Masco Cabinetry, home of the KraftMaid®, Merillat®, QualityCabinets™ brands, as well as the DeNova® Countertop brand, and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) announce the winners of the “Blog Like a Pro” competition. The grand prize winner, Marianna Bowker, a student at Virginia Tech, will receive a $1,500 scholarship and the opportunity to blog on one of Masco Cabinetry’s brand websites. Lauren Koncerak of the University of Georgia and Kara Brennan of Virginia Tech received second- and third-place honors as well as scholarships of $700 and $500, respectively. The winners were recognized during the annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show this week in Chicago.
“We were incredibly impressed with the enthusiasm and quality of entries from students across the country,” said Susan Cross, brand and communications manager for Masco Cabinetry. “The purpose of the competition was to encourage design students to think and communicate like a professional designer and Marianna displayed those skills well. We look forward to her contributions to one of our blogs.”
Through “Blog Like A Pro,” students were tasked with creating a total of three blog posts relating to design ideas and themes. Students were provided an image gallery full of products from KraftMaid, Merillat, QualityCabinets and DeNova Countertops and a variety of topics to base their blog entries on. The entries were judged by a panel of professional kitchen and bath designers and social media experts jointly selected by Masco Cabinetry and the NKBA.Judges evaluated the entries based on creativity, continuity of the posts, knowledge of the topics, and overall writing and grammar skills.
Bowker received high marks from the judges for her three posts that supported her overall theme of “Think the Impossible and Make it Happen.” Her posts included advice on making the most of small spaces, planning home remodels with long-term living in mind and unique storage solutions—all of which support prominent trends in the industry.
“It is becoming increasingly important for designers to express their design visions in an online setting,” said Sherylin Doyle, manager of academic relations for the NKBA. “We’re extremely proud to see the level of skill demonstrated by all the students who participated and know it will serve them well in the future.”
To learn more about the competition, visit the “Blog Like A Pro” website here. For news, trends and design ideas, check out the KraftMaid By Design, Merillat Round Table and QualityCabinets My Q blogs.
About Masco Cabinetry
Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Masco Cabinetry manufactures three nationally recognized cabinetry brands, KraftMaid®, Merillat® and QualityCabinets™, and the DeNova™ countertop brand. Offering an unmatched selection of stylish, high-quality products at a variety of price levels, Masco Cabinetry brands are favored by builders, dealers, distributors and home centers throughout North America. A leader in environmental stewardship, Masco Cabinetry is ISO 14001 certified and has been granted an Environmental Stewardship Program certificate by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. The company is a division of Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS), of Taylor, Mich., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of brand name consumer products for the home and family.
www.mascocabinetry.com
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA)
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is a non-profit trade association with over 50,000 members that has educated and led the kitchen and bath industry for more than 45 years. NKBA.org provides consumers with an inspiration gallery of award-winning kitchen and bath designs, as well as articles, tips, and an extensive glossary of remodeling terms. At NKBA.org, consumers can also find certified kitchen and bath professionals in their areas, submit questions to NKBA experts, and download the free NKBA Kitchen Planner and NKBA Bath Planner. To learn more, visit the
NKBA Press Room
or call 1-800-THE-NKBA (843-6522).
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Agency Contact:
Mary Kennedy
Olson, for Masco Cabinetry
Email: mkennedy@olson.com
P: 612-215-7255 C: 608-772-6133
Masco Cabinetry Contact:
Susan Cross
Masco Cabinetry
Email: susan.cross@mascocabinetry.com
P: 734-205-4659 C: 517-902-2156