Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: Trans-Pacific Design
Sue is one of those lucky people who knew what she wanted to do in grade school. Her parents worked with interior designers and she loved watching them work. Sue received a four-year degree from Iowa State University in interior design and subsequently passed the qualification test to become a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
She gained the most experience during the five years she worked for Richard Crowell Associates in Honolulu. Richard’s firm did only commercial design—designing interiors for cruise ships, hotels, and offices. “I was exposed to some really interesting projects—going to dry dock with the SS Independence being the most interesting!” Sue says.
In 1990, Sue and her family moved to Waimea (Kamuela) because her son was attending Hawaii Preparatory Academy. She felt it was a great location to work with all the homeowners and hotels at the resort communities along the coast.
At that time there weren’t any businesses she could work for so she started her own, Trans-Pacific Design. It’s “island style interior design—taking our clients dreams plus our vision to create interiors for relaxing, entertaining, working, and playing,” says Sue.
Having had bouts with allergies in the past, Sue wanted to learn how to create interiors that were not producing toxins. She studied and passed the US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) test. She is a LEED Accredited Professional, which allows her to be on a design team to create LEED Certified Buildings.
Sue has seen the design business change tremendously. At the beginning, there was no Internet and it was a challenge to have materials at hand to show her clients. There were no interior showrooms on-island so Sue’s team created a large interior design library with samples of carpets and hard flooring, fabrics, catalogs for lighting, furniture, plumbing, hardware, ceiling systems, wall materials, etc. They still have quite an extensive physical library today.
The internet has made it easier for Trans-Pacific Design to source goods for their clients and actually allows them to have a smaller office since they don’t need as many catalogs.
Shipping to the islands is always a challenge. Trans-Pacific Design has done it for so long now that they have trusted shippers and installers who take pride in their clients’ furnishings.
Their primary market is hotels and residences on Hawai‘i Island. Sue also has clients on Kauai and O‘ahu since she has lived and worked on both islands.
Some of her clients are so happy with their home on-island they’ve had Sue design their homes on the mainland, as well.
The variety of jobs Sue has been exposed to in her career makes it easier and faster for the team to do both hospitality and residential interiors. Commercial work requires a special set of work experience and knowledge, which sets Trans-Pacific Designs apart from most interior designers on-island.
Sue is always learning about interior design, whether it’s an online class, workshop, or conference. Every year she attends a conference on the mainland to be sure the office has the latest information. This year she attended KBIS, a kitchen and bath expo, and last year HDEXPO for hotel design.
“I hope to take on an equity partner over the next five years who has interior design training and wants to learn how to run an interior design business. This would allow me more time for marketing and designing our client’s projects,” says Sue.
Sue very deservedly won the 2014 SBA Women in Business Champion award. Congratulations, Sue, for all your accomplishments, and having a successful business for 24 years. Mahalo for your support of Ke Ola Magazine!
Trans-Pacific Design
By appointment only
808.885.5587
susan@trans-pacificdesign.com
trans-pacificdesign.com
Social Media:
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Linkedin: Linkd.in/1nRNtcp
Facebook: on.fb.me/SplqXE
