The Life in Business: Trans-Pacific Design

Interior designer Susan J. Moss has found that it’s best not to specialize in one area working in a small market. So, from boats to businesses, hotels and homes, the Kamuela interior designer is able to offer advice and talent garnered from many different experiences.

With her interior design diploma in hand, a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Iowa State University, Moss moved to Hawai‘i in 1974. After first working for two design firms on Oahu, she went to Kauai. “…and boy was Kauai rural in 1977! Just about the only stores were Kauai stores and Woolworths! So, having no place to apply for a job I started a residential design business in Kapa’a,” she said.

Kauai was a little too small, however, and she felt that she could expand her education with something more challenging. She took a job at Richard Crowell Associates in Honolulu. “My first job there was working on the SS Liberte that was to sail around Tahiti! My most interesting job was working on the SS Independence cruise ship. The senior designer was scheduled to take it to dry dock in Portland and work with the crews in port. Her mother became really sick so I went in her place!“

After gaining more experience with hotel and business interiors while working in Honolulu, she moved to the Big Island and started Trans-Pacific Design in 1991.

“What I love about interiors is the variety of projects to work on! Historically my company has worked on hotels, residences of all types and sizes, model homes, doctor’s offices, stores, spas, coffee shops, even a commercial fishing boat,” says Moss.

“I started my business on Hawai’i Island at a very difficult economic time for this island—1991. Fortunately I had some former clients on Kauai whose homes and hotels were damaged by the hurricane. That helped carry us until the economy picked up,” she said. “I’ve found you have to act quickly and resize your business to fit the market. I started out small with one part-time person, then built up during the boom years to five employees! And, now am downsized again to match this economy!“ she said.

Lately Moss is very focused on the green movement and green design. “My personal interest in it comes from an experience I had working in a ‘sick building’ in Honolulu. We had no windows, and the office backed up to a parking garage that may have seeped carbon monoxide into the space. There were 300 square feet of new products off-gassing, smokers, a blueprint machine and on top of that an old air conditioning system that didn’t create enough air exchanges. I got very sick, as did one of the other designers. I guess we were the canaries in the building! I developed severe allergies and had to quit working there,” she said. After five years living in Waimea, Moss finally got rid of most of her allergies.

After this experience, the designer is committed to providing very healthy interiors for homes, workspaces and hotels. She studied for and passed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) course by the US Green Building Council to learn the best ways to create healthy environments for homes and businesses.

Trans-Pacific Design is located at 64-5176 Kamamalu Rd. in Kamuela. It’s best to call for an appointment first. Phone: 808.885.5587. Email: susan@trans-pacificdesign.com. Website: www.trans-pacificdesign.com. ❖