Great Room

So the floorplan that we admire is basically emphasizes the great room, which is in the center of the entire house.  I love that idea.  We live in basically half of our house.  I despise the formal dining and living room, and I don't want that kind of configuration in my retirement.  The central aspect of the room is a fireplace, which sounds silly in Hawaii, but few Hawaii homes have heaters or air conditioners.  I love a good fire in the winter--even if the cold snap is only about 68 degrees.  Here are some ideas for a fireplace/TV/bookcase combo.  I intend to use two chairs that I have from my grandmother's estate for the front of the fireplace, which will promote reading, conversation, and general lolling around!

Naming the House

So my husband and I have been searching for a name for our new cottage.  I had originally thought Hale Maluhia was a good name.  It means house of peace.  Unfortunately, there is already a house on the big island that bears the name, and so we needed to turn our attention and imagination to another option.  The house will be on Pualani Road, and in Hawaiian, "pualani" means heavenly flower.  I am thinking about Heavenly Flower Cottage, but we need to sit with it for awhile before we decide.  Like a baby, you only get one shot at naming the house.  The other option is "kakahiaka cottage" because the windows we have for the front door depict Mucha's depiction of daylight.  Kakahiaka means "day" in Hawaiian. 

Backyard Heaven

We have the least ideas about what to do with the backyard. Because the backyard faces the ocean, we want to keep tree plantings to a minimum so that we don't block the view. However, we are very committed to a koi pond with a waterful. In our current home, we have four fountains and a pool. We love the sound of water. To have the sound of water and the view of the Pacific will make an absolute heaven!

This one is my favorite, since we have rock walls around the property already

We also really like the idea of having either a fireplace or a fire pit in the backyard.  Something about a fire that is so cozy.  Besides, it's Hawaii!  We need elements of both fire and water to imitate the natural beauty of the environment.

Front Doors and Porch

We have purchased two of these windows for some custom-made front doors to the house.  The windows are based on Mucha's painting "Day" but they seem to have an island flair that matches our Hawaii home.

I love theis front entry and would love to recreate it.  It's so warm and welcoming! I think our glass will be beautiful in doors like these.

I love the colors of this house: sand siding, white trim, and turquoise shutters! 

I also love the idea of a swing on the front porch!  Maybe something like this:

 

Guest House Ideas

Because we anticipate becoming very popular when we move, we are planning to build a small guest space on the back of the garage.  This will be a one bedroom, one bath studio-like apartment.  Here are some ideas for small spaces.

Here is the floorplan we are considering for the guest house that we will build on the back side of the garage.  The CC & R's require that a garage apartment above the garage cannot exceed 60% of the space, which would make it too small--unless we built a massive garage.  We do not need a massive garage to hold a truck and a beater beach mobile. 

We are, however, going to reverse the plan so that the porch is next to the house.  It's also good to build it as a one story so that my parents don't have to climb stairs to stay with us.  Just enough for guests to have privacy so that they will stay for a nice visit without feeling like they are intruding.  Those of you who are invited know who you are! 

Here is another flooplan we are considering.  The local hardware supplier has a kit for this house, which saves costs and complications.  I think it's great!  Nice little porch and a good living space for guests or for my parents. 

Master Bedroom

I love the colors of these two bedrooms.  I want to create a tranquil and peaceful retreat for my husband and me.  The bedroom doors will face the backyard and the ocean.  We are thinking about putting in folding french doors that will open completely to the outdoors.  Right outside the bedroom, we are hoping to build a koi pond with a waterfall!

House Plans

Here is a drawing of the outside of our plantation style Hawaii home.

Here is the floorplan of the house that we intend to build!

Dream Kitchen

I love to cook, and I dream about my new kitchen and what I want it to have.  I hope to have a white cabinets, granite, steel appliances, and bamboo floors--classic and clean.  Here are some pictures that capture some of what I hope we can achieve. 

I love the farm sink and the french casement windows too!

I love the color of this tile.  It reminds me of my favorite beach at Kua Bay. I would love to find something in this color family and use it in the bathroom and in the kitchen. 

And I love this as an idea for a kitchen island--not to matchy matchy.  I am a big fan of traditional style, but I like the idea of mixing this with more industrial lighting to give it an edge.  It's tough to find antiques in Hawaii.  I might have to find something on the mainland and ship it!

The Basis of a Dream: What a View!