Packard Cabinetry is honored to participate in the prestigious Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove International Kitchen Design Contest, a global competition that recognizes kitchens of exceptional design, performance, and integration. For 50 years the design team, under the direction  of Rae Packard CKD,  have honored our firm’s commitment to thoughtful planning, handcrafted quality, for enduring beauty. This year, we are proud to have submitted two standout projects

Designed by Stephanie Schaefer and Toni Cinquemani, these kitchens bring together architecture, cabinetry, and appliances in ways that serve both daily living and extraordinary entertaining needs.

A Global Stage for Inspired Kitchen Design

The Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove International Kitchen Design Contest celebrates spaces that do more than simply house appliances and cabinetry. It honors kitchens that become the heart of the home—places where form and function, technology and craftsmanship, all work in harmony. For Packard Cabinetry, being part of this competition is both a privilege and a natural extension of how we approach every project.

Our work begins long before the first cabinet is installed. We collaborate closely with homeowners, builders, architects, and designers to understand how a kitchen must perform, how it should feel, and how it should connect to the rest of the home. The appliances often sit at the center of that conversation, providing a foundation of performance and reliability that we integrate seamlessly into each custom design.

This year’s submissions showcase two very different residences—a sprawling Hamptons estate and a dramatic waterfront home on Long Island’s South Shore—yet both share a common thread: meticulously tailored cabinetry that supports the lifestyle of the homeowners while elevating the architecture around it.

Hamptons Elegance

Stephanie Schaefer’s submission centers on a fully coordinated 9,500-square-foot estate in the Hamptons, where Packard Cabinetry designed and executed custom millwork throughout the home. At the heart of the project is a grand kitchen featuring dual islands that serve distinct yet complementary purposes. One island is oriented toward cooking and preparation, while the other is planned for gathering, serving, and conversation—allowing the space to adapt effortlessly from quiet mornings to large-scale entertaining.

The design language of the kitchen sets the tone for the entire residence. Clean, balanced proportions, carefully considered door styles, and refined moldings establish a sense of calm luxury. Cabinetry panels integrate the refrigeration into a cohesive wall elevation, while cooking appliances are framed in a way that feels architectural rather than purely utilitarian. Every decision, from hardware placement to interior accessories, is made with both function and long-term durability in mind.

Beyond the main kitchen, Packard Cabinetry’s work extends into basement kitchens, wet bars, and eight bathrooms, each space echoing the same attention to proportion and detail. Throughout the home, materials and finishes are selected to create continuity: a palette that feels tailored but not formal, inviting but still distinctly Hamptons. By maintaining consistent profiles and thoughtful transitions, the cabinetry ties the residence together visually, allowing individual rooms to have their own personality while still feeling part of a unified whole.

The scope of this Residence required careful orchestration at every stage. Early field measurements informed the engineering of complex runs of cabinetry, ensuring that alignments, reveals, and sightlines would remain precise once construction was complete. During installation, our team worked hand in hand with builders and trades to make sure that every panel, appliance, and trim detail fit perfectly into place. The final result is a home that balances elegance, function, and scale—an estate where the kitchen is truly a centerpiece, yet fully integrated into the broader architectural vision.

Coastal Drama:

In contrast to the quiet coastal refinement of the Hamptons estate, Toni Cinquemani’s submission for this  Residence in Massapequa, New York, embraces bold architectural drama. This waterfront home is anchored by a kitchen with soaring 16-foot ceilings, expansive windows, and powerful vertical lines that draw the eye upward.

At the center of the space, dual islands create a dynamic layout that supports both everyday cooking and entertaining on a grand scale. One island acts as a working hub, aligned with cooking and prep zones, while the second island invites guests to linger, dine, or simply enjoy the view. The cabinetry is tailored to reinforce the room’s strong geometry, using clean lines and thoughtful rhythm to ground the volume of the high ceilings.

Perhaps the most striking element of the  kitchen is the 8-foot metal-clad hood, which becomes a sculptural focal point in the room. This feature is carefully balanced by surrounding cabinetry, which frames the hood while maintaining generous counter space and logical storage. The appliances are integrated so that they feel intentional and connected to the architecture, rather than added elements.

Functionally, the kitchen is designed to perform as beautifully as it looks. A concealed pantry door leads into a full back scullery, allowing the homeowners and their guests to transition seamlessly between public and private work zones. This secondary space accommodates additional refrigeration, storage, and prep areas, keeping the main kitchen uncluttered during large gatherings. Integrated drop-down televisions provide a discreet layer of technology, while the cabinetry and paneling ensure that screens never compete with the room’s architecture.

One of the most distinctive details is a custom ladder that wraps the room, offering access to higher storage while reinforcing the verticality of the space. The ladder becomes both a functional tool and a design feature, adding a sense of movement and craftsmanship that feels perfectly at home in this dramatic waterfront setting.

A Collaborative Approach to Craftsmanship

While each project showcases the individual vision and style of its lead designer, both entries are the product of a deeply collaborative process under the leadership of Rae Packard CKD and John Packard.  At Packard Cabinetry, every kitchen begins with a conversation about how people live—and succeeds because many skilled hands work together behind the scenes.

Designers, engineers, operations staff, and installers all have a role in shaping the final outcome. Precise shop drawings translate design intent into actionable fabrication details. Engineering teams confirm that ambitious design ideas can be executed safely and reliably. Operations coordinate schedules, logistics, and communication with job sites. Our installation teams bring the cabinetry to life, fitting each element with the care and precision that custom work demands.

From the first field measure to the final review, we approach each project with a shared goal: to create kitchens that feel effortless to use and timeless to live with. The Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove International Kitchen Design Contest offers a meaningful opportunity to showcase this holistic approach—to demonstrate that great kitchens are not only about finishes and appliances, but about the unseen layers of planning, coordination, and craftsmanship that support them.

Looking Ahead

We are honored to have these two  Residences  represent Packard Cabinetry on an international stage. These projects capture the range of what we do—from expansive estates that require a cohesive cabinetry language across many rooms, to bold, architecturally driven spaces where every detail must stand up to dramatic volumes and views.

As the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove contest progresses, we look forward to sharing updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and additional photography from each home. For those who wish to explore these spaces further, we invite you to view the full project galleries on our website and discover how thoughtful cabinetry design can transform not just a kitchen, but an entire home.