For many, the kitchen is the heart of the home. For homeowners Tony and Jaclene Ngai, it’s the heart and soul. An architect and builder, Tony Ngai designed their home around the kitchen. It is, quite literally, the center of attention.

“All roads lead to the kitchen,” Jaclene says, “because that’s the focus of our house. Every room can be seen from the kitchen. It’s meant to be that way–open and welcoming.”

To create a kitchen of classic good taste, the couple relied on Mark Shigei of Snaidero Hawaii. East graciously meets West in Shigei’s design, with Snaidero’s Italian style perfectly complementing the Japanese influences in the home.

From any vantage point in Shigei’s remarkable design, the view is 180 degrees away from ordinary. Through paneled glass doors, you can see the courtyard and garden, reminiscent of those found in Kyoto. Through low Japanese-style windows, bamboo trees sway and water falls into a stone pond in tiers. The fluidity of design may extend outside the home but, as always, beauty is found within.

The focal point of this Snaidero kitchen is a large, accommodating, 18-foot-long island with a distinctive black granite countertop, a place where people congregate. “When Mark Shigei designed the island as the center, it was easy to see, that was the way to go,” Jaclene says. Recently, the Ngais entertained 50 of their family and friends for Christmas dinner.

“People always go to the kitchen when they come to visit,” Tony says. The guests gathered around the island to socialize while Jaclene finished cooking. Two turkeys, a ham, four homemade cakes and an assortment of holiday favorites were spread out over the counter and on the glass shelf perched above the counter. Stunned by the Snaidero kitchen and open space, local restaurant owners have told the Ngais: “Oh, we want this.”

Shigei says the Snaidero look is classic minimalist, and informal as well as formal. “This is a good example of what the trend is in Italy,” he says. “The color is metallic silver with a slight tint of taupe, and it goes with just about everything.”

Jaclene agrees. “What’s wonderful about the Snaidero design is, it’s classic although very contemporary.”

In Shigei’s design, the entire kitchen is clean and uncluttered. Its angular lines and shape respond to the angular walls of the room. The sleek, distinctly Snaidero look is enhanced by an array of Kuppersbusch appliances: two 36-inch ovens, a luminous six-burner natural-gas stove and an induction wok with pan-overheat detection to facilitate the beauty of cooking. A GE Monogram undercounter wine cooler keeps the Pellegrino water perfectly chilled. Behind two elegant cabinet doors hide the expansive Sub-Zero Series 700 refrigerator and freezer.

If home is where the heart is, you feel its pulse in this Snaidero kitchen. “It’s a very integral part of the house,” Jaclene says. “In some homes, you feel as if you’re afraid to cook in the kitchen. Ours is functional and very beautiful to look at. I don’t think it will be out of date 10 years from now, because Snaidero is practical, it’s timeless.”