HOME & GARDEN
COURTESY OF JAMES COHN
The view from the home.
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Kohala getaway
Designers bring a tropical sense of style to a contemporary Big Isle home
By Susan J. Moss
Special to the Star-Bulletin
This is one of those projects that had a strong beginning, and a wonderful outcome. We worked with the owners on everything from selecting the interior and exterior paint colors to the selection of the welts on the pillows. We started by working with the architect and clients to determine the best flow of space. The master bedroom and guest bedrooms were located in separate wings of the home for privacy.
The Project
Design a second home that is contemporary Hawaiian, with a welcoming, functional and Zen-like feeling.
The design team: Trans-Pacific Design, designers Susan J. Moss, ASID, IIDA and Jennifer Scott, Allied member ASID, architect Clem Lam, AIA.
The designing minds: OK, you're scratching your head, trying to think of ways of improving your home, so where do you turn?
Once a month, you'll get to see how the pros handle home-improvement tasks.
In an effort to introduce home owners to the work of interior design professionals, we are starting a new feature, Designing Minds. The first Friday each month, the Star-Bulletin, with the Hawaii chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, will feature a local interior designer who will share details of a recent project, whether it involves a room transformation or a project started from the ground up.
We start with Susan J, Moss, ASID, IIDA, of Trans-Pacific Design, based in Waimea on the Big Island. The project won the ASID-Hawaii Large Residential Award of Merit.
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We then selected Hawaiian-inspired finishes such as Verde Fire granite and Rainforest marble countertops. Selection of Copper Patina concrete floors were made during the value engineering stage, a reevaluation of the project budget when changes are made to lower costs. Out went the traditional stone floors and in came the stained concrete floor. This substitution allowed the budget to accept one of the most spectacular parts of the home, the figured maple cabinet, a type of maple, that runs throughout and is best seen in the kitchen. The cabinetry's clean lines show off the wood grain and the wood's subtle shimmer.
The slabs of Verde Fire granite were selected on a mainland trip. The designer and client found the supplier and masked off which areas would be used, keying them to a diagram for the kitchen and den areas.
The next step was selecting furniture and fabric. The home is modest in size, with an inviting feeling, which is what the clients wanted. Small guest bedrooms had built-in dressers and smaller scaled furniture to maximize space.
I met the clients on the mainland and found some wonderful contemporary furniture pieces. For the living area, Jenny Scott came up with the custom cabinet design later fabricated in Indonesia after sharing several drawings with the clients. It was built to hide an upright piano and was designed with large banana leaf carvings, bringing in a tropical vegetation motif reflecting Hawaii.
Several custom koa tables were made for the residence, such as the entry table that welcomes visitors with its warm color.
The master bedroom shows off bold colors of the accent throw complimenting the oxblood tones in the headboard. These colors combine well with the yellow tones in the bed covering, creating an inviting glow in the evening.
The area rug manufacturer was found while shopping for furnishings on the mainland. We worked with her to customize and recolor existing patterns to fit the client's living room furnishing group, being careful to place the design where it would have the most impact. We also created carpet runners for the master suite, as well as accent rugs for the kitchen, den and guest bedrooms, switching the artist's "mainland" leaf styles to something more tropical.
One of the amenities the clients wanted most was an outdoor shower off the master bedroom. We designed a curved lava-rock enclosure that incorporates an orchid garden. There are several showerheads, including one large rain showerhead, which recreates the feeling of standing in a tropical rain forest.
The den was a challenge because of its a small space, which was required to be comfortable and usable space, while also serving as a circulation path to the guest bedrooms and an office for the man of the house.
We added a desk nook by popping out a section of the room that could then be closed off when not needed.
This is definitely one of those projects that benefited from a great team: designers, architect and clients. The clients are very happy with their home and love showing off the many custom touches when entertaining guests.
COURTESY OF JAMES COHN
Clean lines of the figured maple cabinetry show off the wood's grain. The cabintry runs throughout the home.
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COURTESY OF JAMES COHN
An outdoor shower off the master bedroom incorporates an orchid garden, and several showerheads, including one large rain showerhead, which recreates the sensation of standing in a tropical rain forest.
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COURTESY OF JAMES COHN
The den must serve many purposes as a high-traffic area that also double as an office. A desk nook was added by popping out a section of the room that could then be closed off.
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Contact Susan J. Moss at Trans-Pacific Design on the Big Island, 808-885-5587.