HONOLULU, HI — A galley kitchen that was transformed into one home’s centerpiece and a dramatic vacation home renovation that opened the kitchen to the family, dining and living rooms were recognized at the 20th Annual BIA Renaissance Building & Remodeling Awards.

The galley kitchen – which won the Grand Award in the Kitchen & Bath Division (more than $50,000) – was designed by Studio Becker Hawaii’s Rick Cowan, CKD, and Tiare Cowan-Broad, CKD.

The vacation home remodel that also centered on a revamped kitchen was orchestrated by Carolyn Pace, AKBD, also with Studio Becker Hawaii. It snagged the Grand Award in the Residential Remodeling Division ($150,001 to $350,000).

These awards “recognize excellence in commercial and residential building/remodeling projects in Hawaii and the professionals who created them,” according to the Hawaii Remodelors Council (HRC) of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii (BIA-Hawaii), a 400-member trade organization affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

One award for each category was given in the Kitchen & Bath, Residential, Historic, Hawaii BuiltGreen, Landscaping and Commercial categories. Entries in the Residential, Historic and Commercial divisions were eligible for the Overall Grand Awards. And the Carl Reppun Award recognized a small size contracting firm for a residential project.

All entries from kitchen and bath designers, architects, designers, contractors and developers were judged on creativity, principles of design, materials used, value, visual appeal, overall quality, environmental elements, interior space and sustainability, workmanship and functionality. All winning designs, including Studio Becker’s, were honored at an awards gala last July.

Here, Kitchen & Bath Design News spotlights these two award-winning kitchen remodels.

From Galley to Great
The owners of this closed-in, cramped galley kitchen in Portlock were tired. Tired of the bland 1970s ceramic countertops and floors that needed constant cleaning, the white laminate doors with oak trim, and the outdated appliances. Tired of the clutter and dysfunctional design. And tired of the isolated laundry room layout.

They desperately wanted to bring the kitchen, and laundry room, into the 21st century. Enter designers Rick Cowan and Tiare Cowan-Broad. Cowan co-owns Studio Becker Hawaii with Cowan-Broad and her husband. Cowan-Broad also owns her own local interior design firm, TCB Island Interiors.

The designers were charged with the giant task of remaking a kitchen completely void of color and design emphasis into a warm, inviting and elegant space that would set the tone for the rest of the home. More importantly, they had to first reintroduce function and light, and incorporate the laundry into the kitchen. Achieving these goals was not without some challenges.

“The homeowners requested that we minimize wall construction and tear-down, so we had to work mostly within the existing floorplan,” note Cowan and Cowan-Broad. However, they were able to cut back the wall between the kitchen and laundry room to create an open, seamless transition between the previously divided rooms. In its place, they created a bumped-out corner with a wrap-around countertop for folding cloths, and incorporated an undercounter washer and dryer. Floating cabinetry below the windows at the back wall provides abundant storage for both kitchen and laundry. It also blends well with the home’s new Travertine flooring.