Award-winning interior designer Judy Dawson brings a painter’s eye and architect’s training to her work; she specializes in kitchen & bath remodeling.
Judy Dawson unofficially launched her career in design by remodeling her own home five times. “How many things can you tear apart in a 650-square-foot apartment?” muses the owner/designer of DESiGNER Kitchens and Baths in Honolulu. “I think I found every one. My husband said, ‘Would you please get whatever certification you need so you can do this to someone else’s house?’”
Originally from New Brunswick, Canada, Dawson exhibited an artistic bent and a passion for travel from the time she was young. “I knew when I grew up, I wanted to take off and see the world,” she says.
And that’s what she did, stopping in Honolulu for three months before visiting Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. While she found those South Pacific destinations beautiful, Honolulu had captured her heart. She returned there, and it’s been her home for over 30 years.
Dawson had long enjoyed art as a hobby. In Hawaii, however, where nature provided endless inspiration, it became her livelihood. She created and sold magnificent seascapes, offered private oil painting lessons and even ran her own art gallery in Waikiki for a year.
Then she discovered another outlet for her creativity. “Whenever I was in a house,” she says, “I would look around and think, ‘If I were living here, I’d knock down this wall, put one up there, take this out and add that there.’ I developed such an interest in design that I enrolled in architecture classes at Honolulu Community College.”
Today, Dawson is an award-winning designer who specializes in kitchen and bath remodeling. She earned her Certified Kitchen Designer designation from the National Kitchen & Bath Association whose membership includes the top professionals in the industry.
Dawson considers bathroom redesigns to be the most challenging work because of the strict requirements. “You need to be aware of plumbing and electrical codes,” she explains. “Also, people are living longer, and even if you can’t always create a bathroom that’s completely ADA-compliant, you should plan for wider spaces, grab bars and other things that will assist them as they age. While aesthetics are important, a professional designer also will understand the technical problems, the safety issues and all the other things that come into play to put together a nice bathroom in a very small area.”
Ventilation and natural light, Dawson emphasizes, also are key. Ideally, the bathroom should have windows that let in the breezes and sun’s rays. A skylight that opens also works well.
“Bathrooms can be dank,” she says. “Warmth and light kill mold and mildew, and good cross-ventilation keeps the air fresh.”
If space permits, a soaking tub, indoor garden, and massaging rain or body showerheads can turn an ordinary bathroom into an extraordinary retreat.
“Design is not just about function and visual appeal,” Dawson points out. “It’s about lifestyle. The bathroom is where you can pamper yourself at the end of a busy day. It’s like having your own private spa.”
Similarly, she feels the kitchen should be a comfortable, relaxing and inviting haven. Because cooking involves heat, ventilation again is an important consideration; there should be windows and constant air movement where the oven and stove are situated.
Since the kitchen also is a highly trafficked area, surface materials should be durable. “Granite, slate and tile are all good choices,” says Dawson.
“Concrete flooring is ‘in’ right now. It’s not a new concept—Frank Lloyd Wright was working with it 70 years ago—but there are so many wonderful concrete finishes available today.” These include shiny effects, bold graphic designs, muted and bright colors, and textures that resemble natural stone.
As far as cabinets go, Dawson notes wood remains popular, although oak and pine no longer are predominant. Options now include lovely exotic woods such as anegre and wenge.
Throughout the design process, choices always have to be made. For example, if a customer wants an open kitchen that flows into another room with no walls dividing them, there will be less space for cabinets.
“In that situation, you have to make more efficient use of the cabinets you do have,” Dawson says. “One way to do this is to downsize. You don’t need 16 pots and pans when you use only three. You don’t need two dozen knives when a few really good ones can do everything. You don’t need six sets of dishes. I think the European and Asian way of thinking—less is more—is best, especially in Hawaii where homes aren’t large.”
Dawson asserts if it’s well designed, a cozy place can look twice its size and have a positive influence on the psyche. “The goal is to create spaces that are beautiful and make you feel good,” she says. “Designers should be very observant; they should know their clients well.”
That’s why she spends a lot of time up front getting to know the house and its occupants. “I have several meetings with them to learn about their taste, style and preferences,” she says. “I ask for their wish list—pictures and examples of things they like and want to incorporate. I listen to their thoughts, then add features that I think will enhance what they want to do.”
The world is constantly changing, and Dawson feels designers should be in touch with what’s current and be open to new ideas. And, of course, the spaces speak, too.
“Every house has its own character, and I try to come up with options that complement it,” she says. “The goal is to marry the house itself—its location, architecture, ambience and special characteristics—with the lifestyle of the people who live in it. It’s the designer’s job to find a balance between the two, and sometimes it’s not easy.”
She loves seeing all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. “It’s fun, exciting and rewarding to watch the transformation take place—to see something beautiful emerge from the original look and the chaos of construction, like a butterfly from a chrysalis.”
No wonder Dawson’s designs seem to take wing with creativity. The woman who remodeled her own place five times now puts that whirlwind of energy and passion in service of her delighted clients.
