Homeowner Norma Cabagbag relaxes in her new living room with sons Gabe (left) and Michael (right).
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BEFORE the makeover
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After raising three boys and seeing them off to college, Norma and Jonathan Cabagbag’s Kaneohe living room was more than a little worse for the wear. With its flat, uninviting palette, the room had become more of a thoroughfare than a sitting place over the years.
“People were coming in the door and passing through to get to the outside or to the other rooms, but no one stayed to enjoy it,” says Norma.
But the room had potential. With its high, beamed ceiling, open feel and great angles, it was an ideal space for Jancy Kuwasaki, Allied ASID, of Design Dimensions to stage a beautiful transformation. Her expert team included HomeWorld, which provided furniture and accessories. She also enlisted some of the best lighting, flooring, paint and window treatment experts in the business. Read our step-by-step design plan to find out more.
“When I was caring for three young boys, interior design didn’t matter as much to me,” says Norma. Now that all three are in college, Norma and her husband are happy to reclaim their resting spot.
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Step 1: Wake Up the Walls
“I wanted to give Norma a little bit of an Island feel by bringing in more color on the walls and with the window treatment,” says Kuwasaki. She began by swathing the two main walls in Benjamin Moore’s Princeton Gold (HC-14) and finished an accent wall with Woodstock Tan (HC-20). Kreative Kamaaina’s custom-window fabricators added bamboo roman shades in Turtle Black and stationary French pleat panels in Sage Green. Window specialists hung the panels from 2-inch decorative wood poles by Forest Group Drapery Hardware.
Step 2: Get Floored
Kuwasaki selected 5-inch-wide engineered flooring planks in Lapacho from Pacific Imports International’s Kahala Floors Innovations line. “Lapacho has a nice, even brown/olive tone, similar to Ipe,” explains company president and CEO, Shirley Pai Hilton. Pacific Imports also provided custom-matched, solid-wood moldings to finish the look.
Step 3: Furnish with Style
To outfit the space, Kuwasaki chose a traditionally styled sofa and chaise lounge from HomeWorld’s Halston line, with upholstery by Guildcrafts of California. Two contemporary brown slipper chairs flank the sofa. The goal was to mix styles harmoniously, explains Kuwasaki, who also selected a sleek, modern coffee table and two accent tables—one traditional and one modern—from the company’s vast selection. The final touch? A bean bag Norma made herself, out of a bolt of automobile upholstery fabric. “We’ve always had bean bags growing up,” says Norma. “It’s just local style.”
Step 4: Add Amazing Accessories
“When you make over a room, the accessories make such a big difference,” says Daphne Oliveros, division manager at HomeWorld. To that end, a dramatic hanging light fixture from Dial Electric & Lighting Gallery crowns the space with elegance. Installed by Van’s Electric, the Kalco fixture features a hand-forged iron frame and Scavo glass bowl.
Kuwasaki describes the look of this living room as a layer of contrasts, so she chose accessories from HomeWorld to further reinforce her strategy. “I wanted to pick up on some of the very light colors, like the white orchids in the clear glass vase. They contrast with the floors,” she says. “The candlesticks on the coffee table actually bring out the black in the shades.” The designer embellished the newly painted walls with two prints and added two lamps in contrasting styles to complete the look.
After all the hard work, the Cabagbags are thrilled. “Everything flows and makes your whole being relax,” Norma says. “Last night, we looked at the before picture. It was a stark contrast, like night and day. Now, this room is the jewel of the house.”
