For interior designer Karl D. Gottling, ASID Industry Partner, designing the interiors of a Kihei beachfront villa for Maui architect George Rixey came with an atypical challenge. “Normally, my clients say 'do what you like,'” Gottling explains. “But the villa was a very important project for George, and he was very specific about what he wanted to see inside.”

A little back story: The three-bedroom, 4,900 square foot villa (plus garage and 600 square foot guest house) was the last in a series of for-sale homes designed by Rixey's late father, residential architect Thomas D. Rixey. Upon completion, the architecture had to be the star. “George had his mind set on the architecture showing more than the furniture,” says Gottling. “That the building made a statement was the number one issue.”

Normally, Gottling, who works out of his antiques and furniture showroom, Gottling Ltd., in Maui's Wailuku town, would have followed his inclination to introduce strong or bright colors (one of his design trademarks) into the villa's color palette. Instead, he took his lead from architectural elements, such as celadon green tiles on the dramatically pitched roofs, beige and off-white exterior walls, and gold-toned detailing, to create a sense of warmth and calm.

Stately and with a Mediterranean overtone that's enhanced by extremely solid construction (“You can feel the sturdiness when you walk in,” says Gottling.), the two-story villa envelops what Gottling refers to as a center 'piazza' with an infinity pool and Jacuzzi. The ground level houses the living room, kitchen and dining rooms and TV room in one wing, an office, clubroom and master bedroom in another. Two guest rooms are upstairs. Throughout, cream colored walls are offset by Jerusalem Gold limestone floors.

Room by room, Gottling added a distinct sense of style to the interiors. “It had to make a statement and be luxurious,” he says. It also had to be approved by Rixey along the way. “Architects think like designers,” Gottling says. “George wanted to see things in place. So instead of using design concept boards and photos, like with other clients, we spent a lot of time pulling out items to see how they'd work in the space.”

Within a pair of formidable teak front doors, from which you can see straight through the house to the pool and ocean beyond, he adorned the entry with two six-feet-tall palace vases (one of which was set on a solid wood pedestal for extra drama and height), as well as an antique wood bench from Bali.

Beyond the entry lies a comfortable living area/television room. To complement a built-in Honduras mahogany wall unit designed by Rixey, Gottling filled the space with a mix of antiques, including a hand-painted Japanese screen placed where a television would normally go, and new furniture pieces - all of which were done in a soothing beige and gold color scheme. As a nod to sustainability, he added a few bamboo pieces, including a corner lamp, as well as seashells and corals made of polymer resin. “Preserving nature is important,” Gottling says. “These items work well with 100-year old antiques, which are preserved as well.”

While the elegant, state-of-the-art kitchen needed little more than some tasteful embellishment, the dining room required attention to lifestyle. “I never recommend high-tech furniture when it comes to socializing and eating,” Gottling relates. “A dining room should have a welcoming feel and be a comforting place to sit down and have a meal.” To that end, he brought in an elm and pine wood dining table and chairs with clean, classical lines, in a warm honey tone to match the fir ceiling overhead. A side table, hand-carved to resemble bamboo, sits below a service opening from the kitchen.

Also designed for socializing and entertaining, the clubroom, or bar, overlooks the pool. Glass-topped tables (perfect for playing bridge, according to Gottling) are paired with high-end bamboo-rattan chairs with micro-suede seats from Pierce Martin. Set on a 200-year old Chinese altar table, a pair of lamps with forest green shades flank an antique English print. “It's a warm, inviting room,” says Gottling.

In contrast, the office lends a bit of whimsy. “It was a surprise for George,” Gottling says of the room, the focal point of which is a pair of hand-carved, black lacquered wood chairs with cow hides painted to look like zebra, a black lacquered Chinese antique chest and a honey-toned, Maitland-Smith writing desk. “Everything works together to make it fun, luxurious and interesting.”

For the bedrooms, Gottling broke with tradition a little as well, appointing all three with Tommy Bahama beds dressed with luxurious bedcovers and piles of pillows in contrasting colors, patterns and textures. The master bedroom, downstairs, which looks into a private garden with waterfalls and plants, has a cheerful pink and green color scheme. Upstairs, one guest bedroom is done in darker masculine shades, the other in more feminine florals.

From start to finish, the project was successfully completed in just about two months. In addition to his years of experience and keen design sense, Gottling attributes the quick turnaround to the fact that he keeps three storage spaces filled with pieces ready to put into homes at a moment's notice, as well as relationships with very loyal companies, including CS Wo in Honolulu and Latitudes in Maui. “It turned out really well and the client liked it,” he says. “It is a great feeling to see your work come alive and be functional just as you have planned it to be."