Manhattan and Honolulu may be eight thousand miles apart, but former New Yorker Michael Hoovis wanted to bridge the distance between them in his new Imperial Plaza penthouse condominium. Now a Hawai'i resident, Hoovis transported many Big Apple design and style elements across the Pacific Ocean to the residence, located in Honolulu's Kakaako neighborhood. The two-story penthouse replicates an urban high-rise apartment—but with distinct touches of Hawaiiana.
   
Originally an empty loft space of bare concrete, the penthouse was never built out. Intact basic plumbing connections and electrical service reached the unit, but it lacked electrical distribution or air conditioning.
   
Today, the 3,000 square-foot penthouse features an open floor plan that facilitates easy movement, creating a perfect venue for entertaining. The entry flows into the reception area, living room, dining room, powder room and kitchen.
   
Upstairs, each of the two bedrooms—a master, a guest room and one used as a media room—opens to its own bathroom.

Dian Cleve, president and principal-in-charge of interior design at Honolulu's Cleve & Levin Inc., managed the project along with Sr. Designer, Daniela Bilotti Haynes as the project manager. Drawing on her 25 years of design experience, Cleve developed unique concepts for Hoovis' dream residence, such as putting a great deal of the design focus on the lavish lavatories with their ultra-modern materials and styling.
   
Hoovis desired a New York-style factory loft that would combine open spaces with a modern industrial ambiance. To achieve that goal, the architect let the HVAC ductwork and sprinkler system remain visible. Low-voltage lighting is attached to the concrete ceiling. The flooring throughout the penthouse, excluding the bathrooms, is Merbeau, an Indonesian hardwood.
   
The owner also wanted to take advantage of the spectacular vistas of Pearl Harbor, Waikïkï, and the mountain range of the Ko'olau's. Floor-to-ceiling walls of windows, spanning both the lower floor living area and the upstairs master bedroom and bath, offer panoramic views. 
   
Cleve's concept employs color in the circulation spaces, closely simulating the concrete's shade, while using high intensity yellow and purple in accent areas. Dramatic artwork complements the combination of the concrete's purple, yellow and gray. 
   
Symmetry defines the lower floor. The reception area and the dining room, both accentuated with matching floating chandeliers, flank the living room. At night, the reflection off the glass projects an endless image.
   
Intense shades of color and art also accentuate the expansive concrete and glass. Strong sunflower yellow characterizes the entry and foyer; a deep smoky purple emphasizes the central column. Furnishings in the reception area use chrome and glass to blend with the sunflower yellow. A low sofa offers a relaxing spot to enjoy the view.
   
The living room faces due north, with windows on the eastern and western sides of the room. Central to the room is a large red, orange and gold wool rug.
   
A square 60-inch teak table sits atop the rug, providing earth tone contrasts to the décor.
   
The furniture grouping surrounding the rug includes two nine-foot Italian design leather sofas and two deep red chairs, accommodating eight. Chrome and glass Knoll tables, plus a chrome floor lamp, complete the setting.
   
"The artwork, predominantly contemporary, comes from artists currently working in Hawai'i. To reflect the owner's interest in Japanese culture, we also used black and white photography of Japanese actors and dancers," says Cleve. Sculptures add another sophisticated dimension.
   
The adjacent dining table repeats the heavy teak theme, complemented by six simple brown leather chairs.
   
Much of the penthouse design showcased the bathrooms. Cleve claims, "The bathrooms are where the design and attention to detail is evident."
   
The powder room highlights the fixtures and museum quality art. Purple paint contrasts with the concrete flooring. The custom glass sink bowl, produced by a Texas glass artist, is mounted on a concrete and stainless steel pedestal. A pin spot descends into the glass bowl's center, and the colors of the glass reflect on the pedestal.
   
Plumbing fixtures are mounted on an 18"-wide mirror that reaches from the pedestal to the ceiling. Contemporary lighting sconces flank the mirror.
   
Each upstairs bedroom has its own bathroom. The limited area of the master bath and closet compelled Cleve to maximize all space.
   
The Duravit bathtub sits under a slanted glass wall on the room's north side. To preserve the concrete wall theme, shell limestone and preformed concrete panels cover the east and west walls; the flooring is black slate.
   
The countertops, tub deck and shower wall are made of concrete combined with gray/green shell stone limestone. Dornbracht plumbing trim is used throughout the room.
   
The guest and media bathrooms have similar concepts, using contemporary anigre wood cabinets. The fabricated paneling incorporates stainless steel quirks in a horizontal pattern that continues through the room in the glass partitions. They are also textured in the same linear pattern.
   
However, the bathrooms do have different flooring, countertops and showers. The guest bath's floor is a Carara marble, and it uses absolute black granite for the countertop and shower. A river washed Ubatuba granite countertop and shower complement the media bath's black slate floor.
   
Cleve first met Hoovis in 2005, referred by architect Jim Schmit, president of JASA Architects in Honolulu. Cleve says, "When Jim, my longtime professional colleague, heard what Michael wanted, he thought our firm could provide exactly the right design." The construction took two years, due to the complicated permit process and customized renovation.
 
  
According to Cleve, Hoovis interviewed them, asking comprehensive questions. "Michael was a fabulous client. He was receptive to our ideas and not a second-guesser. Our contractor was a 'thinking' person, and he also had innovative personnel. Michael maintained a close relationship with the contractor who fulfilled his every expectation," Cleve states.
   
Cleve is thrilled with the result. She proudly claims, "There is a high level of visual appeal in this apartment that comes from designing something different for Hawai'i. Only the envelope of the space limited the project's creativity. Our client was completely supportive of the concept and the designers' interpretation of it."
   
Where the Big Apple of New York meets the "pineapple" of Honolulu, one might say there's an 8,000-mile view.