitchen designs to ultimately be potentially rewarded for their efforts by an esteemed Jury. Gaggenau created the competition in order to properly recognise the design trail blazers behind some of the most spectacular interiors.

Robert Nichols and Sons were recognised as the winner of the Best of the Best category as well as the Southern Region, for their work on Fitzroy Project. Hall 20 by Smart Design Studio took out the Northern Region category, with St Huberts by Robson Rak and Penthouse II by Lawless & Meyerson finishing as Runner-up for the Southern and Northern Regions respectively. 97 Mathoura Road Toorak by Carr and Habitus Townhomes by DKO Architecture received commendations.

fitzroy project Robert Nichol & Sons

Best of the Best & Winner for Southern region – Fitzroy Project by Robert Nichol & Sons

Fitzroy Project by Robert Nichol & Sons was not only named the Winner for the Southern region but also took the Best of the Best award, coming through as the overall contest’s winner.

“This competition is a great opportunity to showcase and reward excellence in kitchen design. It is heightened by the fact it is hosted by a brand regarded as an industry-leading producer of premium kitchen appliances,” says David Nicholson, Director of Robert Nichol & Sons.

“Kitchen design is often the most challenging of all the rooms of a home, so any opportunity to showcase and promote what we have achieved next to our peers is valuable and rewarding. We are very proud of this kitchen and feel honoured to be considered among so many strong contenders.”

David believes texture is one of the elements that made their design stand out. “It’s interesting that of the 12 finalists, we were the only entry to feature a wall tile. This is a feature that we consider a hallmark of our projects, and we love the opportunities they present, in this case, the strong vertical lines and rich colour,” he explains.

“Texture is something we love. We recognise it’s not just a tactile experience, but a visual one too. In a project such as a kitchen where there are so many disparate elements, we see texture as an opportunity to introduce a mix of finishes, creating strong surface variations and producing a focal point within the home.”

gaggenau kitchen of the year hall 20 smart design studio

Winner for Northern region – Hall 20 by Smart Design Studio

Smart Design Studio’s striking, monolithic kitchen was named the Winner for the Northern region. “Given the depth and strength of the Australian design industry, it was humbling to be shortlisted,” says Aaron Wooster, Smart Design Studio’s Head of Interiors, and adds that it is even more so to win above the other talented contenders.

Runner-ups – St Huberts by Robson Rak and Penthouse II by Lawless & Meyerson

With sweeping harbour views and a robust kitchen island grounding the space, the refined Penthouse II design by Lawless & Meyerson was selected as the Runner-up for the Northern region.

In reflecting the materiality of a period home, St Hubert’s elegant kitchen space by Robson Rak is the Runner-up for the Southern region.

The sleek kitchen of the innovative Habitus Townhomes by DKO Architecture and the sophisticated space of Mathoura Road by Carr were both also recognised as the Commendations of this year’s contest.

The Best of the Best National winner will receive an exclusive 7-day trip to Europe, which includes a Gaggenau factory tour at Lipsheim, France. The winner and runner up for each region will receive one culinary experience for two people within Australia, and 2 nights’ accommodation in a 5-star hotel and hotel transfers.

The winners were selected by an esteemed jury comprising six design industry experts, each lending their knowledge and expertise, including Sue Carr (Principal and Founder, Carr), Clement Lee (Founder, Riverlee), Miriam Fanning (Founder, Mim Design), Damian Hannah (German Kitchens NZ), Raj Nandan (Founder, CEO and Publisher, Indesign Media Asia Pacific), Neil Burley (Founder, Anibou), and Rob Warner (General Manager, Gaggenau).

To read more about the Kitchen of the Year competition, click here.

Jarrod Reedie

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