When an aspiring kindergarten teacher approached designer Shaolin Low, owner of Studio Shaolin (studioshaolin.com), Low was instantly inspired by her lifestyle, sense of fun and up-for-anything attitude. “We were able to infuse a lot of our personal aesthetic into the home as we naturally gravitate toward a modern bohemian feel and the vibe that we bring to all of our projects… comfortable luxury,” says Low. For this downtown Honolulu home, the overall aesthetic is just that, with a fun and girly touch of style.
Anthropologie All Roads Brea accent chairs sit atop a Surya Apache area rug. Photographed by Suarez Creative House
“Figuring out her style and how it would grow with her,” says Low of her client, who is in her early 20s. And, revamping the kitchen for future resale. “Keeping it minimal and light, but incorporating her love of pink was definitely an element we had to have,” she notes.
In the bedroom above the cozy Dovetail Dizon bed are Selamat Aster, Dune and Cove mirrors. Photographed by Suarez Creative House
To select items that were within budget and would arrive in a relatively quick time period since the unit was empty. “We started with the big pieces of furniture first, then filled in the design with the light soft goods,” says Low. “We were able to procure items that can only be shipped here through a freight forwarder, which helped make her space unique and different from someone who was just purchasing the items online or on-island.”
The client’s own accent chairs. Photographed by Suarez Creative House
Combining her love of bohemian while still keeping it modern, Low chose the Brooklyn dining table from Four Hands (fourhands.com), unique in its shape as it’s an almost-hexagon but not perfectly equal on all sides. “It was a fun plan on a round option but still getting the angles of a rectangular dining table,” she says. Above the table, the Redondo chandelier by Selamat Designs (selamatdesigns.com) was made of tiered, bundled cotton poms around a squared, brass-colored frame. “It was the perfect statement piece to marry the boho modern style,” Low says. “We carried this poms feel into her living room on her barrel chairs.” Under the All Roads Brea accent chairs from Anthropologie (anthropologie.com) and Adair coffee table in brass from Four Hands is an Apache rug by Surya (surya.com). In the kitchen, the boho Nopales short pendant by Selamat and the fun Carolina Coral Pink polished ceramic wall tile from Tilebar (tilebar.com) married the whole style. Her bed is a teal blue in a poly fabric velvet finish from Dovetail (dovetailfurnitureonline.com), draped by a Brooklinen (brooklinen.com) comforter. “The wall behind her bed was begging for wallpaper, so we obliged with a beautiful mural,” says Low. She added three wall mirrors from Selamat to complete the accent wall.
Selamat lighting carries the modern boho theme from the kitchen to the dining area. Photographed by Suarez Creative House
A beautiful mixture of modern bohemian for a city girl. “We elevated the style, kept it timeless in her main pieces, but brought in her youth with the smaller details like lighting and art,” says Low. “She was thrilled and so are we on how beautiful, peaceful and overall fun her home became.”
Selamat lighting carries the modern boho theme from the kitchen to the dining area. Photographed by Suarez Creative House
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