Chef Tom Hurley preparing the Dream Dinner from last year's Zephyr Inspire My Kitchen Design Contest
Our editorial team members at Styleture have long been fans of range hood innovators, Zephyr. It only takes a glance at some of the offerings from their Cheng, Arc and Essentials collections to realize these guys know how to merge design and utility, and offer an outstanding product. With the goal of bringing together culinary aficionados, and awarding homeowners and professional designers with prizes for incorporating a Zephyr range hood into their kitchen, Zephyr has brought back for the second year in a row their IMKDC (Inspire My Kitchen Design Contest).
The 2011 IMKDC marks the return of Zephyr’s expert panel of distinguished judges – including artist Fu-Tung Cheng, industrial designer Robert Brunner, and celebrity chef Tom Hurley – who will evaluate the contestants based on rigorous criteria. For example, Cheng has previously stated that he looks for designs that make exquisite use of colors and textures, as well as the overall application of the hood within the kitchen’s design; Hurley looks for the layered textures and nuances that make each kitchen unique. The initial open entry period for the contest commenced on March 28, when contestants began submitting digital photos and a brief narrative describing their kitchen’s design. Visitors to the IMKDC website have been and will continue to review the submissions and elect their top five kitchens. After the initial entry period, Zephyr’s world-renowned judging panel will review the submissions, awarding points based on materials, aesthetics, utility and the X-Factor – the kitchen one would most enjoy entertaining guests in. Winners will be announced on January 16, 2012.
Zephyr Horizon Range Hood by Robert Brunner
Winners of the homeowner category will be awarded a Dream Dinner grand prize consisting of a gourmet dinner for them and 16 of their closest friends, tailored to their tastes by Chef Hurley and his award-winning team; the dinner will be elegantly paired with premier and rare wines and champagnes from around the world. The prize will also include a hands-on cooking class by Chef Hurley the night before the dinner. Winners of the designer category will be awarded generous cash prizes: $2,500 for third place, $5,000 for the runner-up and a $10,000 grand prize will be awarded to the kitchen designer who best uses a Zephyr range hood. Based on last year’s turnout of incredibly talented designers, Zephyr is expecting the 2011 designer category to not only reveal innovative and groundbreaking kitchen designs, but also be ultra-competitive.
Zephyr Duo Range Hood by Robert Brunner
At Styleture we love contests like this; they’re not only a great way for a company to foster interaction with its customers in an interesting way, but they also allow customers to get creative and get rewarded for their efforts with exquisite prizes.
If you want to get in on the IMKDC action, visit inspiremykitchen.com
