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Houzz Tour: Island Living
Lush Colors and Natural Materials Create the Ultimate Hawaiian Vacation Home
This vacation home on the coast of Hawaii's Big Island was designed for a family looking for the perfect tropical retreat. The clients' love of Tahitian style was infused into the design, and natural materials that support indoor/outdoor living were used on every surface, from oyster shells on the lighting to the lava rock in the shower.
Interior designer Dara Rosenfeld relied on a combination of custom, antique, and new goods to create a timeless, comfortable look. Designed by ZAK Architecture, the house has a clear view of the ocean. By using timeless designs as a base and layering with modern accents, Rosenfeld was able to create a space that is both refined and relaxing.
Interior designer Dara Rosenfeld relied on a combination of custom, antique, and new goods to create a timeless, comfortable look. Designed by ZAK Architecture, the house has a clear view of the ocean. By using timeless designs as a base and layering with modern accents, Rosenfeld was able to create a space that is both refined and relaxing.
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Rosenfeld's color choices were inspired by Hawaii's lush landscape. "You can do very saturated colors in Hawaiian houses, because the sunlight is so bright," says Rosenfeld.
A bamboo sofa is topped with cushions upholstered in flowered fabric from Osborne & Little, and the living room rug was inspired by fishnets. The pendants above the kitchen bar are from Tucker Robbins in New York, while Rosenfeld had the pendants above the cast-stone dining table custom made from antique rooster cages.
A bamboo sofa is topped with cushions upholstered in flowered fabric from Osborne & Little, and the living room rug was inspired by fishnets. The pendants above the kitchen bar are from Tucker Robbins in New York, while Rosenfeld had the pendants above the cast-stone dining table custom made from antique rooster cages.
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| The great room of the house combines the the kitchen, dining, and living spaces. About 40 feet wide at the front, this huge open space was designed with indoor/outdoor living in mind.
"The clients really wanted to embrace everything about the Hawaiian lifestyle," says Rosenfeld. "This allows them to open all the doors when they have people over, and even move some of the furniture out on the lanai." |
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| The family travels a lot, and Tahiti is one of their favorite vacation spots, so integrating that style was important to them. Rosenfeld used authentic pieces from Tahiti and Indonesia throughout the home. Many pieces are made of teak, including the custom dining table and coffee table — solid pieces of teak, made in Indonesia and designed by Rosenfeld. |
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The slate floor on the interior of the home makes it way to the outdoors as well. Sutherland lounge chairs and side tables sit poolside, upholstered in outdoor fabric from Perennials.
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| Beyond the pool, a bocce ball court overlooks an ocean view. The house is located up on the coastline, with a clear view of the ocean from its hilltop spot. The outdoor bar — covered in native, volcanic rock — sits next to a large barbecue and the guest house tiki room!
The property includes the primary 2 bedroom residence, as well as a separate structure with two guest bedrooms in it. "The clients love that, since their two children can bring friends and all stay in the separate house," says Rosenfeld. |
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The stately canopy bed frame adds to the master bedroom's tropical feel. Rich, Asian-styled side tables sit on either side of the bed, and a matching trunk releases a flat-screen TV. Until she came up with this solution, figuring out where to put the TV was a struggle, because Rosenfeld wanted to make sure that the view from the bed to the outdoors was seamless.
More ways to float the TV
More ways to float the TV
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Rosenfeld designed the handmade oak bed frame, adding scalloped accents inspired by the undulating waves of Asian roof tiles.
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A lustrous oyster-shell light fixture was designed by Rosenfeld and famed French artisan Thomas Boog. Boog is known for his intricate furniture and accessories, layered with bits of shell, bone and other natural materials.
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This pearly piece of accent art is another piece by Boog. This tribute to the sea adds to the space's organic luxury.
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"It's so important to have a blend and a balance of styles in a home," says Rosenfeld. "Balancing old, new, and custom in a home really helps create that layered effect." Here, shell and bead necklaces made on the island hang from bamboo hooks, creating a subtle accent in the bedroom.
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Because of the emphasis on indoor/outdoor living, Rosenfeld had to make sure all of the materials used in the home were durable. The slate floor used throughout the home is durable and hard-wearing.
Rosenfeld installed lava rock — available at numerous locations on the island — on both sides of the shower wall for a stone that requires little cleaning.
Rosenfeld installed lava rock — available at numerous locations on the island — on both sides of the shower wall for a stone that requires little cleaning.
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Blue tiles from Ann Sacks bring a splash of color to the otherwise stone-dominated shower space. A basalt bench for shower supplies is built into the lava rock wall. Like the lava rock, this material is very hard-wearing.
More home tours:
Houzz Tour: A Modern Mexican Paradise
Escape to the Tropics
Houzz Escape: Headed to Hawaii
More home tours:
Houzz Tour: A Modern Mexican Paradise
Escape to the Tropics
Houzz Escape: Headed to Hawaii
Ideabook updated on Aug. 4, 2011.
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