This former Honolulu native, long-since transplanted to Seattle, inherited his mother’s Waikiki condominium after she passed. It’s a two bedroom, two bath unit with a much larger-than-normal lanai – fronting Diamond Head. To bring the 1970s apartment (and overall look) up-to-date, he knew he would need to strip it down to the bones and start over. That’s when he called me after finding my site online. I don’t often do homes on Oahu,...
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This California client found me through Houzz, interviewed me thoroughly by phone, flew me to San Francisco to see how he lived – and then hired me. If I had not seen in person how he lived I would not have fully understood the manner in which he wanted to re-create his California home in Hawaii – albeit with a tropical bent as his new vacation home was right on the beach. An experienced modern art collector, he had...
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Maui must have thousands of condos – most of which I call ‘vanilla’ – as they are finished and furnished in the same bland theme. This particular condominium in Kihei was ‘vanilla’ when my clients bought it. However, after multiple conversations when, for example, they told me they liked old vintage woods but at the same time liked modern lines and colors – I told them they can have both. When the renovation was...
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A two generation family bought this 30 year old vacation condominium in Wailea, on the gorgeous beach of Keawakapu. What I didn’t realize at the start was how difficult it would be to ensure both generations got what they wanted. I’m accustomed to working with spouses who have different views on how they want to live, but not with parents and their offspring who will share the same space. The older couple are in their 70s, and didn’t...
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After finishing this client’s Maui home, they hired me to redo their home in Arizona. It was a fun challenge to re-orient myself to desert colors, styles and themes, which are completely opposite of what is found in Hawaii. The light, for example, and in particular, changes dramatically throughout the day, causing the rooms to look starkly different at 9:00 than they did at 2:00, than at 5:00. The result? More trips to the paint...
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