The winners of the annual Contractor of the Year Awards were announced this month. Here are five award-winning kitchens from this year’s awards.
By Helena Okolicsanyi who is a staff writer for Remodeling Magazine.
Presented April 8 by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry at its spring meeting, the annual Contractor of the Year (CotY) awards recognize contractors who have “demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects.” With categories in local, national, and regional groupings, the CotY awards are aimed at promoting excellence within the remodeling industry. Here are the winning kitchen designs.
Residential Kitchen Under $30,000
Buckley Basements: Delaware, Ohio
This basement kitchen remodel had a quick 14-day turn around. With that deadline at hand, the team at Buckley Basements had quite a task ahead of them. The previous kitchen had pressboard cabinets, damaged laminate countertops, stippled ceilings, and aged tile floors. The team had to remove a load-bearing beam that ran the length of the upper cabinets. “In the end, superior craftsmanship with materials such as maple cabinetry, granite tops and hickory floors created a truly noteworthy transformation,” NARI said.
Residential Kitchen $30,000 to $60,000
Adams Company with Bartush Design, LLC: Cedar Park, Texas
The original kitchen, built in 1955, was dark and not accommodating enough for entertaining. To fix this, the team at Adams Company, along with Bartush Design, removed a partitioned wall with a small pass-through and then installed an island to open up the space and free up room for entertaining. The island also serves as a communal gathering spot. A colorful backsplash was added and old cabinets, fixtures, and appliances were replaced. The result is a visually harmonious kitchen.
Residential Kitchen $60,001 to $100,000
NJW Construction Inc.: Lancaster, Ohio
The mid-century kitchen in Lancaster, Ohio didn’t meet with the overall aesthetics of the home. “The new kitchen’s details reflect back to the turn of the century modernist movement, which was the driving force for this sleek yet simplistic design and remodel.”
Residential Kitchen $100,001 to $150,000
Bluestem Construction, Saint Louis Park, Minn.
While the rest of the home received sunlight from large windows and character from wood paneling, the kitchen lacked both. The kitchen had no windows, an awkward floor plan, and lacked any personal style from the homeowners. Bluestem Construction was tasked with designing a kitchen that reflected the client’s big dreams, but without any clear guidance from the client on how they wanted to achieve this. Using collectible pieces from the client’s travels, Bluesteam Construction opened up the kitchen and incorporated unique fixtures to provide an inviting and practical space.
Residential Kitchen Over $150,000
Platt Builders Inc.: Groton, Mass.
Switching the existing family room and kitchen spaces, Platt Builders was able to use the existing floor plan in an unusual way. The kitchen now is the focal point of the home, no longer an unimpressive walk through. The former chimney was replaced with a cave of windows around the sink, allowing natural light to reflect off of the white countertops and cabinets. An exposed beam above the kitchen island, along with wooden floors, provides a nice contrast to the white color palette throughout the kitchen.