The multipurpose tatami room serves as a space for dining, meditation and extra sleeping quarters when necessary. From this room, the homeowner can also enjoy the view of her custom-designed Japanese garden through her hand-etched windows.

When a structure is well-built, it’s hard to take apart. But that’s exactly what this Hawaii Kai homeowner wanted to do with her 1,450-square-foot condo. Though the layout was livable, the homeowner wanted to reconfigure the walls. “I wanted my place to be open—no closed-up rooms between dining and living areas,” she says.

Black and gray granite countertops and dark cherry wood cabinetry give the homeowner's kitchen a sleek, modern feel. Frosted glass, top-hinged cabinets store kitchen necessities without revealing too much.

Along with her desire for an open-concept living space, this homeowner had a few notable and specific wishes. For one, she wanted a great-looking kitchen. “It was going to be an open stage to the living area, so it had to look nice and function well. It had to be more like a showcase,” she says.

In keeping with Japanese tradition, the homeowner also wanted an all-purpose tatami room. Such rooms are typically used for dining, meditation and sleeping accommodations. Finally, to promote a sense of visual tranquility, she wanted to make slight-but-dramatic alterations to her master suite.

After interviewing several contractors, the homeowner’s financial advisor introduced her to Phillip Barker, of Barker Kappelle Construction. It was a perfect fit. “I felt he would be sincere and would also be able to address all of my remodeling needs,” says the homeowner. The result? What was once a standard vanilla unit now functions according to the homeowner’s unique lifestyle and expresses her personal aesthetic.

Reconfiguring the Walls

The renovation began with dramatic structural changes. “The hard-core construction is where it started,” says Barker. To begin, the team removed part of a large wall that separated the bedroom and living room. Then, the crew sectioned off the bedroom to maintain a feeling of privacy. The leftover space adjoining the living area was converted  into an office. To prevent a closed-off feeling in the newer, smaller bedroom, the team added a high cutout to the wall to let light and air through.

A stacking washer/dryer combination and pullout pantry shelving maximize space in this utility room.

Barker recounts the extensive demolition and site-removal work. He explains: The condo building was constructed so well, and with such solid material, it took four weeks to remove all of the framing and demolished debris. In addition, moving the walls meant moving electrical material. “The electrical was wired through the floor,” says Barker. “We had to re-route everything through soffits on the ceiling.”

The result, he says, was worth the hard work. Though the entire reconfigured space now features two rooms instead of one, the sense of flow is greatly improved.

A Kitchen that Works

A sizable kitchen, complete with an extra-large seating peninsula, adjoins the living area. Dark, cherry-wood cabinetry and patterned dark-gray granite provide a contrast to the warmer, lighter mahogany finishes in the living and tatami rooms. Frosted-glass cabinet faces and sleek, stainless-steel appliances add a sophisticated touch. A modern, functional space, the kitchen marries Eastern minimalism with modern convenience.

Just off the kitchen, a laundry room/pantry area illustrates smart use of space for a modern condo owner. A stacked, front-loading washer/dryer combination allows for easy access while taking up minimal space. A cabinetry unit previously intended for the kitchen provides adequate folding and storage space. Ask the homeowner how often she uses the nook and she replies without hesitation, “Every day. It’s where I keep my vacuum cleaner, my shopping cart … you know, all the items you need to live in a condo.”

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