Jeanette Okamura doesn't call herself a trailblazer, but her children do. When she started at Homeowners Design Center in 1969, she was a female employee with six male bosses. Eventually, she ran the place.

"You can imagine what that must have been like," says her daughter, Lori Matsushige, president of Homeowners Design Center. "A woman working her way up in a male-dominated construction business. She's amazing."

Okamura, who recently retired, bought out each of her male business partners and transformed a contractor-based business into a family-run, community-driven, full-service design center. The company moved to its current location in 1991 and, according to Okamura's son, Russell Kagawa, the showroom needed remodeling.

From left to right: Vice president of marketing Russell Kagawa, founder Jeanette Okamura, president Lori Matsushige. Photos by Scott T. Kubo "We wanted the space to showcase our full range of services," says Kagawa, vice president of marketing. In addition to design and construction, services include providing cabinets, flooring, countertops, window coverings, appliances and furniture. Although the old showroom offered vignettes, they didn't illustrate Homeowners Design Center's wide range of new products. Kagawa says, "We had one cabinet display that was pink. We needed to update." The new full-scale kitchen vignettes, located near the entrance, vary in tone and style. High-gloss cherry-red cabinets are paired with dark granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances, which is agreeable to today's sophisticated urban dweller. Around the corner, Corian countertops meet laminate cabinets, offering a more traditional and affordable look. The showroom's footprint-about 4,500 square feet-remains the same, but the remodeled space reveals more up-to-date choices. "I think it's made a big impact for our customers," says Matsushige. "We've had people walk up to a vignette and say, OK, I want that kitchen. It makes their choices easier. "

This new line of Japanese furniture is just a sampling of the showroom’s new products.

The flooring department was also revamped. A quilt made of different types of modern flooring-wood, laminate, linoleum, carpet-covers about 25 percent of the new showroom, providing perspective on flooring choices. Says Matsushige, "It's so much easier for clients to imagine what a material will look like in their own home. It's much better than a paint chip."

The remodel took about a year to complete, but Matsushige says it was worth the effort. "It was a long, messy process," Matsushige says. "But it's really increased sales and traffic. [The new showroom] helps people imagine their own spaces, and that's where people often need the most help."

Matriarch Okamura says, "The younger generation has fresh, new ideas. It's brought in a new clientele. The new look is refreshing. I like it."