kenui quilts

it's hard not to be impressed when you stand in front of a hawaiian quilt. master quilters earn their sewing stripes only after devoting years to their craft of transforming simple pieces of fabric into those familiar hawaiian designs.

kenui quilts has elevated the design of hawaiian quilting with their luxurious satin silk 'ulu quilt, a definite departure from the more colorful quilts we all grew up with (can't you imagine lying on your bed and tracing the wave-like pattern with your fingertip?).

contemporary quilts have really taken off over the past few years so this is a cool way to include the traditional hawaiian style in a home with more modern sensibilites. this is a hand crafted piece so if you love it start saving your pennies, however, since it is made to order, you can select the color (or send in your own fabric) so the quilt matches your bedroom decor.

global warming

aloha clock

tropical style typically leans towards palm trees and a gratuitous use of raffia that i venture to guess is used more to recreate the islands in other parts of the world more than i have ever seen used in hawaii (outside of waikiki).

so i was delighted to find that europe is doing modern tropical style right from the pop worthy aloha clock designed in the netherlands to jenny wilkinson's cheeky wall decor straight from the uk.

pineapple wallpaper-by-numbers

octopus hide & seek paint-by-numbers

yep, paint-by-number is making a comeback in a big way and now you can tap into your inner artiste with retrolicious wallpaper-by-numbers in the oh so tropical pineapple design. yes, it's a wee ironic to surround yourself in a virtual pineapple field especially if you have a parent who worked at the cannery during their summer breaks (aka the ultimate guilt trip for 80's era island teens).

it's your choice whether to paint it to match your decor or leave it be in all its paint-by-number wonder. and, for those of you who love to dive into the great unknown, you also have the option of wrapping a room in a sea worthy border depicting life underwater in all its glory.

local customs

one of the items on my shopping list this time around was a replacement "mahalo for removing your shoes" ceramic tile for a friend's new home. while this is an unspoken custom in the islands, the tile is a polite reminder for mainland guests that your home is still hawaiian style even though it is across the pacific.

the tiles are handmade at the banana patch studio in kauai and are available in two sizes and a variety of island inspired designs. they can also be found over at native books/na mea hawaii at ward warehouse.

climate control

bahamas quilt

you may not have any control over the weather but at least you can decide how to keep warm when the mercury dips. spotted these handcrafted patchwork island style quilts over at the company store. the rich colors in the botanical bahamas quilt makes for an easy transition with the arrival of autumn and looks cozy enough to cuddle underneath with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

tropical isle quilt

of course, if you prefer to summer year round then take a peek at the tropical isle quilt which features the mandatory hibiscus and palm trees as well as maps of the hawaiian islands sprinkled throughout the design.

redesign on a dime

dr. pitt * orbit lounge

shopping for a gift for my friend's housewarming gave me the perfect excuse to stop by pacific home off ward avenue during my last trip home. this is definitely the place to go to deck out your digs with stylish and modern furniture and accessories not typically found in hawaii.

pacific home is the exclusive hawaii dealer for mitchell gold (fyi - many of the pieces at pottery barn and crate & barrel are designed by mg) and is design junkie nirvana since it is the only place in the islands to find thomas paul pillows, lights up! lamps, amenity bedding, and angela adams rugs under one roof.

the new showroom is huge and i just want to warn you that, even if you weren't planning on it, you will probably be ready to redecorate your home after your first visit. good thing pacific home is throwing a sale this month!

• sale dates: oct 13th to 23rd
• map it