Seattle Modern Treehouse by Pulp Design Studios; Photograph by Lawson Photography
GRAY Media announces the breakout category, kitchen finalists for the 7th Annual GRAY Awards.
SEATTLE, Febraury 9, 2024 — Now in its 7th year, GRAY Awards — the international cross-disciplinary design awards program — continues to recognize the outstanding work happening around the world. Finalists have been selected in the fields of ARCHITECTURE, INTERIORS, LANDSCAPE, and PRODUCT DESIGN.
JUDGES CATEGORIES
Designers and manufacturers were invited to submit their projects in nine judges categories plus an editors’ pick Design for Good category. An esteemed panel of international design luminaries will select a winner in each of the initial nine categories. The winning designers will receive print and digital recognition as well as a custom designed trophy by acclaimed glass artist John Hogan.
GRAY CATEGORIES
GRAY encourages designers and manufacturers to create "Design for Good" projects —projects that have made a positive impact through design on a humanitarian, community, or environmental issue — and offers an award dedicated to these works each year.
In 2020, when the GRAY Awards expanded from a regional to international program, GRAY added a Legacy Award dedicated exclusively to a Pacific Northwest-based designer's lifetime achievement, honoring the region where GRAY began and the home to the GRAY Awards Parties. GRAY will name the next Legacy at the Party.
BREAKOUT CATEGORIES
Newly introduced at the 6th annual GRAY Awards last year, GRAY added several Breakout Categories, opening up opportunities to win GRAY Awards in micro-categories from Kitchens to Collaborations.
All winners will be announced at the GRAY Awards Party in Seattle in March, 2024 at Block 41, Seattle. The party is one of the most highly anticipated design bashes of the year, where all guests are treated like winners.
To purchase tickets, visit the 7th annual GRAY Awards Party page.
JUDGES
It is our privilege each year to welcome an international group of distinguished creatives to the GRAY Awards judging panel. Each working at the top of their game, these professionals now focus a discerning eye on determining the winners of the coveted GRAY Awards trophies.
7th annual GRAY Awards judging panel: Lee Broom, Brigitte Shim, Alessandro Munge, Silvia Tcherassi, Stephen Burks
FINALISTS - BREAKOUT CATEGORY, KITCHEN
Photograph by Maria Orlova
This Cedar Mill home was built in 1977, with its original kitchen intact, our client requested an updated, better-functioning space. Working closely with our client, a large central island with plenty of seating was designed along with a wine/coffee station. What was once a small window (and the only natural light source in the room) was opened up and exterior bifold doors were installed. The dining nook with custom seating and a bold light fixture creates an intimate space for people to come together.
Materials selected to create a sophisticated NW vibe included white oak cabinetry, honed Carrara countertops & backsplash with black plumbing fixtures, and cabinet hardware.
Photograph by Jeremy Bittermann
The Glen Road residence is a renovation that elevates modern design roots with a contemporary edge. It combines the dream of living in an energy efficient mid-century home with a light-filled connection to the Pacific Northwest landscape. The residence, located in the southwest of Portland, Oregon, is filled with picture windows and sliding doors that open the living spaces directly to the outdoors. Its warm color pallet and natural materials make the interior of the home glow within a wooded lot of tall pine trees and verdant, native landscaping.
The homeowners bought the house with the intention of completing a full renovation that would still preserve the character of the home, its original construction details and overall footprint. The result is a well-crafted, sustainable and innovative remodel of a previously inefficient and cold building.
The layout of the house remains close to the original 1950s home, but the design of an open-concept kitchen, dining, and living space allows for a better connection to the existing entryway and central gathering space. Wood screens and millwork create room dividers while maintaining an open living space.
Photograph by Barbour
Nestled in Portland’s vibrant Pearl District, the On Inc North American Headquarters is a testament to On's brand ethos of innovation, global collaboration, and honest materiality. A first generation tenant improvement spanning 56,000 square feet across two floors, the headquarters is a stunning example of what can be achieved when a global brand integrates with Portland's irreverent creativity and world class craftsmanship. Above all, the headquarters express the spirit of the founders-led company, prioritizing material innovation and aesthetic consistency to foster a sense of brand identity amongst its rapidly growing team. This gave us the unique opportunity to integrate and unite On Running's design principles from their shoes and retail stores into their workplace design.
Our design ambition required every decision to reflect On's signature aesthetics and ethos. By reflecting the company's signature shoe design, the project team succeeded in crafting a workplace that serves as an embodiment of the On Running brand — from their shoes to their retail to their workplace — creating a cohesive visual and experiential identity that permeates every aspect of the company's presence.
Photograph by Lawson Photography
For this Seattle renovation, Pulp Design Studios worked with the client to design an organic and serene style inspired by the outdoor setting for the home. The architecture is sleek and modern, with incredible light-filled rooms. A bank of windows arch over one side of this beautiful kitchen, with views that Pulp wanted to recreate within the space.
Warm maple wood cabinetry gives the kitchen a natural and organic look. Sleek pull tabs in polished nickel offer integrated hardware that meld into the overall design. Honed Calacatta Carrara marble showcases elemental striations and patterns on the counters and backsplash. The same marble is also used on the custom range hood and waterfall counter on the oversized island. Appliances include a Thermador range and dishwasher and SubZero refrigeration, and a Jenn-Air ice machine as the clients love to entertain. The sleek and modern design of this functional space is complemented with a super-linear 8-foot light fixture from Luke Lamp Company. It provides an artistic statement moment, as well as task lighting for the island.
Photograph by Michael Clifford
For this home in Seattle, the vision was to connect to the historic pre-war architecture in the neighborhood and invest in the craftsmanship that would bear resemblance to a building that has been there for 100 years. At the start of the design process, the kitchen was established as the center of the entire residence. As a family with three young children, the emphasis was put on creating a kitchen that was spacious, full of light and functional. The home's traditional architectural style was essential to informing the selection of materials, hardware and plumbing.
The overarching project challenge was designing a kitchen that felt 100 years old, yet updated with all the modern appliances. Marrying old and new elements to purposefully blur the lines was the design team's objective. Stunning Calacatta Gold marble slabs were handpicked and carefully templated to create an elevated backdrop to the Lacanche range and seamless oversized island. Figured Mahogany countertops with a durable marine grade finish were installed at the coffee bar to differentiate the zone. Antique glass reflects the waterfront of Lake Washington just outside the window and connects the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest to the interior space. Thoughtful hidden storage was integrated into the panels of the island to store bulky appliances, and minimal Bocci outlets were added to intricately blend into the casework and stone slabs.
7th Annual GRAY Awards finalists' announcements began December 18, 2023 and will continue to publish daily until all categories have been announced. For more information, visit our GRAY Awards Party page.
Thank you to our 7th annual GRAY Awards sponsors and industry partners:
