Tantalus Studio transforms this new build in Diamond Head, O'ahu, into an ocean-inspired, relaxing home.
Floor lamps by RH (rh.com), a sectional sofa by Flexform (flexform.it), lounge chairs by Minotti (minotti.com), a custom coffee table by Paiea Millwrights (paieamillwrights.com) and a side table by Egg Collective (eggcollective.com) sit atop a Perennials (perennialsfabrics.com) area rug in the living room. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
A young professional with a love of surfing and sport fishing looked to Honolulu-based Tantalus Studio (tantalusstudio.com) to create a comfortable yet elevated space to complement the contemporary architecture and interior finishes of his newly constructed home near picturesque Cromwell’s beach.
“The client wanted finishes to be extremely durable to hold up to his oceanfront environment and his energetic French bulldog, Morty,” says founder and principal interior designer Ginger Lunt. “He was looking to make the space his own and wanted it to show his passion for ocean sports and love for living in Hawai‘i. He wanted the space to feel welcoming and comfortable but still have an elevated sophistication to it.”
The ocean theme resumes with a Peter Shepard Cole (petershepardcole.com) painting in the dining room. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
Layered rich wood tones, soft yet durable textiles and a vibrant, ocean-inspired art collection created a casual yet sophisticated space for entertaining friends and relaxing after a surf. “The home’s architecture felt somewhat stark and needed to be softened with window treatments, furnishings, art and accessories to make it feel more approachable and welcoming,” says Lunt.
“Color was infused with the artwork, while keeping fabrics and rugs relatively neutral to add a quietness and consistency throughout the home. Our client loved the color blue, but we made sure that was tempered with other colors for variety. Surfing, ocean, fishing and Hawai‘i was always a theme in the forefront of our minds.”
Pots and plants by Paiko (paikohawaii.com), Kaka‘ako’s botanical boutique, are styled in the stairwell and throughout the home. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
“One unusual space that was a challenge initially was on the first floor, behind the carport where there was a large room with expansive ceilings and a bathroom,” says Lunt. “The flooring materials changed halfway through the space from tile to wood, and the walls went from white painted drywall to concrete.”
Tantalus Studio developed this area into a hangout area for friends with an auxiliary workout area next to it, delineated by the floor material transition. The social part of the space has a billiard table, large flat-screen TV and lots of comfortable lounge seating, including a sofa by Arflex (arflex.it) and lounge chairs by Zeitraum (zeitraum-moebel.de). Custom surfboards and a beautiful ocean painting by local artist Peter Shepard Cole (petershepardcole.com) temper the industrial feel of the concrete walls in the space.
Custom surfboards and a Betty Merken painting (bettymerkenstudios.com) enhance the media room. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
The second main floor has a large pool deck, as well as the living, dining and kitchen spaces and one guest bedroom. “The existing architecture has a very contemporary design, with lots of white, and warm oak wood floors,” says Lunt. “There are some slatted wood wall details throughout the inside and outside that are quite red, and the kitchen has a gray wood finish. Our goal was to tone down the red tones of the wood slatted elements and tie in the gray kitchen by introducing furniture with a blend of warm, rich wood tones throughout that shone with the clean white backdrop of the walls.”
Luteca, (luteca.com) counter stools complement the kitchen. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
Existing decorative lighting fixtures were replaced with items with character, warm wood tones and clean lines. The stairwell is lit by pendants by Secto Design (sectodesign.fi) and the dining room with lighting by Twentieth (twentieth.net). Custom drapery and blinds from Kreative Kama‘aina (kreativekamaaina.com) were added throughout to add a layer of softness in the spaces and provide protection from the sun.
Blinds by Kreative Kama‘aina (kreativekamaaina.com) beautify the home throughout. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
The third floor has a media room, two guest bedrooms (one which has been converted to a home office) and the primary suite with a large deck facing the ocean and overlooking the pool. Local woodworker Logan White of Paiea Millwrights (paieamillwrights.com) collaborated with Tantalus Studio on a stunning white oak bed and nightstand suite in the primary bedroom.
Art adorning the bedroom walls include a Jeff Peters (jeffpetersstudio.com) painting and surfboard by Burl & Barrel (burlandbarrel.com). “The curated art collection by our studio showed our client’s love for color and the ocean,” says Lunt. “The artwork is an eclectic mix of mostly local art with some international pieces as well.”
Parachute Home (parachutehome.com) bedding brings comfort in the primary bedroom. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
Outdoor areas, both at the pool level and off the primary suite upstairs, were furnished with beautifully crafted and comfortable Minotti (minotti.com) sectionals, daybeds and lounge chairs, Roda (rodaonline.com) rocking chairs and Kettal (kettal.com) chaises for relaxing and entertaining alike.
A Robin Harker (robinharker.com) painting adorns the wall in the primary bathroom. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
“While this home is large and situated over three floors, the goal was to have the interiors feel expansive while intimate and warm,” says Lunt. “The home feels sophisticated and elevated while still being very welcoming and relaxed. It functions just as well for the client relaxing at home or entertaining a large group of friends.”
Outdoor seating is both welcoming and comfortable. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
A vintage Eames lounge chair and ottoman sourced by Hawaii Modern (@hawaii_modern) was reupholstered with Zak Fox (zakandfox.com) fabric. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARIKO REED
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