This vacation home in the highly sought-after town of Holualoa on the Big Island near Kona takes design cues from its stunning surroundings.
Photographed by Ethan Tweedie
THE PRIORITY
“I wanted this vacation home to honor the views and the magic that is Hawai‘i,” says Elizabeth Drake, principal of Elizabeth Drake Interiors. Just one of four houses in this gated Waiaha Estates community with jaw-dropping panoramic ocean views, the goal was to design an environment that would maximize the views while taking design cues from its location. “So often luxurious vacation homes lose that vital connection to place,” she says. “Here, we looked to the surroundings—the people, the natural elements, the flora and fauna—to inform the entire experience.”
The kitchen design mirrors the colors of the ocean. Photographed by Ethan Tweedie
Vaulted grasscloth ceilings are featured in the primary bedroom and dining room. Photographed by Ethan Tweedie
THE STRATEGY
“The interiors were created to embrace the island’s soft, lush feel. Natural, local materials such as the puka lava stone lanai and pool deck, the hand-scraped acacia wood floors and grass fiber lighting fixtures visually narrate the island story,” says Drake. “Care was taken to ensure the Hawaiian feel was not overshadowed by new construction requirements and its soft modern lines.”
Ledger lounge chairs elevate the experience from the pool. Photographed by Ethan Tweedie
THE DESIGN
“The overall interior design aesthetic is what I’d call soft modern Hawai‘i. The trade winds are soft, and the natural vegetation contrasting against black lava fields is very dramatic,” says Drake. “Nature was nurtured in the house as natural fibers for lighting, furniture, and rugs in a sophisticated juxtaposition to the local black lava basalt pavers, lagoon pool color, dark stained cabinetry and deep blue exterior color of the house. Low-contrast but colorful interiors were selected to not diminish the ocean views.”
The soft color palette for the whole house was cued by the panoramic ocean views that flooded into the house’s rooms. The kitchen mirrors the ocean’s colors with watery blue-gray countertops and nocturnal sea dark tones, while glass tile walls resemble soft waves and the indigo-bottom pool.
“Early on, we found one thing that embodied a vision for a home, the Celeste quartzite slab,” says Drake. “It informed the color palette for the house. Its watery blue-gray wave-like movements and nocturnal sea dark tones inspired color selections.”
Ledger lounge chairs elevate the experience from the pool. Photographed by Ethan Tweedie
The view into the great room from the pool is seamless, with cantina-style doors opening up fourteen feet to accommodate the homeowner’s desired entertaining between the outdoor lanai and the great room.
THE OUTCOME
“Sublime living surrounded by beauty inside and out,” says Drake. “An overall soft contemporary design approach makes this a laid-back Hawaiian vacation home.”
LOCATION
Holualoa, Hawai‘i
DESIGNER
Elizabeth Drake Interiors, elizabethdrake.com
BUILDER & LANDSCAPE/ OUTDOOR ARCHITECT
Blue, White & Gold, LLC 808.333.4699
RESOURCES
BELLA PIETRA KONA
Pool and lanai Puka Lava stone, bellapietrakona.com
KAILUA VILLAGE ARTISTS
Dining room art, a pair of Gyotaku style prints and a Japanese art form, kailuavillageartists.com
LIGHTOLOGY
Dining room ceiling fan, Artemis by Minka Aire, lightology.com
PALACEK
Dining table, palecek.com
PHILLIP JEFFRIES
Dining room and primary bedroom grasscloth ceiling, phillipjeffries.com
ROYAL POOLS OF HAWAII
Ledge Lounger pool chairs, royalpoolsofhawaii.com
SERENA & LILY
Kitchen pendants and counter stools; dining chairs, rug and chandelier; primary bedroom bed, nightstands, chairs, bedding and Sisal rug; serenaandlily.com
SIMPSON
Entry slatted stained wood and glass door, simpsondoors.com
STONEWORKS
Kitchen islands, Celeste Quartzite, 3-inch edge profile countertop, stoneworkspacific.com
TILE WAREHOUSE
Kitchen and primary bath floor tile, Cosmic by Italian Unicomstarker; kitchen and primary bath countertop with waterfall edge, Celeste Quartzite; kitchen glass backsplash; tilewarehousehawaii.com
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