Living Pono

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pono island home
A mirrored wall in the master bathroom reflects the land and sea opposite, visually bringing the outside in. Taking a bath has never been so luxurious.

We head inside to the master bedroom where, large, sliding-glass doors in two of the walls afford the same unobstructed view as from the patio. This tableau is repeated in the mirrored wall above the double vanity in the master bath. The same flower-flake tile from the kitchen — in a larger format — surrounds a deep soaker tub nestled snugly into a glass-enclosed corner.

We return to the courtyard, and the friend provides insight as to its transformation. “There was a sunken fountain right in the middle of this space which broke it up, so we got rid of it and removed a lot of the landscaping,” she says.

“You have to know your environment,” adds the homeowner. “The bromeliads around the border were beautiful, but they are succulents and are prized for retaining water. Here, where it’s wet and tropical, they were simply mosquito-makers.”

The unwanted foliage was replaced with native plants that require less water, as well as ground cover like wild oregano, which, according to the homeowner, has the added benefit of being disliked by pesky coqui frogs. In front and to the right is a large landscaped section of the four-acre property with several mature trees bearing coconuts, bananas, star fruit, limes and avocados. Their leaves rustle and sway above an herb garden filled with both medicinal and culinary plants.

As we enter a guest room on the right, I suddenly realize that the home is, in fact, a clever series of little pods connected by open, outdoor spaces — the epitome of tropical living. This well-windowed room is surrounded by foliage, and features a plush bed and private bath. A second door on the far side leads to a charming covered bridge arching over a lap pool, at the far end of which is a hot tub.

pono island home
The solar-heated saltwater pool and hot tub use a variable-speed pump to improve efficiency and minimize the use of chemicals.

Across the bridge is another living pod: above, a guest room and bath with a lofted ceiling and plenty of windows; below, a caretaker’s apartment complete with bedroom, kitchen and bath.

As we walk toward the front gate, the homeowner shares a tale of furnishing woe. “When we started the remodel, we ordered a lot of new furniture,” she says. “That was almost two years ago and as you can see, much of it is still not here!”

We commiserate about this Covid-related collateral damage for a bit, glad we can laugh about it with health and happiness.

“I hope you enjoyed our home,” says the homeowner as we say our goodbyes. “With a little more effort, we believe we can make our house — and our lifestyle — carbon-negative.”

With a little more effort, so can we all.

RESOURCE LIST

Appliances

Hamai Appliance
332 E. Wakea Ave., Kahului | hamaiappliance.com | 808.877.6305 | IG @hamaiappliance | FB @hamai-appliance

Contract Work

Imua Builders LLC | IG @imuabuilders
Mark Soon, General Contractor | 808.870.4070
Will Mahin, Project Manager | 808.344.6271

Furniture

Outdoor Living
261 Lalo St., A2, Kahului | outdoorlivinghawaii.com | 808.873.8325

Swan Interiors Maui
2103 West Vineyard St., Wailuku | swaninteriorsmaui.com | 808.243.3316 | IG @swaninteriorsmaui

Landscape Design

Mauiscapes LLC
72 Kuiaha Rd., Ha‘ikū | mauiscapes.com | 808.573.5454

Painting

Vincent’s Painting
694 Kaiko‘o Pl., Wailuku | vincentspainting.com | 808.244.9757 | IG @vincentspainting | FB @vincentspaintinghawaii

Synthetic Lawn and Putting Green

Pacific Greens
pacificgreensturf.com | 808.892.8873 | FB @pacificgreensturf

Tile and Stone

Coastline Stone & Tile Inc.
coastlinestoneandtileinc.com | 808.879.0635

Maui Marble & Granite Inc.
874 Alua St., Wailuku | mauimarbleandgranite.net | 808.242.8400 | IG @maui_marble_granite | FB @maui-marble-granite-inc

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