Designer kitchens and baths to ooh and aah over

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

This renovated Tantalus kitchen will be on display Sunday in the Great Kitchen & Bath Tour. The event will highlight projects done in homes around O'ahu. The Great Kitchen & Bath Tour Presented by the Aloha Chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday Homes on the tour are in Hawai'i Loa Ridge, Kahala, Diamond Head, Tantalus, Punchbowl, Kailua, 'Aiea and Mililani. Admission is $10, which is tax deductible. Proceeds will benefit Hawai'i Habitat for Humanity. Tickets and maps are available at all NKBA member firms, Gentry Pacific Design Center locations or at HomeStreet Bank. For information, call 734-2891.

You be the judge.

Take the Great Kitchen & Bath Tour, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, for the latest in traditional to contemporary kitchen and bath design trends. The tour will highlight projects in 10 newly built and remodeled homes in Hawai'i Loa Ridge, Kahala, Diamond Head, Tantalus, Punchbowl, Kailua, 'Aiea and Mililani.

"The people who would be the most interested in attending are anyone interested in doing a remodeling project in the near future," said event chairwoman Judy Dawson, owner of Designer Kitchens & Baths.

The 15th annual tour, presented by the Aloha Chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association, will give visitors the opportunity to see results in real homes, not showrooms, and talk with the designers and manufacturers, Dawson said.

Kitchen Concepts Plus Inc. owner Michael L. Smith renovated the kitchen of a Tantalus home and included features like a wine cellar with a glass door, counter garages to enclose small appliances and a second food-prep sink.

"With beautiful views of Honolulu ... inspirations for an open, airy space was a key factor in the creation of this kitchen," Smith said.

Smith also renovated the home's master bath, which is just as impressive with its walk-in shower and bench, omitted shower curb and door for a barrier-free entrance, Roman whirlpool tub and his-and-hers grooming areas.

Glenda Anderson, owner of Details International, has two Kahala homes featured on the tour. Anderson did a kitchen remodel for a family with four children and incorporated a low sink and low cabinetry into the design. She also created a built-in, disappearing laundry room in the hallway.

Visitors "can see how real people with real budgets can have absolutely gorgeous projects done," Anderson said.

But those who fantasize about living large can treat themselves to Anderson's other Kahala project, which she describes as a palatial home on the water.

"It's a rare opportunity to be able to get into one of these houses," she said.

The dream beach property features a renovated kitchen with a lighted glass counter top and vinyl floor tile that resembles slate, as well as a powder room and salon, and a disco bar.