Partners in Design
The element of human touch will always be a hallmark of great design and coveted products, particularly for the finer elements that surround us, as revealed during a conversation with the principals behind Hawai‘i-based interior design and home product venture Averylily Design Studio. In a namesake partnership formed by two leaders in their fields, Averylily is helmed by Avery Solmssen and Lily Kanter, who each bring complementary strengths to each other’s side of the company after decades of experience in their respective fields. Kanter is the “Lily” behind the growth of eponymous national home product catalog Serena & Lily, and Solmssen has likewise been leading luxury home design projects in Hawai‘i from new-builds to transformative renovations, and they shared some of what separates and elevates the true luxury home experience from their perspective.
Solmssen and Kanter met serendipitously when a home previously styled, furnished and decorated by Solmssen in Kamuela was acquired by Kanter, who then sought out the designer to work on a few updates and personal touches that would be in keeping with both of their personal styles. “I was extremely intrigued by the level of custom handiworks of furniture and accessories throughout the home and was so curious — who were the makers?” Kanter shared, adding “I also loved all the finish work and wanted to know the resources for other projects.”
The design conversation is by necessity multi-faceted and far ranging in order to encompass the breadth of everything involved, from surfaces, to colors to textures and, well, everything that our senses respond to favorably.
Kanter is quick to share where each partner’s forte shines; “I let Avery be the designer — what I bring to the partnership is the business acumen and the product development expertise. We will be launching a small capsule collection of move-in basics of bedding, bath, beach and in the near future, we will add a tabletop collection.” Their conversations led to the formation of a partnership and design studio focused on providing interior design services as well as a line of Hawai‘i-designed and inspired home décor under the Averylily brand.
We now live in a world where an increasing amount of goods are produced with a high degree of automation, whether they are everyday objects or luxury items, bringing much of what was once out-of-reach to a wider audience. We see it exemplified in many fields. On the roads around us we are increasingly surrounded by more, newer and shinier cars loaded with ever-fancier features; luxury automobiles in the golden age of motoring were not just hand assembled, but finely fettled by craftsmen who relied on their tools and senses to knock, tap, sew and stitch cars together such that none were truly identical as they rolled out of assembly. The maker’s touch was the differentiating factor between an everyday conveyance, and the coveted car. Today, one can buy in to their desired segment of the luxury automobile market, and the chosen vehicle will be undoubtedly luxurious, but also by being free of individual craftsmens’ marks, it is a virtual clone to others from the same marque.
Just as in that world, we experience the same effect in the other realms of our lives, particularly in our homes. Who doesn’t recall the newfound luxury of a television remote control that freed us from having to walk to the home’s sole TV to change the channel to one of a handful of others that were captured by the bunny-ears antenna? The few who may raise a hand in reply, do read on. Today’s typical home is truly marked by the ubiquity of luxury and leisure that surrounds every facet of our lives, but nuanced differences do exist, and these are revealed by unique touches that are the subtle evidence of true design and craft, because it is no longer just the inclusion of a branded item that separates what’s nice from what’s truly unique, and Averylily aims to bring design and décor to homes in Hawai‘i and farther afield, with the human design and creation elements intact as product-defining characteristics.
We come across some early executions of their style at Hale Alani, a home on the Big Island nestled among the villas on Kohanaiki’s southern flank. There, we encounter a rarity that perhaps serves as an emerging model for many new homes: the semi-custom build-out, combined with an interior design studio’s touches and guidance on sourcing furnishings and decor. The home’s quasi-bespoke construction coupled with high-end finishes lacks for nothing in its unique tier of desirable dwellings, but in order to make it truly move-in ready for the homeowners, its blank-slate spaces need filling, and Solmssen was tasked with executing the homeowners’ vision. Drawing from her own encyclopedic knowledge of interior design and global sourcing of furnishings, Solmssen kitted out the home with furniture and décor with such precision that the owners have subsequently commissioned Averylily Design Studio to lead the interior design and decor for their next phase of Hawai‘i living; a forthcoming home nearing completion nearby, also at Kohanaiki. “Working with clients to bring their visions and dreams to life in a home is my passion,” Solmssen mentions, as she describes how bringing unique pieces into a client’s home truly adds that elevating touch.
Stepping into either home rewards one’s senses with that intangible element of true crafted luxury without overwhelming; the cohesive design elements are equally reliant on restraint and knowing where to add just enough. The feelings evoked in these homes harken to the near future, when homeowners also desiring this same hand-crafted style of local living will be able to tap into the elusive true luxuries that are designed and made with the same elements of craft from ages ago, as curated and delivered by Solmssen and Kanter, or as we will all come to know them by: Averylily.