HACKETTSTOWN, NJ (April 11, 2008) - The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is proud to announce the winners of the 2008 NKBA Design Competition: Art of the Industry. The winners were recognized at the NKBA Design Competition Awards Luncheon, which was held live on the show floor of the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show and Conference (K/BIS®) in Chicago on April 11.

The NKBA would like to thank the sponsors of the 2008 NKBA Design Competition: Kitchen and Bath Ideas, Sub-Zero/Wolf, Dal-Tile, Rheem, Miele, and 20-20 Technologies.

Open only to NKBA members, the NKBA Design Competition recognizes the talent of kitchen and bath designers to plan safe, functional, and personalized spaces that incorporate imaginative design statements and aesthetically pleasing solutions. In 2008, the NKBA received a record number of entries-nearly 580 projects. The Large Kitchen category attracted the most attention this year with more than 160 designs submitted.

A panel of 14 NKBA-certified designers judged each project based on visual appeal and creativity, as well as principles of design, presentation, and safety and ergonomics, using the NKBA Kitchen and Bath Planning Guidelines.

Winners receive recognition in Profiles Magazine, the official NKBA member publication, in addition to possible inclusion in local and national publications. Winners also receive awards, cash prizes, and complimentary registration to K/BIS.

The winners of the 2008 NKBA Professional Design Competition are:

Category 1: Small Kitchens

First Place: Areti Tanya Rentzos, Andros Kitchen & Bath Designs, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Second Place: Catherine Heir, dea design group, ltd., Island Lake, IL
Third Place: Charles A Ward, CKD, Ward's Kitchens & Baths, Inc., Omaha, NE
Honorable Mention: Tony Hunt, CKD, CBD, Binns Kitchen + Bath Design, Pickering, Ontario, Canada

Category 2: Medium Kitchens

First Place: Peter Ross Salerno, CMKBD, Peter Salerno, Inc., Wyckoff, NJ
Second Place: Beverly Staal, CKD, CBD, Showplace Design & Remodeling, Redmond, WA
Third Place: Sandra L. Steiner-Houck, CKD, Steiner & Houck, Inc., Columbia, PA
Honorable Mention: Sarah Grace Michalowski, CKD, Dewitt Designer Kitchens, Studio City, CA

Category 3: Large Kitchens

First Place: Terri Ruth Hosken, CMKBD, Beyond The Box Kitchen Design, Anchorage, AK
Second Place: Peter Vanderhyden, Images Kitchen & Bath Design, Inc., Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada
Third Place: Anthony Albert Passanante, CKD, Peter Salerno, Inc., Wyckoff, NJ
Honorable Mention: Gerard Ciccarello, CMKBD, Covenant Kitchens & Baths, Inc., Westbrook, CT

Category 4: Open Plan Kitchens

First Place: Joan DesCombes, CKD, Architectural Artworks Incorporated, Winter Park, FL
Second Place: Anthony Albert Passanante, CKD, Peter Salerno, Inc., Wyckoff, NJ
Third Place: Kristin A. Okeley, CKD, Kitchens By Design, Indianapolis, IN
Honorable Mention: Gioi Tran, Applegate Tran Interiors, San Francisco, CA

Category 5: Powder Rooms

First Place: Lori W. Carroll, Lori Carroll & Associates, Tucson, AZ
Second Place: Lori W. Carroll, Lori Carroll & Associates, Tucson, AZ
Third Place: Lori W. Carroll, Lori Carroll & Associates, Tucson, AZ
Honorable Mention: Elina Katsioula-Beall, CKD, Dewitt Designer Kitchens, Studio City, CA

Category 6: Small Bathrooms

First Place: Michael Ranson, H O M E + atelier Michael Ranson, San Diego, CA
Second Place: Leslie Ann Cohen, CKD, Leslie Cohen Design, Cardiff, CA
Third Place: Tanya L. Woods, X-Tiles, Royal Oak, MI
Honorable Mention: Mark S. Morris, Mark Morris Design Group, Brisbane, CA

Category 7: Large Bathrooms

First Place: Siri Evju, CKD, CBD, Siri Designs, Portland, OR
Second Place: Donna L.A. Riddell, CKD, CBD, Artistry Design Group, Ltd., Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Third Place: Blue Arnold, CKD, CBD, Kitchens By Request, Inc., Jarrettsville, MD
Honorable Mention: Tracey Scalzo, CKD, CBD, Eurotech Cabinetry, Inc., Sarasota, FL

Category 8: Master Suite/Bathrooms

First Place: Holly Rickert, Ulrich, Inc., Ridgewood, NJ
Second Place: Nicholas J Geragi, CKD, CBD, Klaff's, Inc., South Norwalk, CT
Third Place: Scott & Sandra Gjesdahl, Bristol Design & Construction, Kirkland, WA
Honorable Mention: Wendy R. Mayes, CKD, Jan Parker's Kitchens By Design, LLC, Wichita, KS

Category 9: Showrooms

First Place: Cheryl Hamilton-Gray, CKD, Hamilton-Gray Design, Inc., Carlsbad, CA
Second Place: Gail Drury, CMKBD, Drury Design Kitchen & Bath, Glen Ellyn, IL
Third Place: Francis V Garofoli, CKD, Kitchens By Design, Inc., West Boylston, MA
Honorable Mention: Areti Tanya Rentzos, Andros Kitchen & Bath Designs, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Category 10: Other Rooms

First Place: Sandra L. Steiner-Houck, CKD, Steiner & Houck, Inc., Columbia, PA
Second Place: Sheila K. Tilander, CKD, CBD, Showplace Design & Remodeling, Redmond, WA
Third Place: Tricia Bayer, Belle Kitchen, LLC, Minneapolis, MN
Honorable Mention: Bryan Reiss, CKD, CBD, Cabinet Concepts, Inc., Mt. Pleasant, SC

Awards were also given for the NKBA Pinnacle of Design Award for the best overall project in the competition, as well as the Best Overall Kitchen, Best Overall Bathroom, Smartest Hot Water, and Best Before and After. The winners of these prestigious awards are:

The Pinnacle of Design (sponsored by Sub-Zero/Wolf): Joan DesCombes, CKD, Architectural Artworks Incorporated, Winter Park, FL

Best Overall Kitchen (sponsored by Miele): Peter Ross Salerno, CMKBD, Peter Salerno, Inc., Wyckoff, NJ

Best Overall Bathroom (sponsored by Dal-Tile): Siri Evju, CKD, CBD, Siri Designs, Portland, OR

Smartest Hot Water (sponsored by Rheem): Marcio Decker, Home Concepts, Truckee, CA

Best Before & After (sponsored by Kitchen and Bath Ideas): Beverly Staal, CKD, CBD, Showplace Design & Remodeling, Redmond, WA

About the National Kitchen & Bath Association

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is a non-profit trade association that owns the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS^®). With over 42,000 members, the NKBA has educated and led the kitchen and bath industry for 45 years. The mission of the NKBA is to enhance member success and excellence, promote professionalism and ethical business practices, and provide leadership and direction for the kitchen and bath industry. For more information, please visit the NKBA Press Room at www.nkba.org/press or call (800) THE-NKBA.