The Art of Collaboration

From developing the concept for a new home to getting it constructed, the owner typically works at different stages with an architect, a contractor, an interior designer and a kitchen designer. But certified kitchen designers Rick Cowan and his sister Tiare Cowan-Broad believe that a better way is for everyone to collaborate, the earlier in the process the better.

The kitchen, at the far end of the sprawling home, blends into the décor, just as the designers planned.

The pair bought Studio Becker of Honolulu some years ago and found themselves designing great rooms more than anything else, where kitchens open up to the rest of the home. “I am a kitchen designer and my sister is an interior designer,” says Rick. “Nowadays, the kitchen, living room and dining room are one big, connected area. We saw a need in the market for design services to bring everything together. And, we’ve seen how the clients will get a much better, well-rounded design for their homes if they bring the team together early on.”

The premise of offering integrated design services is a key element for their newly launched firm, Archipelago Refined Island Interiors. They will continue to offer the high-end Studio Becker line of cabinetry from Germany, and are adding the Crystal line of cabinetry by AmErikan to extend the range of motifs.

The homeowners and designers opted for storage beneath counters instead of hanging cabinetry, to keep the flow of the home uninterrupted.

“People are very receptive to the collaborative approach,” says Tiare. “It can become very complicated when you start with your architect, then say, Oh gosh, let’s get a kitchen designer. Or, you come to furniture and realize you should get an interior designer. Everyone is coming in at different phases. We feel that if we all start together at the beginning and work through a common vision at the same time, then the client is going to have a more cohesive plan and the design process will be easier.”

Whether Archipelago works with a client’s existing design team or helps put one together, the emphasis is on early collaboration. The benefits can be seen in this turnkey Honua Street project in Kahala, which was Archipelago’s first assignment.

A full selection of Sub-Zero/Wolf appliances make this kitchen perfect for the gourmet chef or occasional cook.

Owner-architect Erik Ludwick designed the home with a clear idea for kitchen placement as well as an extensive layout for his-and-her-wardrobes in the master-bedroom suite. He retained Michelle Uchiyama of Eclectix Designs for overall interior work, and turned to Archipelago to make the kitchen and wardrobe areas flow with the rest of the house.

“The kitchen is pretty much in the center of the house,” says Ludwick. “The German engineering you find in Studio Becker cabinets makes very refined use of space because kitchens in Europe tend to be smaller. We have a large kitchen space in the Honua Street home, so we get the best of both worlds—a highly efficient and functional kitchen that is also very large.”

Ludwick knew he didn’t want overhead cabinetry in the kitchen area to obstruct the views and breezes throughout the rest of the interior. As a result, hanging cabinets were eliminated in favor of storage space built into three islands. Dark wood cabinetry for two of the islands faces the living areas on either side of the kitchen and offers visual continuity with the rest of the house. Cabinetry inside the kitchen is cherry with a balsamic stain, playing off the tigerwood flooring.

(left) Studio Becker’s customizable wardrobes, complete with accessories such as jewelry drawers, wicker storage baskets and even tie cellarets, mean everything has its place. (right) On the other end of Studio Becker’s bath design options is this masculine washstand, complete with wenge wood cabinetry.

“Archipelago came up with a result where the kitchen makes a strong statement when you are in it but virtually disappears when you are in the living areas on either side. Unless someone is actually standing there cooking, you don’t even see the kitchen,” says Ludwick. “You have a well-functioning kitchen in the heart of the house without knowing it’s there.”

The master suite is made up of a large circular foyer in the center with a bath to the right and a bedroom down a hallway to the left. Moving across the foyer to its backside is a walk-in wardrobe area reserved for the woman of the house. Another wardrobe area is found across the hall for the man.

“[Ludwick] knew where he wanted the wardrobes,” says Rick. “We all played off one another’s ideas to pull it all together. The floor is tigerwood here as well and gave us the flexibility to mix woods and go with light cabinetry finishes to complement the furnishings, wall colors and paintings by Michelle Uchiyama. When we proposed using the same countertop material as a base for the tub, Erik came up with the idea of using a matching wood trim to pull everything together.”

Bright and calming, Archipelago designed an open floor plan so this bathroom would be flooded with natural light.

With a strong background in construction and carpentry, Rick also likes to work with the contractor in a project’s early stages, especially when doing remodels. “We may have some wonderful ideas, but I’m not the person who is going to be putting them in. If we get the contractor on board early, he can help figure how to make that cantilever counter, or work out the details when you want part of a countertop to punch through a sidewall. When you can get the architect, contractor, interior designer and kitchen designer all working hand in hand, you truly have a design/build process.”

WHERE TO GET IT Designer: Rick Cowan, CKD, J.R. Ludlow and Tiare Cowan-Broad, Allied ASID of Archipelago Refined Island Interiors Architect: Erik Ludwick Backsplash: Ceramic tile, from Walker Zanger Carpenter: Ian Eichelberger Contractor: Sunworks Construction Counters: Granite Dishwasher: Excella fully integrated, from Miele Faucet: Single-hold pullout, from Hans Grohe Microwave: 24” convection, from Wolf Range: 48” with six burners and grill, from Wolf Refrigerator/Freezer: 48” side by side, from Sub-Zero Vent: custom, from Abbaka Windows: Andersen Windows