. . . Big Island Design . . . . . .

Murphy beds have long been used to provide the comfort of a true bed in limited space. Unlike the usual extra bed solution (air mattress, fold-out couch or futon), a murphy bed is as good as the mattress that is fitted within its frame, and can even be used as the primary sleeping solution in a small space. We have a murphy bed in the den of our vacation rental condo, that we're replacing with a larger, built-in unit. So, it's for sale, for half of what we paid for it. It's been very infrequently used over five years. This unit requires 10 feet and 4 inches of wall space horizontally. The pier (side) cabinets are 28 inches wide and 80 inches tall each, and the center compartment -- designed to hold a queen mattress -- is 68 inches wide and 87 inches tall. One side cabinet contains a closet for shirts, jackets, skirts. The other contains 3 shelves behind doors of the main compartment. Each side also has a smaller shelf with doors at the top, and two drawers belo...

Luxe, posh, over the top ... I love the rich details of these wallpapers, even if they don't work with the design of my home. • Image from Swarovski Elements website • The wallpapers use Swarovski crystals and pearls to accent the designs. I'm not sure how durable they will be, but they are certainly unique! • Images from Swarovski Elements website • Each is offered in multiple colorways, and with interesting embellishments. Check them out, and move your mouse over the images and text to see how to get the most information. Truly lovely! http://www.swarovski-elements.com/wallpaper/ Updated in 2024: Apparently these beautiful wallpapers did not succeed in the marketplace, and have been removed from Swarovski's catalog

Fire • Passion Candle from Feng Shui Elements Special objects -- purely artistic, simply functional, or with multiple attributes -- personalize any thoughtful living space. When each accessory reflects its owner's personality, the item provides pleasure and delight to its owner, and potentially sparks interest in visitors. As simple as a candle, as stunning as a gorgeous vase, these personal touches finish a home; they are the accoutrements of a room. Curvaceous vase made from ebony and mother of pearl, acquired in London Glazed and fired with passionate reds and gold metallics, this vase is a stunning and functional piece of art

The painter John Seery , a leading light in the 1970s art scene in New York and California, has been "rediscovered" in the past few years. An original member of that era's lyrical abstraction movement, Seery created works that are expressionistic, conceptual, vivid, and commanding. After achieving recognition for his painterly efforts, he spent the 1980s in academia. From 1990 until 2003, he lived and worked in Hawaii. Some of the many museums that count Seery's works in their collections are the Whitney, Guggenheim, Hirshhorn, National Gallery of Australia, Fogg Art Museum, Smithsonian, and Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. John Seery's recent (and fabulous) abstract paintings are offered by the Garboushian Gallery in Beverly Hills. I love these new works, especially Psyclone (2006) -- perhaps because 1) its year was a particularly challenging and interesting one for me; 2) its name is delightful and ironic; 3) I would enjoy looking at it every day. Fortunat...

Here are a few more photos, including a better view of the wall-mounted credenza behind Peter's desk. It's made of burlwood veneers, stained green and varnished to perfection. Has four roomy drawer to keep Peter's stuff out of sight. This piece is by The Pace Collection, and has been licensed by Glendale Furniture , so a new one can be ordered from their website (under products, then the last item in "specialty"). note: click on any photo to see a larger size. A view of the north wall of Peter's office reveals Gary Pezzoli's series of four Big Island inspired paintings, and the cornered étagère. Temporarily, we've removed the top glass shelf so that it can act as the TV stand. The small corner between the room's two wide doorways holds a contemporary totem pole, of bamboo. About eight feet tall, it's the work of an artist in North Kohala. We played with using another wall-mounted shelf adjacent to Peter's des...

We've painted Peter's office using Sherwin-Williams SW 6150 Universal Khaki, with accents on the pocket door wall and the soffit in SW 6151 Quiver Tan. It works well with the lacquered four-drawer wall mounted shelf of burlwood stained in a complementary green, from The Pace Collection. Additionally, the khaki wall provides a flattering backdrop for our painting by Maui artist Tony Walholm . Peter's "new" desk, called "Boca" and designed by Leon Rosen for The Pace Collection, is made of gorgeous burlwood with legs of black enamel on wood. Finished with countless coats of lacquer, it perfects the mid-century modern look that The Pace Collection mastered. Alas, the desk was designed circa 1970 when computers on desktops were science fiction ideas ... so we hope to figure out an attractive placement for his iMac. I've seen a couple pieces that I like (including an acrylic side table ), but we're going to try a few things that we already own first....