Mauka Mod

Co-founder and Principal Designer Avery Solmssen and Senior Project Manager Kristin Meehan collaborated closely with the homeowners, shaping every detail of the interiors.
*(Photos courtesy Mariko Reed.)*

Nestled on the lower slopes of Mount Hualālai in the southwestern corner of Holualoa is a quiet neighborhood overlooking Kona town. It is there, up a quiet, meandering street with no exit, that one finds this mid-century gem originally built in the late 1960s. From afar, its striking façade of angular windows rising into the sharp roofline is the first clue that this isn’t just another low-pitched, open-gable example of the genre. With towering Royal palms and expansive monkeypod trees, one senses that this home has been a special spot from its earliest days.

The homeowners — an adventure-loving couple who explored the world together and were living on their coffee farm not far away — found the home for sale after a recent renovation, and its draw was so strong that they knew it was the place they wanted to call home. Not wanting to leave Holualoa and the community that defines it, they kept their search close.

While the home was updated just prior to the sale, they felt that it needed finishing touches to give it the classical character of a home in Hawai‘i before moving in. A serendipitous reach-out via Instagram to the then-newly founded Averylily Design Studio led to the interior design and home furnishings company being selected to bring their keen eyes and guiding hands to the project.

Co-founder and Principal Designer Avery Solmssen and Senior Project Manager Kristin Meehan worked closely with the couple on all aspects of the interior design, from furnishings to space transformations, to surfaces and recommendations on sources for local artwork that matched the owners’ aesthetics and delivered a unique Hawaiian sensibility.

Entering the home through a custom-milled hardwood door, one is greeted by a vintage print by Jean Charlot that Averylily found available at Tusha Buntin’s O‘ahu gallery. Stepping up into the soaring living room space, one is enveloped by a subtle blend of authentic midcentury cues and icons of contemporary Hawai‘i.

During the day, the expanse of floor-to-glass reveals a horizon-wide view of the ocean below, bathing the original circular conversation pit in dappled sunlight. In the evening, wood-rib pendants from Secto hanging over the monkeypod slab dining table cast a warm glow across the open kitchen. Beyond, an instantly recognizable painting of a woman in kapa by Yvonne Cheng leads the eye to an actual kapa piece sourced from renowned Kamuela artist Roen Hufford.

The Averylily team brought the couple’s vision to life throughout the home, from a home office featuring original Charles Bartlett prints…

…to bedrooms furnished with custom pieces by Big Island–based Wilkinson Woodworks.
*(Photos courtesy Mariko Reed.)*

The Averylily team truly brought their vision to every room in the home, from the home office adorned with original Charles Bartlett prints to the custom-built wooden furniture from the Big Island’s Wilkinson Woodworks in the bedrooms. The result is a home that feels effortless and grounded — open to the landscape, rich with natural textures, and alive with the couple’s easygoing warmth. With the home perched on a knoll, some of the spaces are separated by small flights of stairs, and in one that contained a vintage bar,

Meehan and Solmssen converted it into a cozy nook with grass-reed-covered walls to watch movies, without having the entertainment center intrude on the open living area above. Lower down, below the pool, is a suite of guest rooms for visiting family and friends.

The homeowners credit the Averylily Design Studio team and their suppliers with executing their vision and collaboratively bringing it to life for them and their ‘ohana. With the recent move from their former coffee farm to this home now complete, they look forward to many more visits by grandchildren and friends from across the globe, who will no doubt be just as enthralled with the home, its casual aesthetic, and neverending views.