A custom art piece by Australian Maryanne Moodie (maryannemoodie.com) commands the entryway. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
This Kahala, Hawai‘i, home gets modernized with newly created spaces that allow a family of four to live comfortably and entertain with tropical flair.
dining table, chairs and some lounge pieces from Four Hands (fourhands.com) and Made Goods (madegoods.com) were added so that adults could easily watch kids in the outdoor pool area. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
“Our clients are a young family, so helping to make their home feel fresh and flow well was the main priority,” says Shaolin Low, owner, CEO and principal designer of Studio Shaolin (studioshaolin.com), based in Honolulu. “They were looking for the space to be open, fun and really speak to the casual nature of their family.”
Palecek (palecek.com) chandeliers hang above the custom dining table designed by Studio Shaolin and made by Splinter Concept (thesplinterconcept.com). PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
“The monkeypod floors really determined a lot of the design as they were the one finish we weren’t changing in the home. So making sure they would be loved and help to ground the space was the main focus,” says Low. “The clients, of course, always inspire the home, how they live in their homes, what is important to them and the ultimate vibe they wanted—which was fun, comfortable and relaxing. I’m a huge fan of gathering spaces and lounging spaces, so it made sense to have a lot of places where kids and adults could gather and everyone would be comfortable. The client also hosts a lot of guests, so making sure there was enough space for everyone was important.”
New quartz countertops in smoked pearl and Tilebar (tilebar.com) backsplash brighten up the kitchen. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
“We had eight months to renovate and fully furnish the home. We also had to balance the beautiful monkeypod in the space, but help it to feel contemporary and lived in, without an old, stuffy feel that it currently had,” says Low. “The main goal was to lighten and brighten up the space. We had to reconfigure areas that didn’t make sense for the client or weren’t going to be used to create more space in the home.” The project included renovating the kitchen, living room, atrium, primary bathroom and kids bedroom and at the same time ordering all of the furniture, rugs, artwork, bedding, etc., so that all could be installed on time.
In the living room, kids and adults can gather comfortably on custom-made upholstery pieces using performance fabrics. Rugs and carpets throughout the home are from Jaipur Living (jaipurliving.com). PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
Almost every part of the house was touched to create this beautiful, open space for the homeowners. “There was a giant fish tank and a seating area above it, which blocked all the light from the gorgeous glass atrium ceiling in the home,” explains Low, who worked with Honolulu builder New Cycle Corporation. “The biggest challenge was removing the seating area and the fish tank, without compromising the structural integrity of the home.”
In the kitchen, countertops were replaced and cabinets were painted. “We removed this giant curve that took up a lot of the space in the kitchen and squared it off to give a more modern feel,” she notes. “We also changed the staircase to a wood and glass finish, which helped to keep the space feeling open and airy. The custom stair railing was built by Bellos Millwork (bellosmillwork.com), and they just did such a great job keeping it elegant and flowing with the rest of the house.”
To help keep the indoors open and airy, Studio Shaolin designed a custom wood and glass staircase railing built by Bellos Millwork (bellosmillwork.com). PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
The project and overall aesthetic are a mix of modern and contemporary finishes with a tropical hardwood flair. “The main color palette was neutral with soft pops of color, which is a Studio Shaolin signature look,” says Low. “We love a home that has neutral finishes so that you can have fun with the decor, art and furniture when we’re decorating.”
Studio Shaolin’s signature look using neutral colors with soft pops of color decorates the bedrooms and nooks PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
The dining table, dining bench, atrium sofas, game table, daybed frame and coffee table are all custom pieces designed by Studio Shaolin and made by Splinter Concept (thesplinterconcept.com). “We had so much fun working with Splinter Concept to build these pieces, and they turned out beautiful,” says Low. “My idea for the coffee table was to have it feel like it was floating in space and be just a solid piece where kids could climb on it and it would not be an issue. I hired Miyuki (@mkmk1209) to paint the coffee table so that it had this abstract, stone look, and it turned out gorgeous.”
Studio Shaolin’s signature look using neutral colors with soft pops of color decorates the bedrooms and nooks PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
Also family-friendly are the upholstery pieces, all custom made with performance fabrics to withstand the active use and children in the home.
Studio Shaolin’s signature look using neutral colors with soft pops of color decorates the bedrooms and nooks PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
Custom art pieces decorate the home. From a work from Australian Maryanne Moodie (maryannemoodie.com) that commands the entryway when you walk into the house to a piece in the living space from Ethan Estess (ethanestess.com), who uses only marine rope debris found in the ocean, they adorn the walls.
The primary bathroom shower uses Brizo (brizo.com) fixtures and bookmatched large porcelain tiles from Italy. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MEGAN MOURA
The result: a beautiful, welcoming, warm, home that caters to the kids, adults and grandparents who visit often. “The space feels bright, happy and is life proof,” says Low, “so you can really just kick back and relax, without having to worry about ruining anything.”
Photography by:
