a stylish trip down hana road

limu + kapa

the sunbrella fabric on the chairs on our lanai have taken a beating this winter so the introduction of the hana road collection from perennials has perfect timing. it's a nice modernist take on traditional hawaiian designs like barkcloth and kapa prints as well as taking inspiration from things in nature like limu and coral.

wendy tsuji and linda ueda, the designers of the collection, were definitely inspired by hawaii and i can think of lots of ways to use their fabulous outdoor fabric. unfortunately, the hana road line is only available to the trade (no showrooms in hawaii) and the price tag is a bit hefty ($139 a yard!). however, if you can swing it you'll definitely have a lovely setting to kick back and enjoy the great outdoors.

alora ambiance

 

if you happen to frequent the trendier boutiques &/or have flipped through any beauty/fashion/home magazine in the past few years, you have no doubt seen the oh so pretty reed diffusers introduced to the states by alora ambiance.

did you know that one of alora's creators lives in the islands? not me. one of the perks of having annie hope call hawai'i home is that it inspired the creation of alora's isola fragrance with notes of gardenia, tuberose & fig . . . which may be just what the doctor ordered when you're feeling homesick.

shangri la

shangri la courtyard + playhouse

since i have a curious fascination in seeing how the other half lives, i am ever the sucker for historic home tours like hearst castle. imagine my delight when the doris duke estate, a.k.a. shangri la (isn't that one of the most evocative names?), was opened to the public a few years ago.

the estate is just not something you would expect to find in hawaii which makes it all the more fabulous. the morrocan vibe is something that really should be experienced in person and anyone with an interest in art, architecture & design would enjoy exploring the diamond head estate on the guided tour offered by the honolulu academy of arts.