Neighbor Island Muses

Oahu may be known as the “Gathering Place,” but creative collectives certainly extend beyond its shores. We caught up with two interior design firms making waves on Hawaii Island and Kauai to explore what’s happening in their locales. Home trends in the Aloha State are connected by common threads of ease and welcome, note the founders of ROOST Design Hale on Hawaii Island and South & Home on Kauai. But each region has its own twist on popular styles, as their respective projects show here.

ROOST Design Hale, Hawaii Island

Interior Design + Retail
As told by founder Barbie Lis Burch
Photos: Michael Sato

What is the home design/building community like on Hawaii Island?
In my experience, the design community here is small, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for with aloha. Soon after I started posting on social media here, a well-established designer reached out and invited me out for coffee. I am continually blown away by how welcoming every experience with a fellow designer here is. It seems like the majority of us are based along the west side, from Waimea down to South Kona.

What are some of the popular design styles or trends for Hawaii Island homeowners?
Hawaii Island homeowners like to embrace design styles that reflect the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Hawaii. We use a lot of native woods, lava rock and local art in all of our projects. For upholstery, performance fabrics are key. With our indoor-outdoor lifestyles, children and pets, nothing should be too precious to enjoy. While a lot of the resort homes tend to stay largely neutral, it is so easy to incorporate color when every day [there] is a stunning ocean and/or sunset view.

South & Home, Kauai

Interior Design Firm
As told by founders Alex Sirois and Taylor Kulhanek
Photos: Kristin Hoshino

What is the home design/building community like on Kauai?
Since founding South & Home in January 2019, we’ve seen tremendous growth within the design/build community on Kauai. However, Kauai is still a small place, and the existing community is tight-knit — so if the work is not quality, distinctive and responsible, word gets around fast. Our business depends upon our reputation and how we work each day to deliver to it. Generally speaking, design/build teams tend to be geographically focused on specific sides of the island, and we mostly work on the south shore — hence the name South & Home.

What are some of the popular design styles or trends for Kauai homeowners?
Of course, the open floor plans, large overhangs, pocket sliders, indoor-outdoor living are not going away. At South & Home, we place a significant focus on encouraging our clients to highlight locally sourced, sustainable materials, as well as Kauai-made furniture and art in their home design. Everyone loves a good story, and when you find out a trendy accent wall stems from a fallen mango tree from Koloa Town that a local arborist made into slatted panels, that’s something to really get excited about. … Our design style tends to be geared toward timeless, like the interior for our client’s Kukuiula Club bungalow (see living room photo), but we’ll definitely dabble in a more mainstream trend if a client wants, the way we did with the various zellige tiles (see kitchen and bathroom photos) for a client’s Kalaheo kitchen/living and bathroom remodel.

Editor’s Note: This article has been slightly modified from the original print version for optimal online reading. To view the full print story, pick up your copy of Hawaii Home + Remodeling at one of our partner locations.