Germany, Egypt, Maui ... waterman Robby Naish goes wherever the wind blows him.
His
international kite and windsurfing business, Naish International, which
sells equipment to 50 countries, keeps him on the move. In addition, he
travels for promotions with companies, such as Quiksilver and Red Bull.
Plus, he’s still “really active on the water,” which means following
the wind and waves around the world ... and in between Islands.
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Robby and Katie Naish, photo by Matthew J. Thayer
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After
nearly two decades of bouncing back and forth between his hometown of
Kailua, Oahu and Maui, his wife, Katie, suggested that they pick an
island to call home. “As Naish International, which is based on Maui,
was growing, we were spending more and more time here,” Robby says.
“We’d probably rather grow old in Kailua, but, right now, we’re growing
into living on Maui.”
The
Naishes’ new house is located at the end of Haiku, centered on 73 acres
of open space. “Most of our family is on Oahu, so it’s really just the
two of us and our dog out here,” Robby says. Out on the peninsula, the
house has an ocean view from every window. For the Naishes, who gauge
their days on the wind and surf conditions, a beautiful view is more
than a luxury, it’s a necessity.
In
building their new Haiku home, the kitchen played a major role. To help
with the design and cabinetry, Robby called on his long-time Oahu
friends at King & Zelko Hawaiian Woodworks. “Being born and raised
in Kailua, Katie and I knew King & Zelko through their reputation,”
says Robby. The company specializes in personalized, fine cabinetry and
furniture made with local woods.
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| The
continuous 10-by-4-foot island is topped with Volga Blue granite. The
nearly-black stone has translucent, almost ghostly, cobalt blue quartz
that sparkles in the light. |
At
the outset, Robby and Katie visited some high-end kitchen showrooms,
but they didn’t get the help they were hoping for. Tom Zelko laughs,
“Well, you know how Robby dresses, right? Like me ... surf shorts and a
T-shirt. I guess they just didn’t want to give him the time of day.
Then, a common friend reminded Robby of us over at King & Zelko.”
The
kitchen started with Katie’s sketches. “She knew exactly what she
wanted and, fortunately, she could draw it well enough to get her point
across,” Zelko says.
For
kitchen cabinets, the Naishes chose dark koa frames and super-curly
light koa accent panels. According to Zelko, the dark koa is denser,
older wood grown on the Big Island’s higher elevations. And, the super-
curly light koa is somewhat rare. While selecting lumber on Oahu for
the project, they were lucky and snatched up the last 20 sheets of the
light koa at Plywood Hawaii. King & Zelko held the wood for the
Naishes for about a year, until they were ready to install the kitchen.
“When you want special woods, planning way ahead and looking for lumber
early pays off,” Zelko says.
The
company designs approximately 50 kitchens per year—most of them with
common woods, such as mahogany, maple, birch and other non-exotics.
“Only about three kitchens per year are koa,” Zelko says. “These are
special projects.” As a member of the Hawaii Forest Industry
Association, Zelko notes that all the koa wood the company uses comes
from dead or diseased trees.
Outside
of its aesthetics, the main benefit of building with koa is that it
adds to a home’s resell value. Koa is one of the most expensive woods
on the market. “It continues to go up in price and increase in value,”
says Zelko.
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| The
tall, semicircle bar, which holds up to eight stools, wraps around the
outside of the cooktop, allowing Robby and Katie to face their guests
while cooking. Photos courtesy of King & Zelko Hawaiian Woodworks |
For
Neighbor Island projects, such as the Naishes’ kitchen, King &
Zelko takes extra care and time to make sure all the measurements are
correct. The company uses a recently installed CNC router—a
computerized machine and system whereby all the dimensions and
measurements are entered to draw an accurate 3D rendering of the
cabinetry. “It was a big investment, but it’s remarkable how much
faster, easier and more accurately you can build cabinetry, without
compromising quality,” says Zelko. With the 3D picture, customers can
take a virtual walk through their new kitchens. Back at the workshop,
information is downloaded to the CNC router, and the machine perfectly
measures, cuts and numbers all the parts for assembly.
To
ensure a perfect fit, the staff snapped chalk lines onto the shop’s
floor to simulate the Naishes’ kitchen layout. Then, they put all the
cabinetry together, did some fine tuning, took it all apart and shipped
it off.
“King
& Zelko did an amazing job, and they were the easiest to work
with,” Robby says. “They are true professionals and they come highly
recommended. All their work is impeccable, for sure.”
Knowing
how much time is spent in the kitchen, the Naishes made sure that it
was an inviting, comfortable place. “When you’re cooking, people tend
to want to be with you,” Robby says. “In this open layout, the kitchen
and cook aren’t left out of anything ... they’re actually the focal
point.”
