A beadboard design draws the eye upward, while the subtle arch frames the kitchen area. Below these aesthetic elements await a matrix of functionality: independent islands, multiple workstations, a pass–through window and a working desk.
In Hawaii, the homeowner says, people want to be part of the party. “Not just arrive and be served; they want to get involved, help make foods—and that’s when the really good conversation goes on!” she laughs. The new kitchen she envisioned, and described to Alex Butchart, of Highline Kitchen Systems, would cater to this integral part of Island life.
Which meant the kitchen had to be large. It needed open lines of traffic and multiple workstations to accommodate groups of people as they prepared food, staged parties—and socialized from start to finish. Food and drink should be easily accessible to the backyard lanai and barbecue island. Above all else, the kitchen must be functional for both grownups and children to entertain all of their friends.
Highline Kitchen Systems started with the obvious. “We made it spacious, with a lot of food-prep areas, where many preparations and functions could be handled at once,” Butchart says. “The vegetable sink is a completely different area from the double sink, where two other people can work separately.”
Since people are constantly coming in and out of the kitchen, Highline dressed the two islands to be completely independent, instead of peninsulas. This helps the homeowner and friends to slice-and-dice food quickly and efficiently, as well as stockpile various dishes before they’re all taken outside.
To facilitate the movement of food to the exterior, pass-through windows were installed along the kitchen’s main sink. A long lanai bar spans the other side. “Everything now comes through the window,” the homeowner says. “The pass-through also helps with cleanup and clearing dirty dishes to the dishwasher. Friends who help with cleanup are your real friends!”
Important to Butchart was to impart a comfortable, Hawaiian feel for the whole kitchen. He knocked down a wall to open it up to the living room. This involved a design challenge, because a post was structural and load-bearing. Butchart responded by adding a second post to create a visual matching symmetry. “It’s now a great room/kitchen combo,” he says. “The kitchen is a primary area for people in Hawaii, so the great room concept works perfectly for Hawaii and this style of living.”
To complement this Hawaiian aesthetic, Highline designed an arch above the eat-in island. To lend a touch of elegance to the doors, Butchart used a beadboard design element for the top panel, rather than a straight panel. “It draws your eye upward,” he says. “To dress it up even further and tie it all in, we added beadboards in the column ends.”
The exterior kitchen easily connects inside.
The homeowner chose an African mahogany wood, called kaya. Butchart says kaya lends itself to a real Island look, with stripes and reddish tones in a fairly even variation of color, with a shimmering effect, like gold—especially at night. The homeowner found a perfectly matching countertop. “Instantly I fell in love with the celadon granite,” she says. “I had a sample of the wood with me, and the two just went together. The wood warms the kitchen, and the green granite brings the outdoors in.
“We are hugely pleased with Highline,” she adds. “One of my requests was a desk, and Alex did it. He installed a very long, working desk, with files and drawers. Alex installed a small refrigerator and freezer drawer where my children have their own little space to keep snacks and drinks. We wanted to remember this is a fun kitchen, not solemn, so Alex changed the handles to these fun pulls. Now, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. People know where to find me.”
Where to Get It
- Designer:
- Alex Butchart, of Highline Kitchen Systems
- Cabinetry:
- Kaya and modified Shaker panel, from Pacific Design
- Cooktop:
- Wolf 36” with downdraft, from Sub-Zero/Wolf
- Counters:
- Celadon granite, from Stoneworks
- Dishwasher:
- Bosch, from Servco Home & Appliance Showroom
- Refrigerator/Freezer:
- Sub-Zero 36”, from Sub-Zero/Wolf
- Oven:
- Wolf 30”, from Sub-Zero/Wolf
- Wine Fridge and Icemaker:
- Sub-Zero, Sub-Zero/Wolf
