Presented by BLUM
Beautiful, from the inside
In a beautifully resolved kitchen or bathroom, the most important details are not always the ones you see first. Sometimes they are the ones you touch every day without thinking.
2026 Awards
2026
Excellence
in Design
No Stone Unturned — Du Bois Design, Te AraiEntry 291
See the winners
The full 2026 NKBA Excellence in Design wrap-up: the winners, the categories, and the complete field of 95 entries.
NKBA’s note
— Rachael Kwok, Executive Officer, NKBA
Each year, the NKBA Awards provide an important perspective on the direction of kitchen and bathroom design in New Zealand. Beyond trends or surface inspiration, they reflect the real spaces New Zealanders live in every day — rooms shaped by careful planning, technical skill, material knowledge and a deep understanding of how people use their homes.
For 2026, the entries demonstrate a clear appetite for warmth, material depth and highly resolved detailing. Kitchens continue to evolve as places for connection, gathering and daily life, while bathrooms are increasingly considered as restorative spaces. Across both, the strongest projects share a sense of calm confidence: thoughtful design, strong material choices and spaces that respond beautifully to the people they are created for.
This space carries the full 2026 NKBA Awards wrap-up — the winners, the categories and the complete field of entries — celebrating the designers, makers and suppliers contributing to the strength of our industry. Enjoy.
From the 2026 field
95 entries across the programme
OFFICIAL RESULT
Auckland Powder Room Design Recognition
Jewel Box
Du Bois Design
Alpine Med
HM design Trading as Double Black Design
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Gold Bathroom Design Award
Rigato Retreat
Hub Design
OFFICIAL RESULT
Visual Impact Powder Room Award
Timeless Glamour
Detail By Davinia Sutton
Workman's Cottage
Bays Joinery
OFFICIAL RESULT
Canterbury Bathroom Design Recognition
Elegant Oasis
Detail By Davinia Sutton
OFFICIAL RESULT
Outstanding Powder Room Winner
Green Envy
Detail By Davinia Sutton
Curved Intent
Strydeco Kitchens & Cabinetry
OFFICIAL RESULT
Supreme Bathroom Design Award
Supreme Bathroom Manufacturer
Supreme Bathroom Benchtop Manufacturer
Traditional Refinement
Detail By Davinia Sutton
Midnight Magic
Detail By Davinia Sutton
OFFICIAL RESULT
Residential Spatial Innovation Design Award
Entertain Me
Detail By Davinia Sutton
Mountain Retreat
Detail By Davinia Sutton
OFFICIAL RESULT
Creative Small Space Kitchen Award
Dakota Rise
Victoria Gaylard Design
Winter Light - Guest Bathroom
Du Bois Design
OFFICIAL RESULT
Character Kitchen Design Award
Southern Kitchen Design Recognition
Quartzite Peninsula
Hub Design
OFFICIAL RESULT
Creative Small Space Bathroom Award
Understated Retreat
Detail By Davinia Sutton
OFFICIAL RESULT
Top of the South Kitchen Design Recognition
Lumiere Noir
Bays Joinery
Maryland Guest Bathroom
Kirsty Vegas Design
OFFICIAL RESULT
Auckland Powder Room Design Recognition
Jewel Box
Du Bois Design
Alpine Med
HM design Trading as Double Black Design
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Gold Bathroom Design Award
Rigato Retreat
Hub Design
OFFICIAL RESULT
Visual Impact Powder Room Award
Timeless Glamour
Detail By Davinia Sutton
Workman's Cottage
Bays Joinery
OFFICIAL RESULT
Canterbury Bathroom Design Recognition
Elegant Oasis
Detail By Davinia Sutton
OFFICIAL RESULT
Outstanding Powder Room Winner
Green Envy
Detail By Davinia Sutton
Curved Intent
Strydeco Kitchens & Cabinetry
OFFICIAL RESULT
Supreme Bathroom Design Award
Supreme Bathroom Manufacturer
Supreme Bathroom Benchtop Manufacturer
Traditional Refinement
Detail By Davinia Sutton
Midnight Magic
Detail By Davinia Sutton
OFFICIAL RESULT
Residential Spatial Innovation Design Award
Entertain Me
Detail By Davinia Sutton
Mountain Retreat
Detail By Davinia Sutton
OFFICIAL RESULT
Creative Small Space Kitchen Award
Dakota Rise
Victoria Gaylard Design
Winter Light - Guest Bathroom
Du Bois Design
OFFICIAL RESULT
Character Kitchen Design Award
Southern Kitchen Design Recognition
Quartzite Peninsula
Hub Design
OFFICIAL RESULT
Creative Small Space Bathroom Award
Understated Retreat
Detail By Davinia Sutton
OFFICIAL RESULT
Top of the South Kitchen Design Recognition
Lumiere Noir
Bays Joinery
Maryland Guest Bathroom
Kirsty Vegas Design
Beyond the winners
The 2026 field
95 projects across the programme
- Total entries
- 95
- Kitchens
- 54
- Bathrooms
- 23
- Designed spaces
- 10
- Award results
- 63
- Designers
- 53
- Manufacturers
- 3
2026 Designer of the Year Award
Natalie Du Bois
Du Bois Design·Auckland
2 awards
The supreme winners
The two highest honours of the 2026 programme — one kitchen, one bathroom.
2 awards
Supreme Kitchen Design Award — runners-up
The kitchens that ran the winner closest.
OFFICIAL RESULT
Supreme Kitchen Design Award Runner Up
DNKBA Gold Kitchen Design Award
Visual Impact Kitchen Award
Ebony & Ivory
Katie Scott · Sticks+Stones Design
Entry 216·Mt Eden Auckland
OFFICIAL RESULT
Supreme Kitchen Design Award Runner Up
Bay of Plenty Kitchen Design Recognition
Manufacturing Excellence Award
Dune Lodge
Adam Spitz · Vekart
Entry 217·Papamoa
4 awards
DNKBA Kitchen Design Awards
The designated standard across the kitchen programme.
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Elite Kitchen Design Award
Kitchen Distinction Award – $120k+
Tea House - Apartment Kitchen
Natalie Du Bois · Du Bois Design
Entry 281·Parnell
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Platinum Kitchen Design Award
Waikato Kitchen Design Recognition
Rural Sanctuary
Jenny Holmes · Designmarked Kitchens
Entry 209·Tamahere, Hamilton
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Gold Kitchen Design Award
Supreme Kitchen Design Award Runner Up
Visual Impact Kitchen Award
Ebony & Ivory
Katie Scott · Sticks+Stones Design
Entry 216·Mt Eden Auckland
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Silver Kitchen Design Award
Outstanding Kitchen Renovation Award
First Time Entrant Kitchen Award
Bold Gatherings
Justine Keyworth · Kitchen Studio Christchurch North
Entry 205·Merivale, Christchurch
4 awards
DNKBA Bathroom Design Awards
The designated standard across the bathroom programme.
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Elite Bathroom Design Award
Auckland Bathroom Design Recognition
Earth and Stone
Natalie Du Bois · Du Bois Design
Entry 288·Parnell
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Platinum Bathroom Design Award
Japandi Soul
Vikki Gorton-Tibbits · Tibbits + Co
Entry 273·Auckland
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Gold Bathroom Design Award
Rigato Retreat
Carmen Hubber · Hub Design
Entry 275·Jacks Point
OFFICIAL RESULT
DNKBA Silver Bathroom Design Award
A Suite Sanctuary
Sarah Harding · Spaces Ink Interior Design Studio
Entry 189·Cass Bay, Banks Peninsula
5 awards
Kitchen Distinction Awards
Kitchens recognised band by band across the investment range.
OFFICIAL RESULT
Kitchen Distinction Award – up to $30k
Oak & Arc
Trudi Rabbitte · Rabbitte Joinery
Entry 211·Napier
OFFICIAL RESULT
Kitchen Distinction Award – $30k–$60k
The State House Revival
Charlotte Roberts · Charlotte Roberts Designs
Entry 181·Narrow Neck - North Shore
OFFICIAL RESULT
Kitchen Distinction Award – $60k–$90k
Creative Excellence Kitchen Design Award
Southern Kitchen Design Recognition
Raw Precision
Hannah Withy · HM design, Trading as Double Black Design
Entry 226·Wanaka
OFFICIAL RESULT
Kitchen Distinction Award – $90k–$120k
Lakeside Luxe
Steph Hopkinson · Mooi Design
Entry 219·Lake Hood
OFFICIAL RESULT
Kitchen Distinction Award – $120k+
DNKBA Elite Kitchen Design Award
Tea House - Apartment Kitchen
Natalie Du Bois · Du Bois Design
Entry 281·Parnell
2 awards
Bathroom Distinction Awards
Bathrooms recognised band by band across the investment range.
2 awards
Creative Excellence Awards
Original thinking, resolved with real craft.
OFFICIAL RESULT
Creative Excellence Kitchen Design Award
Kitchen Distinction Award – $60k–$90k
Southern Kitchen Design Recognition
Raw Precision
Hannah Withy · HM design, Trading as Double Black Design
Entry 226·Wanaka
OFFICIAL RESULT
Creative Excellence Bathroom Design Award
Lake Escape
Davinia Sutton · Detail By Davinia Sutton
Entry 256·Lake Hayes
6 awards
Outstanding Awards
Renovations, powder rooms, laundries and bars that outperform their brief.
OFFICIAL RESULT
Outstanding Kitchen Renovation Award
DNKBA Silver Kitchen Design Award
First Time Entrant Kitchen Award
Bold Gatherings
Justine Keyworth · Kitchen Studio Christchurch North
Entry 205·Merivale, Christchurch
OFFICIAL RESULT
Outstanding Bathroom Renovation Award
First Time Entrant Bathroom Award
The Verdant Modern
Toni Gale · Toni Gale
Entry 210·Bluff Hill, Napier
OFFICIAL RESULT
Outstanding Powder Room Winner
Green Envy
Detail by Davinia Sutton · Detail By Davinia Sutton
Entry 237·Wanaka
OFFICIAL RESULT
Outstanding Laundry Award Winner
The Wash House
Detail by Davinia Sutton · Detail By Davinia Sutton
Entry 246·Wanaka
OFFICIAL RESULT
Outstanding Laundry Award Runner Up
The Living Utility
Natalie Du Bois · Du Bois Design
Entry 290·Te Arai
OFFICIAL RESULT
Residential Bar Design Award
Room with a View Gin Bar
Jenny Holmes · Designmarked Kitchens
Entry 208·Tairua
2 awards
Creative Small Space Awards
Compact rooms doing far more than their footprint suggests.
3 awards
Visual Impact Awards
Rooms that hold the eye the moment you walk in.
OFFICIAL RESULT
Visual Impact Kitchen Award
Supreme Kitchen Design Award Runner Up
DNKBA Gold Kitchen Design Award
Ebony & Ivory
Katie Scott · Sticks+Stones Design
Entry 216·Mt Eden Auckland
OFFICIAL RESULT
Visual Impact Bathroom Award
Bathroom Distinction Award – $50k+
Lakeside Retreat
Detail by Davinia Sutton · Detail By Davinia Sutton
Entry 241·Wanaka
OFFICIAL RESULT
Visual Impact Powder Room Award
Timeless Glamour
Detail by Davinia Sutton · Detail By Davinia Sutton
Entry 244·Christchurch
2 awards
First Time Entrant Awards
Standout work from designers entering the programme for the first time.
OFFICIAL RESULT
First Time Entrant Kitchen Award
DNKBA Silver Kitchen Design Award
Outstanding Kitchen Renovation Award
Bold Gatherings
Justine Keyworth · Kitchen Studio Christchurch North
Entry 205·Merivale, Christchurch
OFFICIAL RESULT
First Time Entrant Bathroom Award
Outstanding Bathroom Renovation Award
The Verdant Modern
Toni Gale · Toni Gale
Entry 210·Bluff Hill, Napier
2 awards
Spatial Innovation Awards
Planning that rethinks how a room is used.
1 award
Character Kitchen Design Award
A kitchen with a personality entirely its own.
20 awards
Regional Recognition Awards
The strongest work region by region across the country.
Auckland
OFFICIAL RESULT
Auckland Kitchen Design Recognition
Reflections
Katie Scott · Sticks + Stones Design
Entry 267·Westmere Auckland
OFFICIAL RESULT
Auckland Kitchen Design Recognition
Obsidian Gold
Na Ni · Aurora Australis Interiors
Entry 225·Oteha, Auckland
OFFICIAL RESULT
Auckland Bathroom Design Recognition
DNKBA Elite Bathroom Design Award
Earth and Stone
Natalie Du Bois · Du Bois Design
Entry 288·Parnell
OFFICIAL RESULT
Auckland Powder Room Design Recognition
Jewel Box
Natalie Du Bois · Du Bois Design
Entry 260·Parnell
OFFICIAL RESULT
Auckland Designed Space Recognition
Quantum Showroom
Katie Scott · Sticks+Stones Design
Entry 266·Newmarket Auckland
Canterbury
OFFICIAL RESULT
Canterbury Kitchen Design Recognition
Residence Recast
Brooke Hulston · Lume Design
Entry 177·Maitai, Nelson
OFFICIAL RESULT
Canterbury Kitchen Design Recognition
Lakeside
Detail by Davinia Sutton · Detail By Davinia Sutton
Entry 238·Wanaka
OFFICIAL RESULT
Canterbury Kitchen Design Recognition
Lakeside Sophistication
Davinia Sutton · Detail By Davinia Sutton
Entry 247·Wanaka
OFFICIAL RESULT
Canterbury Bathroom Design Recognition
Elegant Oasis
Detail by Davinia Sutton · Detail By Davinia Sutton
Entry 252·Christchurch
OFFICIAL RESULT
Canterbury Designed Space Recognition
Defying Gravity
Sarah Harding · Spaces Ink Interior Design Studio
Entry 186·Mt Pleasant, Christchurch
Southern
OFFICIAL RESULT
Southern Kitchen Design Recognition
Kitchen Distinction Award – $60k–$90k
Creative Excellence Kitchen Design Award
Raw Precision
Hannah Withy · HM design, Trading as Double Black Design
Entry 226·Wanaka
OFFICIAL RESULT
Southern Kitchen Design Recognition
Character Kitchen Design Award
Quartzite Peninsula
Hub Design
Entry 272·Kelvin Penisula
Top of the South
3 awards
Manufacturing Awards
The makers, fabricators and benchtop specialists behind the finished rooms.
OFFICIAL RESULT
Supreme Bathroom Manufacturer
Lyall Park Joinery & Southern Creations
Traditional Refinement
Entry 245·Christchurch
OFFICIAL RESULT
Supreme Bathroom Benchtop Manufacturer
Artisan Stone
Traditional Refinement
Entry 245·Christchurch
OFFICIAL RESULT
Manufacturing Excellence Award
Vekart
Dune Lodge
Entry 217·Papamoa
Featured partner stories
As featured on KBQ.nz
Presented by FIT
Inside Intelligence
Some of the most important decisions in a kitchen or bathroom are not the ones that announce themselves first.
Presented by Zenith Water
Water, Specified
In a highly resolved kitchen, convenience is not a shortcut. It is part of the architecture.
Chapter one
Kitchens
Kitchen and kitchen-related projects from the 2026 programme — award winners alongside the wider field of projects.
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 183
Beach Retreat Kitchen
Designmarked Kitchens — Whangamata
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 185
Project Pouwhare
Beaver Kitchens — Whakatane
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 188
Harbour View Haven
Spaces Ink Interior Design Studio — Cass Bay, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 191
Atelier Noir
HK Kitchens Limited — Papamoa
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 192
Fifty Shades
Kitchen Studio North Shore — Forrest Hill, North Shore
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 195
Rivers Run Deep
Finesse Joinery — WHITECLIFFS, CANTERBURY
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 200
Golden Hour
Kate Carter Interior Design — Christchurch
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 202
Mahogany Forest
Studio MWF — Ashburton, Canterbury
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 203
Harbour Velvet
DBJ Furniture — Auckland
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 206
Clay Hills
Hub Design — Arrowtown
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 207
Room with a View Kitchen
Designmarked Kitchens — Tairua
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 212
Within The Frame
Kate Carter Interior Design — Herne Bay, Auckland
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 213
Dunes
Sticks+Stones Design — Mangawhai
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 218
Lodore Circle
Strydeco Kitchens and Cabinetry — Okaihau, Northland
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 220
Alpine Med
HM design Trading as Double Black Design — Mt Barker, Wanaka
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 223
Midnight Indulgence
Kym Bowater Design — Ashhurst
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 224
Concrete Casa
Rabbitte Joinery — Havelock North
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 227
Calm and Curated
Hello Home Interiors — Brooklyn, Wellington
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 231
Workman's Cottage
Bays Joinery — Nelson
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 233
Mid-Century Modern Retreat
Kitchens by Design — Titirangi Auckland
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 234
Kanso
Bays Joinery — Mapua
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 235
The Ridge
Detail By Davinia Sutton — Wanaka
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 243
Timeless Elegance
Detail By Davinia Sutton — Christchurch
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 249
Gourmet Opulence
Detail By Davinia Sutton — Christchurch
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 250
Culinary Entertainer
Detail By Davinia Sutton — Christchurch
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 254
Lakeside Connection
Detail By Davinia Sutton — Lake Hayes
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 265
The Arcus Country Cottage Kitchen
Simone van der Plas PDINZ — Kapiti Coast
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 268
The Rural Modernist
Next Edition Kitchens — Pataua South, Whangarei
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 270
Artisan & Oak
Workshop Designs — Carterton, Wairarapa
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 278
Hot Toddy Residence
Workshop Designs — Masterton
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 280
In Tandem Kitchen
Modi Design — Merivale, Christchurch
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 285
Stone & Light
Victoria Gaylard Design — Milford, Auckland
Chapter two
Bathrooms & powder rooms
Bathrooms, ensuites and powder rooms from the 2026 programme — quieter rooms, working harder on atmosphere.
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 165
George Courts Heritage Building - Luxury bathroom renovation
Kirsty Vegas Design — George Courts Heritage Building, Auckland City
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 179
Luxury Bathroom Sanctuary @ 30
Kirsty Vegas Design — Auckland City
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 180
Maryland Guest Bathroom
Kirsty Vegas Design — Auckland City
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 187
A Pretty Penny
Spaces Ink Interior Design Studio — Mt Pleasant, Christchurch
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 239
Parallel Ensuite
Modi Design — Merivale, Christchurch
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 248
Mountain Retreat
Detail By Davinia Sutton — Wanaka
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 251
Midnight Magic
Detail By Davinia Sutton — Christchurch
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 287
Calm and Curated Bathe
Hello Home Interiors — Brooklyn, Wellington
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 289
Winter Light - Guest Bathroom
Du Bois Design — Te Arai
Chapter three
Alternative spaces
Sculleries, laundries, bars and the other designed rooms entered in the 2026 programme.
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 178
Curved Craftsmanship
Kitchens R Us — Te Puna, Tauranga, Bay Of Plenty
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 193
Beach Retreat Designed Space
Designmarked Kitchens — Whangamata
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 197
Curved Intent
Strydeco Kitchens & Cabinetry — Kerikeri
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 198
Cruickshank Residence
Craft Development Ltd — Meadowbank, Auckland
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 204
Eclipse
Modern Age Kitchens and Joinery — Prestons Road, Marshlands, Christchurch, Canterbury
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 229
Where Veins Meet Grain
Mastercraft Kitchens by B&M Joinery — Jacks Point, Queenstown
NKBA Awards 2026Entry 269
Nook + Niche
Hello Home Interiors — Heretaunga, Upper Hutt