Mirror, Mirror: Reflective surfaces throughout the kitchen add depth and dimension, giving the illusion of more space.

Anderson’s faucet features a Franke “little butler” water purifier with cold and hot levers. “You can get instant hot, filtered water for tea or to add to gravy,” Anderson says, “and because it’s filtered, you don’t get calcium scale buildup in the heating element.”

Very small homes are a big green trend, but, even in the most efficient homes, tiny kitchens can pose a challenge. It’s great if you can cook in a small area, but if you wind up mostly eating out or ordering in, well, that’s not sustainable. Designer Glenda Anderson, CEO of Details International, found the perfect personal solution when she converted the laundry area in her own Honolulu condominium into a 105-square-foot kitchen.

“I’m a serious cook, and I could make meals for 500 people in this kitchen,” says Anderson. Although she has designed many large, expansive kitchens for clients, Anderson, who describes herself as “not a tall person,” prefers to work where everything she needs is within quick and easy reach. 

Anderson enjoys being in her kitchen, too. Eclectic elements, such as exposed, rather than hidden, ceiling lights “give the funky effect of a New York loft,” she says.

These, and all the other kitchen lights, are also energy-saving LEDs (light-emitting diodes). They demonstrate, along with efficient appliances and green materials, this kitchen/bath specialist’s 30-year commitment to environmentally-sound design. “Details International is certified green by the National Association of Home Builders,” Anderson says of her firm.

Partially open to the dining area, the kitchen’s overall palette keeps things light and airy. A three-foot-deep, grey granite countertop defines the space. The cabinets, made of pressed wood certified to EU green standards, are figured sycamore in pale blond. Anderson “had an artist faux paint all the woodwork to match.” The ceiling is made of Venetian plaster in Tuscan gold, and the floor is constructed with 20” x 20” Napolina limestone tiles with flecks of white quartz, pale taupe and grey.

Anderson chose a GE magnetic- induction cooktop — the most energy-efficient type of stove — for its warm honey color, which matches the cabinetry. Below the cooktop are two double sets of “huge Euro drawers” that contain all of Anderson’s pots and pans, cutlery, tongs, measuring cups and bakeware. Other cabinetry features include a magic corner, a drawer for large knives and pantry storage pullouts for dry foods.

The 30”-wide Sub-Zero refrigerator with a bottom-mounted freezer and a Miele water-efficient dishwasher both bear the EPA ENERGY STAR® label. A stainless steel band above the dishwasher top protects the cabinetry from humidity.

The kitchen’s look was inspired by a gift from friends, a set of McKenzie Child’s whimsical, black-and-white cookware, including a teapot with a pewter ball on top. “The main feature of my design is a backsplash that matches the cookware,” Anderson says of the black and white tiles hand-painted by artist Thomas Deir, which are separated from the sink rim by a solid pewter band studded with little balls. The dark-grey Franke sink, made by Mythos of ground-up silica, is “fantastic for people who need a big sink in a tiny, 2-foot-wide cabinet,” Anderson says. In additon,
“I undermounted the sink, which extends over the dishwasher, under the granite countertop. Counting the drain board, it becomes, effectively, a nearly 4-foot-wide sink,” Anderson says. Built-in accessory ledges for colanders and cutting boards make the sink an efficient work space. The KWC faucet is fitted with an
LED light that illuminates the area.

To keep the space from overheating, Anderson placed the oven just outside the kitchen. The entertainment center in the adjoining adjoining room was converted to kitchen storage for equipment she doesn’t use every day.

“We have stolen every inch of space,” Anderson concludes.  

WHERE TO GET IT

Designer: Glenda Anderson
Countertop: Honed granite made by Carlos Rodriguez
Flooring: 20" x 20" limestone tiles by Napolina from Bella Pietra
Mirrored Wall: by Ace Glass and Metals (Bryan Honda)
Sink: Mythos by Frande from Details International