Celebrating Student Success
NKBA is dedicated to improving industry excellence by providing education and professional development opportunities to kitchen and bathroom professionals throughout New Zealand.
Each year, NKBA celebrates the achievements of New Zealand Diploma in Design students at a dedicated Student Awards event at the annual NKBA conference. This year’s event was held at Blum’s stunning Christchurch showroom with live music, cocktails and delicious finger food.
Nothing makes us prouder than celebrating student success and acknowledging the hard work and dedication of our industry’s up and coming design superstars. Read on for the full list of this year’s DNKBA scholarship recipients, Student Design Competition winners, and New Zealand Diploma in Design graduates.
Designers of NKBA (DNKBA) Scholarships
DNKBA awards scholarships each year to New Zealand Diploma in Design students who show a great deal of potential in the kitchen design industry in New Zealand.
This year’s three winners each received a scholarship valued at $5,500 which includes financial and mentoring support for the duration of their studies, as well as a trip to Christchurch for this year’s NKBA conference.
Congratulations to this year’s DNKBA Scholarship recipients:
- Sarah Tate (Counties Kitchens), sponsored by Blum
- Ana-Leissia Carter (2 Brothers Joinery), sponsored by New Zealand Panels Group
- Therese Högstedt (Got it Made Kitchens and Cabinetry), sponsored by Resene.
The DNKBA Advisory Group was impressed by the calibre of the recipients’ scholarship applications, saying that they all demonstrated passion for their work, a clear commitment to their studies, and a great deal of potential in the industry.
BCITO Judy Bark Most Promising Kitchen Design Student
Honouring a student who demonstrates outstanding commitment to their work and the willingness to learn and apply new knowledge, this award is based on recommendations from NKBA tutors and BCITO Training Advisors.
Congratulations to the 2024 BCITO Judy Bark Most Promising Kitchen Design Student:
- Angela Edgar (Designer Homeware)
It was Angela’s first time attending NKBA’s conference, and she was thrilled to receive recognition from BCITO and NKBA.
“We had an incredible time at the conference; it really was the highlight of my year so far. It was such a special privilege to receive the award and means a lot to me at this stage of my career. I can’t get over the generosity of the tutors, BCITO & NKBA team that have invested in me, thank you again to the team for all your work making this happen,” says Angela.
Angela’s tutor, Ingrid Geldof, said that she showed outstanding potential by demonstrating excellent design work and a strong work ethic during her first block course.
Tapae Hawira, Angela’s BCITO Training Advisor describes Angela as a dedicated, versatile and meticulous designer whose industry contributions, creativity, and commitment to excellence make her a standout candidate for this prestigious award.
New Zealand Diploma in Kitchen Design Graduates
At this year’s Student Awards event, we were thrilled to acknowledge 40 graduates who completed their New Zealand Diploma in Kitchen Design over the past 12 months.
The diploma takes dedication and commitment, with most students juggling their studies with full-time jobs and family and personal lives. It is a huge achievement and one that is widely acknowledged and held in high regard by our industry.
Congratulations to the 2023/2024 graduates of the New Zealand Diploma in Design:
- Adam Spitz
- Aimee Knight
- Alice Cao
- Alina Cuchiliuc
- Anthea Allnatt
- Azaria Lander
- Brooklyn Pharo
- Clare Convery
- Esther Rowe
- Gemma Schofield
- Georgia MacMillian
- Hannah Furmage
- Jennifer Statler
- Joanne Lanham
- Joanne Smith
- Josephine Fullerton-Coles
- Kacey Farquar
- Kai Siu
- Karen Warner
- Lacy Exton
- Lauren Edwards
- Louise Loef
- Lucy West
- Mackayla Barnett
- Madison Davis
- Madita Pleiss
- Mariel Rounthwaite
- Michael Robertson
- Mellisa Spencer
- Michaela Bain
- Michelle Samuels
- Monique Morgenrood
- Nicola Voullaire
- Priscilla Karsan
- Rachel Usman
- Sharon Dorman
- Shiloh Roberts
- Sophie Hill
- Taya Stockdale
- Victoria Gaylard
2024 Outstanding Graduate Award
The Outstanding Graduate Award was introduced for the first time in 2023 to recognise the hard work of the student who performed to a consistently high standard across all four of their diploma assignments.
Congratulations to the 2024 Outstanding Graduate:
- Lauren Edwards (Fluid Interiors)
Lauren’s tutors were extremely impressed with the detail and professionalism of her assignments which were all completed to a very high standard with a minimum of rework.
Her BCITO Training Advisor Siobhan McCluskey said that working with Lauren has been an absolute pleasure. “She is such a friendly yet professional person with a clear passion for her role. She is very deserving of the Outstanding Graduate Award,” says Siobhan.
2024 NKBA Student Design Competition
To conclude the Student Awards night, NKBA celebrated the winners of the 2024 NKBA Student Design Competition. This annual competition showcases the talent of student designers across three categories, with the winner of each category receiving a $500 prize.
Due to the high calibre of entries, this year NKBA also presented Highly Commended certificates for each category.
The 2024 NKBA Student Design Competition winners are:
Best Concept Kitchen Design, sponsored by Resene
Highly Commended: Jenna Oliver (Yellowfox)
Winner: Alina Cuchiliuc (Cube Dentro)
The judges were impressed by Alina’s simple but striking design, and commented on the clean lines, effective use of lighting, excellent workspaces and seamless incorporation of what is basically a second kitchen. The outstanding plans were also a highlight.
Best Installed Kitchen Design, sponsored by Enko
Highly Commended: Alina Cuchiliuc (Cube Dentro)
Winner: Lauren Edwards (Fluid Interiors)
The judges said that Lauren’s beautifully executed design is simple, elegant, welcoming, and harmonious. They loved the use of texture and soft finishes, and the creative lighting scheme. Extending the timber feature to the ceiling was a clever way to emphasise height in a small room, and they loved how the wall differentiated the office while maintaining cohesiveness with the rest of the space.
Best Technical Plans, sponsored by Hafele
Highly Commended: Alina Cuchiliuc (Cube Dentro)
Highly Commended: Jenna Oliver (Yellowfox)
Winner: Lacey Exton (Comber and Comber)
The judges were impressed with Lacey’s detailed, professional technical plans and elevations. In fact, they described her plans as faultless and said that her impressive technical skills spoke for themselves in this functional yet stunning kitchen, which also rated highly in the Best Installed Kitchen Design category.
A determination to succeed
Caitlin Adams, NKBA’s Education Manager, says this year’s winners and graduates had one thing in common.
“It is so exciting to see a clear passion for excellence among tonight’s winners and graduates – these students are determined to succeed in the industry and getting qualified is the first step. We can’t wait to see what they achieve in the future.”
The NKBA Student Awards will be back in 2025. If you are interested in taking your career to the next level with the New Zealand Diploma in Design, visit the NKBA website or contact the NKBA team today.