Six students from Western Washington University’s Industrial Design program, including one from Kenmore, received recognition and a combined $6,000 in scholarships for their children’s furniture designs as a part of the annual Mount Baker Products Furniture Design Competition.

Fifth place and a $500 scholarship was awarded to Sarah O’Sell of Kenmore for “Cave,” a multi-stool interactive play tunnel for special-needs preschool children at Happy Valley Elementary School.

Western students, children, parents and a panel of five community members selected the winning designs among 23 different student projects. Entries were judged on concept, creativity, functionality, structure, craftsmanship and form.

They were judged by Lisa Van Doren, Paul Kearsley, Keri Lester, Kyle Thomas, and Michael Flaherty. Van Doren is the owner of Ideal, a design shop on in Bellingham. Kearsley is a designer and part time Industrial Design department faculty member at Western.  Flaherty is a professional woodworker at Flaherty Woodworking. Lester is a teacher at Wade King Elementary School. Thomas is the lead industrial designer at Architectural Elements in Bellingham.

Scholarship money and wood for the projects were provided by Mount Baker Products, Inc.