The stunning view of Kaneohe Bay from the kitchen sink on our cover this month is real—and it’s homeowner Kathy Cameron’s favorite part of her new kitchen. Whether she’s making coffee in the morning or her husband, Steve, is preparing drinks for guests at sunset, it’s all about the view.

The best seat in the house: A curved peninsula allows for awesome bay views through the lanai doors and pass-through window.

“We really wanted to take advantage of it,” Kathy says. So when the Camerons were ready to renovate their 1950s hillside home, open, indoor-outdoor-style living was at the top of their wish list. “We wanted big windows out to the bay, a large counter area and an open design, with the kitchen open to the living room, dining room and bar.”

A fortuitous walk around the Gentry Pacific Design Center landed the Camerons at Archipelago Hawaii, Refined Island Designs, where the couple connected with brother-and-sister design duo Rick and Tiare Cowan. It didn’t take long for the Camerons and the Cowans to hit it off. After some initial research, they decided a rebuild would be more cost-efficient than a large-scale renovation. The Camerons weren’t just getting a new kitchen, they were getting a brand-new house.  

The design team, including architect Mike D. Lau, of All Kinds Drafting Services, and contractor Malcolm Souza and crew, got to work in the kitchen creating a space to capture the sweeping scenery. An extra-large pass-through behind the sink seamlessly connects the inside countertop with an outside bar on the lanai for easy passing of food and drinks. The lift-and-slide windows actually sit at countertop-level and run on a deep track, easily opening and closing.

A mix of mahogany display shelving and classic cabinetry prevent the longest wall of the kitchen from dominating the space.

A long, green granite-topped peninsula with a soft curve creates an intimate U-shape kitchen that welcomes people into the space. The peninsula seats several people and is great for entertaining. “Instead of everyone sitting in a straight line where you can only talk to the person next to you, the different angles allow for more interaction,” Rick says.

The peninsula also houses the cooktop, where avid cook Steve can make meals and still chat with guests. Next came the decision of whether to vent. Would it detract from the view? Or look awkward with the high ceiling? After much deliberation, the team decided to go for it. Now, an extra-long vent hood in the center of the kitchen anchors the space.

“In the end, it adds a nice touch,” Rick says. “It’s always better to vent a cooktop space than not. We recommend it to our clients, because even though it’s not required by code in Hawaii, it does take out a lot of smoke and grease and cool down the kitchen.”  

Archipelago and team subtly divided the space into one large main kitchen grouping with a secondary storage area closer to the dining area. The long wall of the kitchen, or the “tall wall,” separates the great room and master bedroom and makes an ideal place for the large refrigerator, microwave and oven. Careful design prevented the wall from being too overwhelming in the space. The team at Archipelago broke up the wall and gave it some style, framing out the cabinetry around the refrigerator and throwing in a mix of display space. Slab-style cabinet doors in a ribbon mahogany are a perfect blend of classic and sleek. For all the finishes, Tiare “stuck with the palette of the bay,” pulling in the subtle tones and ocean colors.

Illustration courtesy of Archipelago  The floor plan illustrates the kitchen's accommodating U-shape and peninsula that make entertaining a breeze.

The Camerons, “on the brink of retirement,” couldn’t be happier with the outcome. “This is our dream home. We’re going to live here forever,” Kathy says. “Tiare and Rick had the knowledge and relationships and understanding of exactly how to get what we wanted; whereas, it would have taken us so much time and sweat—and probably wouldn’t have gotten near what we wanted—if we had tried to do it on our own.”