“It's like living at the top of the world,” says Karl Gottling of the stunning, 38th-floor Landmark Waikiki penthouse for which he designed the interiors. “There's a feeling of freedom being up so high and with the panoramic views over the hotels on Waikïkï and the Honolulu skyline, and up to Diamond Head.”

At 4,607 square feet, this luxury penthouse sprawls across the dramatic bridge that links the ultra-luxurious condominium building's two soaring towers. While it provided Gottling with a tremendous canvas on which to work, it also presented a unique set of challenges. For instance, the unusual exterior materials and color scheme were repeated in the original interior architectural design. These included aqua-colored reflective glass and pink-toned granite panels. And there was more…

“The massive metal beams supporting the windows that wrap around the entire penthouse were a strong forest green, and there was marble everywhere,” Gottling recalls. “Plus, the maple parquet floors, highly patterned ceiling and elaborate structural pillars already in place created a Renaissance look. My biggest challenge was to look at what was presented to me and decide how to enhance it.”

Gottling, who works out of his antiques and furniture showroom, Gottling Ltd., in Maui's Wailuku town, took inspiration from his surroundings and experiences. That’s typical for him. “I'm always imagining how things I see -- décor items -- would look if I arranged them in a unique way,” he says. “It's where your talent as a designer comes in.” So certain were Gottling's clients of his talent, that, after they gave him the job, they didn't show up again until it was completed.

The first step toward enhancing the interiors was selecting colors -- gold, taupe, fern green, and oatmeal -- that would complement the existing palette. Next, Gottling added contrast by incorporating cinnabar red color accents and unique Chinese antiques, about which he is passionate. “Asian antiques have always been important to me,” he says. “So to be able to incorporate them into the penthouse was an incredibly enjoyable task.” The overall effect, which he refers to as “eclectic Pacific,” is furthered by meticulous placement of accessory items, such as a delicate bowl of shells, as well as materials like bamboo and rattan.

After rising up via a private, glass-enclosed elevator (from which there is ample evidence of the breathtaking vista above), the penthouse doors open to reveal, in an instant, Gottling's vision. It's both comfortable and stylish, modern and Old World. The clean, angular lines of the layout, classic floor and ceiling pattern, and opulent plaster columns are softened by the organic color scheme.

And then there is the view…

The outside walls of each room, as well as the long corridors that connect them, are floor-to-ceiling glass. Depending on which direction you look, your eyes are drawn to sparkling blue ocean, or verdant hillsides, punctuated by modern Honolulu cityscape. Semi-sheer, pinky-peach motorized draperies draw easily to filter the sunshine, or open to the view. “It's fascinating,” Gottling says. “You can literally stand at the windows and see people down on the street. And the view is just as stunning at night.”

Gottling's efforts are showcased in the penthouse's living and dining rooms, which are considerable in scope, yet still manage to seem intimate. “To feel livable, everything has to be coordinated in size and character,” Gottling explains. “When you're walking through, there has to be a natural flow.”

Muted sage, beige and gold tones are in evidence throughout comfortable groupings of sectional couches in durable oatmeal-colored weave mixed with special-order rattan chairs. To this inviting setting, Gottling introduced a collection of important, 100-year-old Chinese antiques. These range from fine, dark wood altar tables and wedding chests, to hand-painted blue-and-white porcelain vases and urns, set with Tang-style bronze horses. Details like oversized porcelain and glass bowls filled with exotic seashells and living orchids add to the organic feel.



A highlight of the dining area is a very large, burled walnut dining table set with two antique Chinese dining chairs. Beyond stands a contemporary gourmet kitchen, complete with top-of-the-line appliances and granite countertops. Glass backsplashes reveal a view of the Ala Wai Canal.

Private spaces include three bedrooms, including a guest master suite and, most notably, the generously sized master suite, which offers the ultimate sanctuary. For these rooms, Gottling again chose to accent the clean lines of the architecture, as well as a few existing furniture pieces, with beautiful, yet functional antiques, from beds to side tables to dressers. A selection of fabrics in neutral tones softened the overall effect.

Just off the entry sits a formal, wood-paneled library, which Gottling finessed with the addition of faux, leather-bound books, an antique clock, and vessels filled with ivy. A British-style partner's desk with a leather top stands grandly at its core.

The total result is rich without being ostentatious, balancing spectacular views outside with gracefully good taste inside. “A lot of people want to show that they have money and want quality,” says Gottling. “I feel that I managed to achieve a style and a feeling of elegance without being pompous and going over the top.”