“America’s Ugliest Kitchen Contest”, sponsored by Mei Kitchens, was launched to renovate the “ugliest” homes as defined by web users in the wake of a sagging economy. A contest, which has endured accusations of cheating, personal attacks on the “ugliness” factor of individual kitchens, and a wave of recruiting in order to generate more votes, is now inching closer to the finale. With less than 25 more entries needed to close the contest, time is running out to be crowned the winner.

The contest has given exposure to all types of kitchens, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some of the kitchens appear smaller than a mop closet, while others appear decayed and decrepit, according to web users leaving comments at www.meikitchens.com/uglykitchen/. The owner of one of the kitchens describes it as wheel-chair challenged. A husband with a brain tumor can longer upgrade the kitchen from its shoddy state, she decries in the message forum.

“The beauty of this contest is that the definition of ‘ugly’ is in the eye of the beholder,” said Sean Lin, founder of Mei Kitchens, an online kitchen and bathroom cabinetry store. Some may consider a kitchen that is stuck in the orange and brown overtones of the 1970s and decorated with boxy and bulky countertops and cabinets as ugly. While others may argue that a kitchen that appears ravaged by a hurricane with layers of erosion, dirt, and slime is the ultimate indicator of ugliness. “Regardless of individual take on ugliness, because of the diversity of opinion, it leaves the contest wide open,” says Lin. “A new kitchen can appear on the site tomorrow that breaks away from the pack with its own distinct flavor of ugly features.” Hence, he adds, there is no clear winners at this point and the tide can shift dramatically.

The top contestants have pointed to social media networking sites as the source of their success. In their quest to solicit new votes, they swarmed big titans, including Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. Their motivation is to expand their reach and generate some buzz about why their kitchens are in dire need of an overhaul.

The contest is designed to bring relief to those homeowners who are in need of a kitchen renovation. The Grand Prize winner will receive up to $14,000 in products and allowance from meikitchens.com. This includes up to $7,000 in Mei Kitchens cabinets, knobs/pulls, sink and faucets, up to $2,000 in cabinet assembly and installation, up to $3,000 in countertop materials, fabrication, and installation, up to $1,000 in miscellaneous plumbing and electrical supplies, and up to $1,000 in professional, customized kitchen design. Interested parties are encouraged to enter the contest at www.meikitchens.com/uglykitchen.

Mei Kitchens is a global online retailer which offers kitchen and bathroom cabinets, countertops, and other accessories. For more information, visit www.meikitchens.com.