Caesarstone Announces Judging Panel for Caesarstone Kitchen of the Year Competition

Caesarstone has welcomed four new prestigious judges onto the panel for the Caesarstone Kitchen of the Year competition. Newcomers Bielle Bellingham, Beth Haynes, Reuben Riffel and Mor Krisher will join Bradley van den Berg as the competition judges for 2015’s illustrious competition.

“We’ve got outstanding professionals on the judging panel that are not only passionate about kitchen design, but well-versed in it too,” says Caesarstone South Africa’s marketing director, Trevor King. “We’re looking forward to seeing the new dynamics they will bring to this year’s competition”.

With a background in interior design, visual culture, art theory and digital media,Bielle Bellingham is the new editor of ELLE Decoration. Constantly tracking decor and design trends, both on and offline, she showcases the way styles evolve and find meaning in our daily lives. “The kitchen is where performance and aesthetics combine in the heart of every home, and as a result they are fascinating spaces in terms of the potential of design. I’m very excited to see what comes out of the competition,” says Bielle.

Bradley van den Berg, executive producer of Cardova Productions, is one of the creatives behind the Expresso Morning Show and Afternoon Express studio designs.Bradley is a keen observer of international design trends and regularly brings the latest trends into the studio kitchens. Brad’s design philosophy is a comprehensive one, “The design should be innovative: a blend of materials in a harmony of aesthetics. The kitchen should be functional while making a statement, but still part of the greater flow of the house”.

After winning the competition in 2012 and 2014, Beth Haynes (nee Gillitt) is the first former competition winner to join the judging panel. With roots in fine art and marketing, Beth has been designing kitchens for several years with Kitchen Classics, also enjoying stints in London and Dubai. Beth recently returned to Durban to open her own studio.

“Trends in kitchen design are never static. How designers interpret and integrate the kitchen into a home has evolved to such a point that we now see kitchens as show pieces to be enjoyed by family and friends. The Caesarstone Kitchen of the Year competition provides a glimpse into this design evolution and provides a platform for designers to showcase their work. I’m looking forward to seeing where this year’s competitors lead our industry,” says Beth.

Formerly a Caesarstone ambassador, celebrity chef Reuben Riffel continues to include Caesarstone surfaces in his kitchen designs, “I've worked with Caesarstone over the years and they helped me with fitting out my pastry kitchen. Caesarstone has a great team of people and it’s a great product! I'm looking forward to judging this competition especially because I love beautifully and cleverly designed kitchens”. Reuben will bring his ample cooking and kitchen experience to the judging panel for a fresh take.

The final addition to the judging panel is experienced Caesarstone International head product designer, Mor Krisher. Mor is a valuable part of the research and development team and spends a great deal of time travelling to international design fairs to ensure the brand stays on the cutting edge, “Kitchens are increasingly becoming the focus, but need to maintain the overall design harmony of the house. With up-to-date technology, the right combination of materials, clean lines, sustainability, good colours and lighting, you can’t go wrong.”

Mor continues, “It will be an honour for me to be on the judging panel, and I am excited to see the designs of South Africa’s design community!”

While in its sixth year, 2015 brought a new aspect to the competition. “This year we wanted to acknowledge the significant contribution that homeowners often make to the design of the kitchens that get installed in their homes,” says advertising manager, Lisa Aspeling. “Now more than ever design is often a collaboration between the creative and the client, as consumers and homeowners are better educated in design than ever before thanks to design platforms such as Pinterest.”

For the first time ever, homeowners and designers are invited to enter the competition together for a chance to win R50,000 each and incredible media exposure. As always, the judging process will be blind, which means that the judges won’t know who has designed any of the entries to ensure complete impartiality.

The competition is now closed to entries.

Bradley van den Berg

Bielle Bellingham

Beth Haynes

Reuben Riffel

Mor Krisher