This new tropical house on the Big Island of Hawaii was the third home which we have designed for these sophisticated and discerning clients. This ocean-side family compound was developed as a collection of pavilions arranged around a central courtyard with ponds, pools and lush vegetation. Natural materials of fossil-rich limestone and warm, tropical teak provided the perfect background for contemporary art and unique, custom furnishings. For the Entrance, James Marzo designed a dramatic, Polynesian-inspired, modern center table of koa wood with a custom bronze light fixture with illuminated mother of pearl, South Sea Island shells. In the Great Room, 1940’s vintage armchairs by Maxime Old complement a Marzo designed coffee table fabricated from a huge cross-cut ancient teak slab. Wood carvings, totems and other artefacts from French Polynesia, Borneo and Timor showcase the bold, adventurous cultures of the Pacific Islands. Our goal for this project was to express the welcoming and relaxed spirit of the Islands in this striking yet gracious, contemporary home.
