Coastal Living: Puako Paradise

It’s taken my family generations, but we’ve finally found our sanctuary by the sea.

I was born and raised all over the colder climes of the Midwest-Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, even a stint at Minnesota for boarding school.  After eighteen years of frigid winters and endless landscapes with no water in sight, I knew I had to light out for the south, to the promised frontier where the North American Continent sinks into the Pacific Ocean.  Raised in landlocked farm country, I yearned deeply for ocean breezes and sunny skies.

I met my husband in San Diego, California, and we raised our family in the suburban seaside communities of North County.  As a young and upwardly mobile couple, we mostly lived in apartment buildings and track homes a few miles from the ocean.  The warm climate and the ocean came to shape our lives, as I spent as much time as possible outside.  By twelve years old my son had become an avid surfer, going to the seashore almost every day.  My husband and I loved the sea, but as demand for beach houses in San Diego soared to dizzying heights, we found ourselves living in more affordable housing some miles away.

As our two children entered their teenage years, we increasingly traded our family ski vacations for annual trips to the Hawaiian Islands at Christmastime.  I always felt a special affinity for the pristine natural splendor and gentle tropical breezes of Hawaii.  The lush green mountains and white crescent beaches were the antithesis of my Midwestern upbringing, and I embraced Hawaii wholeheartedly.

Life unfolded day by day.  The kids grew older.  My husband’s career in estate planning soared to new heights.  And I dreamed more and more of making a home, and yes, a life, where (Mom-put in a don blanding quote here).  With a college degree in interior design and a special interest in Hawaiiana, nothing would have pleased me more than combining my passion for design with my desire to create a sanctuary for my family and me in Hawaii.

The stars aligned in the summer of 2001.  My husband and I put an offer on a neglected lot on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, in a special community called Puako.  Over the years the Big Island came to be our favorite Hawaiian retreat.  Oahu was so very crowded, and Maui had been successfully invaded by Mainlanders like me.  The Big Island still retained a rich, historic, country ambience.  With its wide open spaces, magnificent natural scenery, and real Hawaiian heritage, my husband and I felt it would be the perfect place to build our dream home.

From the start I was determined to incorporate local architectural styles into the building.  I’ve seen far too many homes in Hawaii that trample over native architectural customs in favor of something foreign-Balinese courtyards, New England facades, Malibu extravagance, whatever.  I wanted to work with a Hawaiian plantation template, and then add my own special touches.

The building itself is modeled after a home on the North Shore of Kaui owned by Graham Nash.  It’s a simple, square, two story building, with deep lanais on both levels, and a broad staircase inviting the visitor.  (Mom-why don’t you talk about the architecture and design a bit more here).

Our Hawaiian dream home was finished in the spring of 2004, though to be honest, I’m always making improvements and alterations.  The home is alive, and it’s always evolving.  We built this home as a sanctuary for our family.

  This is my coastal dream home.