Photos: 2014 Kitchen and Bath Business' Kitchen of the Year

Kitchen of the Year winner (slide 1 of 6)
Design by Scott Dresner

Winner Scott Dresner called the original kitchen in this Chicago condo a "medieval-dungeon-dark and small." To tackle those issues, he relied on bright cabinets and marble to accentuate the natural light coming through the nearby windows. He also blew out the ceilings to make the space feel larger, and avoided overbearing cabinetry over the countertops by installing simple stainless steel shelves.

Kitchen of the Year winner (slide 2 of 6)
Design by Scott Dresner

The judges were very impressed by the ceiling, K+BB editor-in-chief Chelsie Butler says. The original ceiling had been accessed to add new ductwork for central air conditioning, lowering it to 8 feet. Dresner brought the ceiling back up to 9 feet, yet still covered the ductwork in an architecturally appealing way.

His use of large slabs of marble for both the island and a wall covering was also eye-catching. The marble wall is pictured on the previous slide.

Kitchen of the Year winner (slide 3 of 6)
Design by Scott Dresner

A ventless washer and dryer hide inside cabinets as well. The electrical had to be redone to accommodate the trick, according to K+BB.

Kitchen of the Year winner (slide 4 of 6)
Design by Scott Dresner

The absence of cabinets cluttering the walls didn't mean an absence of storage space. This smart pull-out cabinet, located right next to the hidden fridge, allowed Dresner to create a lot of storage despite having minimal wall space.

Kitchen of the Year winner (slide 5 of 6)
Design by Scott Dresner

The finishes follow the white and gray aesthetic and nod to minimalism incorporated in the kitchen.

Kitchen of the Year winner (slide 6 of 6)
Design by Scott Dresner

Dresner is responsible for the unique look of the wine bottles under the television. Because the space was so small, there wasn't enough depth for traditional wine storage, so he turned the bottles sideways, allowing them to be featured in a wholly unique way, he says.

Kitchen of the Year runner-up (slide 1 of 8)
Design by Amy Yin

Amy Yin's runner-up design is actually her own kitchen. After spending the last 10 years designing kitchens for other people, she knew how to get her own right. Like Dresner, she went with a white and gray palette and offers a few different shades to capture the eye. She also seamlessly incorporates traditional design elements, such as the trelliswork on the mirrored cabinet windows, with more contemporary features, such as the sleek, metallic handles that dot the space.

Kitchen of the Year runner-up (slide 2 of 8)
Design by Amy Yin

Yin says that anyone looking to create a dream kitchen should dream big. With new technologies and a designer's tricks of the trade, what you think is impossible may not be. She thought her dream white kitchen would never be a reality.

"On my wish list, I had always wanted white counters but needed something practical and easy to clean," she says. "We are a family who cooks a lot, and often with lemon, tomatoes, red wine, soy sauce, oils and other potentially staining ingredients. With the introduction of engineered quartz counters, my bright, solid white counters never need to be sealed, stay clean with the wipe of a damp cloth, and do not stain or discolor easily. If they do, a light buffing with a soft scrubbing cleaner is all that's required."

Dream realized.

Kitchen of the Year runner-up (slide 3 of 8)
Design by Amy Yin

Another dream for Yin was an open concept kitchen, which she thought was impossible due to a large chimney and brick wall separating the living area with the kitchen. Once again, doing a little research helped her realize her vision.

"We thought this might be a nightmare to do and were considering leaving the kitchen footprint as is, but after consulting with an architect, we discovered it was much easier than we thought," she says. "Three days later, we suddenly had an open floor plan."

She "tied the spaces together with columns, beams and a cohesive color scheme--warm gray, black granite, bright white, mother-of-pearl inserts and metallic accents," according to K+BB.

Kitchen of the Year runner-up (slide 4 of 8)
Design by Amy Yin

Yin custom-designed eight mirrored cabinet doors with fretwork that mimics architectural details common to her grandmother's home province in China. These kind of personal details are key to a design you really love, she says.

Plus her inventive storage spaces, including these corner drawers (wasting no space) and a pull-out spice rack are any space-deprived cook's dream.

Kitchen of the Year runner-up (slide 5 of 8)
Design by Amy Yin

This sliding cabinet, with a built-in cutting board, is one of many creative ways Yin maximized space. It's not even the only creative cutting board; see the next slide.

Kitchen of the Year runner-up (slide 6 of 8)
Design by Amy Yin

Another unique custom cutting board fits right into the sink for easy chopping and disposal.

Kitchen of the Year runner-up (slide 7 of 8)
Design by Amy Yin

Yin played with color inside the pantry, where different shades of blue on the walls and on the ceiling complement the pastel colors of her bowls.

Kitchen of the Year runner-up (slide 8 of 8)
Design by Amy Yin

Yin definitely thought through the kitchen's utility and even carved out space for those appliances she most frequently uses that need to stay on the countertop. This way they are accessible, but not in the way. She tried to create storage space that was kid- and grandparent-friendly -- building more below the countertop level than above, so that her 4-year-old and her 7-year-old could learn the joys of cooking.

Kitchen of the Year runner-up (slide 1 of 1)
Design by Lauren Levant Bland

Designer Lauren Levant Bland created this massive white kitchen for a homeowner in Pittsburgh. The glamorous touches, dual islands and repurposed range caught the eyes of the judges.