Sources and Design Magazine
Source & Design Magazine
Residential Walk-Through
Mellow in Maui – Maui Hawaii
Claire Ownby,
Allied Member ASID,
Ownby Design
Scottsdale, Arizona and Kona, Hawaii
Designing a vacation home in paradise for one client can be fraught with pitfalls; unrealistic expectations, and unreasonable “vision,” and, often, a desire for a Tommy Bahama-meets-Margaritaville look.
Interior designer Claire Ownby had none of the above when she designed an 8,500-square-foot oceanfront getaway in Maui. Not only that, she didn’t have just one client. She had eight.
Ownby, who maintains offices in both Scottsdale, Arizona and Kona, Hawaii, was asked to do a stylish yet comfortable retreat for four couples – three from California, one from Arizona – who wished to use the house together and separately year ‘round.
“The eight clients, surprisingly, were very easy to work with,” says Ownby, who handled the interiors with Lindsey Schultz, Allied Member ASID, a project designer from her office. “They gave us free rein. None of the couples had a ‘vision’ that everyone had to follow.”
Ownby collaborated with Arri/LeCron Architects, Inc. of Santa Barbara, California, who designed the two-story, contemporary home to open up to magnificent ocean views. Inside, the floorplan features a central great room with open kitchen, living, dining and media areas where the residents can cook, eat and socialize. Four master suites – three upstairs, one on the main level—provide privacy for the couples. An attached guest house handles the overflow.
Ownby chose materials that reflected the elegantly rugged characteristics of the architecture, blended well with the tropical ambiance and could withstand the rigors of salt, sand, sun humidity and younger family members. Local Kapalua stone covers walls and columns. Floors are done in limestone or Brazilian cherry, while the custom cabinetry was crafted from sapele.
All the furnishings were new to the house, many of which are custom designs by Ownby and fabricated by Lily Jack in California. Ownby chose clean lines and substantial bulk to balance the dramatic scale of the architecture. In the entry, she designed a floating bench and a series of planters that can be changed out seasonally. The great room offers sofas upholstered in a neutral Knoll fabric and chunky walnut coffee tables that seem to invite homeowners and visitors to put their feet up.
The spacious kitchen has several places to perch and socialize. “The kitchen also has a butler’s pantry,” Ownby points out. “It has a whole other are for cooking. These clients love to cook.”
Ownby kept equality to mind when furnishing each of the master suites. “”They’re all different in terms of furnishings and materials,” she points out, “but each one is equal, with a small sitting area, coffee bar and refrigerator.” She also chose the same bed linens for each room, machine washable for ease and interchangeable so that housekeeping wouldn’t become and issue.
The interiors were finished off with simple accessories and local contemporary artwork. “We chose universal themes so that everyone could relate to the art,” Ownby notes. Photographs by Hawaiian photographer Peter Lik figure prominently in the master suites.
Ownby also chose furnishings for the pool lanai, specifically comfortable Henry Hall teak pieces as well as leaf-shaped resin chains that rest in the shallow end of the pool.
The completed home offers up its own contemporary spin on island style. For the homeowners, it gives them a sophisticated background for socializing and entertaining, and a sense of relaxation that certainly fosters mellowness in Maui.