kbbreview is launching an unprecedented extension of its annual awards with a ‘Lockdown Special’ design competition.
Managing editor Andrew Davies floated the idea on his LinkedIn account and the response was so positive that he decided to organise it there and then.
The kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2020: Lockdown Special will be a conceptual design competition with everyone working from the same brief and they can either choose the kitchen, the bathroom or both from that brief.
It’s open to absolutely anyone and any design tool can be used.
“I suggested the idea as a bit of fun and it’s taken on a life of its own, it’s amazing,” Davies said. “It means all those designers stuck at home can keep exercising their creative muscles with a project that has no restrictions on budget or ideas. I want to see things I’ve never seen before!”
And, in a twist, there will be two categories – firstly there is ‘Best Concept Design’ but then there will be also be a ‘Best Concept Design – Under 16s’.
“Someone mentioned that they were going to get their kids to have a go and, as the parent of a stuck-at-home ten-year-old I know that we’re all desperate for fun projects to give their kids to do,” Davies explained.
“So we’ve included bits of the brief that kids can really get imaginative with too. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.”
The winners will not only get a kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2020 trophy – just like the winners did at the official event back at the start of March – they will also get a pile of prizes kindly donated by suppliers and manufacturers.
“There’s no sponsors, this is all just a lot of fun but I love that there is a random pile of prizes that will hopefully grow as we go on,” Davies said. “So if you want to contribute, we’ll take anything!”
Prizes so far include a shower tray of choice from JT, a Rituals gift set from Bathroom Origins, a subscription to the MHK Carat Online Planner til the end of 2020, a Quooker Flex and a trip to the Quooker HQ in the Netherlands for three, a Kindle Paperwhite courtesy of JJO and – for the Under 16s – a Nintendo switch courtesy of Rotpunkt.
The competition – including the full brief – will be open for entries later this week but in the meantime to register your interest and make sure your notified it’s up and running go to kbbreview.com/awards
If you have any questions or want to contribute a prize email Andrew Davies direct at [email protected]