We scoured Hawai‘i to curate the ultimate guide to living luxuriously. Here are our top home & design picks for 2021.
This recent 4,817-square-foot project from Walker Warner Architects on the Big Island of Hawai‘i is set on nearly 3 acres at the base of Hualālai Mountain.
BEST MINIMALIST DECOR FOR A SERENE SANCTUARY
Walker Warner Architects has made a name for itself based on its serene, minimal aesthetic that looks to nature for inspiration. “To us, good design is livable, adaptable, appealing and well-craft ed with well-chosen materials,” says principal Greg Warner. “The buildings have to endure both physically and aesthetically.”
BEST SHOWROOM TO MAKE A HOUSE A HOME
Curated by the Philpotts design team, Place. is a wealth of art, furnishings, lighting, decor and textiles. Source brands like Baker Selamat and Fermob, as well as Hawai‘i creatives, including Pawehi Creations and Kamran Samimi. 54 S. School St., Honolulu
Paiko’s shop at Our Kaka‘ako
BEST BOTANICALS FOR A RAY OF SUNSHINE
At the center of Our Kaka‘ako is a verdant wonderland. Paiko’s artistic floral designs are all made with locally sourced flora and fauna. Plus, it offers potting services, make-your-own bouquets, private workshops, floral subscriptions and Paiko Home, through which its floral experts decorate your home with everyday botanicals. 675 Auahi St., Ste. 127, Honolulu
BEST FURNITURE FOR LIFE ALFRESCO
Outfit your lanai with the latest in outdoor furnishings, decor and accessories from Pacific Home. Its handselected offerings range from contemporary to traditional and are always high on design. 221 Lalo St., Kahului
BEST ARCHITECT MARRYING NATURE AND DESIGN
Eschewing the mundane, Waimea-based de Reus Architects looks to the wonders of nature to inform design, material and aesthetic choices. Says principal and owner Mark de Reus, “Each project is personal. Our spaces are harmonious, composed with respect for proportion, scale and beauty.” 65-1291 Kawaihae Road, Ste. 105, Waimea
Custom sewn and dyed bedding from Citron & Date’s spring/summer 2021 collection
BEST BEDROOM DRESSINGS FOR A DREAMY ESCAPE
Combining hygge aesthetics with a tropical mentality, Citron & Date set out to revolutionize bedding, towels and loungewear through its 100% Hawaiian-made linen creations. Within its handmade and handsewn offerings are sheet and duvet sets, shams, robes and more; plus, soon-to-come nursery and children’s bedding, custom wood furnishings and stoneware dishes.
BEST REAL ESTATE WITH A VIEW
Consider Tiare Lando and her Legacy Living Team, brokered by eXp Realty, your inside source for Mauna‘olu Estates, a recently unveiled private enclave of luxury homes with jawdropping views on the west side of O‘ahu. Get in on the ground floor before these real estate masterpieces are all snapped up.
The recently finished Hapuna Beach Residences at Mauna Kea Residences.
BEST HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Live in the lap of second home luxury at Mauna Kea Residences’ newly completed Hapuna Beach Residences. Your staycation escape awaits at one of the contemporarydesigned residences, with up to four bedrooms, draped in island-influenced decor and dripping in luxe amenities. 62-100 Kauna‘oa Drive, Waimea
BEST ONE-OF-A-KIND HOME OFFERING
62-3704 KIEKIENA PLACE, KAMUELA
This $15.8 million estate is the definition of island luxury. In its more than 8,000 interior square feet are four bedrooms, five bathrooms and two half-baths, as well as garden showers in each room, an eat-in chef’s kitchen and a third-floor viewing area with mountain and ocean views. The exterior’s 2,750 square feet features an infinity-edge pool, a sandy beach area and more.
BEST SHOP BRINGING NATURE IN
Daughter of a landscape contractor and nursery owner, Mariko Lau uncovered her passion for plants while living in San Francisco. Since her return to Hawai‘i, she’s expanded her family business with Mari’s Urban Garden. With new plants and planters arriving regularly, including rare species, this oasis of green will soon carry produce grown on Lau’s family farm and offer farm-to-table-style carryout. 725 Kapiolani Blvd., Ste. C-119, Honolulu
BEST COLLECTED INTERIORS FOR MAXIMUM APPEAL
Having recently moved her West Coast studio to Hawai‘i, interior designer Barbie Palomino brings her signature panache to the islands. First on her list: a complete renovation of her Big Island home—bought sight unseen.
How has Hawai‘i influenced your work? I’m incorporating more ‘tropical’ touches—rattan, jute, native woods, etc.
Can you put a name to your aesthetic? Collected eclectic
You’ve completed renovations on your home in Captain Cook. Tell us about it! We are so grateful to have found our dream home overlooking Kealakekua Bay, waking up to roosters, with our young daughter growing up in paradise. The main house hadn’t been updated since the ’90s, so I was, of course, very eager to put my stamp on it.
Photography by: Matt Hew Millman; Anna Pacheco; Kenna Reed; Josiah Patt Erson/Shot on location at Ossipoff's Cabin @ Palehua; Courtesy of Mauna Kea Residences
