MARCH 10 • 2013 CATHY LEE A Sparkling Personality · and makai kitchens. My team lovingly...
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I n the last couple of weeks you’ve seen how I’ve transformed some spaces at Y. Hata & Co., a 100-year-old food servic- es company on Sand Island. In this last col- umn of the series, I’ll break down the updates of two kitchens so you can get some tips for yours. Of Y. Hata’s kitchens, where employees heat up food and have lunch, one was to be a complete renovation and the other a light refresh. Y. Hata calls them the mauka and makai kitchens. My team lovingly referred to them as the Marsha and Jan kitchens. Do you remember Brady Bunch, the sit- com from the ’70s? Marsha got all the attention, while Jan was always in the back- ground. Here, Marsha was getting the com- plete makeover, of course, while Jan would keep her original cabinets, refrigerator, appliances and flooring. Not wanting those using the Jan kitchen to feel like they got the raw end of the deal, we had to make sure Jan looked as good as possible while giving each their own distinct personality. For Marsha, we started by knocking down a wall to open up the kitchen and add space. We also ripped out the flooring and cabinets and replaced them with affordable but stylish and modern cabi- netry and a stainless steel refrigerator. I wanted a clean, modern feel. Sticking with the Y. Hata color scheme of red, white, black and gray, we laid a simple gray-black tile on the floor. For the accent wall we chose a deep crimson which would allow the oversized company statement boards that we designed in grays to pop off. In the center was a simple, contemporary bam- boo table surrounded by white chairs. We weren’t going for just a kitchen, but more of a lounge kitchen with a sort of Starbucks feel — a cool, hip vibe where people can eat lunch and relax. So besides the dining table, we gave them additional seating with a sectional sofa. In a pinch, stools can be pulled up for even more seating. The Marsha kitchen looks fresh, modern and strong. The keys to this? Sticking with clean lines, from the dining table to the cab- inetry and even the angular statement boards, and a bold color scheme with bright, dramatic pops. With the Jan kitchen, our challenge was to make it look clean and fresh despite its outdated oak cabinets and black refrigera- tor. I knew immediately that Y. Hata’s color palette would not work here. This space needed a completely different personality, and red and gray tones would make the cabinets feel older. Instead I selected a color that on its own would instantly scream fresh and modern: apple green. My starting point was this set of afford- able green chairs. I tied in that color with the same company statement boards, which we lit up in apple green instead of gray. This made the room come alive and drew your eye to its vibrant colors instead of to the outdated finishes. With the Jan kitchen, the goal was to create a bright, modern feel against an older backdrop. The lines of the table and chairs are clean and contemporary here as well, but it was the big, bold use of a striking color that really did the trick. When creat- ing your kitchen, don’t be afraid of color. You can use it as an accent or in big splash- es to give your room a whole new person- ality — just like Jan’s! Cathy Lee is president and designer of Cathy Lee Style and Cathy's Marketplace, a furniture and accessories showroom with design services at 1110 University Ave. She recently opened reStyle Hawaii, an affordable, style-conscious consignment warehouse with upholstering and repurposing services at 420 Keawe St. To find out more, go to www.cathyleestyle.com. A Sparkling Personality Whether you’re remodeling an entire room or making a few small changes to a space, the right design elements can give any environment its own distinct style 14 MARCH 10 • 2013 CATHY LEE >> The completed “Jan” kitchen >> The completed “Marsha” kitchen JUSTIN DOTSON PHOTOS 14 • MARCH 10, 2013 AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT PUBLISHED BY OAHU PUBLICATIONS, INC. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Transcript of MARCH 10 • 2013 CATHY LEE A Sparkling Personality · and makai kitchens. My team lovingly...
In the last couple of weeks you’ve seenhow I’ve transformed some spaces at Y.Hata & Co., a 100-year-old food servic-
es company on Sand Island. In this last col-umn of the series, I’ll break down theupdates of two kitchens so you can getsome tips for yours.
Of Y. Hata’s kitchens, where employeesheat up food and have lunch, one was tobe a complete renovation and the other alight refresh. Y. Hata calls them the maukaand makai kitchens. My team lovinglyreferred to them as the Marsha and Jankitchens.
Do you remember Brady Bunch, the sit-com from the ’70s? Marsha got all theattention, while Jan was always in the back-ground. Here, Marsha was getting the com-plete makeover, of course, while Jan wouldkeep her original cabinets, refrigerator,appliances and flooring. Not wanting thoseusing the Jan kitchen to feel like they got
the raw end of the deal, we had to makesure Jan looked as good as possible whilegiving each their own distinct personality.
For Marsha, we started by knockingdown a wall to open up the kitchen andadd space. We also ripped out the flooringand cabinets and replaced them withaffordable but stylish and modern cabi-netry and a stainless steel refrigerator.
I wanted a clean, modern feel. Sticking
with the Y. Hata color scheme of red, white,black and gray, we laid a simple gray-blacktile on the floor. For the accent wall wechose a deep crimson which would allowthe oversized company statement boardsthat we designed in grays to pop off. In thecenter was a simple, contemporary bam-boo table surrounded by white chairs.
We weren’t going for just a kitchen, butmore of a lounge kitchen with a sort of
Starbucks feel — a cool, hip vibe wherepeople can eat lunch and relax. So besidesthe dining table, we gave them additionalseating with a sectional sofa. In a pinch,stools can be pulled up for even moreseating.
The Marsha kitchen looks fresh, modernand strong. The keys to this? Sticking withclean lines, from the dining table to the cab-inetry and even the angular statementboards, and a bold color scheme withbright, dramatic pops.
With the Jan kitchen, our challenge wasto make it look clean and fresh despite itsoutdated oak cabinets and black refrigera-tor. I knew immediately that Y. Hata’s colorpalette would not work here. This spaceneeded a completely different personality,and red and gray tones would make thecabinets feel older. Instead I selected acolor that on its own would instantlyscream fresh and modern: apple green.
My starting point was this set of afford-able green chairs. I tied in that color withthe same company statement boards,which we lit up in apple green instead ofgray. This made the room come alive anddrew your eye to its vibrant colors insteadof to the outdated finishes.
With the Jan kitchen, the goal was tocreate a bright, modern feel against anolder backdrop. The lines of the table andchairs are clean and contemporary here aswell, but it was the big, bold use of a strikingcolor that really did the trick. When creat-ing your kitchen, don’t be afraid of color.You can use it as an accent or in big splash-es to give your room a whole new person-ality — just like Jan’s!
Cathy Lee is president and designer ofCathy Lee Style and Cathy's Marketplace, afurniture and accessories showroom withdesign services at 1110 University Ave. Sherecently opened reStyle Hawaii, an affordable,style-conscious consignment warehouse withupholstering and repurposing services at 420Keawe St. To find out more, go towww.cathyleestyle.com.
A Sparkling PersonalityWhether you’re remodeling an entire room or making a few small changes to aspace, the right design elements can give any environment its own distinct style
14 MARCH 10 • 2013 CATHY LEE
>> The completed “Jan” kitchen
>> The completed “Marsha” kitchen
JUSTIN DOTSON PHOTOS
14 • MARCH 10, 2013 AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT PUBLISHED BY OAHU PUBLICATIONS, INC. | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
