A Hawaiian Home That Finds Beauty In Living With The Land Here

In Kailua-Kona, a quiet island retreat embraces lava fields, ocean breezes and the native landscape around it with ease

Set among lava fields, golden native grasses and the expansive Pacific Ocean, this home in Kailua-Kona offers a quieter interpretation of island living. Rather than competing with the extravagant properties that surround it, the single-storey residence takes its cues from the landscape, traditional Hawaiian connections and the relaxed spirit of the beach cottage.

Designed by Pacific Northwest-based Lucas Design for homeowners Craig Hartzman and Jim John, the house was conceived as an intimate retreat for two, as well as a gathering place for their children and grandchildren. John has deep family roots on Hawaii’s Big Island, while Hartzman, who was raised in Santa Barbara, brings a strong connection to beach culture and a longstanding interest in art.

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The home’s pavilion-like design embraces the landscape, creating a relaxed connection between architecture and nature

The couple purchased the property around a decade before building, giving the project time to evolve. Before construction, they invited local practitioners to perform a traditional Hawaiian house blessing, recognising the cultural and spiritual significance of the land. The property is also set to become the backdrop for another family milestone, with their son due to marry there next year.

Crisp whites and warm timber tones create a restrained palette that lets the Hawaiian landscape and artwork take centre stage

A Modern Homage To The Beach Cottage

The conceptual starting point was the Parker Cottage, a historic and modest beach cottage on the Big Island’s northern coastline. For the homeowners, it embodied the qualities they wanted from their own Hawaiian sanctuary: unpretentious, closely connected to the water and deeply rooted in its setting. A painting of the cottage now hangs in the home’s small office.

The historic Parker Cottage inspired this home’s unpretentious spirit and its close connection to the water and surrounding land

The brief was deliberately restrained. The house needed to feel intimate rather than grand, with a scale that suited two people while accommodating extended family. Hartzman’s reference point was the effortless atmosphere of an Aman resort: white, relaxed and distinctly connected to its surroundings.

Ocean breezes, open-air spaces and sweeping views give this Hawaiian retreat a wonderfully unhurried atmosphere

“This house was really therapeutic to design just in its simplicity,” says David Lucas, cofounder of Lucas Design. “The values of this house are about being smaller, thoughtful. Every detail matters. The number of spaces is intentional, and the way those spaces connect makes perfect sense for who [the clients] are.”

An Open-Air Approach To Living

That sense of simplicity is clearest in the architecture. Slightly elevated to capture views of the white sands of Kua Bay, the home is organised around an open plan and a contemporary interpretation of the classic dogtrot layout.

Thoughtful proportions and a pared-back approach create an intimate home designed to slow the pace of everyday life

“When you're in Hawaii, you just want to feel like you're outside — even when you’re technically inside,” explains Lucas. “The whole idea of this house is that you're completely connected to the landscape on both sides.”

Glass barn-style doors can slide completely away, transforming the central great room into a covered outdoor pavilion. Ocean breezes move freely through the space, while the Pacific becomes part of the everyday experience. Whales can even be spotted — and sometimes heard — from the property.

Glass doors open the living room to the elements, allowing the Pacific breeze and surrounding landscape to flow inside

The main house contains the principal bedroom suite, open kitchen and living and dining spaces, while a den can function as a third bedroom with its own bathroom. Two separate guest hales, or detached Hawaiian dwellings, sit across the landscape, reached via ipe boardwalks and providing private accommodation for visiting family.

The open kitchen forms part of the home’s communal heart, connecting seamlessly with the living spaces and surrounding views

“We’re surrounded by mega-homes, but we never wanted to do that,” says Hartzman. “It really became this little gem in the middle of all that.” For him, the house is the rare place where he can “just be”.

Materials Rooted In The Landscape

The interiors continue that philosophy of restraint. Rather than introducing a heavily tropical aesthetic, the designers selected elemental materials that feel intrinsically suited to the volcanic site.

Lava rock forms the foundation, complemented by cedar, granite and coral, with the materials intentionally left close to their natural states so they can weather gracefully in the marine environment.

Lava rock anchors the house to its volcanic setting, using a material drawn directly from the landscape beneath it

“If the building is meant to be integrated into this landscape, the only material choice for the base of the building is lava rock — it’s what the site is made of,” says Lucas. “We don’t need to impose an opinion about color. The natural tone of the materials is exactly what makes sense here.”

Inside, crisp whites and warm timber tones create a calm backdrop for the homeowners’ art collection, including works by Phillip K. Smith III and Sara Genn. A sculptural bar cabinet by artist Kustaa Saksi, commissioned through Copenhagen’s Gallery FUMI, introduces another tactile focal point.

A considered art collection brings personality to the understated interiors, with works selected to complement the coastal setting

“The interiors have to meet the art, meaning they can’t take second place, but they have to be strong, too,” Hartzman reflects.

The result is a Hawaiian home that resists excess without sacrificing character. Its open-air spaces, natural materials and thoughtful proportions allow the landscape to take centre stage, while its connection to family, culture and place gives the retreat a meaning that extends well beyond its architecture.