Stefan Vignogna Named 2026 KBDi Australian Certified Designer of the Year

Stefan Vignogna has been named Australian Certified Designer of the Year at the 2026 KBDi Design Awards, announced on Saturday 15 August 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Sydney. The national title was awarded for CLAYFIELD, a kitchen and interior project in Queensland. On the same night, Stefan also won KBDi NT + SA Kitchen Designer of the Year 2026 and the Kitchen Plus NT + SA category for NORWOOD in Adelaide — three titles from one awards program.

What is the KBDi Australian Certified Designer of the Year award?

The Kitchen & Bathroom Designers Institute of Australia (KBDi) runs Australia’s national design awards for kitchen, bathroom and interior designers. Certified Designer of the Year is open only to KBDi Certified Designers, and it is judged on far more than a finished room. Entrants are assessed on planning, technical resolution and documentation — the drawings and specifications that carry an idea from its first line through to construction.

CLAYFIELD: the national award-winning project

The judges described CLAYFIELD as an outstanding example of restraint, refinement and considered design. Every junction, corner and surface has been carefully resolved, while the furniture-like island challenges convention and blurs the boundaries of traditional kitchen design. Contemporary finishes and appliances are seamlessly integrated with a respectful nod to the home’s character — and that same attention to detail extends to the documentation behind it.

“Certified Designer of the Year recognises not only the finished interior, but the planning, documentation and technical resolution required to carry an idea from its first line through to construction. Interiors are the subject. Joinery is the method.” — Stefan Vignogna

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NORWOOD: two South Australian titles

NORWOOD, in Adelaide, won KBDi NT + SA Kitchen Designer of the Year 2026 and the Kitchen Plus NT + SA category. The project began with the challenge of making an existing space work harder and feel more resolved. Careful planning created clearly defined zones within the kitchen, while reeded glass, sculptural forms and considered detailing gave the interior its own quiet character.

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Four years on from 2022

Stefan was named KBDi Australian Kitchen Designer of the Year in 2022, alongside his first South Australian title. Returning in 2026 to win the national Certified Designer title — and the NT + SA title across two states — reflects a practice that has grown in scale and scope while holding to the same starting point: listening carefully, resolving how an interior needs to work, and carrying that thinking through every drawing and detail.

These awards belong to the clients who trust the process, and to the makers, trades, suppliers and collaborators who give the work its final form.

Work with Stefan Vignogna

Stefan Vignogna / Bespoke Joinery Design is an Adelaide-based consultancy creating bespoke joinery, kitchens and interiors for homeowners, developers and brands across Australia. Every project starts the same way — with an initial conversation about what your space needs to do.

Book an initial conversation.