TraDItional kitchens

These kitchens feature timeless beauty, with intricate details and craftsmanship that pay homage to historical styles. Explore the winning designs that bring warmth and character to the heart of the home.

1st PLACE – Melissa Fitzgerald
Kitchen Society Design Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Oklahoma City-based designer Melissa Fitzgerald, who studied both journalism and design, won first place in the Traditional Kitchen category for a project entitled “Close Me Up but Don’t Hide Me.”

As the playful name implies, this kitchen redesign prioritizes functionality and flow, with hidden storage seamlessly blending practicality with elegance. The innovative space is ideal for both everyday cooking and enthusiastic entertaining. With custom cabinetry, bespoke brass, and other luxurious finishes, this kitchen is gracious and awe-inspiring.

While her winning design is traditional, Fitzgerald sees variety in all categories. “There’s so many different directions we’re going,” she says, noting that she finds her work ever-changing and never dull. “Using wallpaper in the kitchen, crazy lighting, interesting materials for cabinetry, such as metals or eucalyptus or burwood. I think we’re pushing the limits.”

DESIGN RESOURCES

• 36” Designer Column Refrigerator
• 36” Designer Column Freezer with Ice Maker
• 30” Designer Wine Storage with Refrigerator Drawers
• 48” Gas Range 
• 30” Transitional Drawer Microwave
• 30” Warming Drawer

2nd PLACE – Karen Ferguson
Harrison Design Atlanta, GA, USA

This deep navy-hued kitchen from Harrison Design in Atlanta is supremely inviting and ready for entertaining. The light-filled space, exuding comfort and ease, balances sophistication and practicality and is a natural spot for gathering.

The blue kitchen cabinetry contrasts with the adjacent white-paneled salon. This delineation of spaces, each with its own unique mood, allows the homeowners, who are avid hosts, to provide ideal spots for every type of get-together.

Laura Hermes, Senior Project Manager at Harrison Design, who worked alongside primary applicant and award winner Karen Ferguson, says working in a fast-paced design house in a busy city means the Harrison Design team has clients eager for the next big thing. “They’re ready for it, and they’re hungry for it,” says Hermes. “And we’re excited to see clients as open-minded as we are. We are welcoming new ideas with open arms.”

DESIGN RESOURCES

• 30” Freezer Drawers with Ice Maker
• 30” Designer Column Refrigerator 
• 15” Outdoor Undercounter Ice Maker
• 15” Ice Maker
• 48” Dual Fuel Range 
• 48” Pro Hood Liner 
• 24” E Series Transitional Coffee System
• 24” E Series Transitional Convection Steam Oven
• 30” Warming Drawer

3rd PLACE – Elizabeth Steimberg
Elizabeth Steimberg Architects New York, NY, USA

Timeless and purposeful, this industrial SoHo loft kitchen was part of a large-scale, 4,000-square-foot gut renovation from experienced New York architect Elizabeth Steimberg. “I don’t usually separate the rooms. Everything in the home is part of the design,” says Steimberg. “My key goal is to work around each client’s vision and to make that vision come alive.”

The owners, a young couple, wanted their industrial 1960s loft transformed into a classic home driven by their love of fine art. The challenges for the small-footprint kitchen included reallocating space to allow for traditional design elements within a functional layout. The renovation turned the kitchen into the loft’s central feature, merging sophistication with modern conveniences and flow.

“The cabinetry was a backdrop for the furniture, and the kitchen was part of that backdrop,” explains Steimberg. “It was all about the classic details. That is why it is all white. That was the idea of the design.”

DESIGN RESOURCES

• 30” Designer Column Refrigerator
• 30” Designer Freezer Drawers
• 24” Designer Wine Storage 
• 48” Gas Range