Ok, I am working on a great and detailed blog post for tomorrow that I hope will be beneficial info for many readers….designers as well as consumers….but in the meantime, while working on that post,diligently, sweating, worrying about all the details…I received an email from Subzero/Wolf telling me “sorry charlie, no winner this year” 
or something like that..actually was quite nice and all that blah blah but essence of email:my favorite kitchen of all time won nada in the contest.
Bah.
Sorry to Stacy also, (my co designer and all around besty assistant ever). Several times throughout the design process and installation, Stacy, my client and myself commented….”Hey, is this not the most awesome kitchen EVER?? OR, will we be the only three people in America who love it??”My entire staff worked very hard on the project. ( BRAVO STAFF!) We executed all details as well as design.
So, since one of the perks of having your own blog is, well having your own blog….and being able to post whatcha feel like posting..on any given day….heh heh heh…I am going to post my NON WINNER here! Please feel free to comment.In fact, I am throwing myself at you to comment. Good or Bad.
Don’t worry, my feelings are already really hurt by SZ and Wolf so I can take it. I think.
Truthfully, it is definitely a custom designed space for a custom home for a truly one of a kind client. Whom I adore. It was not an easy design as the open floor plan and towering 14 ft ceilings needed some heft to balance well. We even coined a new word in her honor working on this job: “pegaliscious”. This might explain some of our design details! I really did think it had a chance even though I will be first to admit that the SZ/Wolf contest is usually some of the finest work around. I don’t know about this year as I have not brought myself to check it yet…but you can HERE.
And I promise to have a heck of a post by the end of the week. Just humor me here with my momentary sadness at being a NON WINNER but a big CONGRATS to all the winners. I know that when I can bring myself to look, it will be great projects.
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Overview towards the dining area
Overview towards the dining area
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platter rack on end and BB top on “little island”
platter rack on end and BB top on “little island”
Love the calcutta and mirrored niche
lots of dark and light contrasts with color zing
Burled walnut panels on refrigerator
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Awesome Pottery Barn Table
- Another overview, back of island is an ash veneer…looks same but up closer is not
Awesome Pottery Barn Table
- Triple ring iron inserts with antique mirror behind it
- Iron base “table” for little island
Floating Glass Shelves
Incredible James Moder lights over island
Cheryl
Owner and Lead Designer at In Detail Interiors
My name is Cheryl Kees Clendenon, a California transplant to Northwest Florida. Been in the interior design business for 14 years and learn something new every day! This blog is about the day to day running of a design business and the crazy clients, silly subs, vexing vendors and exasperating employees! Join us for the ride!
Latest posts by Cheryl (see all)
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Hi Cheryl,
Your comments on my bath post were great, which inspired me to check out your site…terrific…and you go on my blog roll as an expert not to be missed…love your wit and snark too….
best
Cindy
Wow. Wow. Add me to the list. It’s creative, it’s different, and it has a dozen designer touches that elevate it beyond a “normal” kitchen – the perfect island lighting, the checkerboard dropped section, the glass shelves, the copper detail on the Sub-Zero, the upper doors.
Most specifically, the scale and proportion are exactly right; just one wrong element and the kitchen could have looked fussy.
No mis-steps here, baby! Your clients must be thrilled!
This is the type of kitchen where you walk in and want to say, “Hello, Gorgeous!” I will be expecting this in print somewhere soon. What’s up with SZ? No contest this year?
Thanks guys:) I feel better already! It was a long and arduous project but with clients I adore and who welcome creativity. But, Kelly, thanks for pointing out the scale..THAT to me is one of the best things about this job…it it an open floor plan and with such tall ceilings…an average, but nice, kitchen would have not worked at all …a designer like yourself picks up on that important fact but clients do not…they just know they “like” something. And yes, the clients love it! Laurie…the SZ contest went on this year..I just have not looked at winners yet:( Thank you!
It’s beautiful, just beautiful. The thought that went into every little detail is obvious. You just never quite know what judges are looking for, do you? The real winner here is the client, anyway.
Wow Cheryl, you do incredible work. You’re a winner in my book.
Wow – it’s a winner in my books!
Love that mirrored niche!
Ah yes, Sarah…wise words. You never go into a design project thinking of winning anything….other than the client’s trust and respect but sometime the projects lend themselves to it!
YOU WERE ROBBED! I CRY FOUL!
I love this kitchen, Susan and I were drooling over it the other day while going through your site! My favorite part is the upper cabinets with the iron and glass — just beautiful.
Thanks Susan and Adrienne! I appreciate the vote of confidence! I may muster up the strength to look tonight at what did win…they really are usually good…better than NKBA winners most of the time. I do know that they do it strictly by region so that if in your region, you have lots of great competition..you are in trouble..and I am with those talented folks in South Florida and Georgia! Drats!
Eh, don’t look. You will groan. I was shocked to see made it in the competition. I cry foul too! I am scratching my head in wonder why some made the cut.
no no…really??? Oh dang. I was already disappointed in the NKBA design competition this year….so many over the top designs…what is up with that?? I mean heavy gee gaw and all…and some were just not workable at all.
Well, I have to say I love it. I love the details and the blending of styles. The lighting is fabulous, the cabinetry divine, the niches awesome. Geezzzz ~ you would have had my vote.
Paula Grace ~
oh, thanks Paula! That means a lot coming from you!!
No accounting for tastes, I guess! I don’t know, to me this kitchen design does a wonderful job of fitting into the existing space and décor. Truthfully, it looks like it was part of the original design for the house, and that the house, in turn, was designed by an architect who worked hard to make sure that the kitchen was an integral element in what he had designed.
The crown molding is a nice touch, as it picks up what is already there. I also like the contrast between the dark of the kitchen and the white of the house. The dining table is the sort of thing that a sawdust maker like myself never would have chosen—because I would have wanted a table that was perfectly joined. But the table you used is an absolutely glorious choice for this space, and seeing it onsite, I can see that your choice is much better than the one I would have made. It just gives one this feeling of a table that has been here for decades, home to any number of big family gatherings. This is where wedding announcements have been made and the first grandchild presented.
Since Woody Allen is one of your heroes, you might remember that he eschews every kind of award for his work. His feeling is that if you subject yourself to that, you have to accept their judgement that some work is better than others, and that their assessment of your work is correct. He takes the view that he and his audience are the better judges of his work.
You and Stacy have the satisfaction of having worked on this design, and the client has the satisfaction of having been both part of the process and the person who now gets to enjoy this kitchen. All through the process there was one exhilaration after another, and the finished result exceeded the wildest dreams of all three of you. Driving home the night after the final presentation of the finished kitchen, you were so excited you could hardly concentrate on your driving. That’s something that would most definitely work for me!
thanks joseph! As always, great observations! Although to correct one…the architect had little to do with the space other than giving me a footprint. All else was done by us. We truly are very involved with our design work and now are actually drawing the plans as well for 4 different homes under construction. Kind of a cool new addition to our job! And you are right, Woody would never care…but I am but a humble ( and human) designer! Really though, I don’t care so much…I just thought it had a decent chance of being included!!
Wow this kitchen is beautiful! What a shame you didnt win! I am currently in the process of remodeling my kitchen with EuroDream Kitchens (im very pleased thus far) and i will have to incorporate some of these ideas into my new dream kitchen! I only hope my kitchen will turn out half this nice! lol
I really loved the way you wrote this post
You did it very interesting
Great pictures!
Waiting for the next post you promised to write!
I enjoyed your post immensely. These photo’s are fantastic.
Stuart
I am building a house and have been looking at hundreds of wonderful kitchens for ideas. Though the kitchen you submitted wouldn’t work in my house, I have to tell you that it is spectacular — really original in a wonderfully understated way — you SHOULD have WON!