Scottish independent business, Kitchens International, wins Global Kitchen Design Award
Kitchens International has won a Global Kitchen Design Award 2026, a worldwide competition for the best kitchen presented by German kitchen manufacturer Leicht. The winning project, designed by Stuart Ross, took 1st place for the Global Kitchen Design Short Film Award, a new category introduced in 2026 for kitchen design presented on film.
The kitchen took the top prize in the new Short Film Award category celebrating inspiring kitchen design brought to life on film. The awards were presented in Germany in front of more than 600 guests from around the world. Kitchens International had three projects nominated and was one of just two Scottish companies represented.
Set beneath a dramatic vaulted ceiling, the kitchen was designed for clients who are passionate cooks and love to entertain. Warm walnut cabinetry and brushed brass details are paired with two islands in green-veined granite: one for cooking and preparation, the other for relaxed dining, so the family can cook, gather and entertain in one open space. Glass-fronted display cabinets frame the room. The project extends to a utility, pantry, bar, lounge and reading nooks. In a converted church guest house within the grounds, a wall of oak cabinetry opens to reveal a compact guest kitchen and closes away again to keep the space calm and uncluttered.
Stefan Waldenmaier, CEO of Leicht Küchen AG, said:
“Our judging panel was particularly impressed by Kitchens International's stunning kitchen design and the way their film brought it to life. It excelled across design, materials, camera work, visual storytelling, editing, lighting, sound quality and creativity, with an overall impact that truly captured our attention."
Stuart Ross, Designer at Kitchens International, said:
“It is a real privilege to see this project recognised on an international stage. This is a kitchen that gets used every day, for everything from a quiet breakfast to a dinner party for twenty, so two islands mean the cooking never gets in the way of the conversation. The walnut, brass and granite make a very grand space feel warm and welcoming.”
The awards come in a year of growth for Kitchens International. Now independently owned by Graham Johnston following a management buyout, the business opened an appointment-only design studio at Orwell Farm, Loch Leven, in October. This is the first of three new openings planned for 2026, with Edinburgh’s Morningside and Glasgow’s West End to follow, alongside its flagship showroom on Dundas Street in Edinburgh’s New Town, which this year marks 20 years since it opened.
Graham Johnston, Owner and CEO of Kitchens International, said:
“To win one of the main awards at the Global Kitchen Design Awards, from more than 300 entries worldwide, is a huge honour for Kitchens International. Every project we take on starts with how our clients want to live in the space, and that comes before anything else. This kitchen draws on everything our design team has learnt across years of bespoke work, and it shows how design shapes the way a family lives and cooks. I’m proud of everyone behind it, from the design team to the project managers and installers who delivered such a complex build, creating a space our clients truly love to live in.
"Since the management buyout we have been building something independent and ambitious, and this recognition from Leicht comes at an exciting time as we open new showrooms across Scotland.”
Ends
Editors notes
1. Kitchens International
Kitchens International is Scotland’s award-winning independent luxury kitchens and living spaces business.
Founded in 1994, KI has established an unrivalled reputation for delivering exceptional kitchen, bathroom and living space solutions, combining world-class brands, innovative design and outstanding customer service. Kitchens International supply world-leading kitchen ranges and appliances from brands including Gaggenau, Sub-Zero & Wolf, Quooker, Siemens, Leicht, Stoneham, Callerton, Poggenpohl and Cosentino.
Kitchens International is now independently owned by Graham Johnston, owner and CEO, after completing a management buyout. The business opened its appointment-only design studio at Orwell Farm, Loch Leven, in October 2026, the first of three new openings planned for 2026, with Edinburgh’s Morningside and Glasgow’s West End to follow. Its flagship showroom on Dundas Street in Edinburgh’s New Town this year marks 20 years since it opened.
Kitchens International has featured on Channel 4’s ‘Grand Designs’ and BBC’s ‘Scotland’s Home of the Year’, showcasing the business’s expertise in delivering exceptional spaces for ambitious projects.
KI’s talented team have won multiple industry awards throughout their 32-year history, including KBB Review UK Kitchen Retailer of the Year, Designer & Young Designer of the year and the Leicht Global Kitchen Design Award, where KI was national winner for Scotland in 2016 and 2022. In 2025 they won the KBSA Concept Designer of the Year award for the 3rd time. In 2026 they won two awards at the Leicht Global Kitchen Design Awards, including the first Global Kitchen Design Short Film Award.
2. Leicht Global Kitchen Design Awards
The Global Kitchen Design Awards are run annually by Leicht Küchen AG, the German kitchen manufacturer, for Leicht partners, architects and interior designers worldwide. In 2026 Leicht introduced the Global Kitchen Design Short Film Award, a new category for kitchen projects presented on film. The 2026 awards were presented on Saturday 24 October at the LEICHT|WELT showroom and corporate headquarters in Waldstetten, Germany, in front of more than 600 guests.
3. Project credits
Design: Stuart Ross, Designer, Kitchens International
Technical design: Lauren Mannion, Design Technician, Kitchens International
Project management: Gordon Miller Project Manager, Kitchens International
Film: Ross Craig, Head of Digital, Brand & Marketing, Kitchens International
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