Custom-designed cabinetry turns an awkward triangular corner into the look of a piece of furniture, providing china cabinet-like storage and a buffet area along with a wine refrigerator.

These Oahu homeowners knew their kitchen was stuck in the 1980s. The white granite flooring, white laminate cabinets and white Corian countertops were cold, lacking personality and just plain cliché. On top of that, a wall, large bulky counter, and clunky outdated soffit interfered with conversation between people in the kitchen and dining room, and also blocked a portion of their ocean view.

Not sure if the wall could be removed, or what it would look like if it could, the homeowners called on the expertise of designer Jessica Omoto at Homeowners Design Center.

Turns out, the wall could be removed. The demolition revealed a bonus: a once-hidden, gorgeous vaulted ceiling. “I really love seeing the open beams,” says Omoto. “The contractor on the project, PMI Builders, did a wonderful job refinishing the ceilings, and we even decided to place up-lighting in the crown molding above the cabinets to further highlight the ceiling and beams. It’s really a nice effect.”

Painting the ceiling and beams in a white wash kept this design element from getting too heavy and overpowering. In fact, the contrast with the darker, more natural tones of the cabinetry at eye level accentuates the ceiling as a focal point, adding another layer of sophistication and personality to the kitchen design.

In addition to opening up the kitchen with the wall removal, the homeowners’ wish list included granite countertops, wood flooring and wood cabinetry. “We had to really make our selections carefully, so they wouldn’t compete with the ceiling,” the homeowner says.

The homeowners started with the selection of the flooring, paying close attention to the subtle yellow and red tones in the wood. “The white-wash ceiling really drove our selection process,” the homeowner says. “Once we selected the flooring, we moved on to pick the wood for the cabinets and the granite was last.”
The homeowners chose darker wood — a maple stained with a sienna finish — for the custom cabinetry, which serves to ground the overall design and contrasts beautifully with the details on the ceiling. “Darker wood in the cabinets, the hardwood floors and the caramel hues in the granite really warmed up the space,” says Omoto.

When it came time to decide on appliances, the homeowners selected a commercial appliance package from Servco Home & Appliance Showroom. The GE Profile French-door refrigerator, with freezer drawer on the bottom, offers more space than side-by-side models. “You can actually fit a pizza box in the refrigerator or a cake from Costco,” says Omoto. The Thermador induction cooktop is also worth mentioning, as it heats up fast, like a gas stove, but you get a smooth, easy-to-clean surface. Also, because only the pot gets hot, not the cooktop itself, spills do not get baked on, eliminating the need for extensive scrubbing. “We are thrilled with our induction cooktop,” the homeowner says. “At Servco, they showed us in a demonstration how it boils water in just seconds.”

PMI Builders was responsible for refinishing the ceiling, removing the wall, installing the cabinetry and all of the detailed finishing touches, which contribute to the overall warmth and success of this kitchen remodel. “We were very happy with PMI,” the homeowner says. “One of the benefits of hiring a smaller company is that the person in your house working is actually the person you hired. They were very professional and made the whole experience for us a lot less painful than we had expected.”

In the end, the success of the project is attributed to teamwork, with design consultation from Homeowners Design Center, careful craftsmanship from PMI Builders and added appliance expertise from Servco. “I think we love the kitchen even more because of the great experience we had [all around],” the homeowner says.