Living Large
When San Diego native Mark Gosselin imagined the type of home he wanted to build in Honolulu, Gosselin had a good idea of what he was looking for: A large property (to accommodate his extended family) that felt like a resort but with a casual, tropical style.
As a 30-year veteran of the multifamily real estate market in San Diego, Gosselin already built and sold a home in Maui before looking to O‘ahu. He liked that Honolulu had “a little bit more action” than Kahului or Kihei and was more walkable, more runnable, more bikeable.
Gosselin wanted an oceanfront property by Diamond Head. Near enough to the excitement of Waikiki and downtown Honolulu, but with enough distance to serve as a retreat at the end of the day.
“The goal was for everybody to have their own space in the home but in a detached way, similar to cabana suites,” Gosselin says. “At one point, my builder says, ‘you’ve got everything here except an ABC Store.’”
Gosselin’s builder was right: Step inside this 14,000-square-foot Banyan House and you’ll discover a lush courtyard, seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms across two floors, two lanais, a billiard table, gym, gazebo, aviary, pool with a baja shelf, and sprawling views of the Pacific Ocean. Gosselin’s imagination led the design and construction process, with the help of a talented team that included Honolulu-based architect James McPeak, designer Carolyn Pace, and landscape architect Steve Mechler (who incorporated native plants throughout the property) as well as San Francisco-based designer Gioi Tran. Their efforts represent an impressive leap forward from the dilapidated mess this property looked like just 15 years ago.
“There was a big banyan tree and a little guest house on the waterfront, that’s all,” says Gosselin. “The house was full of termites and falling apart so we tore it down and started from scratch.”
The banyan tree, which is estimated to be close to 300 years old, was saved and helped inspire the home’s design. The driveway had to wrap around the tree and became a roundabout. The banyan’s long limbs, which look like something out of Jumanji, formed a quasi-canopy over the entrance, which matched perfectly with the Bali vibe that Gosselin partially envisioned for the home. Several design elements came from Bali, including a slab of tamarind wood that was carved to create the dining room table and a pair of male and female basalt stone statues (Bedogol in Balinese) located in the front and rear of the house that symbolically serve as protective guardians.
“They must be working because nothing has ever happened and I never had any issues here,” Gosselin says.
If anything, the home has only been the recipient of positive attention. It recently appeared as a private island villa in Netflix’s Murder Mystery 2, starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, while the driveway and living room doubled as the Robin’s Nest estate in episodes of the Magnum P.I. reboot. The property has a history of appearing on screen; before Gosselin moved in, a former house on this site was featured prominently in the original Hawaii Five-O with Jack Lord.
Today, when Gosselin and his family aren’t staying there, the house is often rented by visiting celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Kevin Costner and John Legend. Part of the reason that so many people seem to be drawn to the property could be the eclectic feel inside. With pocketing doors and columns instead of traditional walls, the home has an airy quality. Yet it’s grounded by dense natural materials — “a lotta copper, lotta steel, lotta rock,” says Gosselin — plus strong fixtures and furniture pieces, such as granite countertops, steel-and-wood benches, and woven club chairs.
A water path and floating step entryway leads to the entrance foyer at the front of the house while open ocean lies just beyond the pool in the backyard, perfect for a beach house. However, many of the walls are made from basalt or coral stone while massive lumber beams and triangular scissor trusses support the ceilings and skylight, creating a look more akin to a mountain resort or ski resort.
“You don’t see places like this too often in Hawai‘i,” Gosselin says. “I do a lot of commercial real estate development but working on houses is more a labor of love. I find materials and artwork from around the Islands and internationally, then I try to fill houses with pieces that look great.”
“My typical routine when I’m at the house is I wake up, make some coffee, jump in the pool, bring my laptop to the covered dining pavilion outside and catch up on emails, or anything else. I invite my staff if they want to work and hang out too,” says Gosselin. “You’re on the waterfront facing the ocean and you can play pool, hit the fitness area, and go swimming all right there. This is the coolest office in the world.”