While the KBDi Design Awards call on an experienced judging panel to assess design excellence, documentation and the successful resolution of a client brief, two special awards hand the decision over to an entirely different judging panel: the Australian public.
Presented in partnership with Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly (KBQ), the KBDi + KBQ People’s Choice Awards invite design enthusiasts to choose their favourite projects from the year’s outstanding field of kitchen and bathroom finalists.
And in 2026, the people have spoken.
Lisa Santamaria of Santamaria Design Studio won the 2026 KBDi + KBQ People’s Choice Award for Kitchens, while Paul Coulson of Earthborne by Design took home the People’s Choice Award for Bathrooms.
A celebration of Australian design
For many years, Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly has played an important role in showcasing the designers, projects and products shaping Australian homes, and its ongoing partnership with KBDi provides another platform for outstanding design work to reach a broader audience.
Speaking at the 2026 KBDi Design Awards Gala, Nicole Mulloy, Editor at Universal Media Company, reflected on an industry that is developing an increasingly confident identity of its own.
“We’re seeing Australian designers become increasingly confident in developing an aesthetic that feels distinctly our own — responding to the way Australians live, our climate and our love of relaxed, connected spaces, while embracing greater individuality, warmth, materiality and craftsmanship.”
Nicole also observed that the role of these important spaces continues to evolve.
“Kitchens have become true living spaces, while bathrooms are increasingly conceived as places of retreat and wellbeing.”
Alongside the growing emphasis on sustainability, longevity and functionality, she noted a welcome shift towards greater individuality, with designers creating spaces that respond to their occupants rather than simply following prevailing trends.
Chosen by the people
That connection between a space and the people who experience it is particularly fitting for the People’s Choice Awards.
Unlike the peer-judged categories of the KBDi Design Awards, members of the public select the People’s Choice winners. The award offers a fascinating opportunity to see which projects resonate beyond the judging room — the designs that catch an eye, provoke a response and ultimately earn a vote.
As Nicole put it:
“These awards are decided by the public, so they recognise the projects that don’t just demonstrate design excellence, but connect with people and capture their imagination.”
This year, Lisa Santamaria’s kitchen and Paul Coulson’s bathroom did exactly that.
Congratulations, Lisa and Paul
Congratulations to Lisa and Paul on earning the public vote, and to all of our 2026 finalists whose work was showcased through this year’s People’s Choice Awards.
KBDi extends its sincere thanks to Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly and Universal Media Company for their continued support of the Australian design community and for helping give exceptional kitchen and bathroom design the recognition and visibility it deserves.
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