Glenda
Anderson thrives on challenges. The long-time designer, builder and CEO
of Details International loves “doing what has never been done before.”
Plenty
of trail-blazing opportunities awaited Anderson in a home perched high
up in Aiea Heights. “When I came into the house, I saw a completely
unfunctional kitchen. The family could not entertain, and they were not
enjoying it at all,” Anderson says. The original kitchen, squeezed next
to a hallway, had barely enough room for one cook.
 |
| Anderson
chose a natural palette, with deep sage accent walls, emerald granite
countertops, green slate and bamboo floors to connect the indoors with
the lush hillside. |
First,
Anderson hungrily sank her teeth into remodeling the kitchen’s layout.
In fact, she was so inspired by the home’s problems that the kitchen
remodel turned into an overhaul of the entire first floor. The new
layout reclaimed the lanai, a space originally envisioned as a barbecue
haven. But bugs and rain, two constants in the hillside clime, had made
the outdoor space useless. No problem; Anderson whipped it into shape.
This
gave the first floor room to breathe. “The architects were very
patient. They let us take their good design and modify it,” Anderson
says of Noguchi Builders. The new first floor became a great room. It
is separated into three distinct areas: the centerpiece kitchen and two
lounge areas. Simple columns on each side of the room delineate the
spaces, and hold up the new roof.
Entering
through the repositioned front door, guests are greeted by Anderson’s
second solution for the kitchen challenge: an emerald granite-topped
island. Without walls boxing him in, the cook can sauté, stir and
blanch while entertaining guests at the bar and relaxing in the lounge
areas.
The
opposite side of the island holds everything that a cook needs.
Pull-out spice racks, deep drawers for pots and pans, racks for cutting
boards and a sink make dinner prep a breeze. All of this is centered
around a brawny, Dacor gas range.
The
next challenge was an unused corner. Here, Anderson designed a baking
alcove that is safely out of the cook’s splatter zone. Ovens are
stacked next to countertop landing space. An appliance center hides the
rice cooker, toaster and blender. Plenty of storage here makes up for
storage lost in the reconfiguration.
All
the storage space posed another problem. Boxed in by the appliance
center and storage cabinets, the corner was in danger of becoming a
baking cave. Anderson had the perfect idea: brighten the area with a
skylight. The builders were wary of cutting between load-supporting
floor joists, but were finally persuaded by Anderson that it would
work. In the end, natural light floods the kitchen, and the builders
may have learned a thing or two from the kitchen designer.
One
element caused no dilemma—choosing Details’ signature Downsview
cabinets, in warm Golden Birdseye and Moda finishes. Anderson works
exclusively with Downsview Kitchens cabinets because they offer a wide
range of woods and finishes, with optional Blumotion self-closing
drawers.
The
homeowner asked Anderson to apply her problem-solving skills outside
the kitchen as well. What might be the great room’s crowning feature is
an unusual indoor appliance, one the homeowner just had to have: a hot
and bubbly Jacuzzi in an adjoining lounge area now offers hours of
indoor relaxation for the whole family. The homeowner had always
dreamed of an indoor Jacuzzi, but not everyone thought it was a great
idea.
Anderson
and the homeowner forged ahead. “I knew I really wanted that Jacuzzi,”
the homeowner says. “We had to open up the wall and build up under the
house. We got a lot of discouragement [from the builders]. But Glenda
made it happen.”
|
Designer: Glenda Anderson, of Details International
Cabinetry: Golden Birdseye and Moda, from Downsview Kitchens
Cooktop: Dacor 36” stainless-steel gas, with five burners
Counters: Green butterfly granite
Dishwasher: Bosch 24” stainless-steel three-program, from Servco Home and Appliance Showroom
Microwave: GE Monogram 26” stainless-steel micro-convection, from Servco
Oven: GE Monogram 30” convection, from Servco
Refrigerator: SubZero 48” side-by-side with ice-water dispenser, from SubZero/Wolf
Sink: Undermount, stainless-steel, single bowl, from Kindred |
