Classic design with a modern eye

Karl D. Gottling ASID Industry Partner's attention to detail is evident at his interior design and antiques showroom, Gottling Ltd., in Maui's Wailuku town. A collection of stone statues has just been removed for shipment to the mainland, and the empty space they left is causing him concern. “It's distracting me,” he laughs, clearly conscious of appearing obsessed as he moves to rearrange some items into the statues' place. “I have to fix it.”

It's that same attention to detail that has earned Gottling a reputation as one of the Hawaiian Islands' hottest designers -- with a client list and portfolio to match. “I don't just put furniture in and call a project done,” he says. “Even if it's for a second or third home, I make a careful selection of beautiful items and artwork to make it look like someone is actually living there.”

Gottling's clients -- who, since he opened shop on Maui over a decade ago, have included casino owners, sports figures, movie stars, business magnates and the occasional millionaire surfer -- are his primary source of inspiration. “Every person evokes a new feeling,” he says. “I try to portray their personalities through interior design.”

For everything from spectacular Honolulu penthouses to graceful Maui beach homes, Gottling applies his signature eclectic approach: a combination of refined, classic design and antiques, contrasted with modern touches and clean lines. While every result is unique, all designs feature pieces carefully selected from his showroom, mostly fine Japanese and Chinese antiques. His passion for these artifacts began many years ago when he was a child in Stockholm, Sweden. “My parents used to take me to museums,” he recalls. “The Asian artwork spoke to me.”

Later, Gottling furthered the connection in his personal collection, as well as in a design business in Europe. When he moved to Maui in 1990 and purchased the showroom from a previous owner, the Asia-Hawaii connection clicked. “Chinese and Japanese cultures have been here for many years and have saturated these Islands,” he says. “It makes sense to have these pieces and this design style here.”

The fact that Gottling's antiques business and showroom are part of the package is an additional bonus for clients in more ways than one. “It's been a huge success to have a store as well as a design business,” he says. “It's an anchor that I have an investment in. It's not like I'm sitting in a little office that could close two months later and move away.”

When a new project comes his way (many are from clients he's worked with previously, or come via word of mouth), Gottling will confer about tastes and desires, visit the property or site, and pore over architectural plans. After that, ideas flow. “I get visions,” he explains. “Within a flash of a second, I see things in my mind that would be a great idea for a project. Sometimes I sketch it down and sometimes I tell a client verbally to see how they react.” Usually, he's right on.

To bring his visions to reality, Gottling sets about recreating them piece by piece. If, for example, he has envisioned a particular sofa for a space, he meticulously canvasses showrooms, catalogs, or other resources until he finds the perfect one. “I don't just take the first sofa I see because the color's correct,” he says. Most often, clients won't return until the project is completed. “I look at a project as a piece of art, like a painting. I want to create it and finish it completely before the client sees it so they can get the total effect.”

While Gottling finds every project stimulating, a couple of current assignments are particularly choice. One is a 7,000 square foot Maui villa that resembles a Moroccan palace. “It's for a couple and the wife is very dynamic and willing to try different, fun ideas,” he explains. Instead of cream and touches of gold, to which he is partial, Gottling is going bold. “We're making a statement with a black and white, monochromatic color scheme and zebra prints in the dining room, and mixing modern furnishings like a taupe leather sofa with dramatic, 200-year old cabinets in the living room as a contrast.”

Another project is a condo that's very “hush-hush.” What he can reveal is that the bedroom will have an underwater theme. “We're using lots of fine Lalique crystal and placing LED lights behind green and blue textiles,” he says. “The effect is of light moving on water.”

If Gottling has a pet peeve, it's too much Hawaiiana. If a client wants a touch of the Islands in the décor, the designer keeps it subtle. For one project, he had Hawaiian tapa cloth framed in “green” woods. “I took Hawaiian ideas and culture and mixed it with a super high-tech, modern look,” he says. “I prefer to stay away from anything 'touristy' that looks like it was created for someone who comes here for two weeks and wants a memory from paradise.”

Lately, Gottling has been approached by young designers who want to work with him. While he finds it flattering, he comments on the impressions that newcomers have about the business. “People want instant recognition,” he says. “They don't realize what a long path it is. Even if you have great inspiration and color sense and sense of scale, you have to work hard and be patient to become really successful.”

With a look to the future, he adds: “To be able to enhance a home and the architecture is stimulating to me. It gives me the chance to continue to challenge myself to do more stunning designs. I'm fortunate to be doing what I love.”