2025 Zephyr Loves Designers Winners Announced
Each year, Zephyr celebrates the creativity and innovation of designers across the country through the Zephyr Loves Designers contest. This program honors those who bring Zephyr products to life in inspiring, functional, and beautifully designed spaces.
For 2025, both winners showcased the transformative power of color. The Ventilation Category Winner, EJ Interior Design of Tiburon, California, infused a Carmel-by-the-Sea kitchen with a cheerful yellow kitchen island and pattern-filled charm. The Presrv™ Refrigeration Category Winner, Element One Design of Columbus, Ohio, used green custom cabinets to add depth and character to a newly built addition. Each project reflects a fearless embrace of color, form, and function — paired seamlessly with Zephyr’s signature innovation.
Ventilation Category Winner: EJ Interior Design
Project Location: Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Product: Verona Island Range Hood
“The space felt gray and dark at first, so we wanted to bring a bright and happy mood into the kitchen. We love the image that shows the barstools, yellow island, hood, and wallpaper — it tells our overall design story. We really wanted to find a low-profile, attractive ventilation hood that worked with the modern clean lines we were emphasizing, and the Zephyr Verona Island Range Hood was the perfect fit.” – EJ Interior Design, Ventilation Category Winner
Tell us about your design renovation project.
We did some modest renovations in the kitchen and a whole lot of decorating with fun pattern, wallpaper and color. This project is located in Carmel-by-the-Sea and our first site visit was quite gray and dark, so we just wanted to bring bright and happy mood into the space! There’s not a lot of natural light that comes into the kitchen, so we really wanted to make the overall feeling of the space light and bright through color choices and pattern selections.
How did you approach the starting point for your kitchen design?
One of the starting points in the kitchen was the idea for a yellow island. It was something that came up in our first design meeting and we kind of ran with it. We used Benjamin Moore’s Sun Valley yellow color for the island and a nice light pale gray for the perimeter, and played up the yellow with complimentary cabinet hardware and wall covering. Inspired by the charm of the California coast, this Carmel getaway celebrates joyful living through color, light, and tranquility. Designed as a weekend retreat for entertaining family and friends, the home bursts with personality — featuring bold patterns, vibrant hues, and eclectic textures.
What were some of the challenges you faced?
The existing copper hood which we replaced was a challenge — it was way too big for the space and overwhelming, the scale was all wrong! There were also some challenging structural wood beams that we decided to paint which transformed the space.
What were some “must-have” appliances for this kitchen?
We really wanted to find a low profile, attractive ventilation hood that worked with the modern clean lines that we were trying to emphasize in the space. Thanks to our friends at Zephyr, we were able to find a great option! Eugenia attended a Luxe Magazine event at the Zephyr showroom and had earmarked several hoods that were a good fit for this project. We also transformed a washer dryer closet that is in the kitchen into a tricked-out bar so a beverage fridge was another must have appliance. (Other appliances we pre-existing)
What were some of the “must haves” you wanted to feature in the kitchen?
I wouldn’t say that there was one thing in particular that was a ‘must have’ — it is how all the different pieces and elements came together to create a cohesive space.
Do you have a favorite vignette or design feature within the space?
We love the image that shows the barstools, yellow Island, the hood and the wallpaper and backsplash tile as it tells our overall design story.
Presrv™ Refrigeration Category Winner: Element One Design
Project Location: Columbus, OH
Product: Presrv™ Beverage Cooler
“Our inspiration was for the addition to blend seamlessly with the existing house. The green custom cabinetry and marble details gave the space both color and quiet luxury. We envisioned a paneled refrigerator with a glass front that would integrate flush with our cabinets, and the Zephyr Presrv™ Beverage Cooler was a great solution.” – Element One Design, Presrv™ Refrigeration Category Winner
Description of the project
The client lives in an older home in a charming neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. We constructed an addition to include a powder room, mudroom, and entertainment area between a patio and existing unconditioned sunroom. We added color to the space with green custom cabinets and a touch of luxury with marble for the countertop and backsplash.
Why did you select the Zephyr Panel Ready Beverage Cooler for this project?
We envisioned a paneled refrigerator with a glass front that would integrate flush with our cabinets and the Zephyr Beverage Cooler was a great solution. The client also loved the changeable LED lighting.
What was your inspiration?
Our inspiration was for the addition to blend seamlessly with the existing house. We wanted to give the client a space that elevated the functionality of their home.
Any additional details on the “Before & After,” design process, materials used, etc.
The addition allowed us to condition the living space of the existing sunroom. We took the addition off this space and made it work as part of the home by opening the doorways from the living room into the sunroom that connects to the addition. We wanted the space to feel bright, so the addition has a glass door and several windows. An opaque bathroom door was also used to help transfer additional light into the space. The Rifle wallpaper in the powder room tied into the green of the cabinets and we softened the bold wallpaper with a custom beige vanity, marble top and Visual Comfort sconces.
To explore our 2025 winning designs and winning designs from previous contest years, please visit our Design Inspiration Gallery. Visit our Zephyr Loves Designers contest page to learn how to participate in Zephyr Loves Designers 2026.