Updating Modernity

Dangler vaulted the master bedroom and bath’s ceiling and added a solar vent to increase air flow.

In its essence, modernism insists that we progressively develop and reshape our built environments, with the aid of science, technology and experimentation. The key to this home’s revival was the cooperative spirit between a diligent contractor, Breck Dangler, owner of Dangler Construction Inc., and inventive architect, Geoffrey Lewis, principal of Geoffrey Lewis Architect Inc.

Dangler Construction has been completing projects in Hawaii for the last 30 years. Those years of experience provide the ingenuity and knowledge to find the solutions for every design challenge. “Our creativity brings added value to the client and helps remove the stress of the remodeling process,” says Dangler.

As you might expect of an award-winner, “The house already had great bones,” says Dangler. Lewis points out, “The original architect did a great job with the indoor-outdoor relationship. When you talk about the architecture of Hawaii, a lot of people try to define it with a certain vernacular. But it’s more about the ability to capture the indoor-outdoor beauty.”

However, since modern architecture utilizes a lot of planes, rectilinear forms and straight lines, the house suffered from a closed, compartmentalized floor plan that lacked flow. “Every room had four walls, and it was really boxy,” points out the homeowner.

As the project’s contractor, it was up to Dangler to unfold the enveloped living spaces. Ideally, the new openness would encourage family interaction and extend the desirable indoor-outdoor relationship.

When the house was built, rustic, sawn redwood was all the rage. During the remodel, the dark wood, along with many other earthy materials, was replaced by drywall and a fresh, bright color palette that reflected what might be seen on the property’s Manoa hillside.

Previously, the boxy rooms were cut off from each other, as well as the outdoors. Now, there is a visual relationship between the living and dining rooms, plus the covered lanai.

Outside, unsealed and faded eucalyptus wood, with shades of green and grey paint, gives the exterior a weathered, natural quality. The front door’s overhang, gutters and other accents are crowned by copper and stainless patina.

Considering that Dangler Construction primarily focuses on creating unique kitchen and bath designs, it’s no surprise that the new kitchen area is a standout. “There was a little, closed-in kitchen and a tiny adjacent room. They were both walled in by the original layout,” Dangler says. His team connected the two rooms, and, in the true spirit of modern architecture, they built out the adjacent room by six feet with innovative structural work, in a collaborative effort involving Dangler, the engineer and Lewis. The new, open space is now a dynamic family room that has become the homeowner’s favorite part of the remodel. “We wanted a good family space where we could cook, hang out, watch TV and do homework, while I can watch the kids, either indoors or in the pool.”

In addition to crucial structural work, subtle updates in the kitchen exemplify Dangler’s affinity for interiors. The challenge from the homeowners was that the husband liked contemporary and stainless, while the wife wanted a more traditional style.

The kitchen received much love and care from Dangler, who connected it with the family room to create a great room the whole family can enjoy.

Dangler found a happy compromise, giving the wife classic Shaker cabinets in maple, with stainless hardware selected by the husband. He also added trademark touches of detail, creating transparent, double-sided glass cabinets, gently curving soffits and bull nose edges everywhere.

“I drive my framers crazy because I tell them, I’m going to put a bull-nose and that adds five-eighths, so it’s got to fit just perfectly,” says Dangler, who demands an extreme level of precision at every stage in construction. “It sometimes make things difficult down the road, but it’s worth it,” he adds.

Dangler also achieved Lewis’ vision of an open floor plan in the living and dining areas. He opened up the wall separating the two rooms and created a visual connection, which features a panoramic Diamond Head view. Dangler’s painter, Todd Michael, used an earth-toned, imperial plaster for the rooms’ walls to provide highlights and to broaden the visual connection between the two spaces. To further enhance the dining room, Dangler constructed a recessed ceiling over the dining-room area.

The once two-story ceiling over the dining room was filled in to provide an upper floor reading room adjacent to the master suite. The new ceiling over the dining room also created a more intimate space for meals. The ceiling’s gold leaf coffer provides an added touch of elegance for dining.

The enclosed space creates a more intimate dining experience. Michael plastered gold-leaf squares to the ceiling’s alcove for a shimmering, elegant touch.

Finally, Dangler installed Lewis’ Hawaiian aesthetic maxim. The newly connected living and dining rooms open to the outdoors on all sides. There’s a surfeit of both new and updated Marvin windows—some of which close automatically when they sense the frequent Manoa rainfall—and new sliding glass doors in addition to those already present.

“Indoor-outdoor transitions are everywhere,” says Dangler. “You can really move in and out of the house.”

Dangler Construction’s expert work in bringing Lewis’ remodel design into fruition restored the home’s award-winning grandeur. However, even without the accolades, the fresher, brighter remodel would be a source of pride and happiness.