It’s a tale of two kitchens. One in a condo, semi-hidden among the lush foliage of Kaneohe Bay. The other is perched in a high-rise, fronting a busy intersection of Ala Moana.

Their common denominator? Size—and not much of it. The kitchens measure only 10 feet by 10 feet and 12 feet by 7.5 feet, respectively. To confound matters, both spaces were poorly lit, walled in, and bumper-to-bumper with appliances.

(left): In Kaneohe, revamped lighting lends added warmth to the anigre cabinetry.

Both homeowners tapped LauraJon Cornel, at JohnCookKitchens, for professional redesign. And their concerns held a familiar echo.

“Our galley kitchen had very confining walls on both sides,” the Kaneohe homeowner says. “We wanted to see out when we’re at the cooktop, and have storage space.”

“It was dark and small; I felt cooped up,” the Ala Moana homeowner says. “The kitchen was 32 years old, anyway. It needed a totally new look.”

In Kaneohe, Cornel condensed the appliances, replacing the oven and microwave with a GE Advantium all-in-one. This opened up storage space. She moved the electrical outlets to just below the wall cabinets, where the black rubber strip is hidden in the slight shadow.

Noting that the laundry closet was just a hand’s reach away, Cornel made it an extension of the kitchen. Now, it houses a food prep workstation, recycling center, lazy Susan and storage for cooking accessories—in addition to the washer and dryer.

JohnCookKitchens’ design challenge was removing the wall: load-bearing and housing multiple electrical lines. It’s replacement, an ohia post, offers structural integrity, opens up the kitchen and adds to the condo’s Island flavor.

Cornel integrated the appliances for a blended look, and to enhance the openness. The wood, a fiddle-back anigre from Tanzania, has a natural finish and color—yet is anything but boring. The wood grain varies widely by stripe and spacing. “You never know what you’re going to get,” the homeowner says.
Festoon lights atop the cabinets (inspired by the exteriors of Las Vegas hotels) draw attention to the super-high ceiling. The pendants add mood, and spotlights ensure the counters are well-lit. There’s also an overhead light and a large transom window for sunshine. “Each light is on a different switch,” says Cornel, “for whatever amount of light you want, depending on the time of day and what you’re doing.”

The country tale certainly has a happy ending. “I feel like a princess in my kitchen,” the Kaneohe homeowner exclaims. “We can make dinner in a short period of time. It’s easier to care for and clean. Yet, we find ourselves spending more time in the kitchen, and we’re proud to have guests over.”

Increased counter space with a curved dining area opens up this previously cooped-up Ala Moana kitchen.

Town side, the challenges awaited JohnCookKitchens. “I had one overhead light and a few undercabinet fluorescents, so lots of light was my requisite,” the homeowner says. The small, confined space “felt like a little cubbyhole, with dark cabinets and wallpaper from the 1970s.”

Cornel proceeded to “totally open it up.” She removed the wall and built-in bookshelves. She projected the kitchen into the living area with a curving countertop; above, the soffit and a monorail track for pendant lights match this curve. To gain countertop space, she raised the microwave, built a corner storage shelf, and added a hanging rack for pots and pans.

Then things got thorny. Fitting the gas range through the entranceway was tough enough, but the GE Monogram refrigerator barely fit into the elevator. “I made an actual 3-D model of the elevator just to make sure we could bring the fridge up,” Cornel says. “I must thank David Kalakau at Servco for helping to make it happen.”

The city remodel had a happy ending, too. “I’m highly pleased with LauraJon and JohnCookKitchens,” the homeowner says. “They couldn’t have done a better job. My kitchen is bright and cheery, and it doesn’t feel small anymore.”