The kitchen in a 44-year-old Hawaii Kai home had been partially renovated over the years, and the present owners had recently added new appliances. However, as Homeworks Construction project coordinator Jim Cook observed, “This kitchen was simply tired.”
“When I met with the owners at the house, we discussed their various options and rather than change something here or upgrade something there, they decided in favor of a ‘rip and replace,'” Cook said. “They liked our ideas and the price came in at an amount they could afford.”
After assessing the project, which included renovating an enclosed lanai, Cook conferred with Homeworks kitchen designer Sean Bradshaw and project manager Marc Dawson, and within a week provided a scope of work and a price. In addition to design, construction, materials and finishes, Homeworks also includes obtaining all necessary permits along with demolition and hauling in its quote.
“I met periodically with the homeowners to monitor the progress of the job and make sure they were satisfied. If something is not going according to the approved plan or if the client wants to make a change, it’s best to handle such issues immediately,” Cook said.
“As it turned out, the enclosed lanai just off the kitchen needed a lot of work. There was extensive termite and water damage, which necessitated replacement of windows and doors, rebuilding the exterior wall, insulating the ceiling and adding new electrical outlets. We designed and built a new nine-foot-long, free standing storage cabinet with the same natural oak doors as the new cabinetry in the kitchen.”
Bradshaw worked with the homeowners on design details, such as specially designed corner cabinets with roll-out shelves and full extension door guides. “We worked around existing flooring and within the footprint of the original kitchen,” Bradshaw said. “The objective was to make the best use of existing, available space and to provide quality finishes. The homeowners chose natural solid oak for the cabinets with Corian Burled Beach countertops. Our own line of cabinets by Wellborn is a quality product that we can provide at a good price. Corian is an upscale countertop but less pricey than granite and easy to maintain. The colors the client chose perfectly complemented the natural oak.”
The job was started Sept. 14 and completed on schedule Nov. 18.
The homeowners were so pleased with their new kitchen that they photographed it and emailed the photos to Cook. One of the owners, a teacher and a stained glass artist, noted that a carpenter carefully removed one of his stained glass windows from above a patio door and reinstalled it above a window between the patio and one of the bedrooms. “This was not included in the plans and Homeworks just did it as a favor,” he said. “My wife and I both thought that was special.”
“Living in a house during a kitchen renovation had its challenges,” he added. “But fortunately the work on the two rooms overlapped in such a way that, while the kitchen was being done, we were able to set up a microwave oven and some other portable appliances on the patio. The laundry room served for washing dishes. Just about the time the work began on the patio, the kitchen was finished. It was both a relief and a pleasure to move back into that bright renewed space.”
For information on Homeworks Construction or to make an appointment to visit the Homeworks showroom in the Homeworks Building at 2111 S. Beretania St., call 955-2777.
The Homeworks “Build New Or ReDo” radio show, hosted by Homeworks CEO Jim Byxbee and Rick Hamada, is broadcast Saturdays, from 9 to 10 a.m. on KHVH Radio AM830. Kitchen renovation will be the topic of the Saturday, Feb. 25, show.
ADDRESS: 2111 S. BERETANIA. ST.
CONTACT: 955-2777
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