VL Builders Wins 1st Place at the 2025 NKBA Peak Awards for Best Large Kitchen Remodel

‍VL Builders Takes Home Top Kitchen Remodel Honor at the NKBA Peak Awards

VL Builders, a design-build remodeling company serving the Denver metro area, has been awarded 1st Place in the Large Kitchen category at the 2025 NKBA Peak Awards.The winning project, a full kitchen transformation in Golden, Colorado, was designed by Kaitlyn Bumgarner, VL Builders' Remodeling Design Consultant, and executed by the full VL Builders team.

What Are the NKBA Peak Awards?

The NKBA Peak Awards are the premier kitchen and bath design awards program in the Rocky Mountain region, organized by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). The awards recognize outstanding achievement in design, craftsmanship, functionality, and client experience across a wide range of project categories.

The Large Kitchen category is widely regarded as one of the most demanding categories in the program. Entries are judged on multiple criteria including design vision, material selection, layout functionality, quality of execution, and the story behind the project. The 2025 program received a record number of submissions, making this year's competition among the most competitive in the award's history.

Winning first place in this category reflects the standard VL Builders has set for design-build remodeling in the Denver area.

About the Winning Kitchen

What began as a dated, compartmentalized 1970s kitchen in Golden, Colorado has been reborn as a soulful, handcrafted space that celebrates both the era of the home and the artistic vision of its owners.

Walls were removed to expand the kitchen into the old dining room, creating a new layout with dual work zones: a nine-drawer working island for prep and storage, and a seating peninsula that invites conversation and casual meals. Window reconfiguration was one of the standout challenges of the project, four window openings were raised and lowered to create a continuous countertop that runs seamlessly into each sill, framing a view of the Golden foothills.

Every finish was chosen with intention. Dura Supreme solid white oak cabinetry (3/4" solid doors, no veneer), grounds the space with warmth and authenticity. Handmade Clover Green Fireclay tile, made in the USA, runs as a vertical backsplash laid to align precisely with the tops of the windows. Leathered Taj Mahal quartzite countertops run throughout. A custom dry bar with reeded glass doors, wine cubbies, and floating shelves adds function and character in equal measure.

The most personal detail in the kitchen is a custom hand-painted tile feature behind the island, created collaboratively by Kaitlyn and the homeowner to complement the AGA range, a one-of-a-kind element that exists nowhere else.

The result is a kitchen that feels entirely original to the home: soulful, practical, and artfully rooted in its time.

View the full project here: A Retro Revival Rooted in Art

The Team Behind the Award

Awards like this don't happen without a team. While Kaitlyn Bumgarner's design vision was central to the project's recognition, the finished kitchen reflects the work of every person involved, from the initial client discovery conversation through the final punch list.

"Great kitchens are not won on design alone," said Victor, owner of VL Builders. "They are built through collaboration, craftsmanship, communication, and an uncompromising commitment to executing the best vision for the client and their home."

Every designer, project developer, project manager, carpenter, trade partner, and team member who contributed to this project shares in this recognition.

What This Means for VL Builders Clients

For homeowners considering a kitchen remodel in the Denver area, this award matters for one simple reason: it confirms that the process VL Builders has built, planning every detail before construction begins, no guessing, no surprises, produces results that stand up against the best work in the region.

VL Builders serves homeowners in Denver, Lakewood, Golden, Arvada, Highlands Ranch, Westminster, and the surrounding Colorado Front Range.

Ready to Start Planning Your Kitchen Remodel?

If you've been thinking about a kitchen remodel and want to work with an award-winning team that plans every detail before a single wall comes down, we'd love to talk.

Contact VL Builders to get started.

About VL Builders

VL Builders is a design-build remodeling company based in the Denver metro area, specializing in kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, and whole-home renovations. The company's design-first process — completing all planning, drawings, and material selections before construction begins — ensures every project is delivered on budget and without surprises.