Terrace Living in Hawaii

We’ve had the pleasure of working on several homes in Hawaii, most of which have been ocean front.  I often detect a tinge of envy in my colleagues’ comments in reference to our projects there.  The truth is, it’s hard work made harder by the fact that it’s in paradise!  When I venture out of my hotel to work, virtually everyone else is heading to the beach.  It’s not quite torturous, mind you, but concentrating on the tasks at hand can be challenging with the pounding surf, radiant sun and swaying palm trees in every direction.

Aside from working in a tropical aesthetic (more on that later), there are many considerations that are unique to this environment.  Ocean front properties are continuously assaulted by the elements, especially salt and sun.  No matter how carefully we select fabrics and finishes, the sea will relentlessly attempt to break them down.  Fortunately, we have many tricks up our sleeves to ensure the longevity of our interiors.  I use the term “interiors” loosely here, as every home we have worked on possesses massive walls of glass that are engineered to retract and disappear, effectively blurring the line between indoors and out.

Now then, how do we approach that Hawaiian aesthetic?  You’d be hard pressed to find a single pineapple, palm tree or coconut on any of the fabrics that we incorporate into our projects.  I’ve written previously about my distain for the overuse of local icons, and Hawaii is loaded with them!  I much prefer to seek out textures and colors that pull the tropical paradise inside.  Celebrating this area’s abundant beauty in a way that is sophisticated and unexpected,  is my trademark.

Below you’ll find some comments from some of our great clients that we’ve worked with in Hawaii.

http://www.henseldesignstudios.com/accolades/testimonials02.php

http://www.henseldesignstudios.com/accolades/testimonials04.php