We’re thrilled to announce that KC Designer Dominic Massarella has been awarded a top industry accolade by The Kbsa, which recognises the exceptional talent of independent kitchen and bathroom retailers in the UK.
Dominic took the title of ‘Young Designer of the Year’ in the Kbsa 2022 awards after
impressing the judging panel with his entry of a complete lifestyle kitchen project for a new build property in Yorkshire.
Comprising an open plan kitchen, dining, snug and bar area, the project challenged Dominic to balance the rooms proportions whilst ensuring the design worked for the client’s busy lifestyle.
During a number of detailed design appointments, the brief was established and nurtured to fulfil the client’s requirements and wish list whilst fitting with the footprint of the property, which was soon to be constructed.
Commenting on the project, Dominic said: “Designing off-plan can have its benefits in that we have a clean slate to start with and can influence the footprint to better fulfil the brief.
“In this case, it meant we could extend the rooms footprint slightly to better align with the vision I had in mind to achieve everything the client wanted.
“Sometimes even little adjustments to a room can make a big difference to the outcome.”
It transpired the client required a functional family space for day-to-day living with a kitchen that would stand the test of time but also an impressive area for entertaining.
Another key stipulation was that the kitchen wouldn’t appear ‘lost’ in the generous open-plan space.
To address the issue, Dominic centred the kitchen design around a large island and
breakfast bar in a unique, soft triangle shape to give circulation to the space and achieve
effortless flow from one zoned area of the room to another.
The striking island also fulfilled other aspects of the brief by providing ample space for family activities, cooking, dining and socialising, plus a dream entertaining area, which was further enhanced with a large KC bespoke home bar.
The ‘timeless’ box was ticked with the shaker-style of KC’s Exclusively Made ‘In Frame’
furniture modernised with a flat slab door. The blue-black colour choice and suspended
lighting system above the breakfast bar also give a sense of modern living.
Further highlights of the design included a tall run of spacious units along the back wall,
state-of-the-art integrated appliances and statement granite worktops, all contributing to the kitchen’s functional and aesthetic appeal.
As requested, Dominic’s standout design filled the space without dominating the dining and snug areas, both of which also featured KC handcrafted oak furniture, subtly tying every element together.
The Kbsa judging panel agreed that Dominic’s design was “very well-balanced” and that “he shows exceptional promise with a great future ahead of him”.
In response to winning the Designer of the Year title, Dominic said: “I couldn’t be more
thrilled to take the Kbsa Young Designer title for 2022. To be awarded this industry accolade is incredibly rewarding - it’s amazing to know the design has fulfilled the client brief and is admired by others too.
“Part of my prize for the award included an education grant which I’m excited to be using to complete a course titled ‘The Power of Colour’ to further enhance my design skillset for future projects.”
Discover more about Dominic’s award-winning design in our Journal client case study titled - Big, Bold & Beautiful.
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