Gaggenau has announced the winners of the 2025 Kitchen of the Year Award, with three projects recognised for transforming the kitchen from functional space into what the brand calls “cultural and social touchstones of the home.”
Now in its third iteration, the award has established itself as one of the most respected accolades in the Australian and New Zealand design calendar. This year’s jury brought together Eva-Marie Prineas (Studio Prineas), Damian Hannah (German Kitchens Limited, NZ), Richard Archer (Archer Design), Miriam Fanning (Mim Design), Ben Nicholas representing Sue Carr (Carr Design), and Martin Cooper (Cooper & Associates).
Best of the Best: Woollahra Village House – Tobias Partners
The top honour went to Tobias Partners for a courtyard home where crafted materiality and considered detailing allow the kitchen to become what the jury described as a serene centrepiece – both practical and poetic. The project exemplifies the award’s emphasis on kitchens that embody longevity, artistry and innovation while reflecting Gaggenau’s values of craftsmanship and precision.
Luxury Home: Vessel – Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
Madeleine Blanchfield Architects received the Luxury Home award for Vessel, a reimagined terrace pared back to essentials. The kitchen is defined by light and proportion – described as a monastic stage for daily rituals and a place of quiet strength at the centre of family life. Runner-up in this category was Yukari House by Tanev Muir Architects.
Multi-Residential: 131 Smith Street – Freadman White
Freadman White’s carbon-neutral Fitzroy development took the Multi-Residential award. The jury recognised how the project positions kitchens not merely as private spaces but as anchors of connection, setting what they called a new benchmark for how design can bring community and sustainability together. Monument by K2LD was runner-up.
“Each year we see the Award grow in scale and prestige, reflecting the appetite within the design industry for recognition at this level,” said Olya Yemchenko, Senior Brand Manager at Gaggenau. “These winners show kitchens conceived not merely as functional spaces, but as enduring statements of design.”
Related: A contemporary conversation with Art Deco
She added: “The calibre of entries this year was extraordinary. The jury’s task was by no means an easy one – the judging was exacting – but what impressed us most was the depth of thinking and the way each project positioned the kitchen as the true anchor of the home.”
Both winners and runners-up in the Luxury Home and Multi-Residential categories will receive a culinary experience to mark their achievement. The Best of the Best recipient will travel to Lipsheim, France in 2026 for an exclusive Gaggenau factory tour, as well as Milan to attend Salone del Mobile and EuroCucina.
