Case Study: The Wong Condo

To give you a better idea of how we operate, let us show you a case study: The Wong Remodel Project.

The Wongs, like all of our customers, wanted beautiful, high quality cabinets for their home. But when they came to us, it was obvious we were dealing with a special situation. Rather than hear it from us, we'll let the Wongs explain...

Our introduction to Island Style Cabinets and Design took place under not the best circumstances. We were disillusioned with the world of subcontractors as we neared the end of our Wailea condo remodel project. Several of our subcontractors had succumbed to the “Dark Aloha Spirit.” This is the attitude that deadlines don’t matter when the surf is good and costs are always exorbitantly higher just because we’re not “on the mainland” anymore.

The most egregious of these subcontractors was our original cabinet maker. The remodel project had lasted 16 months from first sketch to last coast of paint, but there was still one major problem: our cabinet maker had not delivered. Literally. For five more months after we moved back into our almost-finished condo, we lived with box cabinets without fronts. We rested drawers on the floor because they did not fit properly. The Koa wood we ordered (and paid for) was replaced in some places with maple. The work that was done was shoddy at best. It was a disaster. And the man who was responsible for all of this was nowhere to be found.

Understandably, we were apprehensive about hiring a new cabinet maker. We talked to many throughout the island but were not fully confident the same problems would not be repeated.

Enter Island Style Cabinet and Furniture and its owner, Junior. Immediately, we were put at ease by his friendly island manner. This as the true Aloha spirit. He listened to our concerns, looked at the product we’d already received and suggested solutions. He almost seemed apologetic for what the other cabinet maker had done to us—as if his trade’s good name was compromised, not to mention his own honest ethic offended.

The cabinets and furniture Junior delivered were everything he promised it would be and more. We couldn't be more pleased with the outcome of his work. It's exactly beautiful, flawless in quality, and the craftsmanship is out of this world.

—Gene & Danielle Wong

The Challenges

Like many homes in Hawaii, space at the Wongs' house was at a premium. They needed to maximize the available storage space in their condominium, but still maintain their elegant and beautiful decor. They needed wardrobes and built-in cabinets constructed for their bedrooms, cabinets in their living room, and built-in entertainment center with hidden storage, and other custom built furniture and cabinet items.

On top of that, the Wong's previous cabinet maker had partially built their cabinets and left a major mess, making the whole project fall behind schedule. We had to repair the damage, complete the work, and do so in a timely matter.

The Solution

Knowing what the Wongs needed, we got to work right away. For the Wongs to maximize the use of their space, everything had to be custom built from scratch. The storage solutions we created had to have a high degree of utility while still looking beautiful.

We started with the wardrobes in the bedroom. During the remodel, the Wongs expanded their master bathroom and eliminated their old closets. To accomodate their clothing, they wanted wardrobes built along the wall in their master bedroom. This saves space, but the wardobes have to look extra nice since they take up an entire wall. With the Wongs' help, we designed completely custom simple and beautiful two-tone wardrobes. There's plenty of room for their clothes with space left over for a flat screen TV. Narrow, lighted niches give the wardrobes more of an opportunity to enhance the decor of the room.

The guest bedroom also needed a wardrobe built. During the remodel, the Wongs decided to eliminiate a built in closet and use a built-in wardrobe as the closet. We built them a wardbrobe/dresser combo with a niche for a TV and finished it in a smooth, powdercoated white paint.

Next we turned our attention to the kitchen. The revised floorplan of the Wongs' condo creates an open, flowing living space. So the living room, kitchen, and dining area all flow seamlessly into one another. That means the kitchen is visible as soon as you enter the condo. Therefore the Wongs wanted to kep the kitchen as clean and simple as possible, concealing as much of the storage space and appliances as possible. We used a beautiful koa wood for the drawers and cabinets. The dishwasher was resurfaced to look like another cabinet. Many of the other cabinets contain unique fold-out storage solutions to maximize space. Items that are used less frequently can be stored deep in the cabinet, yet still be accessible when needed.

In the living room, the Wongs wanted to conceal their storage space behind a custom built entertainment cabinet. The general contractor framed out the storage area. We came in and concealed it with a custom built storage cabinet. On the left side of the cabinet, there's an integrated door leading to the storage (open in the photo). When it's closed it blends almost seamlessly into the cabinets.

We also custom built a sideboard for the Wongs. This is an example of how we listen to what a customer wants, because they gave us a drawing of what they wanted and asked us to build it from scratch. They already had hardware and a counter top when we began the project, they selected a few contrasting types of wood, and we went to work. Whenever you build custom furniture like this, it can be nerve-wrecking guessing whether or not the finished product will meet their expectations. But because we discussed the project so well beforehand and confirmed all of our plans on paper, the result was a sideboard that was precisely what they wanted.

Another need the Wongs had was for a cabinet for their lanai (for those of you from the mainland, that's what we call a porch or patio). Like most condominiums, the association has strict rules for what can be built on the lanai and be visible to other residents. So we needed to build a weather proof, secrure cabinet to store their tools and equipment that blended well into the side of their condo. In situations like this, we find simplicity is best. We made a nice cabinet that fit snugly into a niche on the lanai. When closed it's barely visible. This is a great example of how sometimes a cabinet or piece of furniture doesn't need to be a showstopping centerpiece, it just needs to work. So no matter how complex or simple of a project you need, you can trust that we'll build it right.

In the end, we had a blast working with the Wongs. We felt so bad about the horrible experiences they had with other cabinet makers, so we were eager to come in and make matters right. And of course, we were but a small part of their remodel project. There were other contractors involved with the construction throughout the condo and we're proud to see our cabinets fit in so seamlessly with their craftsmanship. Most of all, we're glad the Wongs were finally able to finish their remodel project and enjoy the condo they've dreamed about for so long.

Click here to see a complete slideshow from the Wong's condo.