One successful approach to design is to begin by focusing on the functionality of any given work…then, draw inspiration from the timeless natural shapes and colors of nature that may be found in one’s own back yard.

When that “back yard” is Hawai`i…and when the designer is Tiare Cowan-Broad…the results are interiors that speak of the Island lifestyle in soft yet exciting tones that will be as fresh 10 years from now as they are today. “People want a more classic look these days,” Cowan-Broad explains. “They are getting away from anything trendy. A more timeless design is desired: natural stone, glass tiles, and cleaner lines.”

As the owner and partner of several design-related firms, Cowan-Broad says, “Nature influences my work the most,” she says. “I love the colors and textures and bringing those into the spaces I design. My color palettes vary for each client, but there are usually quite a few on each project.” Her projects range from full residential interiors created for upscale homes (through Tiare Cowan-Broad Interior Design), to high-end specialty kitchens (through Studio Becker Honolulu), and even elegant slipcovers and upholstery (SlipCovers, Etc.).

Born in Kailua, Hawai`i, Cowan-Broad has been designing one way or another since age 10, when she launched her own arts and crafts business – selling her own creations out of the family garage. Her knowledge and understanding of many varied trends and factors in design were sharpened by series of jobs in furniture sales, real estate, and upholstery. She received her two-year interior design certification at Chaminade University in Hawai`i. Her entrepreneurial spirit remained powerful, even during her student days. To pay for her tuition, Cowan-Broad sold slipcovers that she fabricated in the confines of a tiny laundry room. After that, she says, “I decided that being a designer could combine all my knowledge and perhaps be a good way to make a living.”

As a guiding principle of her personal design philosophy, Cowan-Broad believes in the famous dictum of Henri Luis Sullivan, the modernist 19th American architect who declared “Form follows function.” Cowan-Broad explains: “The beauty of a space lasts that initial first day. The function of the space lasts forever. Anyone can make a space ‘pretty,’ but if it doesn’t function for the owner, it is not good design. This gets into issues such as suitable fabrics, comfort of furnishings, how the kitchen functions, who uses the bathroom and how they use it. Do they have kids, pets, and so on?”

Yet Cowan-Broad’s interiors are hardly the stripped-down, severely plain designs that many people associate with function-first modernism. Instead, her rooms glow with life, vivid hues, and warm textures – but with an emphasis on natural materials and clean lines. It’s no secret where she finds these lines and colors: “We are so lucky in Hawai`i to be able to spend most of our lives outside,” she says. “I try to always bring the outdoors into my interiors and create spaces that embrace the outdoors…no separation between the interior and exterior spaces.”

Vintage Hawaiiana is another hallmark of Cowan-Broad’s individual style. “That is my personal passion,” she declares. “I am a collector of all that is Hawaiiana.” But within the framework of her classic orientation, she is able to accommodate current tastes and trends because her own aesthetic is a developing, living entity. “My work constantly evolves,” she says, “because the trends in design constantly evolve.”

Discovering a client’s functional needs is a vital skill for any interior designer. Cowan-Broad explains, “This is a very intimate business. I always tell my clients that we will become very close during this process. I will want to know everything about the way they live. I always tell my clients that I don’t want them taking my name in vain after I leave, so they need to let me know if something doesn’t feel right to them!”

The process goes far beyond just connecting with a client; it also encompasses collaboration with architects and contractors. “My favorite way to work,” she says, “is hand-in-hand with a contractor and architect, especially if we are designing from the ground up. The architect brings his vision usually more from the outside in. My vision is all about how the space will be used, then about how it will look.”

She goes on to say, “I think it’s important to consult an interior designer before the (architectural) plans are finalized. We tend to think of all the interior details that the architect may not consider. The thing I hate the most is coming into a brand new home and having to work with design flaws. The designer is responsible for making it ‘Look Good’ -- flaws and all.” In preempting such challenges, Cowan-Broad has found it helpful to clarify both her role and to explain her design philosophy to her clients. “Interior design is very different from interior decorating,” she remarks. “Interior designers are space planners. We deal with the function of the space, not just the aesthetics.”

Grasping that distinction can make it easier for clients to accept Cowan-Broad’s advice on larger issues. “I usually recommend a Master Plan to my clients, even if they don’t have the budget to do it all now,” she reveals. “They need to look at a five-year plan and map it all out, so that they don’t end up undoing something they did last year because they didn’t consider phase two.”

Cowan-Broad’s suite of businesses maintains a dedicated support staff that allows her to work on up to a dozen projects at a time -- from minor consulting sessions to full-blown home creation. “I am currently working on a brand new home in Kailua,” she says. “The owner is a young attorney who happens to be a family friend. He hired me before he hired the draftsperson or the contractor, and wants me to create a kama’aina home for he and his family.

“This is right up my alley,” she continues. “We are creating a very large plantation-style home. It is currently in the framing stage, and I am working hand-in-hand with the architect. I am picking out every detail there is. The client completely trusts me to design him the home of his dreams. This is probably because he knows it’s also the home of my dreams.”

Form may follow function, but in the world of Tiare Cowan-Broad, by remaining true to her native roots and classic design philosophy, Tiare Cowan-Broad has built the career of her dreams even as she’s helped others realize their own dream homes.