From traditional kitchens with homespun details to clean-lined, contemporary spaces, BUILDER's second annual design competition highlights the best when it comes to inventive kitchen and bath configurations. A watermark spells quality when it comes to paper. Take a look at how that seal of approval distinguishes these award-winning kitchens and baths.

Watermark Judges

Ellen M. Cheever, Ellen Cheever & Associates, Wilmington, Del.

Kay Feld, Bozzuto Management Co., Greenbelt, Md.

Janis M. Magnuson, Kitchen Classics by Custom Crafters, Annandale, Va.

James McDonald, Lessard Architectural Group, Vienna, Va.

Sponsored by:

Grand Award
Palmer Kitchen, Cincinnati: Best kitchen in a single-family detached custom or remodeled home—over 5,000 square feet
Modern Makeover This kitchen was a dark, claustrophobic mess that had outlived its useful life. Architect John Senhauser, however, shed some light on it and added refined finishes for a modern kitchen that's ideal for family gatherings. The result garnered a grand award from our judges. more . . .	Photo 1 Photo 2 Floor Plan

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Grand Award
Morkill Kitchen, Gig Harbor, Wash.: Best kitchen in a single-family detached custom or remodeled home—3,000 to 5,000 square feet
Wine and Dine Designed for entertaining, this kitchen effectively mixes a variety of materials, glazed cabinets, and fine detailing in a traditional kitchen that does not seem too touchy feely. The judges approved. more . . .	Photo Floor Plan

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Grand Award
Private Residence Kitchen, Columbus, Ohio.: Best contemporary kitchen in a single-family detached custom or remodeled home—less than 3,000 square feet square feet
Contemporary Flair The landscape is littered with kitchen remodels that were well intentioned but poorly executed. This is definitely not one of those kitchens. The project exemplifies a well-designed kitchen that features a great mix of materials and attention to detail. more . . .	Photo Floor Plan

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Grand Award
Davison Kitchen, Penngrove, Calif.: Best contemporary kitchen in a single-family detached custom or remodeled home—less than 3,000 square feet square feet
Farmhouse Feel Blending is always a challenge when it comes to remodeling, but it's especially crucial when working within a historical framework. Not only does the interior have to mesh with existing rooms but the exterior must hold up its end of the bargain, too. more . . .	Photo Floor Plan

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Grand Award
Belvedere Lagoon Powder Room, Belvedere, Calif.: Best powder room square feet
Take A Powder Powder rooms are often forgotten spaces. Small and utilitarian, they offer few, if any, architectural possibilities. With this small but well-detailed powder room, Sutton Suzuki Architects turns this theory on its ear. more . . .	Photo

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Grand Award
Schumacher Bath, Canton, Ohio: Best master bath in a custom home
Clean Lines How do you create a bathroom that's contemporary without having it read as chilly? For this winning master bath, the answer revolved around texture and some inventive use of glass. more . . .	Photo 1 Photo 2 Floor Plan

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Merit Award
Belvedere Lagoon Kitchen, Belvedere, Calif.: Best kitchen in a single-family detached custom or remodeled home—over 5,000 square feet
Material World Mixing materials is a trend that's hot with kitchens these days, but it's a look that can be tricky to pull off. This winning, remodeled kitchen is an example that works on all fronts. more . . .	Photo Floor Plan

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Merit Award
Richeson Kitchen, Williamsburg, Va.: Best kitchen in a single-family detached custom or remodeled home—over 5,000 square feet
Kitchen Confidential A large house needs a kitchen that can accommodate day-to-day living as well as a space versatile enough to handle formal entertaining. Our judges approved of this project because it meets both requirements. more . . .	Photo Floor Plan

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Merit Award
Windsor Model Kitchen, Oklahoma City: Best kitchen in a single-family production home—2,000 to 3,000 square feet
Front and Center It's all about location, location, location with this kitchen, whose layout the Oklahoma City builder Newhaven Homes has dubbed "club-style." That's because it's at the heart of a one-story, four-bedroom production model, one of the best-selling plans offered at the community of Fenwick. more . . .	Photo Floor Plan

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Merit Award
Flagg Residence, Danville, Calif.: Best Kitchen Remodel in a Home—3,000 to 5,000 square feet
Let it Flow The existing kitchen in this California rancher was pure vanilla--a peninsula kitchen open to a small dining area. Not much light, not much space, not much excitement. more . . .	Photo 1 Photo 2 Floor Plan

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Merit Award
Bellevue Residence, Bellevue, Wash.: Best kitchen in a single-family detached custom or remodeled home—3,000 to 5,000 square feet
Center Stage Almost like a theater in the round, this kitchen gives the owner, who is an enthusiastic cook and host, an arena for his culinary legerdemain. more . . .	Photo 1 Photo 2 Floor Plan

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Merit Award
Landers Master Bath, Sacramento, Calif.: Best master bath in a custom home
Upbeat Blues Though small in size, this bath is full of inventive ideas. First, there's the blue circular shower that seems to rain sparkles from overhead. Architect Gary Orr fit a circular fluorescent light and chrome cover around a rain showerhead. more . . .	Photo 1 Photo 2 Floor Plan

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Merit Award
Tudor Bath, Denver: Best master bath in a custom home
Tudor Triumph The master bath that's been added on to this 1928 Tudor Revival in Denver is a study in contrasts (or, in the words of architect Doug Walters, "an exercise in solid-void relationships"). more . . .	Photo Floor Plan

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Special Focus Award
Yang/Chiang Residence, Burlingame, Calif.: Custom Details
Loft Look "This is a trendsetter look," one of the judges declared of this renovated kitchen in a 1945 ranch house. The judges particularly liked architect Jay Serrao's skillful use of materials. more . . .	Photo 1 Photo 2 Floor Plan

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Special Focus Award
Vauxhall Court Kitchen, Charlotte, N.C.: Pantry
Return of the Pantry Given everyone's preoccupation with storage these days, it's no surprise that pantries are making a comeback. This winner is a simple 6-by-10-foot rectangle done up with base cabinets and adjustable shelves in maple-faced plywood that's been stained to complement the adjoining kitchen's knotty alder cabinetry. more . . .	Photo

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Special Focus Award
Shapiro Kitchen, Charleston, S.C.: Use of color
Bold and Beautiful This kitchen looks like a typical well-designed space with granite countertops and high-end appliances. A wall of red cabinets, however, adds a personalized touch. more . . .	Photo

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