Lakeland's interior design continues winning ways

Cheers of excitement could be heard from Lakeland College’s interior design technology studio as students celebrated their classmates’ accomplishments on Friday.

Faculty and students from 27 institutions across North America tuned into a live webcast presented by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) to announce the winners of the 2015-16 Schoolhouse Charm Kitchen and Bath Competition.

Lakeland’s Sydney Melnyk and Brittany McQueen won first and second place respectively in the kitchen design category. Sara Downing received an honourable mention.

“I want to congratulate all of our students. Not just the winners, but everyone who participates in these competitions,” says instructor Fiona McLeod. “It is a great deal of work and we really appreciate all the effort they put into it.”

Naomi Mason earned an honourable mention in the bathroom design category.

All of these students are Class of 2016 interior design technology graduates.

“As much as they learn from us, they learn from each other. The students who may not be recognized as winners still contribute to the winning students’ success,” says instructor Greg Plant.

In early August, Melnyk and Downing placed first and second in the NKBA Charette Competition with an honourable mention going to Rebecca Kurczaba.

“It’s very exciting to see Lakeland in the running for everything and to see Sydney win first place in both competitions,” says first-year student Sarah Frey. “The success Lakeland has in the NKBA competitions is what caught my attention and made me want to come here,” added the aspiring home renovator.

Lakeland’s interior design technology program, with faculty members McLeod, Plant and Rochelle Horne, was also the recipient of an NKBA Excellence in Education award.

Interior design technology is a two-year diploma program based at the Vermilion campus.

Photo: Top, current interior design technology students broke out into applause on learning that Lakeland grads Sydney Melnyk and Brittany McQueen took the top two spots in kitchen category of the the 2015-16 Schoolhouse Charm Kitchen and Bath Competition. Sara Downing and Naomi Mason each received an honourable mention. Bottom, Melnyk's award-winning kitchen design.