Editor’s Notes: October-November 2023

Make yourself at home.

A sense of belonging and identity. A place where you feel valued, safe and appreciated. A space to call your own, where your personality and hard work shine.

“Home” represents different things to different people. Hopefully, our readers can discover — and rediscover — what it means to them inside this and every edition of Hawaii Home + Remodeling, where we present beautiful, seemingly infinite ways to interpret the concept of home.

For some of our Hawaii Home + Remodeling staff, Maui is home. It’s a place where memories reside, and where friends and family have built homes and livelihoods. In this issue, we dedicate our Welcome section to our Maui ohana. We check in with Lahaina businesses that are rebuilding after the devastating wildfires in August, as well as local companies that are offering home goods in fundraisers for Maui relief. The outpouring of aloha from across the state with aid, shelter and resources for Maui illustrates what locals have always known: “lucky we live Hawaii.”

Our special section titled “Hawaii’s Legacy Builders” is one of my favorite pieces in this issue. It gives me “chicken skin” seeing the featured Island businesses with generations of commitment to serving our community. We talked with the folks at Hardware Hawaii, Graham Builders, Kapili Solar Roofing & Painting, Kiso Store and Rinell Wood Systems to find out what it takes to make a work family feel like a real family. If you’re looking for longstanding locally operated services, this section is a must-see.

For young architectural designer Alvin Hwang, his newly renovated Waikiki Sands condo is home. After moving to Hawaii from San Francisco, Hwang curated his own personal space with thoughtful nuances that represent why the Islands mean so much to him. He put a lot of hard work into the renovation and is now enjoying the results. Check out this reader-submitted story to spark your own home inspiration.

And, this issue marks our celebration of National Kitchen and Bath Month in October. May the insights from local experts in this edition provide timely ideas to ensure your kitchen and bath are ready for the holidays and beyond.

Lastly, whatever “home” means to you, I hope you can find even a small piece of it in this issue. Mahalo for reading!

Aloha,

Darlene Dela Cruz, Editor