 |
| A
central kitchen island serves as the focal point of the great room. The
soft canary-colored walls contrast with olive trim on the steel beams.
A composite countertop in garnet sand matte brings out the cabinets
finished with a Wilsonart Beryl Brush. Walnut laminate floors warm the
space. |
“This
is definitely not a box,” says Dave McKenna, of Graham Builders Inc.,
as he walks around the 2,300-square-foot Manoa home, pointing out its
angles, nooks and alcoves.
“We
have never built a home like this before,” he says. As a custom
builder, Graham Builders is best-known for its multigenerational homes,
for which families pool their resources to renovate or build a home
appropriate for all ages. However, this contemporary, two-bedroom, 2.5
bath house was built for two—husband and wife.
“It’s
not your typical home,” says McKenna. While it has amenities, such as a
large, sitting tub in the downstairs bathroom and a master bedroom
walk-in closet, it’s absent of many modern elements. No walk-in pantry
for Costco-size family packs, no kid’s area. McKenna also notes, “There
is no entertainment room. No big-screen TV.”
What
they have instead is a large central room with kitchen, dining room and
living room accented structural steel beams, art niches and
architectural elements. “This is a home for busy professionals,”
McKenna says. “The homeowners wanted a home to reflect their adult
tastes.”
Because
the homeowners wanted a large, open floor plan with high—but not
vaulted—ceilings, the central room called for a more sophisticated
design. The room is supported by a 12-foot-high steel girder connecting
two 18-foot-long steel I-beams. The angled, Y-shaped structure allows
for multiple ceiling heights, including the dramatic, 24-foot-high
center point. Large windows on both sides of the home flood the space
with natural light and higher rows of smaller windows allow continuous
airflow.
 |
| The
hallway to the first-floor bedroom contains built-in, floor-to-ceiling
bookshelves, which teem with hardbacks and medical books. Art pieces
reside in the custom niches at the hallway entrance. The moldings,
which were custom milled, mirror the home’s three tier, step-style
design. |
Outside,
the home sits below street level, concealing the height of the
structure. The house’s exterior walls, which jut out at angles, are
accented with subtle shades of green, brown and ivory.
Inside,
similar angles are emphasized with design elements, such as the
protruding triangular soffit over the window. The overhang helps define
the living room space within the great room and offers a sense of
privacy and coziness.
To
obscure one of the downstairs bathrooms and the garage entrance, Graham
Builders designed a three-tier half-wall. “It functions as a wall, yes,
but we also built in a recessed art alcove,” McKenna says. The tiering,
plus the alcove, create a multidimensional architectural element.
“We’re trying to do more and more of that sort of customization for our
clients,” says McKenna.
Above
the open central room floats the master bedroom and bath. Two graceful
columns, set a few feet apart, support a stairwell and a loft-style
balcony, or “crow’s nest,” that overlooks the central space and leads
to the master bedroom.
Although the homeowners wanted an adult environment, they were open to shapes, color and creativity.
“The
designer was very excited about this house,” McKenna says. “He had an
open hand to be creative. If you look at the columns, the soffit, the
alcoves—in themselves they are artwork.”
The
original home, McKenna says, was “your standard Manoa cottage. Cute,
but rotted with termites.” The home’s unique structure provided a
challenge for Graham Builders. The whole project took a little more
than a year to complete.“It’s all angles,” McKenna says. “Nothing is on
the same plane.”
But the structural and architectural details are what set this home apart.
 |
| The
living room displays the house’s architectural elements, such as the
three-tier half wall and the protruding triangular soffit over the
window, which help define the living room space within the great room
and offer a sense of privacy or coziness. | |
