designwire daily | Electrolux and Interior Design Announce Winners of Kitchen Design Competition

Electrolux and Interior Design Announce Winners of Kitchen Design Competition

by Sheila Kim | Thursday, January 27, 2011 | 41 Comments

Winner: Milica Roycroft

Using Electrolux’s Icon appliances, more than 40 industry professionals and students created renderings of their kitchen concepts for tomorrow’s modern family. The grand prize winner was Milica Roycroft, whose eco-friendly design featured a cabinet system–composed of post-industrial recycled content–that could be rearranged, relocated, and stacked. Roycroft received a $20,000 cash prize, as well as a suite of Icon appliances and a spot in the January 2011 issue of Interior Design.

“Isn’t it surprising that in our high-tech, high-voltage world, the best design ideas are still rooted in simplicity?” said Interior Design editor in chief, Cindy Allen. “The winning concept is a perfect example–it’s modular, made of recycled material, easily mass-produced, and available in an array of Crayola colors. Simply brilliant.”

Slade Architecture and Amy Yoes Electrolux

Second place: Slade Architecture and Amy Yoes

Second place went to the team of James Slade and Hayes Slade of Slade Architecture, and artist Amy Yoes, who received $10,000 worth of Icon appliances. And $5,000 worth of appliances were awarded to third-place winners Lee Alice Hillman and Jamin Pablo.

The competition was judged by Cindy Allen, along with Henrik Otto, senior vice president of Electrolux; Ghislaine Viñas of Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design; West Chin, principal of WCA Architecture; and Brian Messana of Brian Messana Architect.

Lee Alice Hillman and Jamin Pablo Electrolux

Third place: Lee Alice Hillman and Jamin Pablo

Images courtesy of Electrolux.

Events > Competitions
Industry > Designers & Architects
Products > Kitchen & Bath

41 comments

Kirsten Eskildsen L.

Posted Friday, January 28, 2011 at 06:13 am | Permalink

I looked so much forward to see the result. Sad to say, I’m sooooo disappointed. It is way too ordinary – not exciting or ‘new’ at all.
Disappointed,
Kirsten Eskildsen L.
1. Dorian G Muncey
  
  Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 10:56 am | Permalink
  
  Kirsten, you are right to be disappointed. These kitchens have so many problems with them that the future looks bleak.
2. Melinda Foote, ASID
  
  Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 03:45 pm | Permalink
  
  DITTO on the disappointment! Because of the brochure that came with the call for design competition I expected truly creative & cutting edge. The message here is “WHY use Electrolux” ? It is ordinary….
3. charlotte panico
  
  Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 03:58 pm | Permalink
  
  As a Interior Architect of 25yrs, who specialize in kitchens and baths. You will come to know the industry it is very political and you will find the people who chose these winner don’t have there finger on the trends in kitchen of now or in the future and certainly does not mean they have a sence of form follows funtion. Follow your design and believe in it and everyone else will, and you will know a bad design from a exceptional.
Sour grapes

Posted Friday, January 28, 2011 at 10:13 am | Permalink

http://gallery.me.com/bloomdp#100136
1. Ron Thibodeau
  
  Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 03:29 pm | Permalink
  
  Thanks for the link. Enjoyed the presentation. Should have been one of the 3 finalists.
2. clayton
  
  Posted Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 11:08 am | Permalink
  
  Well done “sour grapes”! As the unofficial winner your design was well thoughtout! I like your consideration of ADA elements that open up the market to a broader demmographic. It also allows individuals to stay in thier home; important with an aging population.
Elieser Duran

Posted Friday, January 28, 2011 at 04:12 pm | Permalink

Really disappointed, it looks so blahh just a couple of appliances and boxes nothing out the ordinary
Ron Thibodeau

Posted Friday, January 28, 2011 at 07:05 pm | Permalink

It’s a brave new world of bland in kitchen design. If these are the winners, imagine what the losers came up with.
Natasha Chatkin

Posted Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 12:52 pm | Permalink

I agree with previous comments. There is nothing that can inspire people to see the beauty of the future kitchen!!! I am so confused with the design of the kitchen, who won second place, probably, the jury need to describe more what the message behind of this design was.
I am very disappointed with the result of this competition.
dagrdave

Posted Monday, January 31, 2011 at 05:59 pm | Permalink

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS6uHMqIyyk
1. Debra A. Kelly
  
  Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 07:10 pm | Permalink
  
  It’s all about “green” and politics. Not alot of imagination as far as style. I liked the kitchen you showed, if it was yours I would be upset.
debbie nassetta

Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 04:03 pm | Permalink

looks like they only had 3 entrys! very sad!!
Ben

Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 04:17 pm | Permalink

I like the concept of being able to “re stack” kitchen units, but this is not a practical idea in regards to plumbing, electrics and gas connections. Also people are not the one size so this is not a very ergonomic design idea. I think the future kitchen will be integrated more seamlessly into the house and very shiney. People are like bower birds, they collect shiney objects
Jane

Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 04:27 pm | Permalink

It would be nice if Interior Design would have showed more images of each of the kitchen design and talked more about the concepts behind the designs. You can never get the full picture of an idea from one view.
Thomas

Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 04:39 pm | Permalink

I agree with Jane, it would be nice to see descriptions and more images of the concepts. In my opinion, encouraging people to grow their own vegetables by making it part of the kitchen or near it is a wonderful idea for tomorrow’s family. Let’s buy less from the massive gardens in California, and more from our own home. Maybe we could even share with our neighbors…..hmmmm…
Caroline

Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 06:02 pm | Permalink

Great idea Thomas! Let’s discuss other great concepts of how it could have been and stop wasting energy on critiquing the winning entries.
bits barnes

Posted Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 08:17 am | Permalink

very disappointing. an assumption is made that the kitchen of the future will need enough storage space for an army or that the kitchen will be in the basement with the back wall a berm. it’s easy to see why “sour grapes” posted an album of his/her entry. better design that the top three.
Catharine Taylor

Posted Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 10:55 am | Permalink

All three winners are functional losers. One turns to design professionals to provide handsome and WORKABLE spaces. These each fail on multiple counts. Haven’t we gotten past ovens at knee level? Checking the golden crust of a pie should not be part of the cook’s exercise regimen; he or she one day might have a bad back and not be able to look.

The winning kitchen offers zero accommodation for essential tools. (Clean design is great but cooking still requires knives, spoons, tongs, etc. If you commit to clean design, you don’t want them on the wall or in pots around the cooktop. So you need DRAWERS.)

I could go one, but it’s useless to second guess. Concept is grand, but in the end the question remains: Can you safely, efficiently, and graciously (yes, I mean talking to your companions — maybe even enlisting their help, which means a second sink. . . ) conjure dinner in these spaces? No way.
Michael Lewallen

Posted Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

Wow, what were the other entry’s! Very disappointing set of winners.
Jo

Posted Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 06:56 pm | Permalink

As a student I thought design awards were for out there inspired designs. sour grapes grabbed my attention for ideas. As for the others, I could do better than that and Im a beginner. They did a better job on The Block
Julie

Posted Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 02:36 pm | Permalink

I understand there plenty of entries, and I have seen some pretty nice ones out there on the web. I entered myself, so I had been looking around to see what other people did….many of the ones I saw posted online (including mine) were functional and modern, rather than being super conceptual and unrealistic. The third place entry is really the only one that seems like it could function. The photos they included with the entry forms were all actual photos of beautiful modern, yet warm and functional kitchens. They should have advertised this as a conceptual design lab style project rather than frame it as a kitchen competition for a “modern family”. No modern family I know would be able to use the above spaces (with the exception of number 3). My 2 cents…but obviously I am a little bitter I didn’t win :c)
susann

Posted Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 03:07 pm | Permalink

Oh My God! These must be the only three entrees to this contest! Who was the judge? Oh ya it was Cindy Allen and SVP-Henrik Otto… NOW I’m so am sorry I bought all Electrolux appliances for our Florida home, How did they get in this kitchen business of selling appliances????
smelly kitchen

Posted Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 10:10 pm | Permalink

I did not enter, but as a designer know that competitions are meant to bring new ideas, concepts & uses of materials. How boring for the judges to have to dig through a pile of fluffy renderings of kitchens we have all seen before in countless design mags. Quite a few have posted support of sour grapes as better than the winners. Its not a bad space, but what is the concept? What makes it different than a kitchen on the market currently? What about the tripping hazard of that sloping floor? And what is the concept of adding someone in a wheelchair when the sink is not accessible??? I do enjoy reading these posts though, they are entertaining. Oh & it also seems like no one posting here researched the 2008 winner, google it…
Amin

Posted Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 07:55 am | Permalink

hahaha… rerally? I mean really is that the best you could choose?? lol
please nest time remind I’ll ask my nephew to draw you a kitchen.
jerry vanslambrouck

Posted Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 12:08 pm | Permalink

How disappointing for all the entrants, as well as the false message sent to the top three. As a design professional and university design educator; I have seen design competitions go bonkers before but, never this bad. I would have paid to be a fly on the wall to hear the judges comments. There has to be a reason why such uninspired projects were selected.
Fredrick

Posted Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 08:40 pm | Permalink

As a professional Interior Designer in id industry more then 10′s year, how big disappointing for all three winner. The colour combination is totally out and the design and rendering look like beginner.
The resulted really make me laugh, no offence…
Natasha Chatkin

Posted Monday, February 7, 2011 at 08:46 pm | Permalink

Our entry for Electrolux Kitchen Design Competition 2010 can be viewed at: http://www.cninteriordesign.com/competitions/
The name of the project: “TRINITY:Water, Energy and Air”
Thank you.
1. confuse
  
  Posted Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 03:07 am | Permalink
  
  Hi Natasha, the brief of competition are confusing and never show the closing date of competitions
Natasha Chatkin

Posted Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 09:12 am | Permalink

Our entry for “future, modern family” competition, which was closed on 27 January 2011. Thank you for comment.
Richard

Posted Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 04:53 pm | Permalink

WTF… need I say more or less!
Richard

Posted Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 07:11 pm | Permalink

The Apocalypse of kitchen design is now upon us. The first and second place are as functional as perfume (chemical free) on a pig. The first place rendering, those are the thinnest profile refrigerators ever. Please finish and review your drawing before the final submission. As an instructor of Drawing Design and Presentation, I would maybe give you a D or D- after I stop banging my head against the wall. On the design issues, at the cook top, which is between that nice “thin appliance” and the sink. Where can I, if had this in my apartment, put a pan or pot at the left of the cook top, hmm? ( I hear crickets) Why does the the dishwasher need a base cabinet ? (I still hear crickets along with the occasional hoot of an owl ) It would not be a economical to build a cabinet for the dishwasher. NO manufacture will stop to re-tool their machine to make this cabinet.
Second place … lets just say I think this firm should be kicked out of the club. Did these guys just throw the ADA code out the window?
Third place…they made a better attempt, your generated people look as if they are shopping at the mall. The design concept was rushed.
1. smelly kitchen
  
  Posted Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 09:44 am | Permalink
  
  You are truly a professor of drawing design & presentation, its obvious in your comments. Second place should be kicked out because of ADA? Seriously? It sounds like your entry lost, but did you read somewhere in the brief that the kitchen was supposed to be accessible?
  
  Another self professed “design educator” that seems to have forgotten about concept & that all design is subjective.
  
  I still enjoy reading these comments immensely, it really shows the intellect of their authors.
2. clayton
  
  Posted Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 11:36 am | Permalink
  
  Richard I have to say that I agree with your assessment! There are many elements that I just did not get! Dwell is a nice publication however several of the designs seemed to just replicate many of thier ideals; nothing new!
  
  One last point; with 50% of the worlds population living in urban areas it seems that the kitchens were really larger than needed.
  
  Do they have an understanding of what it would cost to build a kitchen of 500-750 sqft in San Franciso or New York City. These are many times 75% of the size of the apartments or condos. I think the kitchen of the future is more about functioning well in smaller spaces. Unless of course the the “Murphy bed” is hidden behind one of the massive refrigerator units.
  
  Maybe we need a competition on redesigning the appliances!
  1. smelly kitchen
    
    Posted Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 02:18 pm | Permalink
    
    Dwell???? ha ha, can you even read?
    
    hilarious!
  2. sam
    
    Posted Friday, February 18, 2011 at 01:29 pm | Permalink
    
    The “rules” stated that the kitchen be 20′x30′. That’s crazy.
RC-M

Posted Monday, February 14, 2011 at 11:31 pm | Permalink

Entered the contest – what a waste of time! This contest was obviously not taken seriously by the jury.
hisham

Posted Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 10:49 pm | Permalink

I request to see all other people work , I guess everybody will agree to see why these people were chosen.

this competition doesn’t represent creativity anymore , all ideas non functional or has been repeated before .
Architect Corky

Posted Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 05:26 pm | Permalink

I am somewhat gratified at all the negative comments and the guts of the people who have posted their entries. I have won numerous national kitchen design contests and have even judged them. I have entered this contest twice and was amazed at the insanity of what the judges chose both times. Check out the winners in 2008–the contest was supposed to be about the modern family and the third place winner shows the children playing on the floor since there is no place for them! But that doesn’t match the inanity of the first place winner, a pivoting kitchen with no context (although the presentation was pretty cute). This year’s entries are no better and the third one is almost an exact copy of the winner in 2006. I hesitate to post my stuff–though maybe if I have time I might–because I have always been taught that to complain about the outcome of such a contest is not professional. Both times I have spent almost a week doing my entry, and these look like they spent five minutes! Oh well, I should not let myself enter again. . .or else try and make myself do something quick and totally impractical!
RC-M

Posted Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 09:16 pm | Permalink

hisham – great idea!
sam

Posted Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 04:11 pm | Permalink

If you have submission’s from the contest please post them. I’d like to see other designs.
Here is a link to my entry.

http://www.coroflot.com/sam_eshelman?keywords=sam+eshelman&;