Decorating & Design

April 29, 2013

Beachfront Mansion In Maui

It’s Monday again, and after last week’s Thai villa, I’m still not quite done thinking about warm vacation destinations. This week, I’ve crossed the Pacific to the islands of Hawaii, where sprawling villas and golf courses nestle up to white-sand beaches. Let’s start the week off gently with a look at one of these villas.

Come fly with me to the northwest coast of Maui — specifically, the turquoise crescent of Oneloa Bay, where the gated Kapalua Place curves along the coastline as it leads to this $28.5-million gem.

The property is nearly 7,500 square feet indoors, and almost 10,000 square feet when the covered lanais are included. Not only does this dining area look across to the peaks on the island of Moloka’i, but the listing promises you’ll see “tens of thousands of humpback whales, dolphins and other magnificent creatures” in the bay. I wonder if that figure includes tourists.

Even the expansive kitchen has ocean views (and what I can only imagine are the most delicious breezes wafting through). The pineapple-backed chairs are a nice, whimsical nod to the islands.

Plenty of beach houses veer into seaside cliché or hotel-room blandness, but these neutral interiors set the perfect calm tone for a relaxing vacation. The furniture and accents — selected by renowned local designer Mary Philpotts — are included in the sale, so what you see is what you’d get.

Pocket doors in an upstairs bedroom open to a private balcony. (We’ll just pretend the neighbouring house is more than a few hundred metres away.) There are four bedrooms in total, each with its own ensuite bath, plus second-floor space over the garage that could be turned into a separate guest suite.

What do you think? Are you ready to say goodbye to a few million and aloha to the island lifestyle?

Photo credits:
1-5. Mary Anne Fitch via Christie’s International Real Estate