The new owners of a 24-year-old Hawaii Loa Ridge custom home bought it last year with the intention of “re-customizing” it. They liked the layout of the 9,822-square-foot view property and secure, gated neighborhood, but the alterations they had in mind for the house were so extensive they decided to rent until the work was completed.
In August 2010, the couple contracted with Homeworks Construction and proceeded with a design plan and estimated budget with project coordinater Sarah VanDeVanter. The project would involve structural work, all new kitchen and baths, replacement of floors, doors, windows and cabinets, and the addition of a ground floor master bedroom suite and study extending out to the pool deck.
The big stipulation was the job would have to be completed before Christmas. Homeworks accepted the challenge and finished the project on schedule.
Project manager Heather Hickox said the mission was basically to modernize the house and open it up to maximize natural light and ventilation.
“The whole remodel was geared toward pulling down walls and creating a more open floor plan,” Hickox said. “Whenever you make such radical changes to a structure, literally gutting some rooms, you’re never really sure what you’ll find and have to make a lot of ‘on-the-fly’ decisions. Plumbing and wiring often have to be rerouted to accommodate the positioning of new fixtures and appliances.
“Along the way we had many meetings with the owners to give them options on the new design, particularly if cost would be affected.
“We completely gutted the kitchen and bathrooms and changed the look to a more contemporary design. The open-beam ceilings in the kitchen were retained and repainted to brighten up what had been a dark, closed-up room. An island was added with pendant lighting overhead, which involved concealing new wiring on open beams in the ceiling.
“In the bathrooms, we replaced existing showers, sinks and tubs, and added new tile as well as granite counters and hardwood cabinets.
“We designed a new front entry with a unique door and side panel arrangement. On either side of the standard-size main door are panels that are both decorative and functional, admitting air and additional light into the foyer when open. It really was the perfect finishing touch and it works brilliantly,” Hickox said.
You can learn more about this and other Homeworks Construction projects at booths 215 and 217 at the BIA Remodel It Right Expo, Aug. 26-28 at the Hawaii Convention Center. On Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m., Homeworks will present a free “Build New Or ReDo” seminar at the Homeworks Showroom, located at 2111 S. Beretania St. Call 955-2777 for reservations.
Contact: 955-2777
See more articles from: Homeworks Construction