Decorating

Inside a gorgeous Vastu-compliant minimalist Hawaiian home

The local environment and owners’ heritage were both key points of inspiration during the design process.
Inside a gorgeous Vastucompliant minimalist Hawaiian home
Matthew Millman

For a California couple with two grown boys, Hawaii had always served as an escape. “We visited the islands dozens of times when our kids were growing up, and loved the warmth of the people, the nurturing, healing air, and the peace and tranquility,” says the wife. “We reached a point where we felt we wanted to grow roots here.” There was nothing exceptional about the site they ultimately chose: The landscape was barren but for a grove of kiawe trees and the faint underpinnings of a bygone building. But to the couple, it felt like a sign to stay.

The land had a storied past. It had once served as a pathway for the natural flow of lava from mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean), and it had glorious kiawe trees—some thousands of years old—dotting its outer edges. Keen to echo this environment into the built form, the couple tapped architects Greg Warner and Sharon Okada of San Francisco–based Walker Warner, landscape architect David Tamura, and interior designers Marion Philpotts-Miller and Anne Tanaka of Honolulu studio Philpotts Interiors.

Warner and Okada paid close attention to the landscape, their simple lines and geometries at once coalescing and contrasting with the undulating terrain. Fallen kiawe trees, salvaged by project manager Reed Fitz-Gerald of Metzler Contracting Co., were used to create the exterior steps and the firepit seats and center. The house appears to lightly float on molten rock, a sleight of hand symbolic of the long-gone lava. The homeowners named the home Hale Kiawe—hale, meaning house in Hawaiian, and kiawe after the prolific trees gracing the land.

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The couple wanted their Hawaiian home to be a space far removed from excess. What followed was an exercise in restraint, which meant a limit on objects, furniture, and art. There would be no cluttered shelves, no unused spaces, no extra furniture, no distractions. “Minimalism became the hallmark of our design approach. For the interiors, there were often times we would suggest an idea or direction, and they would kindly say, ‘It’s nice, but we don’t need that,’” recalls Philpotts-Miller, who, together with Tanaka, held a mirror to the architecture with considered interior choices.

The pair brought in a mix of furniture from Bali, Mexico, and India, as well as Indian textiles in earthy, saturated tones that tipped their hat to the couple’s spiritual upbringing in India. Local treasures were given equal pride of place, as in the case of the desk and side tables in the primary bedroom, crafted from native kiawe wood. As Philpotts-Miller recalls, the challenge, given that the bedrooms were so large, was maximizing form without minimizing function. “The goal was to achieve a quiet elegance and spiritual existence that adapts to the environment with ease,” she avers.

Today, the home faces east, not west. For the architects, all the signs had pointed westward: the earth, the views, the grove of kiawe trees that seemingly leaned in that direction. But the owners preferred to look another way. As a nod to their Indian heritage, they were keen on honouring the principles of Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian architectural science based on optimizing the energies and elements of nature.

“They gave us a book on Vastu Shastra and suggested that we review the concepts with an open mind,” shares Warner. Brilliant as it was, the system at first seemed counterintuitive to his architectural sensibilities. It indicated an east-facing front door and rooms flanking a central courtyard—a Weltanschauung that would shape the entire design and make this Hawaiian home unique to not only the family, but to the design team as well. In the end, it all feels as natural as could be.

The couple never tried to imagine what the home would look like, but they did know what they wanted it to feel like. Warm and welcoming, yes, but also like a place with soul on either side of the threshold. It’s this omnipresent energy that they enjoy today—one that embodies the spirit of the house and summons those within to slow down. “It’s a home for whatever moves your heart at that moment,” says the wife. “It’s a place where you can just be.”

For landscape architect David Tamura, the first priority was reviving the land. He chose vegetation that honored the local environment, including Kiawe trees that restored the flow of nature in the same direction that the lava once moved from mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean). The agrarian-inspired architecture floats quietly among the grasses, providing a calm and comfortable space to center oneself and be immersed in nature.

When a large Kiawe tree not far from the job site fell during the construction process as a result of a big storm, Warner saw an opportunity. “The original idea was to cut the tree lengthwise along its natural curve and use it as a bridge between the lawn and the pool, spanning over the lava. It was a remarkable idea but ultimately deemed a potential hazard for bare feet and future grandchildren,” he shares. The natural next step, it seemed, was repurposing the wood to create a log step at every entry and exit point as a symbolic threshold between the landscape and architecture.

The lanai is graced by an antique stone Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu deity symbolic of beginnings, prosperity, and success. “There is a simplicity to this space that belies the hard work and countless revisions that went into perfecting the design and furnishings,” shares one homeowner. Designer Marion Philpotts-Miller had the bench and shoe rack custom-made. As for the lighting, she opted for an Aldo Bernardi fixture. The tapestry is the owners’ own, sourced from Santa Fe Dry Goods.

The entry lanai, by way of its central placement, honors the principles of Vastu Shastra and represents the owners’ Indian heritage. The sun falls in slants over the seating area, which includes a custom upholstered bench, handwoven lounge chairs, and an Asturias rocking chair by Carlos Motta for Espasso. A Palma area rug by Now Carpets underpins the setting, which also includes a bespoke coffee table and teak side tables from EQ3. With slatted grills for walls and doors, an open air entry, and a Minka Aire Roto XL ceiling fan for warmer evenings, the space serves as a haven for both gathering and retreating. The pillow covers are Élitis, John Robshaw, Silkworks, and Bindi Gold designs.

The living room is enveloped by luminous pocket doors that disappear into the walls, allowing the space to open up to nature. “The door portal masquerades as a frame emphasizing nature as art,” notes Philpotts-Miller. Calm and serene, the view complements the quiet comfort of the interior. A Renly carpet by Stark sets the stage for the seating, characterized by a custom sectional by A. Rudin and Artifex lounge chairs. A planter by Geobunga stands sentinel by the window. The coffee table is a custom design.

The dining room harks to the outdoors, with a table and buffet, both custom, that reflect the natural grain of the surrounding trees. The Playa dining chairs from Formations are elevated enough for entertaining, yet modest enough for everyday comfort. The petrified wood bird is from Place. A Design Atelier by Philpotts. The mirror is a bespoke design.

The kitchen’s dark stone countertops and cream walls embody the contrasts of the rugged island landscape. McGuire Hana bar stools from Place. A Design Atelier by Philpotts.

Atop a cast concrete base in the powder room sits a custom vanity whose abiding lightness serves as a foil for the Stygian backsplash above. Aldo Bernardi’s Guineguette pendants flank a custom mirror by Xen Designs. Taking pride of place beneath it is a black Stone Forest sink. An artwork by Abigail Romanchek, titled Naepuni and sourced from Place. A Design Atelier by Philpotts, emblazons the wall to the left. Characterized by the inner netting of a Hawaiian cape, it pays reverence to the island’s tradition of craftsmanship. The fixtures and hardware are from Sun Valley Bronze.

Art: Abigail Romanchak

A cozy corner of another guest bedroom, whose primary occupant for the better part of the year is Malaika, the bashful damsel in the picture frame by artist Pegge Hopper. The bed and nightstands, both by Symbol Furniture, rest atop an Elizabeth Eakins rug.

Art: Pegge Hoppe

“As minimalists, the clients believed in limiting acquisitions to things they truly needed, so under-designing became a big goal,” reflects Philpotts-Miller. She chose hushed pieces for the first guest bedroom. Chief among them: a F100 Series canopy bed and nightstands, both by Symbol Furniture, and an antique teak bench. An Elizabeth Eakins rag rug warms the floor, acting as an earthy counterpoint to the accent pillows by Lisa Fine Textiles and Brook Perdigon Textiles. Above the Mumbai dining chair by Anthropologie, right, is an artwork titled Indian Woman with Jewelry by Pegge Hopper. Hawaiian Lady Sitting #4, a painting sourced from The Isaacs Art Center, balances it to the left. The lamp is a Schoolhouse find.

Art: Pegge Hoppe

Neither completely outdoors, nor all the way indoors, the primary bathroom is an oasis that levitates between realms. Custom vanities with Duravit sinks line either wall, ensconcing an ivory-hued Ellipse bathtub by Claybrook. Outside, a custom teak stump basks in the sunshine. Dornbracht was the brand of choice for the fixtures. The flush-mount light is the Acme design by Visual Comfort.

The outdoor shower is a meditative hideaway that channels a tropical rain shower. The shower head and hooks are both from Sonoma Forge. A Bangku fine hammered stool from Place. A Design Atelier by Philpotts fills one corner.

Matthew Millman

“There is a simplicity to this space that belies the hard work and countless revisions that went into perfecting the design and furnishings,” shares one homeowner.

On warm days by the pool, the sun’s rays are reflected here, there, and everywhere, thanks to the Silkworks accent pillows that double as dazzling suncatchers on the custom chaise.

A seating nook, comprising Archi lounge chairs from Dunkirk and a custom chaise, offers a view to the pool on one side and the volcanic cone to the other. The coffee table is a custom design, as is the bar table. The bar stools and side table are also Dunkirk.

Oriented to capture the cool tropical breeze, the home opens out to swaying wispy grasses and indigenous volcanic rock that echo the region’s landscape. To minimize the need for mechanical cooling, Warner opted for deep overhangs to provide protection from the sun and limit heat gain. In a similar vein, Tamura designed most of the landscape to be drought-tolerant, with plant species that can survive without irrigation. The existing lava flow through the site, which was undisturbed during pad preparation, was preserved.