A welcoming home refresh on the Big Island is inspired by the new owners’ art collection and spiritual connection to Hawai‘i.
A Bruno Romeda sculpture at the pool’s edge provides an extraordinary perspective. Photographed by Matthew Millman
A custom concrete fire pit keeps the aloha spirit going. Photographed by Matthew Millman
“Our goal was to update the original architecture that had become very dated,” says Paul Wiseman, president of San Francisco-based design firm The Wiseman Group (TWG). Wiseman, along with TWG Director Mauricio Munoz and associate Design Director Megan Munoz, worked closely with the clients from California, who were downsizing from another property on the Big Island. “The design concept was to introduce new details throughout, interior and exterior, that would elevate the aesthetic of the house, keeping in the traditional Hawaiian theme.”
A koi pond greets all at the courtyard entrance. Photographed by Matthew Millman
“The clients are sophisticated travelers with an impressive collection of art, and they have a very spiritual connection to Hawai‘i,” explains Wiseman. “We worked with the items they had and treasured, and created a design that reflected them.” Early in his career, the client was in the Navy and has a great passion for anything nautical and anything to do with the ocean. “Design inspiration came from their existing art and accessories, the landscape and a lot of ocean,” says Wiseman.
Hand-made shell art adorns the wall and TWG custom-designed gridded furniture sets the foreground for lanai viewing. Photographed by Matthew Millman
With an open floor plan, the predominant color palette came from the ocean, and TWG’s signature style was incorporated through color and texture in the fabric selections, large-scale pillows, custom light fixtures, trapunto fabrics, tropical patterns and colors from the garden.
“We added wood to the ceiling coves, completely redesigned the kitchen, new millwork and wood detailing, completely redesigned all bathrooms, designed all the library millwork, and designed loggia screens,” notes Wiseman. “The wood detailing, both interior and exterior, ties otherwise disparate spaces together.”
Flanking the main sofa in the great room are antique horse mounting steps from China used simultaneously as side tables and bases for custom Italian floor lamps. Photographed by Matthew Millman
In the kitchen, the tile selected has a watery texture with color inspired by the ocean. “Our client is a wonderful chef, so we took her technical requirements and created an aesthetic backdrop for her,” says Wiseman. In the living room, TWG blended the client’s two Bali bed sofas with newly purchased antique horse mounting steps from China, early 18th century, that are used as side tables and simultaneously as bases for custom Italian floor lamps, which flank the main sofa in the great room. A highlight in the dining room is the dining table extension used as a separate sculpture art stand, with custom bronze mounting hardware.
This custom kitchen evokes a watery mystery achieved through glass tile backsplash. Photographed by Matthew Millman
Layers of antiques and open-designed modern furniture greet and guide you to the extraordinary view. Photographed by Matthew Millman
Working closely with landscape designer Howard Formby on the primary bath, an indoor-outdoor aesthetic of light and dark was created by using coral and lava stones. Another highlight of the redesign is inside the pool changing room: The walls are handpainted by Stancil Studios with patterns inspired by Hawaiian kapa cloth.
Custom fretwork provides reprieve from the sun on the primary bedroom lanai. Photographed by Matthew Millman
For the exterior update, TWG analyzed the cliche elements and removed them, keeping what they perceived as the best parts. “We kept the ceramic roof tiles, which was our favorite part of the original house, but we changed many of the lava rock patterns and textures,” says Wiseman. “We integrated the house into the landscape so that it became more Hawaiian appropriate.” Fluting was added to the existing columns, dentil detail at roof lines, and new railings were custom designed for all exterior spaces. The showstopper of the new exterior is the Balinese-style front door.
A Balinese-inspired entrance uses traditional Hawaiian stucco work on lava stone. Photographed by Matthew Millman
The walkway to the outdoor shower blends naturally with the landscape. Photographed by Matthew Millman
“The Bruno Romeda bronze sculpture at the pool adds an element of mysticism and perfectly accessorizes the ocean view, like an accent of jewelry in a natural setting,” says Wiseman. “Often boats and the sun are framed by it, which gives you the illusion of looking into another universe.” A suite of custom outdoor furniture on the lanai just outside the great room and the custom-designed teak chaise on the pool terrace welcomes the indoor-outdoor living concept. “With it being open in the center, you look through the chaise from the living room without it blocking the view.”
New millwork and wood detailing to the ceiling coves are showcased beautifully in the bedrooms. Photographed by Matthew Millman
“We created an authenticity to the Hawaiian experience through the architecture of the open floor plan and its relationship to the tropical landscape,” says Wiseman. Plus, a great relationship with the clients has developed from it.
In the Hawaiian tradition of indoor and outdoor living, the coral stone in the interior merges into the exterior lava stone wall in the primary bathroom. Photographed by Matthew Millman
A stunning view of the ocean from the outdoor dining area. Photographed by Matthew Millman
Design inspiration also came from its lush landscape. Photographed by Matthew Millman
DESIGN DETAILS
Location
Big Island, Hawai‘i
Interior Designer & Architect
The Wiseman Group, wisemangroup.com
Builder
Constructive Builders Inc., 808.937.6822
Landscape and Outdoor Architect
Howard Formby Garden Design, howardformby.com
RESOURCES
Coup d’Etat
Ombre Consoles in primary bedroom, coupdetatsf.com
Holly Hunt
Pearl pendants in primary bathroom and custom Ekster sconce in pool changing room, hollyhunt.com
Lesley Anton
Hive table lamps in primary bedroom, lesleyanton.com
The Lotus Collection
Japanese vintage textile on headboard, bedding and wall accent in primary bedroom, ktaylor-lotus.com
Mansour Modern
Hemp area rug in great room, mansourmodern.com
Merida
Custom hemp area rug in primary bedroom, meridastudio.com
Pagani Studios
Lipari floor lamps in great room, paganistudio.com
Stancil Studios
Custom stencil pattern painting on walls in pool changing room, stancilstudios.com
Stone Forest
Custom stone tub in primary bathroom and sink in pool changing room, stoneforest.com
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