Finalists - Designer Award for Kitchens - project cost over £25,000

Michael Curry - Waterfall Design

Cost: £27,436

What Michael says: “An island, a drawer cabinet and a tall cabinet were designed and detailed to create a grand feeling of solidity and permanence, with echoes of the Edwardian architecture, including the leaded glass windows and tongue-andgrooved wall panelling.”

What the judges say: “A great project for any designer, and it takes skill to come up with a complementary kitchen that doesn’t look dated. Michael has used the space really well here and his choice of products - and lighting - has set it all off in a really interesting way.”

It says something for this interesting project that Michael highlights the biggest hindrance to this kitchen as a panelled cupboard containing the lead weights of the clock tower above. The kitchen was to be built into a garage conversion with the arched door turned into a large window. Michael’s design manages to complement the building while still having a contemporary style.

Candice Sevenus - Quantum Fitted Furniture

Cost: £83,685

What Candice says: “The vast space in the kitchen meant that if my clients were preparing a small meal, travelling across the width wasn’t sensible. This led me to split the eyelevel appliances and place them on either side of kitchen. This eliminated congestion when there were caterers.”

What the judges say: “Any project that involves a huge space like this requires real design skills to make it feel welcoming and warm and Candice uses the space - and the limitations of the brief - really well.”

In a huge room of 8m x 15m, Candice was charged with seamlessly bringing a kitchen into the basement lounge and dining area. The kitchen had to serve the large seven-bedroom house and be able to accommodate outside caterers for regular parties. As a result Candice planned the ergonomics as tightly as the aesthetics using, among other things, a long channel sink running the length of the island.

Brian Parkes - Parkes Interiors

Cost: £38,000

What Brian says: “The three rooms and hallway work seamlessly together to create this sophisticated statement home. It is an iconic kitchen for Parkes Interiors and something we are very proud of.”

What the judges say: “An awful lot of design work has gone into this kitchen. Brian has taken a left-field view of an interesting brief and come up with something out of the ordinary.”

Brian’s brief from his client was for something “that did not look like a kitchen” and would work as part of a living area in a very modern open plan new build. Extensive Corian surfaces form the main shape of the kitchen and incorporate a wine cooler as well as sink and taps. A bank of appliances completes the contemporary look.

Robert Burnett - Holloways of Ludlow and Lorenzo Grifantini - DOS Architects

Cost: £61,000

Robert and Lorenzo say: “The positions and sizes of cabinets were very carefully planned to ensure that the centre line between two equal-sized island units aligned with what appeared to be the centre line of a run of tall units.”

What the judges say: “An amazing space but the technical aspects of the installation make this an even more impressive project.”

Situated in a renovated Victorian church, Robert and Lorenzo’s client wanted to contrast the gothic architecture with a modern, open plan interior. However modern means straight lines, but old buildings often don’t, so Robert and Lorenzo’s bespoke cabinetry used varying depths to create an illusion of uniformity.

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